Musicians Who Died on October 18

  • 1545 John Taverner, English composer (Western Wynde), dies at about 55
  • 1767 Joseph Paul Ziegler, Austrian composer, dies at 45
  • 1771 Robert Praelisauer, German composer, music director, and priest, dies at 62
  • 1788 Jean-Guillain Cardon, French harpist, composer, and teacher, dies at 56
  • 1817 Etienne-Nicolas Méhul, French opera composer, dies at 54
  • 1832 Othon Joseph Vandenbroek, Belgian composer, dies at 73
  • 1840 Pierre-Gabriel Gardel, French ballet dancer and choreographer (In L'Offrande à la Liberté), dies at 82
  • 1864 Jacques-François Gallay, French horn player and composer, dies at 68

Charles Gounod (1818-1893)

French composer (Faust; La reine the Saba; Funeral March of a Marionette), dies at 75

  • 1944 Orville "Hoppy" Jones, American bass singer and cellist (The Ink Spots - "If I Didn't Care"), dies of a brain hemorrhage at 39
  • 1944 Viktor Ullmann, Austrian pianist, conductor, and composer (Der Kaiser von Atlantis), murdered in gas chamber of Auschwitz concentration camp at 46
  • 1953 Federico Gerdes, composer, dies at 80
  • 1956 Harry Parry, Welsh jazz clarinetist and bandleader (BBC's Radio Rhythm Club), dies at 44
  • 1963 Cláudio Carneyro, Portuguese violinist, composer, and educator, dies at 68
  • 1965 Frank Hutchens, composer, dies at 73
  • 1977 Kristian Hauger, Norwegian jazz pianist, orchestra leader and songwriter ("Charleston i Grukkedalen"), dies at 71
  • 1991 Gunnar Sønstevold, Norwegian jazz pianist, and orchestral and film score composer (Litany In Atlanta; The Dorian Cage), dies at 78
  • 1994 Lee Allen, American tenor sax player ("Walkin' With Mr Lee"), dies of cancer at 68
  • 1999 Tony Crombie, English jazz drummer and bandleader, dies at 74
  • 2000 Gwyneth “Gwen” Verdon, American actress, singer and dancer (Cotton Club; Sweet Charity), dies at 75
  • 2000 Julie London, American singer ("Cry Me A River") and actress (Emergency - "Nurse McCall"), dies at 74
  • 2002 Roman Tam, Hong Kong singer (b. 1950)
  • 2006 Anna Russell, English music satirist and composer, dies at 94
  • 2007 Kumiko Ida, Japanese classical pianist, dies of meningitis at 38
  • 2007 Lucky Dube, South African reggae musician, killed by carjackers at 43
  • 2008 (Deliah) "Dee Dee" Warwick, American soul singer, dies of complications from diabetes at 66
  • 2010 Marion Brown, American jazz alto saxophonist, (Marion Brown Quartet; John Coltrane -"Ascension"; Artie Schepp), avant garde composer, writer, and ethnomusicologist, dies at 79
  • 2012 David Spencer Ware, American free jazz saxophonist, dies at 62
  • 2014 Joanne Borgella, American plus-sized model and singer, dies of cancer at 32
  • 2018 Randolph Hokanson, American concert pianist and teacher (University of Washington, 1949-84), dies at 103
  • 2020 Juliusz Łuciuk, Polish composer (Hymnus de Caritate; Dzikie wino/ Virgin Ivy), dies at 93
  • 2021 Edita Gruberová, Slovak operatic soprano, dies at 74
  • 2022 Robert Gordon, American rockabilly revival singer-songwriter ("Red Hot"), and actor (The Loveless), dies of leukemia at 75
  • 2023 Dwight Twilley, American power pop singer-songwriter ("I'm On Fire"; "Girls"), dies of complications from a stroke at 72 [1]