Events in Music
Music Single
Jan 9 John Lennon single "Nobody Told Me" released posthumously
John Lennon
Eddie Van Halen
Music Awards
Jan 16 11th American Music Awards: Pat Benatar and Michael Jackson win
Michael Jackson
Event of Interest
Jan 16 Paul & Linda McCartney arrested in Barbados-possession of cannabis
Linda McCartney
- Jan 27 "Milk & Honey" album by John Lennon and Yoko Ono released, featuring un-released recordings made during the 1980 "Double Fantasy" sessions, including "Grow Old With Me"
- Jan 27 Michael Jackson is burned during filming for Pepsi commercial
- Feb 4 "9" closes at 46th St Theater NYC after 739 performances
- Feb 4 "Backstage Magic" opens at CommuniCore
- Feb 7 Michael Jackson awarded a 4-ft-high platinum disc by CBS
- Feb 9 "Rink" opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC for 204 performances
Olympic Games
Feb 14 Britain's Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean famously dominate the ice dancing at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics; perform to Maurice Ravel's "Bolero" in free dance routine; record 9-of-9 perfect scores for artistic impression
- Feb 19 "Doonesbury" closes at Biltmore Theater NYC after 104 performances
- Feb 28 26th Grammy Awards: Michael Jackson wins 8 Grammys
- Mar 9 John Lennon single "Borrowed Time" released posthumously
- Mar 21 Part of Central Park is named Strawberry Fields honoring John Lennon
Music Premiere
Mar 27 Premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe's rock musical "Starlight Express"
Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Apr 5 "Human Comedy" opens at Royale Theater NYC for 13 performances
- Apr 14 Farewell concert of "Doe Maar" in Den Bosch Neth
- Apr 15 "Human Comedy" closes at Royale Theater NYC after 13 performances
- Apr 19 Advance Australia Fair is proclaimed as Australia's national anthem, with green and gold the national colors
- Apr 21 After 37 weeks Michael Jackson's album "Thriller" is knocked off as top album by "Footloose"
- Apr 28 "La Tragedie de Carmen" closes at Beaumont Theater NYC after 187 performances
- Apr 29 "Oliver!" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC for 17 performances
Event of Interest
May 1 Mick Fleetwood (of Fleetwood Mac) files for bankruptcy
Mick Fleetwood
- May 2 "Sunday in the Park with George" opens at Booth NYC for 604 performances
- May 5 29th Eurovision Song Contest: Herreys for Sweden wins singing "Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley" in Luxembourg
- May 12 White Horse by Laid Back hits #26
- May 13 "Oliver!" closes at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC after 17 performances
- May 14 19th Academy of Country Music Awards: Alabama, Lee Greenwood, and Janie Fricke win
- May 16 "When Doves Cry" single released by Prince (Billboard Song of the Year 1984)
Event of Interest
May 19 "King Of Suede" by Weird Al Yankovic hits #62
Weird Al Yankovic
Event of Interest
May 19 109th Preakness: Puerto Rican jockey Ángel Cordero Jr., aboard Gate Dancer wins his second Pimlico classic
Ángel Cordero Jr.
