- 1602 Hernando de Cabezon, Spanish composer, dies at 61
- 1609 Gianmatteo Asola, Italian composer
- 1708 John Blow, English organist, composer (Venus & Adonis), and Master of the Choristers (St Paul's Cathedral). dies at 59
- 1770 Louis-Gabriel Guillemain, French composer and violinist, dies at 64
Mongkut (1804-1868)
King of Thailand (1851-68), opened country to the West (model for musical "The King and I"), dies of malaria at 63
- 1876 Henri Bertini, French classical composer and pianist, dies at 77
- 1912 Mary Frances Allitsen, Nritish mezzo-soprano, voice coach, and composer (Psalm 27: "The Lord is My Light"), dies at 63
- 1922 Nikolay Vladimirovich Scherbachov, Russian pianist and composer, dies at 63
- 1927 Wilhelm Harteveld, Swedish composer, dies at 68
- 1930 Ricardo Drigo, Italian composer, dies at 84
- 1964 Ernst Toch, Austrian composer (Geographical Fugue), music theorist (Melodielehre), and Pulitzer Prize winner (1956), dies at 76
- 1970 Hans Poser, German composer, dies at 52
- 1970 Petar Konjović, Serbian composer, dies at 87
- 1975 Al Jackson Jr., American session drummer, known as "The Human Time Keeper" (Stax; Booker T. & MGs - "McLemore Avenue"), murdered by an intruder in his home at 39 [1]
- 1979 Roy Harris, American composer (When Johnny Comes Marching Home: An American Overture), dies at 81
- 1990 Andrzej Krzanowski, Polish classical composer and accordionist (The Wind Carries the Echo Across a Wood Clearing), dies at 49
- 1990 Phil Napoleon [Filippo Napoli] American early jazz trumpeter and bandleader (Original Memphis Five; Napoleon and HIs Emperors), dies at 89
- 1992 Harry Ray, American soul singer (Ray, Goodman, Brown), dies of a stroke at 45
- 1994 Scott Dunbar, American blues vocalist and guitarist, dies at 90
- 1998 Pauline Julien, Canadian singer-songwriter, social and political activist, takes her own life after a brain disease diagnosis, at 70
- 1999 Lena Zavaroni, Scottish singer and child star ("Ma! (He's Making Eyes At Me)"), dies of bronchial pneumonia at 35
- 2000 Robert Allen, American pianist and songwriter "(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays"; "Chances Are"), dies of colon cancer at 73
- 2003 (Greig) "Chubby" Jackson, American big band jazz double-bassist, bandleader, and TV host, dies at 84
- 2004 Bruce Palmer, Canadian bassist (Buffalo Springfield), dies of a heart attack at 58
- 2007 Ronnie Hazlehurst, English conductor and TV theme song composer (Are You Being Served?), dies at 79
- 2008 Nick Reynolds, American folk singer, tenor guitarist, and bongo player (The Kingston Trio, 1957-67 - "Tom Dooley"; "M.T.A."), dies from respiratory disease at 75
- 2011 David Vickerman Bedford, British composer and educator, dies at 74
- 2014 Lynsey de Paul, British singer and actress (Sugar Me), dies from a brain hemorrhage at 66
- 2016 Edda Heiðrún Backman, Icelandic stage and screen actress, singer, theater director, and painter, dies of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at 58
- 2018 Charles Aznavour [Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian], French-Armenian singer-songwriter ("She"; "Monsieur Carnavel"; "Tin Drum"), dies at 94
- 2019 Beverly "Guitar" Watkins, American blues guitarist, and singer, dies of a heart attack at 80
- 2019 Karel Gott, Czech singer 'Sinatra of the East', dies at 80
- 2023 Julian Bahula, South African-British jazz and world music drummer, composer, bandleader (Jabula), and anti-apartheid activist, dies at 84
Assassination
Car Crash
Hanging
Killed in Action
Plane Crash
Poisoning