Musicians Who Died on May 4

  • 1604 Claudio Merulo, Italian organist and composer, dies at 71
  • 1770 Christian Gottfried Krause, German composer, dies at 51
  • 1855 Camille Pleyel, Austrian pianist, piano manufacturer, and music publisher, dies at 66
  • 1893 George Washington Hewitt, American composer, dies at 82
  • 1929 Henry Morton Dunham, American composer, dies at 75
  • 1937 Noel Rosa, Brazilian guitrist, mandolin player, and songwriter, dies of tuberculosis at 26
  • 1953 T. Tertius Noble, English composer, dies at 85
  • 1954 Pauline de Haan-Manifarges, Dutch concert and opera contralto singer, dies at 82
  • 1955 George Enesco, Romanian violinist, conductor, and composer (Romanian Dances), dies at 73
  • 1966 Juan María Thomas Sabater, Spanish composer, dies at 69
  • 1967 Bengt Axel von Torne, Finnish composer, dies at 75
  • 1974 Geraldo [Gerald Walcan Bright], British "sweet music" dance band lbandeader (Gaucho Tango Orchestra), dies of a heart attack at 69
  • 1974 Israel Citkowitz, Polish-American composer (The Lambs), and pedagogue, dies at 65
  • 1983 Nino Sanzogno, Italian conductor (La Fenice) and composer, dies at 72
  • 1984 Diana Dors [Fluck], British actress and singer (Berserk!; Steaming), dies of cancer at 52
  • 1984 Larry Stock, American singer-songwriter ("Blueberry Hill"; "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You"), dies at 87
  • 1987 Paul Butterfield, American blues singer and harmonica player (Paul Butterfield Blues Band; Better Days), dies of drug abuse at 44
  • 1995 Louis Krasner, Ukrainian-American violinist, dies at 91
  • 2002 Dane Škerl, Slovene conductor, composer (Rhapsodic Symphony), and teacher, dies at 70
  • 2004 Clement "Sir Coxsone" Dodd, Jamaican record producer, dies of a heart attack at 72

Adam Yauch (1964-2012)

American rap-rock vocalist (Beastie Boys -"(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)"), dies from cancer at 47

  • 2012 Mort Lindsey [Lippman], American pianist, arranger, musical director (Judy Garland, 1961-64; Merv Griffin Show, 1962-86; Barbra Streisand, 1968), and composer, dies at 89
  • 2016 Ursula Mamlok, German-American avant-garde composer, and teacher, dies at 93
  • 2018 Abi Ofarim [Abraham Reichstadt], Israeli dancer, folk and pop singer, guitarist, and record producer (Ester & Abi - "Cinderella Rockerfella"), dies at 80
  • 2018 Naser Cheshm Azar, Iranian composer, dies of a heart attack at 67
  • 2018 Steve Coy, British rocker and producer (Dead or Alive - You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)), dies at 56
  • 2019 (James) "J.R." Cobb American guitarist and songwriter (Classics IV - "Spooky"; Atlanta Rhythm Section - "Champagne Jam"), dies of a heart attack at 76