Album Release
Jun 4 "Born in the USA" 7th studio album by Bruce Springsteen is released
Bruce Springsteen
Film Release
Jun 8 "Ghostbusters", American supernatural comedy film, directed and produced by Ivan Reitman, starring Bill Murrary and Dan Aykroyd is released
Rick Moranis
Dan Aykroyd
- Jun 9 Weird Al Yankovic gives a live performance at Starlight Amphitheater
- Jun 19 Weird Al Yankovic gives free live performance at Del Mar Fair
Album Release
Jun 25 Prince releases his "Purple Rain" album
Prince Rogers Nelson
Music Recording
Jun 26 Barbra Streisand records "Here We Are at Last"
Barbra Streisand
- Jul 1 "Baby" closes at Barrymore Theater NYC after 241 performances
- Jul 10 Prolific studio drummer Jim Gordon convicted of murdering his mother and sentenced 16 years to life in prison. Diagnosed with schizophrenia after the killing, he is serving time in a medical / psychiatric prison, and has been denied parole 10 times as of 2018. [1]
- Jul 11 Britain's MusicBox begins satellite transmission to Europe
- Jul 13 Eddie Van Halen joins in, in a Jacksons concert
- Jul 15 John Lennon's "I'm Stepping Out" released posthumously
Famous Photo
Jul 20 Vanessa Williams is asked to resign as Miss America due to publication of nude photos of her
Vanessa Williams
- Jul 23 Vanessa Williams, 1st African American Miss America, resigns after Penthouse publishes unauthorized nude photos of her
Music Single
Jul 24 "Careless Whisper" single released by George Michael (Billboard Song of the Year 1985)
George Michael
- Aug 4 Prince's "Purple Rain" album goes #1 & stays #1 for 24 weeks
- Aug 7 Harmonica Frank [Floyd], American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player dies of lung cancer and diabetes complications at 75
- Aug 8 "Rink" closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC after 204 performances
- Sep 2 "Zorba" closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 362 performances
- Sep 4 Nigerian singer Fela Kuti sentenced to 2 years [1]
Event of Interest
Sep 12 Country singer Barbara Mandrell is badly injured in a car accident
Barbara Mandrell
- Sep 14 1st MTV Video Music Awards: The Cars win with "You Might Think"
Event of Interest
Sep 24 Paul McCartney release "No More Lonely Nights"
Paul McCartney
- Sep 25 "Quilters" opens at Jack Lawrence Theater NYC for 24 performances
- Sep 25 1st London performance of musical "Stepping Out" presented
- Sep 26 Berlin appeals court clears Paul McCartney in a paternity suit
- Sep 29 "(What) In Name Of Love" by Naked Eyes peaks at #39
- Sep 29 "Cruel Summer" by Bananarama peaks at #9
- Sep 29 "Drive" by Cars peaks at #3
- Sep 29 "Layin' It On Line" by Jefferson Starship peaks at #66
- Sep 29 "Let's Go Crazy" by Prince & Revolution peaks at #1
- Sep 29 "Pretty Mess" by Vanity peaks at #75
- Sep 29 "Torture" by Jacksons peaks at #17
- Sep 29 "When You Close Your Eyes" by Night Ranger peaks at #14
- Oct 8 18th Country Music Association Award: Alabama wins
- Oct 14 "Quilters" closes at Jack Lawrence Theater NYC after 24 performances
- Oct 22 Paul McCartney releases "Give My Regards to Broad Street" soundtrack
- Oct 31 Howard Goodall & Melvyn Bragg's musical "Hired Man" premieres in London
- Nov 11 "Three Musketeers" opens at Broadway Theater NYC for 9 performances
- Nov 12 Paul McCartney releases "We All Stand Together"
- Nov 15 "Emergency" 16th studio album by American band Kool & the Gang is released (Billboard Album of the Year 1985)
- Nov 16 John Lennon's 'Every Man has a Woman Who Loves Him' released posthumously
- Nov 18 "3 Musketeers" closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 9 performances
Music Single
