Music History Events: Deaths
February 12, 2023 De La Soul rapper Trugoy the Dove (David Jolicoeur) dies at 54.
January 20, 2023 Marshall Tucker, a blind piano tuner from South Carolina whom The Marshall Tucker Band was named for, dies at 99.
January 12, 2023 Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of Elvis, dies of cardiac arrest at 54.
January 10, 2023 Jeff Beck dies at 78 after coming down with bacterial meningitis.
December 18, 2022 Terry Hall of The Specials dies at 63.
November 30, 2022 Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac dies from a stroke at 79.
November 25, 2022 Irene Cara, who had a #1 hit with "Flashdance... What a Feeling" and starred in the movie Fame, dies at 63.
November 5, 2022 Aaron Carter, a teen star in the early '00s and the younger brother of Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter, dies at 34 when he drowns in his bathtub. Carter battled mental health and substance abuse issues for much of his life.
November 1, 2022 Migos rapper Takeoff, 28, is shot and killed outside a bowling alley in Houston, Texas.
October 4, 2022 Loretta Lynn dies at 90, leaving a legacy as one of the greatest and most influential singer-songwriters in country music. Her signature song, "Coal Miner's Daughter," tells the story of her humble origins. It was made into a movie in 1980 with Sissy Spacek playing Lynn.
September 28, 2022 "Gangsta's Paradise" rapper Coolio dies of an accidental overdose at 59.
April 22, 2021 Digital Underground leader Shock G dies of a fentanyl overdose at 57. The group is best known for their 1990 hit "The Humpty Dance" where he plays the character Humpty Hump, a fun-loving, smooth-talking rapper with a huge nose.
April 19, 2021 Jim Steinman, who wrote Meat Loaf's operatic hits like "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad" and "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)," dies of kidney failure at 73.
February 8, 2021 Mary Wilson, the only member of The Supremes with the group throughout their tenure, dies at 76.
July 6, 2020 Charlie Daniels dies at 83 after suffering a stroke.
December 6, 2018 Buzzcocks frontman Pete Shelley, a founder of the group and their main songwriter, dies from a heart attack at 63. "Pete Shelley wrote perfect three-minute pop songs," Tim Burgess of The Charlatans tweets. "The soundtrack to being a teenager." The band soldiers on with guitarist Steve Diggle taking over on vocals.
February 12, 2017 Al Jarreau dies at age 76. At the Grammy Awards that night, Pentatonix acknowledge his passing, calling him a "voice for the ages." Jarreau won seven Grammy Awards.
June 28, 2016 Elvis Presley's original guitarist, Scotty Moore, dies at age 84. Moore, who played on rock classics like "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Jailhouse Rock," was the last living member of the team (Elvis, bass player Bill Black and producer Sam Phillips) that created The King's legendary sound.
June 11, 2016 22-year-old Christina Grimmie, known for placing third on Season 6 of The Voice, is killed when gunman Kevin James Loibl opens fire at a meet-and-greet at The Plaza Live theater in Orlando, Florida. The singer's brother, Marcus Grimmie, tackles Loibl, who fatally shoots himself during the scuffle.
July 11, 2014 Tommy Ramone (drummer for Ramones) dies of bile duct cancer at age 65.
September 18, 2013 Roger Pope (frequent drummer for Elton John) dies of cancer in Southampton, England, at age 66, just hours after marrying his longtime companion, Sue Tresidder.
August 10, 2013 Singer Eydie Gorme dies six days before her 85th birthday. She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Steve Lawrence, and a son, composer David Nessim Lawrence.
May 20, 2013 Ray Manzarek (keyboardist for The Doors) dies at age 74 in Rosenheim, Germany, while receiving treatment for a rare form of cancer (Cholangiocarcinoma or bile duct cancer).
May 1, 2013 Chris Kelly of the rap duo Kris Kross dies at age 34 after overdosing on heroin and cocaine. The duo were teenagers when they had their #1 hit "Jump" in 1992; they also opened for Michael Jackson on his Dangerous tour that year.
April 28, 2013 Bass player Lonnie Turner, a founding member of The Steve Miller Band, dies of lung cancer at age 66.
April 13, 2013 After years of medical troubles stemming from a 2008 car accident, Deftones bassist Chi Cheng dies at age 42.
March 12, 2013 Clive Burr, who was Iron Maiden's drummer from 1979-1982, dies at age 56 after a battle with multiple sclerosis.
January 1, 2013 Patti Page, a pop and country singer who had a huge hit with "Tennessee Waltz," dies at age 85, suffering from both heart and lung disease.
August 1, 2012 Tony Sly (frontman for No Use For a Name) dies in his sleep at age 41. No cause of death is revealed.
January 20, 2012 Etta James dies at age 73 of leukemia complications.More
©2026 Songfacts®, LLC