Musicians Who Died in 1969

Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969)

Jan 17 Polish violinist and composer, dies of a heart attack at 59

Jan 19 Alcide "Slow Drag" Pavageau, American jazz guitarist and double-bassist, dies at 80
Jan 23 Jaroslav Křička, Czech composer, dies at 86
Jan 24 Pauline Hall, Norwegian composer, dies at 78
Jan 25 Irene Castle, American vaudeville, stage, and screen dancer, and animal rights activist, dies at 75
Jan 27 Hanns Jelinek, Austrian composer, dies at 67
Jan 31 Alexander Mikhaylovich Dzegelyonok, composer, dies at 77
Feb 2 Giovanni Martinelli, Italian operatic spinto tenor singer (New York Metropolitan Opera, 1913-45), dies at 83
Feb 7 Bainbridge Crist, composer, dies at 85
Feb 15 Charles "Pee Wee" Russell, American jazz clarinet and saxophone player, dies at 62
Feb 17 (Adolphe) Paul Barbarinan American jazz drummer (King Oliver; Red Allen Sextet; Onward Brass Band), dies while playing his snare drum, marching in a Mardi Gras parade at 69
Feb 20 Ernest Ansermet, Swiss (Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, 1918-67). and composer (Feuilles de Printemps), dies at 85
Feb 23 Joseph Messner, Austrian organist and composer, dies at 75
Feb 27 John Boles, American singer and actor (Stella Dallas, Curly Top), dies at 73
Mar 15 Miles Malleson, British stage and screen actor, and writer (Kind Hearts and Coronets; Postman's Knock), dies at 80
Mar 19 Theodor Schaefer, Czech composer, dies at 65
Mar 25 Billy Cotton, British bandleader and entertainer, dies at 69
Apr 2 Fortunio Bonanova, Spanish actor and opera singer (My Best Gal, Havana Rose), dies at 74
Apr 8 Arthur Walter Kramer, American composer, dies at 78
Apr 11 Ludvig Irgens-Jensen, Norwegian composer, dies at 74
Apr 20 William "Benny" Benjamin, American session drummer (Motown's Funk Brothers), dies of a stroke at 43 [1]
Apr 23 Krzysztof Komeda, Polish jazz pianist and film composer (Rosemary's Baby), dies of head injuries as the result of a fall at 37
Apr 28 Johannes Röntgen, Dutch composer, dies at 70
May 3 Imre Vincze, Hungarian composer, dies at 42
May 12 Martin Lamble, British folk-rock drummer (Fairport Convention, 1966-69), killed in a vehicle crash at 19
May 19 Coleman Hawkins, American jazz musician who virtually created tenor saxophone for jazz, dies at 64
May 23 Jimmy McHugh, American composer ("I Can't Give You Anything But Love"; "On the Sunny Side of the Street"; "I'm In The Mood For Love"), dies at 74
May 30 Gaston Brenta, Belgian composer, dies at 66
May 30 John Cipollini, guitarist, dies of ephysema at 45
Jun 1 Stan Brenders, Belgian jazz pianist and bandleader, dies at 65
Jun 5 Renaat Veremans, Flemish organist, composer, and conductor (Flemish Opera, Antwerp, 1921-44), dies at 75
Jun 14 Wynonie Harris, American rhythm and blues singer, dies of cancer at 53
Jun 16 Karl Schiske, Austrian composer, dies at 53

Judy Garland (1922-1969)

Jun 22 American actress (The Wizard of Oz; Meet Me In St. Louis; Easter Parade), and singer ("Over The Rainbow"); dies at 47; coroner determines cause as unintentional, incautious barbiturates

Jun 27 Richard Vance Maxfield, American instrumental, electro-acoustic, and electronic music composer, dies at 42
Jun 29 (Frederick) "Shorty" Long, American soul singer and pianist ("Here Comes The Judge"; "Devil In A Blue Dress"), dies in a boating accident at 29
Jun 29 Veselin Stoyanov, Bulgarian composer and pedagogue, dies at 67
Jun 30 Jan Evangelista Zelinka, Czech composer (Meluzina), dies at 76

Brian Jones (1942-1969)

Jul 3 British blues and rock guitarist, organist and sitar player (Rolling Stones, 1962-69), drowns in his swimming pool at 27