Dec 3 "Do They Know It's Christmas" single written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure and sung by Band Aid is released in the UK
Bob Geldof
Event of Interest
Dec 4 6th ACE Cable Awards: David Bowie: Serious Moonlight by Anthony Eaton and HBO
David Bowie
- Dec 11 "Doug Henning & His World..." opens at Lunt-Fontanne NYC for 60 performances
- Dec 20 33 unknown Bach keyboard works found in Yale library
- Dec 22 Madonna's "Like a Virgin" single goes #1 for 6 weeks
- Dec 29 Blues took 27 shots against Islanders in 1 period
- Dec 31 Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen loses his arm in a car crash
Birthdays in Music
- Jan 16 Jared Slingerland, Canadian rock guitarist and electronic musician, born in Kelowna, British Columbia
- Jan 17 Calvin Harris, Scottish DJ, singer-songwriter and producer (We Found Love), born in Dumfries, Scotland
- Jan 18 Benji Schwimmer, American dancer, born in Newport Beach, California
- Jan 18 Maarja Kivi, Estonian singer, born in Tallinn, Estonia
- Jan 18 Kristy Lee Cook, American country singer (American Idol season 7), born in Seattle, Washington
- Jan 20 Toni Gonzaga, Filipino singer and actress, born in Rizal, Philippines
- Jan 24 Witold Kiełtyka, Polish drummer (Decapitated), born in Krosno, Poland (d. 2007)
- Feb 6 Piret Järvis, Estonian singer, born in Tallinn, Estonia
- Feb 9 Han Kyung, Chinese singer (Super Junior), born in Mudanjiang, China
- Feb 11 Matt Good, American musician, born in Valrico, Florida
- Feb 11 Aubrey O'Day, American singer, born in San Francisco, California
- Feb 15 Doda [Dorota Rabczewska], Polish pop and rock singer-songwriter (Virgin; Diamond B*tch), born in Ciechanów, Poland
- Feb 15 Gary Clark Jr. American blues-rock-soul singer-songwriter and guitarist (This Land; The Story of Sonny Boy Slim), born in Austin, Texas
- Feb 18 Buddy Nielsen, American singer (Senses Fail), born in Ridgewood, New Jersey
- Feb 20 Johannes "Jo" Alisch, German classical cellist, and jazz bassist, born in Mannheim, Germany
- Feb 25 Lovefoxxx, Brazilian singer (CSS)
- Feb 26 Natalia Lafourcade, Mexican singer, born in Mexico City
- Feb 27 Antti Tuisku, Finnish singer, born in Rovaniemi, Finland
- Feb 28 Ben Fagan, American musician & reality show contestant, born in Boston, Massachusetts
- Mar 8 Dave Moffatt, Canadian musician
- Mar 10 Li Yuchun [Chris Lee], Chinese singer-songwriter and actress (Supergirl), born in Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Mar 11 Anna Tsuchiya, Japanese model, actress and singer
- Mar 12 Shareefa [Faradah Cooper], American R&B singer, born in Newark, New Jersey
- Mar 12 Shreya Ghoshal, Indian singer
- Mar 13 Yuuka Nanri, Japanese actress, voice actress and pop singer, born in Nagasaki, Japan
- Mar 20 Winta, Norwegian musician
- Mar 25 Katharine McPhee, American singer-songwriter and actress (scorpion), born in Los Angeles, California
- Mar 26 Stéphanie Lapointe, French-Canadian singer
- Mar 30 Anna Nalick, American singer and songwriter.
- Apr 2 Meryl Cassie, New Zealand actress and singer (The Tribe), born in George, Cape Province, South Africa
- Apr 6 Max Bemis, American musician/songwriter
- Apr 9 Linda Chung, Chinese-Canadian actress and singer, born in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada
- Apr 10 Mandy Moore, American singer (Candy) and actress (Rebecca Pearson-This Is Us), born in Nashua, New Hampshire
- Apr 14 Adán Sánchez, Mexican-American singer, born in Torrance, California (d. 2004)
- Apr 15 Ben Kasica, American rock guitarist (Skillet), born in St Louis, Missouri
- Apr 22 Amelle Berrabah, Moroccan-British singer (Sugababes), born in Aldershot, Hampshire
