Musicians Who Died on May 29

  • 1680 Abraham Megerle, Austrian organist, composer, and Kapellmeister, dies at 73
  • 1750 Giuseppe Porsile, Neapolitan composer, dies at 70
  • 1833 William Marshall, Scottish fiddle composer (strathspeys The Marchioness of Huntly), dies at 84
  • 1862 Franciszek Wincenty Mirecki, Polish composer, conductor and pedagogue, dies at 71
  • 1899 Frantz Jehin-Prume, Canadian violinist and composer, dies at 60
  • 1905 Leon Francis Victor Caron, French-Australian composer (Caron Opera Company), dies at 55
  • 1910 Mily Balakirev, Russian pianist and composer (Islamej; Tamara), dies at 73

W. S. Gilbert (1836-1911)

English dramatist, poet librettist remembered for his comic operas with Arthur Sullivan (The Pirates of Penzance; H.M.S. Pinafore; The Mikdao), dies of a heart attack at 74

  • 1935 Josef Suk, Czech violinist (Bohemian String Quartet, 1891-1933), composer (Asrael Symphony; Ripening; Serenade for Strings), and educator, dies at 61
  • 1943 Hermann Hans Wetzler, German-American composer, dies at 72
  • 1951 Dimitrios Levidis, Greek composer, dies at 66
  • 1951 Josef Bohuslav Foerster, Czech organist and composer, dies at 91
  • 1951 Robert Kahn, German composer, dies at 85
  • 1956 Hermann Abendroth, German conductor (Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, 1934-45), dies at 73
  • 1957 George Bacovia [Vasiliu], Romanian poet and composer (Plumb), dies at 75
  • 1961 Uuno Klami, Finnish composer (Psalmus; Kalevala Suite), dies of a heart attack while sailing at 60
  • 1967 Geronimo Baqueiro Foster, Mexican composer, dies at 69
  • 1971 Max Trapp, German composer, dies at 83
  • 1972 Margaret Ruthven Lang, American composer (Irish Love Song), dies at 104
  • 1973 P. Ramlee, Malaysian film actor, director, singer and songwriter, dies of a heart attack at 44
  • 1973 Voltaire "Volly" De Faut; American jazz reed player (New Orleans Rhythm Kings; Jean Goldkette), dies at 69
  • 1977 Goddard Lieberson, English composer and President of Columbia Records, dies at 66
  • 1987 Phyllis Tate, English composer, dies at 76
  • 1989 John Cipollina, American rock guitarist (Quicksilver Messenger Service), dies from a longterm lung disease at 45
  • 1992 Peter "Ollie" Halsall, British rock guitarist and vibraphone player (Patto; The Rutles; Kevin Ayers), dies of a heart attack at 43
  • 1992 Rudolf Alberth, German conductor, and composer, dies at 74
  • 1994 Oliver "Bops Junior" Jackson, American jazz drummer, dies at 61
  • 1996 Tamara Toumanova, Georgian-American prima ballerina (Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo), dies at 77
  • 1997 Jeff Buckley, American musician and singer ("Hallelujah"), drowns at 30
  • 2005 George Rochberg, American composer (Concord Quartet), dies at 86
  • 2005 Oscar Brown, American singer, songwriter ("Brown Baby"; "Forbidden Fruit"), playwright, and poet, dies from complications of osteomyelitis at 78
  • 2011 Simon Brint, British comic actor, musician, and television composer (French and Saunders; A Bit of Fry & Laurie; Monarch of the Glen), takes his own life at 60
  • 2012 (Arthel) "Doc" Watson, American Grammy Award-winning bluegrass, folk, and blues guitarist, songwriter, and singer, dies from complications following surgery at 89
  • 2012 Mark Minkov, Russian/Soviet theater and film score composer, dies at 67
  • 2013 Marvin Junior, American singer (The Dells - Oh What a Nite), dies at 77
  • 2013 Mulgrew Miller, American jazz pianist (Duke Ellington; Betty Carter; Artie Shaw; Art Blakey), composer, and educator (William Patterson University), dies of a stroke at 57
  • 2014 Stefans Grové, South African composer (Nonyana, The Ceremonial Dancer; Cyclops; Glimpses), dies at 91
  • 2015 Peter Cropper, British violinist (Lindsay Quartet, 1965-2005), dies of a heart attack at 59
  • 2018 Rosa Briceño, Venezuelan conductor, and educator, dies of leukemia at 61
  • 2021 B.J. Thomas, American singer ("Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head"; "Hooked On A Feeling"; "Growing Pains Theme"), dies of lung cancer at 78
  • 2022 Ronnie Hawkins, American-Canadian rock musician, dies at 87