Musicians Who Died on September 28

  • 1649 Ottavio Vernizzi, Italian composer, dies at 79
  • 1757 Andrea Zani, Italian composer and violinist, dies at 60
  • 1819 Karl Haack, German composer, dies at 68
  • 1852 Johann Friedrich Schwencke, German organist and composer, dies at 60
  • 1903 Jesús de Monasterio, Spanish violinist, conductor, composer, and pedagogue (Madrid Conservatory, 1857-1903), dies at 67
  • 1914 Stevan Mokranjac [Stojanović], Serbian cellist, educator and composer of choral music (Garlands), dies at 58
  • 1922 Andrejs Jurjans, Latvia's first professional classical composer, dies at 65
  • 1931 Sylvain Dupuis, Belgian conductor, composer, (Le Chant de la Création), and music educator, dies at 74
  • 1938 Con Conrad, American songwriter and producer, dies at 48
  • 1939 Felicjan Szopski, Polish composer, dies at 74
  • 1947 Francisco Santiago, Filipino pianist, composer (Taga-ilog Symphony), conductor, and pedagogue, dies at 58
  • 1952 Paul Hastings Allen, American composer, dies at 68
  • 1957 Luis Cluzeau-Mortet, Uruguayan composer, dies at 67
  • 1958 Aarre Merikanto, Finnish composer (Juha; Schott Concerto), and educator, dies of lung cancer at 65
  • 1959 Gerard Hoffnung, German-British artist, humorist and tuba player (Hoffnung Music Festival), dies at 34
  • 1964 George Dyson, English musician and composer, dies at 81
  • 1964 Nacio Herb Brown, American composer (Singin' In The Rain), dies at 68
  • 1966 (Lucius) "Lucky" Millinder, American swing and rhythm-and-blues bandleader (Rosetta Tharpe; Who Threw The Whiskey in the Well), dies of a liver ailment at 56
  • 1972 Maurice Thiriet, French composer, dies at 66
  • 1972 Rory Storm [Alan Caldwell], Brirish rock singer (Rory Storm & the Hurricanes), commits suicide with sleeping pills at 34
  • 1986 Robert Helpmann, Australian actor, choreographer and dancer (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Don Quixote), dies at 77
  • 1989 John Gart, Russian-American orchestra leader, composer (Robert Montgomery Presents), and actor (Paul Winchell Show), dies at 84

Miles Davis (1926-1991)

American jazz musician, trumpeter and composer (Kinda Blue; Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet; Sketches of Spain), dies of pneumonia at 65

  • 1993 Fraser MacPherson, Canadian jazz saxophonist (b. 1928)
  • 1994 Urmas Alender, Estonian rock singer-songwriter and musician (Ruja), died in ferry sinking in the Baltic Sea at 40
  • 1995 Allen Johnson, American doo-wop baritone vocalist (The Marcels - "Blue Moon"), dies of cancer at 55
  • 1996 Bob Gibson, American folk musician, dies at 64
  • 1999 Carl Hall [Caldwell], American soul singer ("You Don't Know Nothing About Love"; "What About You"), and session vocalist, dies at 65
  • 2006 Viktor Kalabis, Czech composer (Two Worlds), dies at 83
  • 2010 Dolores Wilson, American opera singer (b. 1928)
  • 2015 Frankie Ford [Frank Guzzo], American rock vocalist (Sea Cruise), dies at 76
  • 2018 Koos Alberts [Jacobus Krommenhoek], Dutch folk and pop singer (Many More Years; Life Goes On), dies of bladder cancer at 71
  • 2019 José José 'The Prince of Song' [José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz], Mexican singer and actor, dies at 71
  • 2020 Frédéric Devreese, Belgian conductor, and composer of classical music (Gemini Suite; Valse Sacrée), and film scores (The Cruel Embrace), dies of cancer at 91
  • 2021 "Dr." Lonnie Smith, American jazz Hammond B3 organist (George Benson Quartet; Lou Donaldson), dies of pulmonary fibrosis at 79 [1]
  • 2021 Carlisle Floyd, American opera composer (Susanna; Prince of Players), dies at 95

Coolio (1963-2022)

American Grammy Award-winning singer-rapper (Gangsta's Paradise), dies of accidental drug overdose at 59