- Apr 24 Tyson Ritter, American singer and songwriter (The All-American Rejects), born in Stillwater, Oklahoma
- Apr 26 Mija Martina, Bosnian singer (Eurovision 2019- Ne Brini), born in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Patrick Stump
Apr 27 Patrick Stump, American musician (Fall Out Boy), born in Evanston, Illinois
Patrick Stump
- Apr 27 Frank Carter, British musician (Gallows) and tattooist, born in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England
- May 1 Keiichiro Koyama, Japanese musician (NEWS)
- May 3 Cheryl Burke, American professional dancer (Dancing with the Stars), born in San Francisco, California
- May 5 Wade MacNeil, Canadian guitarist (Alexisonfire), born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- May 20 Kenny Vasoli, American singer
- May 25 Marion Raven, Norwegian singer and songwriter (M2M), born in Lørenskog, Norway
- May 25 Kostas Martakis, Greek singer, born in Athens, Greece
- Jun 4 Rainie Yang, Taiwanese singer and actress
- Jun 5 Cécilia Cara, French singer and actress
- Jun 9 Kaleth Morales, Colombian singer and songwriter (d. 2005)
- Jun 14 Siobhán Donaghy, British singer (ex-Sugababes)
- Jun 29 Derek Lee Rock [Smith], American drummer (Mêlée)
- Jun 30 Fantasia Barrino, American singer
- Jul 4 Gina Glocksen, American singer, born in Tinley Park, Illinois
- Jul 4 Akanishi Jin, Japanese singer, born in Tokyo, Japan
- Jul 5 Yu Yamada, Ryukyuan model, actress and singer, born in Okinawa, Japan
- Jul 6 Lauren Harris, British rock singer, born in Essex, England
- Jul 7 Marie-Mai, Canadian singer, born in Varennes, Canada
- Jul 9 Jacob Hoggard, Canadian singer (Hedley), born in Surrey, British Columbia
- Jul 12 Gareth Gates, British singer-songwriter, born in Bradford, England
- Jul 14 Chris Steele, Canadian rock bassist, (Alexisonfire), born in St. Catharines, Ontario
- Jul 15 Vice Cooler, American musician
- Jul 17 Asami Kimura, Japanese singer (Country Musume), born in Hokkaido, Japan
- Jul 24 John Dhani Lennevald, Swedish pop singer (A-Teens), born in Stockholm
- Aug 4 Helene Fischer, Russian German singer (Farbenspiel), born in Krasnoyarsk, Soviet Union
- Aug 10 Cyrille Aimée, French jazz singer (Let's Get Lost), born in Samois-sur-Seine, Fontainebleau
- Aug 13 Baby Blue [Rachel Prager], American rapper (Pretty Ricky), born in London
- Aug 15 Edward "Ted" Dwane, British folk-rock double bassist (Mumford & Sons), born in London
- Aug 20 Golan Yosef, Dutch actor and dancer, born in Gouda, Netherlands
- Aug 21 Alizée Jacotey, French pop singer (Moi... Lolita), born in Ajaccio, France
- Sep 1 Joseph Trohman, American musician (Fall Out Boy)
- Sep 2 Jack Peñate, English singer and musician (Matinée), born in London, England
- Sep 4 Camila Bordonaba, Argentine actress and singer-songwriter, born in El Palomar, Argentina
- Sep 10 Matthew Followill, American alternative-rock backing vocalist and musician (Kings of Leon), born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Sep 14 Melissa McGhee, American rock singer (American Idol, season 5), born in Tampa, Florida
- Sep 14 Ayushmann Khurrana, Indian actor and singer (Vicky Donor), born in Chandigarh, India
- Sep 16 Sabrina Bryan, American actress and singer (The Cheetah Girls), born in Yorba Linda, California
- Sep 16 Katie Melua, Georgian-British singer (Piece by Piece), born in Kutaisi, Georgian SSR, USSR
- Sep 18 Dizzee Rascal [Dylan Kwabena Mills], English rapper (Boy in da Corner), born in London, England
- Sep 19 Eamon [Doyle], American pop singer (F*ck It (I Don't Want You Back)), born in Staten Island, New York City
- Sep 21 Wale [Olubowale Akintimehin], American rapper of Nigerian heritage (The Gifted), born in Washington, D.C.
