- 1614 Felice Anerio, Italian composer (pontifical royal chapel), dies at about 74
- 1788 François Bainville, French organist, and composer, dies at 63
- 1800 William Billings, American hymn composer (Rose of Sharon), dies at 53
- 1808 Pavel Vranicky, Moravian-Austrian composer (Oberon – The Fairy King), and conductor, dies at 51
- 1871 Cipriani Potter, English pianist and composer, dies at 78
- 1937 Bessie Smith, American blues singer known as the "Empress of the Blues" (recorded over 200 songs), dies of injuries sustained in car crash at 43
- 1944 Ernst Isler, Swiss organist and critic, dies at 64
Béla Bartok (1881-1945)
Hungarian pianist, composer (Concerto for Orchestra), and ethnomusicologist, dies of leukemia at 64
- 1966 Helen Kane, American actress and singer (Heads Up, Pointed Heels), dies of cancer at 62
- 1976 (Louis Charles) "L. C." Robinson, American blues singer, guitarist, fiddler, and electric steel guitar player, dies of a heart attack at 62
- 1979 Seymour Shifrin, American composer (Satires of Circumstance), dies at 53
- 1983 Tino Rossi, French singer and actor (Destins, Belle Menuniere), dies at 76
- 1984 Shelly Manne, American 'West Coast' jazz and session drummer, percussionist, composer, and bandleader, dies of a heart attack at 64
- 1989 Arnold Shaw, American writer on popular music and composer, dies at 80
- 1991 Billy Vaughn, American singer, saxophonist, and bandleader ("Sail Along Sil'vry Moon"), dies of stomach cancer at 72
- 1998 Betty Carter [Lillie Mae Jones], American jazz singer and scat vocalist, dies of pancreatic cancer at 69
- 2000 Baden Powell, Brazilian jazz and samba guitarist, dies of bacterial pneumonia at 63
- 2000 Nick Fatool, American jazz and session drummer, dies at 85
- 2003 Augustinus Franz Kropfreiter, Austrian organist and composer, dies at 67
- 2003 Robert Palmer, English singer-songwriter ("Addicted To Love"; The Power Station), dies of a heart attack at 54
- 2003 Shawn Lane, American session rock, jazz, and world fusion guitarist, dies of lung issues at 40
- 2007 Dorothy Schwartz (neé Cohen), American violinist (Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra), dies at 94
- 2008 Marc Moulin, Belgian jazz and rock pianist (Placebo), and journalist, dies of throat cancer at 66
- 2011 Harry Muskee, Dutch blues-rock vocalist (Cuby & Blizzards), dies of cancer at 70
- 2015 Manuel Oltra, Spanish secular and sacred music composer, and professor (Barcelona Conservatory, 1959-87), dies at 93
- 2015 Toshiya Sukegawa, Japanese contemporary classical and electro-acoustic composer (The Eternal Morning 1945.8.6; A Projection), dies at 85
- 2019 Martin Wesley-Smith, Australian composer, dies at 74
- 2021 Alan Lancaster, British rock bassist (Status Quo, 1967-85 - "Pictures of Matchstick Men"), dies from multiple sclerosis complications at 72
- 2021 Commander Cody [George Frayne], American singer and pianist (Commander Cody & Lost Planet Airmen - "Hot Rod Lincoln"), dies of esophageal cancer at 77
Assassination
Drug Overdose
Gunshot Wound
Murder
Plane Crash
Suicide