Aaron Copland (1900-1990)
Dec 2 American composer (Billy the Kid, Fanfare for Common Man), dies of Alzheimer's disease and respiratory failure at 90
- Dec 6 Pavlos Sidiropoulos, Greek rock singer, songwriter and guitarist (Electric Theseus), dies from a heroin overdose at 42
- Dec 7 Dee Clark, American pop singer ("Raindrops"), dies at 52
- Dec 7 Peter Mieg, Swiss composer, dies at 84
- Dec 8 Boris Kochno, Russian ballet dancer (La Chatte) and librettist, dies at 86
- Dec 8 Pony Sherrell Metcalf, American singer, dies of heart attack at undisclosed age
- Dec 18 Connie Russell, American singer (Club Embassy; Garroway at Large), dies at 67
- Dec 18 Paul Tortelier, French concert cellist, composer, and teacher, dies at 76
- Dec 19 Massimo Amfiteatrof [Maksim Amfiteatrov], Russian-Italian classical musician, known as 'the Cellists' Caruso', dies at 83
- Dec 20 (William) Elmo Tanner, American big band singer, whistler (Ted Weems Orchestra - "Heartaches"), bandleader, and DJ, dies at 86
- Dec 22 Cecil Effinger, American oboist, composer, and inventor of a music typewriter, dies at 76
- Dec 28 Walter Burle Marx, Brazilian pianist and composer, dies at 88
Kendrick Lamar
Eminem
XXXTentacion
Tupac Shakur
Nicki Minaj
Coolio