- Sep 22 Eduardo Rubio, Mexican pilot and pianist
- Sep 22 Theresa Fu, Hong Kong singer and actress
- Sep 22 Ross Jarman, Drummer The Cribs
- Sep 23 Louie Stephens, American rock keyboard player and singer (Rooney)
- Sep 26 Keisha Buchanan, English singer (Sugababes), born in Kingsbury, United Kingdom
Avril Lavigne
Sep 27 Avril Lavigne, Canadian singer-songwriter (Complicated, Sk8er Boi), born in Belleville, Ontario
Avril Lavigne
- Sep 28 Melody Thornton, American singer and dancer
- Sep 30 T-Pain {Faheem Rasheed Najm], American rapper/singer (Epiphany), born in Tallahassee, Florida
- Oct 3 Ashlee Simpson, American pop singer (Autobiography), born in Waco, Texas
- Oct 4 Lena Katina, Russian singer (t.A.T.u.)
- Oct 6 Joanna Pacitti, American actress and singer
- Oct 7 Ikuta Toma, Japanese singer & actor, born in Hokkaido, Japan
- Oct 9 Ghetts [Justin Clarke], British musician, born in Plaistow, East London, England
- Oct 10 Stephanie Cheng, Hong Kong singer (Traffic Light), born in Hong Kong
- Oct 13 Misono, Japanese singer (Day After Tomorrow), born in Kyoto, Japan
- Oct 15 Jessie Ware, British pop singer-songwriter (What's Your Pleasure?), born in Hammersmith, London, England
- Oct 16 Shayne Ward, British singer (UK X Factor - "That's My Goal"), and actor (Coronation Street), born in Tameside, Greater Manchester, England
- Oct 18 Esperanza Spalding, American jazz bassist, singer and songwriter (Radio Music Society; 12 Little Spells), born in Portland, Oregon
- Oct 19 Thundercat [Stephen Bruner], American bass guitarist (Flying Lotus), born in Los Angeles, California
Weddings in Music
Wedding of Interest
Feb 14 Singer Elton John marries Renate Blauel in Sydney Australia
Elton John
Wedding of Interest
Mar 22 Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (36) weds singer/dancer Sarah Brightman (23) in Hampshire, England
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Wedding of Interest
May 5 Musician Chrissie Hynde marries fellow musician Jim Kerr (divorced 1990)
Chrissie Hynde
Wedding of Interest
Sep 7 Actress-singer Janet Jackson (18) weds fellow R&B singer James DeBarge (21)
Janet Jackson
- Oct 27 "Jessie's Girl" singer Rick Springfield (35) weds Barbara Porter in Australia
Wedding of Interest
Dec 14 Singer and actress Bette Midler (39) weds Martin Von Hasselberg at Starlight Chapel in Las Vegas
Bette Midler
Wedding of Interest
Dec 15 Singer and actress Olivia Newton-John marries 1st husband actor Matt Lattanzi
Olivia Newton-John
Deaths in Music
- Jan 1 Alexis Korner, British blues musician (Blues Inc-Bootleg Him), dies at 55
- Jan 11 Fritz Geissler, German composer, dies at 62
- Jan 14 Paul Ben Haim [Frankenburger], Israeli composer, dies at 86
- Jan 17 Kostas Giannidis [Yannis Constantinidis], Greek composer and pianist, dies at 80
- Jan 18 Vassilis Tsitsanis, Greek singer and songwriter (b. 1915)
- Jan 21 Jackie Wilson, American soul singer-songwriter and performer (I Get the Sweetest Feeling), dies at 49
- Jan 23 Samuel Gardner, American composer, dies at 92
- Jan 23 Dean Goffin, New Zealand composer, dies at 67
- Feb 9 Balasaraswathi, Indian classical dancer, dies in Madras
- Feb 15 Ethel Merman, singer/actress (Kid Million), dies in her sleep at 76
- Feb 19 Ina Ray Hutton, American orchestra leader (Ina Ray Hutton Show), dies at 66
- Feb 20 Fikret Amirov, Azerbaijani-Soviet composer (Azerbaijan Capriccio, Shur), dies at 61