Jul 3 Hermann Grabner, Austrian composer, dies at 83
Jul 5 Wilhelm Backhaus, German pianist (Rubinstein-1905), dies at 85
Jul 7 Gladys Swarthout, American mezzo-soprano (La Gioconda), dies of heart disease at 68
Jul 9 Pierre Capdevielle, French conductor, composer (Élégie de Duino), music critic (Monde musicale), and teacher, dies at 63
Jul 20 Roy Hamilton, American singer (You'll Never Walk Alone), dies at 40
Jul 25 Douglas Moore, American organist, pianist, songwriter ("Goodnight Harvard"), and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer (Giants in the Earth; The Ballad of Baby Doe), dies at 75
Jul 28 Ernst Tittel, Austrian organist and composer, dies at 59

Frank Loesser (1910-1969)

Jul 28 American songwriter and composer (Guys And Dolls; "Baby, It's Cold Outside"; The Most Happy Fella), dies at 59

Jul 28 Gabriel von Wayditch, Hungarian-American composer, dies at 80
Aug 2 Clarence Dickinson, American composer, dies at 96
Aug 7 Joseph Kosma [József Kozma], Hungarian-French film composer (Les Enfants du Paradis; The Grand Illusion), dies at 63
Aug 7 Russ Morgan, American orchestra leader (Welcome Aboard), dies at 65
Aug 18 Laci Boldemann, Swedish composer, dies at 48
Aug 31 Ottmar Gerster, German composer (rector of the Liszt Music Academy in Weimar), dies at 72
Sep 1 William Flanagan, American composer, and music critic, takes his own life at 46
Sep 5 Henk Bijvanck, Dutch composer, dies at 59
Sep 5 Josh White, American blues, folk and gospel musician, dies at 55
Sep 5 Mitchell Ayres, American orchestra leader (Hollywood Palace), dies at 58
Sep 18 Rudolph Wagner-Regeny, Hungarian German composer, dies at 66
Oct 3 Nehemiah "Skip" James, American Delta blues singer, guitarist and piano player ("I'm So Glad"), dies at 67
Oct 4 Natalino Otto [Natale Codognotto], Italianswing-jazz singer, dies at 56
Oct 16 Leonard Chess [Lejzor Czyż], Polish-American blues and R&B record company executive (Chess Records), dies at 52

Jack Kerouac (1922-1969)

Oct 21 American novelist and poet of the Beat Generation (On the Road, Mexico Blues), dies of cirrhosis of the liver at 47

Oct 21 Oscar "TV Slim" Wills, American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist ("Flatfoot Sam"), dies in a car wreck at 53
Oct 23 Tommy Edwards, American R&B singer-songwriter ("It's All In The Game"), dies from complications of cirrhosis of the liver at 47
Oct 24 Otto Jochum, German composer, dies at 71
Oct 27 Jaime Pahissa, Spanish-born composer and musicologist, dies at 89
Oct 30 George "Pops" Foster, American jazz double bassist, tuba player, and trumpeter (Louis Armstrong; Sidney Bechet; Earl Hines), dies at 77
Oct 31 Hugo Pfister, Swiss classical and stage composer, dies at 55
Nov 2 (Wilmore) "Slick" Jones, American jazz drummer (Fletcher Henderson, Fats Waller, Sidney Bechet), dies at 62
Nov 4 Ferenc Szabó, Hungarian composer (Lúdas Matyi, Légy jó mindhalálig), dies at 66
Nov 12 Louis van Tulder, Dutch tenor (Kantoorkruk to high C), dies at 77
Nov 18 Léon Jongen, Belgian organist, composer, and academic, dies at 85
Nov 18 Ted Heath, British jazz trombonist, composer, and big bandleader, dies at 67
Nov 22 Acario Cotapos, Chilean composer, dies at 80
Nov 23 (Donnell) "Spade" Cooley, American Western swing fiddler, bandleader, and television personality ("Shame On You"), dies of a heart attack during the intermission of a performance at 58
Dec 1 "Magic" Sam [Maghett], American blues guitarist ("Feelin' Good (We're Gonna Boogie)"), dies of a heart attack at 32
Dec 4 Alceo Toni, Italian arranger (Vivaldi's "Four Season's" for piano four-hands), composer (Elegiac Quintet), and musicologist, dies at 85
Dec 8 Vincenzo Davico, composer, dies at 80
Dec 10 Franco Capuana, Itlalian opera conductor, dies of a heart attack on the podium while leading a performance of Gioachino Rossini's "Mosè in Egitto" in Naples, at 75
Dec 10 Leigh Harline, American composer and conductor, dies at 62
Dec 16 Leo Mathisen, Danish jazz pianist, composer, arranger, singer and bandleader, known as "The Lion" (Take It Easy; To Be Or Not To Be), dies at 63
Dec 31 Salvatore Baccaloni, Italian operatic bass buffo singer (Metropolitan Opera, 1940-62), and actor (Merry Andrew; Rock-a-Bye Baby), dies at 69