- 1836 Hans Georg Nägeli, Swiss composer, dies at 63
- 1887 Jules Francois Blasini, Curacaos pianist/composer, dies at 40
- 1916 Bernhard Scholz, composer, dies at 81
- 1918 Bertram Luard-Selby, British organist and composer, dies at 65
- 1937 Ivor Gurney, English composer and poet, dies of tuberculosis at 47
- 1950 Emile Enthoven, Dutch composer and lawyer, dies at 47
- 1957 Artur Malawski, Polish composer, dies at 53
- 1958 Harry Redman, American composer, writer, and artist, dies on 89th birthday
- 1966 Noel Gallon, French composer, dies at 75
- 1974 Robert Levine Sanders, American composer, dies at 68
- 1974 Farid al-Atrash [El-Atrache], Syrian composer, musician, virtuoso oud player, and actor (Akher kedba), dies of heart disease at 59
- 1974 Knudåge Riisager, Danish composer (director of the Royal Danish Academy of Music 1956-67), dies at 77
- 1977 Ivan Rezak, Czech composer, dies at 53
- 1988 Pablo Sorozábal, Spanish composer, dies at 91
- 1989 Lennox R. F. Berkeley, British composer and pedagogue (Castaway), dies at 86
- 1992 Nikita Magaloff, Russian/Swiss pianist, dies at 80
- 1999 Curtis Mayfield, American singer-songwriter and soul musician (Freddie's Dead, Superfly), dies from complications of type 2 diabetes at 57
- 2000 Paul Kont, Austrian composer, dies at 80
- 2004 Sigurd Køhn, Norwegian jazz musician, in 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (b. 1959)
- 2004 Aki Sirkesalo, Finnish musician, in 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (b. 1962)
- 2004 Mieszko Talarczyk, Lead singer/Guitarist of grindcore band, Nasum, in 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (b. 1974)
- 2005 Muriel Costa-Greenspon, American mezzo-soprano (b. 1937)
- 2006 Enrique Antonio "Tony" Silvester, Panamanian-American R&B singer-songwriter (The Main Ingredient - "Everybody Plays the Fool"), dies at 65
- 2007 Joe Dolan, Irish singer and entertainer (b. 1943)
- 2009 Felix Wurman, American cellist and composer, dies of Cancer at 51
- 2010 Teena Marie, American singer and composer (b. 1956)
- 2011 Sam Rivers, American jazz musician (exponent of free jazz), dies of pneumonia at 88
- 2012 Fontella Bass, American R&B and soul singer and songwriter (Rescue Me), dies from a heart attack at 72
- 2016 George S. Irving [Shelasky], American broadway singer and actor (Dumplings), dies at 94
- 2018 Sono Osato, American Japanese ballet dancer and actress, dies at 99
- 2018 Theodore Antoniou, Greek conductor and composer (Paean, Celebration), dies at 83