- Mar 4 Shalva Mikhailovich Mshvelidze, Russian composer, dies at 79
- Mar 5 Harry Salter, orchestra leader (Stop the Music), dies at 85
- Mar 5 Tito Gobbi, Italian baritone (Scarpia in Tosca), dies at 70
- Mar 6 Pierre Cochereau, French composer, dies at 59
- Mar 11 Kostas Roukounas, Greek rembetiko singer and songwriter (b. 1903)
- Mar 16 Evencio Castellanos, Venezuelan pianist, dies at 68
- Mar 18 Paul Frances Webster, lyricist, dies of Parkinson's disease at 76
- Mar 28 Carmen Dragon, American composer and conductor (Hollywood Bowl Symphony) dies of cancer at 69
Marvin Gaye
Apr 1 Marvin Gaye, American singer (Sexual Healing), shot to death by his father Marvin Gaye Sr in LA at 44
Marvin Gaye
- Apr 1 Chepín [Electo Rosell], Cuban violinist, bandleader, and composer (Orquesta Chepín-Chovén), dies at 76
- Apr 6 Jimmy Kennedy, Irish singer-songwriter (Teddy Bears' Picnic, My Prayer), dies at 81
- Apr 6 Ral Donner, singer/narrator, dies at 41
- Apr 11 Fred Robinson, American jazz trombonist (Louis Armstong's Hot Five; Fats Waller; Cab Calloway), dies at 83
- Apr 13 Ralph Kirkpatrick, American musician, musicologist and harpsichordist (Domenico Scarlatti), dies at 72
- Apr 15 Machito, Latin jazz musician & creator of Cubop and salsa music (Afro-Cubans), dies following a stroke at 76
- Apr 20 Mabel Mercer, English born singer who influenced Frank Sinatra (Fly Me to the Moon), dies at 84
- Apr 23 Red [William] Garland, American jazz pianist (Miles Davis Quintet), dies of a heart attack at 60
- Apr 23 Juan Tizol, Puerto Rican jazz trombonist (Duke Ellington), and composer ("Caravan"; "Perdido"), dies at 84
- Apr 26 William "Count" Basie, American jazz musician & bandleader, dies at 79
- Apr 28 Moses "Whispering" Smith, American blues harmonica player and singer ("A Thousand Miles From Nowhere"; "Hound Dog Twist"), dies at 52
- May 1 Gordon Jenkins, American arranger and orchestra leader (Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra), dies of Lou Gehrig's disease at 73
- May 4 Diana Dors [Fluck], British actress and singer (Berserk!, Steaming), dies of cancer at 52
- May 4 Larry Stock, American singer-songwriter (Blueberry Hill), dies at 87
- May 10 Jean-Louis Viale, French jazz drummer, dies at 51
- May 25 Piet Ketting, Dutch pianist/conductor/composer, dies at 79
- Jun 1 Nate Nelson, American singer (Flamingos - I Only Have Eyes for You), dies at 52
- Jun 2 Georgios Kasassoglou, Greek musician (b. 1908)
- Jun 8 Gordon Jacob, British composer, dies at 88
- Jun 13 Marinus de Jong, Dutch composer, dies at 92
- Jun 13 António Variações [António Joaquim Rodrigues Ribeiro], Portuguese singer-songwriter (Dar & Receber), dies at 39 of AIDS-related pneumonia complications
- Jun 15 Meredith Willson, American composer (Meredith Willson Show), dies at 82
- Jun 16 Harmonica Slim [Travis Blaylock], American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter ("You Better Believe It"), dies at 49
- Jun 19 Wladimir Rudolfovich Vogel, composer, dies at 88
- Jun 20 Hans Studer, Swiss composer, dies at 73
- Jul 2 Ramiro Cortes, composer, dies at 50
- Jul 4 Jimmie Spheeris, American singer and songwriter, dies at 34
- Jul 8 Christine McIntyre, American actress and singer (The Three Stooges, The Rangers' Round-Up), dies from cancer at 73
- Jul 9 Randall Thompson, American composer (Trip to Nahant), dies at 85
