- 1662 Henry Lawes, British sacred and secular songwriter, dies at 66
- 1793 Johann Ernst Hartmann, Danish violinist and composer, dies at 66
- 1798 Johann Christoph Schmugel, German organist and composer, dies at 71
- 1805 Johann Baptist Lasser, German singer and composer, dies at 54
- 1810 Franz Teyber, Austrian composer, dies at 52
- 1897 Paul Kuczynski, Polish composer, dies at 50
- 1905 José Teodor Vilar, Spanish organist and composer (La Rambla de les Flors), dies at 69
- 1919 Sven August Körling, Swedish composer, dies at 77
- 1924 Martin Pierre Joseph Marsick, Belgian composer, dies at 76
- 1965 Bill Black, American bandleader and bassist who worked with Elvis, dies of a brain tumor at 39
- 1965 Marie McDonald, American singer and actress known as "The Body Beautiful" (Promises Promises), dies of an accidental drug overdose at 42
Jack Kerouac (1922-1969)
American novelist and poet of the Beat Generation (On the Road, Mexico Blues), dies of cirrhosis of the liver at 47
- 1969 Oscar "TV Slim" Wills, American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist ("Flatfoot Sam"), dies in a car wreck at 53
- 1977 Ferit Tüzün, Turkish composer (Esintiler - Inspirations; The Ears of Midas), and conductor (Turkish State Opera and Ballet Orchestra, 1959-77), dies at 48
- 1981 Karel Šrom, Czech composer, musicologist, critic, and broadcaster, dies at 77
- 1982 Radka Toneff, Norwegian jazz singer (It Don't Come Easy), dies of a drug overdose at 30
- 1984 Dalibor Cyril Vačkář, Czech composer, dies at 78
- 1995 Maxene Andrews, American pop and sing jazz singer (The Andrews Sisters - "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"; "Rum and Coca-Cola"), dies of a heart attack at 79
- 1995 Shannon Hoon, American vocalist (Blind Melon), dies of a drug overdose at 28
- 2003 (Steven) Elliott Smith, American Academy Award nominated singer-songwriter (Good Will Hunting - "Miss Misery"), dies of suspected self-inflicted stab wounds at 34 [1]
- 2006 Rene Gerber, Swiss composer, dies at 98
- 2007 Paul Fox, English musician and singer (The Ruts), dies at 56
- 2011 Edmundo Ros, Trinidadian-Venezuelan musician and arranger, dies at 100
- 2013 Marion Morgan (née Swires), American big band jazz singer (Harry James; Stop the Music), dies at 89
- 2020 Viola Smith, American drummer and bandleader (one of the first professional female drummers), dies at 107 [1]
- 2021 Bernard Haitink, Dutch conductor (Concertgebouw, 1961-88; London Philharmonic, 1967-79; Royal Opera Covent Garden, 1987-2002), dies at 92 [1]
- 2021 Nils Einár Grönberg, Swedish rapper ("Första klass"; "Katten i trakten"), shot to death in suspected gang-related incident at 19
- 2021 Wilfred Gibson, British session and pop violinist (Electric Light Orchestra, 1972-73; ELO II, 1991-94; Berkeley Square Society Band), dies at 72