- 1646 Virgilio Mazzocchi, Italian composer, dies at 49
- 1685 Fidel Molitor, Swiss composer, dies at 58
- 1750 Georg Matthias Monn, Austrian composer, dies at 33
- 1820 Ludwig Wenzel Lachnith, Bohemian horn player and composer, dies at 74
- 1828 Josephus Andreas Fodor, Dutch Classical era violinist and composer, dies at 77
- 1853 George Onslow, British-French composer, chiefly of chamber music, dies at 69
- 1889 Karel Miry, Belgian composer (De Vlaamse Leeuw), dies at 66
- 1890 Andries Andre, Dutch actor and husband of Geertruida Meeuwissen (Trumpeter-Major), dies at 36
- 1903 Benedetto Junck, Italian composer, dies at 51
- 1907 Alfred Reisenauer, German pianist and composer, dies at 43
- 1912 Guido Papini, Italian violinist and composer, dies at 65
- 1919 Daniel Brink Towner, American hymn composer ("He's A Friend of Mine"; "Though the Fig Tree Shall Not Blossom"), and music director, dies at 69
- 1931 Carl Nielsen, Danish violinist and composer (Det Uudslukkelige), dies of a heart attack at 66
- 1938 Viktor Kosenko, Russian-Ukrainian pianist, composer (Moldavian Poem), and educator, dies of kidney cancer at 41
- 1941 Wilhelm Kienzl, Austrian composer (Der Evangelimann - The Evangelist; Der Kuhreigen), dies at 84
- 1953 Arnold Bax, British composer known for his orchestral music (Tintagel), and memoirist (Farewell My Youth), dies of heart failure at 69
- 1967 Malcolm Sargent, British organist, composer, and conductor (Last Night of Proms, 1947-66), dies at 72
- 1967 Walter Muller von Kulm, Swiss composer, dies at 68
Woody Guthrie (1912-1967)
American folk singer-songwriter ("This Land Is Your Land"), peace activist, and father of Arlo, dies of Huntington's disease at 55
- 1969 Nehemiah "Skip" James, American Delta blues singer, guitarist and piano player ("I'm So Glad"), dies at 67
- 1971 Seán Ó Riada [John Reidy], Irish composer (Mise Éire), traditional music revivalist, and bandleader (Ceoltóirí Chualann), dies at 40
- 1976 Herb Flemming [Nicolaiih El-Michelle], American jazz trombonist and vocalist, dies at 77
- 1976 Victoria Spivey, American vaudeville and blues singer, pianist, organist, and songwriter ("Dope Head Blues"; Organ Grinder Blues"), dies at 69
- 1989 Del Wool [Adelaide Hazelwood], American country musician, dies at 69
- 1990 Eleanor Steber, American soprano (Metropolitan Opera, 1940-66), dies following unsuccessful heart surgery at 76
- 1994 Virginia Dale, American actress and dancer (Holiday Inn), dies at about 77
- 2000 Benjamin Orr [Orzechowski], American rock bassist and singer (The Cars - "Just What I Needed", "Drive"), dies of pancreatic cancer at 53
- 2005 Adrian Ratiu, Romanian composer, dies at 77
- 2008 Aurel Stroe, Romanian composer, dies at 76
- 2009 Robert Kirby, British music arranger (Nick Drake), dies at 61
- 2012 (Kathryn) "Kathi" McDonald, American blues and rock singer (Ike & Tina Turner Revue; Big Brother & The Holding Company), and songwriter, dies at 64
- 2015 Dave Pike, American jazz vibraphone and marimba player, dies at 77
- 2016 Joan Marie Johnson, American pop singer (The Dixie Cups - "Chapel Of Love"; "Iko Iko"), dies of congestive heart failure at 72
- 2018 Bent Lorentzen, Danish orchestral, electronic, and opera composer, dies at 83
- 2019 Vinnie Bell [Gambella], American session guitarist, electric sitar player, and pioneer of electronic effects in pop music, dies at 87
- 2022 Joe Bussard, American musicologist, preservationist, and record label owner (Fonotone), dies of pancreatic cancer at 86
- 2023 Lena McLin (née Johnson), American music teacher, composer (Oh Freedom), and Baptist pastor, dies at 95
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