- Jul 11 Karel Mengelberg, Dutch composer and conductor, dies at 81
- Jul 14 Philippe Wynne, American soul singer (I'll Be Around), dies at 43
- Jul 14 Siegfried Kohler, German composer (Tausend Sterne sind ein Dom), dies at 57
- Jul 16 Billy Williams, singer (Your Show of Shows), dies at 73
- Jul 17 J Delos Jewkes, singer/actor (Stars & Stripes Forever), dies at 89
- Jul 20 Gail Kubik, American composer (Gerald McBoing Boing), dies at 69
- Jul 21 Michael Osborne, American rock guitarist and vocalist (Axe), dies at 34
- Jul 25 Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton, American rhythm-and-blues singer and songwriter (Hound Dog, Ball & Chain, Stronger Than Dirt), dies of heart and liver disorders at 57
- Jul 28 Ahti Sonninen, Finnish composer (Pessi and Illusia, Rauhaa, vain rauhaa), dies at 70
- Jul 29 Fred Waring, American musician and conductor (name behind the Waring Blender), dies at 84
- Jul 31 Paul Le Flem, French composer and music critic, dies at 103
- Aug 7 Esther Phillips, American singer (What a Difference a Day Makes), dies at 48
- Aug 11 Percy Mayfield, American singer (Hit the Road Jack), dies at 63
- Aug 14 Peter Wishart, English composer, dies at 63
- Aug 14 Bobo Jenkins [John Pickens Jenkins], American blues singer-songwriter (Democrat Blues), dies at 68
- Aug 16 György Kósa, Hungarian composer, dies at 87
- Aug 17 Hammie Nixon [Nickerson], American blues harmonica player (Sleepy John Estes), dies at 76
- Aug 22 Charles Whittenberg, American composer, dies at 57
- Sep 3 Arthur Schwartz, American composer (Girl from Paris, Excuse my Dust), dies at 83
- Sep 6 Ernest Tubb, American country musician (Walking the Floor Over You), dies of emphysema at 70
- Sep 8 Rene Bernier, Belgian composer, dies at 79
- Sep 9 Walter Kaufmann, composer, dies at 77
- Sep 11 Hilding Hallnäs, Swedish composer (Kärlekens ringdans), dies at 81
- Sep 19 June Preisser, American acrobatic dancer and actress (Babes in Arms, Strike Up the Band), dies in a car crash at 64
- Sep 20 Steve Goodman, American folk singer and songwriter (Somebody Elses Trouble), dies at 36
- Sep 23 Anatoly Novikov, Soviet composer, dies at 87
- Oct 17 Alberta Hunter, US blues singer/composer, dies at 89
- Oct 21 Dalibor Cyril Vačkář, Czech composer, dies at 78
- Oct 22 Harold Laurence Walters, composer, dies at 66
- Oct 25 Pascale Ogier, actress (Ghost Dance), dies of heart attack at 24
- Oct 26 John Woods Duke, American composer, dies at 85
- Oct 28 Giuseppe Savagnone, Italian composer, dies at 81
- Nov 8 Carl Gustav Sparre Olsen, Norwegian composer, dies at 81
- Nov 11 Jan Novák, Czech classical composer, dies at 63
- Nov 16 Vic Dickenson, American trombonist (b. 1906)
- Nov 16 Leonard Rose, American concert cellist (NY Phil 1943-51), dies at 66
- Nov 20 Alexander Moyzes, Slovak composer, dies at 78
- Nov 24 Godfrey Ridout, Canadian composer, dies at 66
- Dec 8 Razzle [Nicholas Dingley], British drummer (Hanoi Rocks), dies at 24
- Dec 15 Jan Peerce [Jacob Pincus Perelmuth], American tenor (NY Metropolitan Opera, Bluebird of Happiness), dies at 80
- Dec 19 Michel Magne, composer, dies at 54
- Dec 21 Judith Raskin, American soprano (Susanna-Le Nozze di Figaro), dies at 56
- Dec 22 Viola Wells [Evans], American jazz, blues, and gospel singer, dies at 82
- Dec 29 Leo Robin, lyricist, dies of heart failure at 84