- 1518 Pierre de la Rue [aka Peter van Straten], Franco-Flemish the Renaissance singer and composer, dies at about 66 [birth date unconfirmed]
- 1750 Giuseppe Sammartini, Italian oboe virtuoso and late Baroque/early classical composer who served the court of the Prince of Wales, dies at 55 [exact date uncertain +/- 3 days]
- 1758 Johan Helmich Roman, Swedish composer, conductor and violinist, dies at 64
- 1917 Alfredo Napoleão dos Santos, Portuguese pianist, and composer, dies at 65
- 1927 (Carl) Wilhelm Stenhammar, Swedish composer considered the finest Swedish pianist of his time, dies of a stroke at 56
- 1939 Désiré Pâque, Belgian organist, composer, and pedagogue, dies at 72
- 1950 Francesco Cilea, Italian orchesztral and opera composer (L'arlesiana; Adriana Lecouvreur), dies at 84
- 1951 Thomas Quinlan, English opera impresario, dies at 70
- 1957 Weldon Hart, American composer, commits suicide at 46
- 1964 John Tasker Howard, American composer and music historian, dies at 73
- 1973 Allan Sherman, American parody singer and songwriter ("Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah"), dies from emphysema at 48
- 1984 Alexander Moyzes, Slovak composer, dies at 78
- 2004 Jenny Ross, English alt-rock keyboard player and vocalist (Section 25 - "Looking from a Hilltop"), dies from cancer at 42
- 2005 Chris Whitley, American blues-rock guitarist, singer and songwriter, dies of lung cancer at 45
- 2005 James King, American tenor, dies at 80
- 2009 H.C. Robbins Landon, American musicologist (Haydn: Chronicle and Works), dies at 83
- 2012 Michael Dunford, British guitarist and songwriter (The Nashville Teens, 1960-63; Renaissance - "Scheherazade"), dies of a cerebral hemorrhage at 68
- 2012 Wim van Gennep, Dutch dance band singer and keyboardist (De Heikrekels - "Waarom heb jij me laten staan?"), dies at 87
- 2014 Arthur Butterworth, British classical trumpet player and composer dies at 91
- 2018 Harald Heilmann, German composer, dies at 94
- 2018 Levine Andrade, Indian-British violinist (Arditti Quartet, 1974-90), film score composer, and conductor, dies at 64
- 2019 Doug Lubahn, American session psychedelic rock and jazz-fusion bassist (The Doors; Pierce Arrow; Billy Squier), dies at 71
- 2021 Billy Hinsche, American pop musician, singer, and songwriter (Dino, Desi & Billy; The Beach Boys), dies of cancer at 70
- 2022 (Ione) "Joyce" Bryant, American cabaret artist (Drunk With Love), missionary, schoolteacher, and opera singer, dies at 95 [1]
- 2023 Mars Williams, American jazz and rock saxophonist (The Waitresses; Psychedelic Furs), dies of cancer at 68
Assassination
Drug Overdose
Gunshot Wound
Murder
Plane Crash
Suicide