Music History Events: Deaths
August 18, 2003 Singer/bass player Tony Jackson (of The Searchers) dies from a combination of health issues - including diabetes, heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver - in Nottingham, England, at age 65.
August 13, 2003 Songwriter/producer Ed Townsend dies of a heart attack at age 74 in San Bernardino, California. He co-wrote Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On."
July 25, 2003 Erik Braunn (Iron Butterfly guitarist) dies of a heart attack related to a birth defect in Los Angeles, California, at age 52.
July 16, 2003 Cuban singer Celia Cruz dies of brain cancer at age 77.
July 13, 2003 Broadway singer Eileen Rodgers dies of lung cancer at age 73.
July 6, 2003 Skip Battin (bassist for The Byrds, NRPS, Flying Burrito Brothers) dies of complications from Alzheimer's disease at age 69.
July 4, 2003 Barry White, age 58, dies two months after suffering a severe stroke while awaiting a kidney transplant.
July 1, 2003 Flute player Herbie Mann dies of prostate cancer at age 73. His best-known song is "Hijack," a dance tune that hit #14 in 1975.
June 6, 2003 Dave Rowberry (keyboardist for The Animals) dies at age 62 of an ulcer hemorrhage.
May 30, 2003 English record producer Mickie Most, who issued hits from The Animals, Herman's Hermits, and Hot Chocolate on his RAK Records label, dies of peritoneal mesothelioma at age 64.
May 27, 2003 Italian composer Luciano Berio dies at age 77.
May 15, 2003 June Carter Cash dies after undergoing heart-valve replacement surgery at age 73.
May 11, 2003 Noel Redding (bassist for the Jimi Hendrix Experience), age 57, is found dead in his Ireland home from a hemorrhage related to cirrhosis of the liver.
April 22, 2003 Songwriter Felice Bryant dies of cancer at age 77 in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Known for a string of hits with co-writer husband Boudleaux Bryant, including The Everly Brothers' "All I Have to Do Is Dream" and "Bye Bye Love."
April 21, 2003 Nina Simone dies at age 70 after a long battle with breast cancer.
April 20, 2003 Jazz tenor saxophonist Teddy Edwards dies at age 78.
April 19, 2003 Motown choreographer Cholly Atkins dies of pancreatic cancer at age 89 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
April 17, 2003 Blues musician Earl King, composer of the standards "I Hear You Knocking" and "One Night," dies at age 69 of diabetes-related complications.
April 10, 2003 Country singer Noel Fox (of The Oak Ridge Boys) dies at age 63, days after suffering a massive stroke.
April 10, 2003 Pop singer Little Eva dies at age 59, 18 months after being diagnosed with cervical cancer.
April 2, 2003 Soul singer Edwin Starr dies at age 61 of a heart attack while taking a bath at his home near Nottingham, England. Known for his 1970 #1 hit "War," Starr moved from America to England in 1983 and remained a popular performer there until his death.
March 28, 2003 '50s country/pop singer Rusty Draper dies at age 80 from pneumonia.
March 17, 2003 Country musician Bill Carlisle dies at age 94.
March 8, 2003 British pop star Adam Faith dies at age 62 of a heart attack following heart surgery.
March 2, 2003 Hank Ballard, whose song "The Twist" became a national sensation when Chubby Checker recorded it, dies of throat cancer in Los Angeles, California, at age 75.
February 26, 2003 Fife player Othar "Otha" Turner dies in Gravel Springs, Mississippi, at age 95.
February 23, 2003 Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers bass player Howie Epstein dies at age 47 after a long battle with drug addiction.
February 19, 2003 Johnny Paycheck dies of respiratory failure at age 64. His most famous song: "Take This Job and Shove It."
February 1, 2003 Latin-jazz percussionist Mongo Santamaria dies after suffering a stroke at age 85.
January 11, 2003 Mickey Finn, who helped supply the beat of glam rock as the drummer for T. Rex, dies at age 55.
Back to Categories©2026 Songfacts®, LLC