- 1787 Carl Friedrich Abel, German/British viola player/composer, dies at 63
- 1833 Philip Knapton, composer, dies at 44
- 1837 Giovanni Furno, composer, dies at 89
- 1842 Michael Umlauf, Austrian violinist, composer and conductor (premiere of Beethoven's 9th), dies at 60
- 1888 Cesare Dominiceti, Italian composer, dies at 66
- 1890 Theodore Lajarte, French writer on music and composer, dies at 63
- 1922 Vittorio Monti, composer, dies at 54
- 1923 Joseph Leopold Rockel, composer, dies at 85
- 1925 Wilhelm Posse, German composer, dies at 72
- 1940 Jehan Alain, French organist/composer, dies in battle at 29
- 1948 George Frederick Boyle, Australian-American composer, dies at 61
- 1965 Ira Louvin, American country singer (Louvin Brothers), dies at 41
- 1975 Daniel Ayala Pérez, Mexican violinist, conductor, and composer, dies at 68
- 1980 Allan Pettersson, Swedish violist and composer (Symphony No. 7), dies at 68
- 1984 Hans Studer, Swiss composer, dies at 73
- 1991 Malcolm Frager, American concert pianist, dies at 56
- 1992 Nikolay Nikolayevich Sidel'nikov, Russian composer, dies at 62
- 1995 Dennis Gomm, British composer and musician, dies at 84
- 1997 Lawrence Payton, American pop & soul singer (Four Tops - "I'll Be There"), dies at 59
- 2006 Claydes Charles Smith, American musician (Kool & The Gang), dies at 57
- 2008 Antonio Bibalo, Italian-Norwegian pianist, contemporary classical and opera composer (The Smile at the Foot of the Ladder; Ghosts), dies at 86
- 2011 Jerome Rosen, American composer, dies at 89
- 2011 [Anna] Ottilie Patterson, Irish blues and jazz singer (Chris Barber Jazz Band), dies at 79
- 2016 Bill Ham [Billy Mack Ham], American music impresario and manager (ZZ Top), dies at 79
- 2017 Prodigy [Albert Johnson], American rapper (Mobb Deep), dies at 42