1711 Christian Demelius, German composer and kapellmeister, dies at 68
1768 (Pieter) Pierre van Maldere, Flemish violinist and composer, dies at 39
1788 Johann Samuel Schröter, German organist, pianist and composer, dies at 35
1810 Georg Anton Kreusser, German composer, dies at 64
1817 Giovanni Zanotti, Italian composer, dies at 79
1825 Rodrigo Ferreira da Costa, Portuguese composer, dies at 49
1844 August Ferdinand Haeser, German composer, dies at 45
1895 Aleksander Zarzycki, Polish composer (Warsaw Music Society), dies at 61
1927 Florence Mills [Winfrey], American cabaret singer, dancer and comedian, known as 'the Queen of Happiness', dies of tuberculosis at 31
1942 Hugo Distler, German organist, choral conductor and composer, commits suicide at 34
1961 Joan McCracken, American stage and screen actress, dancer and comedienne (Oklahoma!; Claudia: Story of a Marriage), dies of a heart attack at 43
1962 Wintter Haynes Watts, American composer, dies at 78
1975 Norbert Rosseau, Belgian composer, dies at 67
1975 Philip James, American composer, conductor (New Jersey Symphony, 1922-29; Bamberger Little Symphony, 1929-36), and educator (NYU, 1934-56), dies at 85
1982 Leighton Lucas, British composer and conductor, dies at 79
1983 Anthony van Hoboken, Dutch musicologist (Haydn Catalog), dies at 96
1986 Serge Garant, Canadian composer and conductor (Anerca), dies at 57
1986 Sippie Wallace [Beulah Belle Thomas], American blues singer ("Women Be Wise"), dies on her 88th birthday
1989 Louis Barron, American composer (electronic music), dies at 69
1990 Ray Pohlman, American session upright and electric bass guitarist and arranger (The Wrecking Crew), and jazz guitarist, dies of heart failure at 60
2003 Joji "George" Kawaguchi Japanese jazz drummer and bandleader, dies at 76
2003 Kent Kennan, American composer, dies at 90
2004 Mac Dre [Andre Louis Hicks], American rapper and hip hop pioneer, dies at 34
2004 Terry Knight, American rock producer and singer (Grand Funk Railroad), murdered by his daughter's boyfriend defending her during a domestic dispute at 61
2005 (Lyle) "Skitch" Henderson, British-American pianist and orchestra leader (NBC Radio; NBC Television; New York Pops), dies at 87
2005 Manuel Castillo, Andalusian classical pianist and composer, dies at 75
2008 Jimmy Carl Black [Inkanish], American rock drummer (Mothers Of Invention, 1965-69; Muffin Men, 1993-2008), dies of lung cancer at 70
2008 Nathaniel Mayer, American R&B singer ("Village of Love"; "Leave Me Alone"), dies after multiple strokes at 64
2008 Shakir Stewart, American record executive (Def Jam), dies of a self-inflicted gun wound at 34
2008 Yma Sumac [Chavarri], Peruvian-American 5 octave soprano and exotica singer (Omar Khayyam), dies at 85