Musicians Who Died on October 16

  • 1621 Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, organist/composer, dies at about 59
  • 1655 Joseph Solomon Delmedigo, Italian physician, mathematician, and music theorist, dies at 64
  • 1726 Giovanni Maria Capelli, Italian composer, dies at 77
  • 1750 Silvius Leopold Weiss, German composer and lutenist, dies at 64
  • 1799 Antoine-Frederic Gresnick, Belgian composer, dies at 44
  • 1814 Juan Jose Landaeta, Venezuelan composer, killed at 34
  • 1822 Eva Marie Veigel [La Violette], Austrian ballet dancer and wife of actor David Garrick, dies at 98
  • 1836 Friedrich Theodor Frohlich, composer, dies at 33
  • 1880 Edward Wolff, Polish pianist and composer, dies at 64
  • 1893 Carlo Pedrotti, composer, dies at 75
  • 1918 Felix Arndt, American organist, pianist, arranger, and composer ("Desecration Rag"; "Nola"), dies during the Spanish Flu pandemic at 29 [1]
  • 1919 Charles Harford Lloyd, British organist and composer, dies on his 70th birthday
  • 1920 Alberto Nepomuceno, Brazilian composer and conductor (Artemis), dies at 56
  • 1939 Ludolf Nielsen, Danish composer, dies at 63
  • 1944 Eric Westberg, Swedish composer, dies at 52
  • 1946 Granville Bantock, English composer and conductor (Hebridean Symphony), dies at 78
  • 1949 Hale A. VanderCook, American composer, dies at 85
  • 1969 Leonard Chess [Lejzor Czyż], Polish-American blues and R&B record company executive (Chess Records), dies at 52
  • 1973 Gene Krupa, American jazz and swing drummer ("Sing, Sing, Sing"), dies of heart failure while battling leukemia and emphysema at 64 [1]
  • 1974 Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, noted Carnatic musician (b. 1895)
  • 1982 Jakov Gotovac, Croatian conductor and composer (Ero the Joker), dies at 87
  • 1982 Mario del Monaco, Italian opera singer (Verdi/Puccini), dies at 67
  • 1983 George Liberace, American violinist (The Liberace Show), dies of leukemia at 72
  • 1983 Øivin Fjeldstad, Norwegian conductor and composer, dies at 80
  • 1986 Arthur Grumiaux, Belgian concert violinist, dies of a stroke at 65
  • 1987 Dana Suesse, American musician and songwriter ("You Ought To Be In Pictures"), dies at 77
  • 1990 Art Blakey, American jazz drummer (Jazz Messengers), dies of cancer at 71
  • 1990 Jorge Bolet, Cuban-born American pianist known for his performances of the work of Franz Liszt, dies at 75
  • 1991 Boris Papandopulo, Croatian composer, dies at 78
  • 1991 Tonny Huurdeman, singer/actress (Frills), dies
  • 1996 James Wild, music teacher, dies at 68
  • 2001 Etta Jones, American jazz singer ("Don't Go To Strangers"; "Save Your Love for Me"), dies of cancer at 72
  • 2005 "Len" Dresslar, American singer and voice actor (b. 1925)
  • 2005 David Reilly, American singer ("God Lives Underwater"), dies at 34
  • 2006 Tommy Johnson, American orchestral and session tuba player (theme to "Jaws"), dies from cancer and kidney failure at 71
  • 2007 Toše Proeski, Macedonian pop music singer-songwriter and musician, dies in a car crash in Croatia at 26
  • 2010 Eyedea [Micheal Larsen], American poet and rapper (Eyedea & Abilities), dies from opiate induced respiratory depression at 28
  • 2011 Pete Rugolo, American bandleader and arranger (Fugitive), dies at 95
  • 2014 Tim Hauser, American jazz singer (The Manhattan Transfer - "Boy From New York City"), dies from cardiac arrest at 72
  • 2015 John Jennings, American guitarist and music producer (Mary Chapin Carpenter; John Gorka). dies of kidney cancer at 61
  • 2020 Johnny Bush, American country singer, dies at 85
  • 2021 Ron Tutt, American session and touring drummer (Elvis Presley, Emmylou Harris; Jerry Garcia; Neil Diamond), dies at 83