Some of the musicians, songwriters, engineers, managers, agents, broadcasters, journalists, industry executives, and studio and club owners who passed away in 2017.
January
Stuart Hamilton, Canadian pianist, broadcaster (CBC) and vocal coach
Memo Morales, Venezuelan singer
Auriel Andrew, Australian country musician
Sam Lovullo, television producer (Hee Haw)
Joe M. Wright, country guitarist and songwriter
Hayward Bishop Jr., Nashville session drummer
Mike Garborno, punk rock singer (Cadillac Tramps)
Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan, Indian sitar player
Ustad Bade Fateh Ali Khan, Pakistani singer
Bart Prater, radio broadcaster (WROV, K92, WVTF)
Dave Franklin, punk rock singer (Vision)
Johnny Dick, Australian drummer (Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs)
Sylvester Potts, soul singer (The Contours)
Nat Hentoff, critic and journalist (Village Voice, Wall Street Journal)
Eddie Kamae, ukulele player and singer (Sons of Hawaii)
Jerzy Kossela, Polish guitarist, singer and songwriter
Buddy Bregman, arranger, producer, composer and orchestrator
Peter Sarstedt, British pop singer and songwriter
Crazy Toones, hip-hop producer and DJ
Travis Peterson, music video producer
Buddy Greco, jazz and pop singer and pianist (“The Lady is a Tramp”)
Tommy Allsup, western swing and rock ‘n’ roll guitarist (Buddy Holly)
Tony Booth, British poster artist (The Beatles)
Meir Banai, Israeli singer
Larry Steinbachek, keyboardist (Bronski Beat)
Muhammad Fachroni, Indonesian singer (Project Pop)
Dick Gautier, actor and singer (Bye Bye Birdie, Get Smart)
Mark Fisher, cultural theorist and writer (K-Punk)
Horacio Guarany, Argentinian folklorist and singer
Richie Ingui, rock and soul singer (The Soul Survivors)
Alan Jabbour, fiddler and folklorist
Yanni Alexis “Magic Alex” Mardas, artist and Apple Corp. employee
Yama Buddha, Nepalese rapper
Terry Cryer, jazz and blues photographer
Thandi Klaasen, African jazz singer
Greg Trooper, singer, songwriter and guitarist
William Onyeabor, Nigerian funk musician
Charles “Bobo” Shaw, jazz drummer (Human Arts Ensemble)
Steve Wright, rock bassist and songwriter (The Greg Kihn Band)
Roberta Peters, coloratura soprano
Marilyn Petrone, music industry executive (Dick Clark Productions)
Darci Rossi, Brazilian composer
Loalwa Braz, Brazilian singer and songwriter (“Lambada”)
Ramón Cordero, Dominican singer
Howard Kaufman, artist manager (Eagles, Aerosmith, Jimmy Buffett)
Mike Kellie, rock drummer (Spooky Tooth, The Only Ones)
Hans Breukhoven, Dutch businessman (Free Record Shop)
Ronald “Bingo” Mundy, doo-wop singer (The Marcels)
Joey Powers, singer and songwriter (“Midnight Mary”)
Chuck Stewart, jazz photographer
Frank Thomas, French songwriter
Karl Hendricks, indie rock musician and record store owner
Walter “Junie” Morrison, funk keyboardist and songwriter (P-Funk)
Maggie Roche, singer and songwriter (The Roches)
Dan Caspi, Romanian-born Israeli media theorist
Jean Karakos, producer, label owner and manager
Jaki Liebezeit, rock drummer (Can)
Naqsh Lyallpuri, Urdu poet and lyricist
Pete Overend Watts, English rock bassist (Mott the Hoople)
Bimba Bosé, Italian-born Spanish singer and television personality
Lee O’Denat, internet entrepreneur (WorldStarHipHop)
Marvell Thomas, soul keyboardist, son of Rufus Thomas
Tom Edwards, guitarist and band leader (Adam Ant)
Gil Ray, drummer (Game Theory, Loud Family)
Björn Thelin, rock bassist (The Spotnicks)
Butch Trucks, drummer (The Allman Brothers Band)
Ronnie Davis, Jamaican reggae singer (The Tennors, The Itals)
Don Grilley, Broadway actor and singer
Jack Mendelsohn, artist and screenwriter (Yellow Submarine)
Benny Collins, production and tour manager (Journey)
Henry-Louis de La Grange, French musicologist
Bruce Hathaway, South African radio broadcaster
Bobby Freeman, singer and songwriter (“Do You Want to Dance”)
Geoff Nicholls, British rock keyboardist (Black Sabbath)
Gabriel “Guitar Cable” Perrodin, blues musician
Alexander Tikhanovich, Belarusian pop singer
Elkin Ramírez, Colombian rock singer and songwriter (Kraken)
Brian Tabor, country songwriter
Edward Blau, entertainment attorney (Johnny Mathis)
Deke Leonard, Welsh rock guitarist (Man)
Carsten Mohren, German keyboardist (Rockhaus)
John Schroeder, British songwriter and producer (Sounds Orchestral)
John Wetton, British bassist, singer and songwriter (King Crimson)
February
Desmond Carrington, British actor and radio broadcaster
Robert Dahlqvist, Swedish rock guitarist and singer
Danny Lee Jones, bluegrass musician
Steve Lang, Canadian rock bassist (April Wine)
Noel “Scully” Simms, Jamaican reggae and ska percussionist
Marc Spitz, music author and journalist (Spin)
David Axelrod, producer, composer and arranger
Sonny Geraci, pop singer (The Outsiders, Climax)
Tommy Flint, guitarist, author, instructor and journalist
Ritchie Yorke, Australian-born music author and journalist
Svend Asmussen, Danish jazz violinist
Charles E. Justice, country fiddler
Loukianos Kilaidonis, Greek singer and songwriter
Gianfranco Plenizio, Italian composer, conductor and pianist
José Luis Pérez de Arteaga, Spanish music critic and announcer
Kitty Moon Emery, music industry executive
Tony Davis, British folk musician (The Spinners)
Barbara Carroll, jazz pianist, singer and composer
Jarmila Šuláková, Czech folk singer
Damian, British pop singer
Robert Fisher, singer and songwriter (Willard Grant Conspiracy)
Al Jarreau, jazz and R&B singer
Alice Ludes, singer (Bing Crosby’s Music Maids)
Giusto Pio, Italian songwriter, violinist and producer
Trish Doan, metal bassist (Kittie)
Marty Lacker, record industry executive (American Sound)
Carol Lloyd, Australian rock singer (“A Matter of Time”)
Tony Särkkä, Swedish metal guitarist, bassist and drummer
E-Dubble, rapper
Tibério Gaspar, Brazilian composer and musician
Braxton Dixon, home builder (Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash)
Pericoma Okoye, Nigerian singer
Maurice Vander, French jazz pianist
Phil Williams, co-founder of the Seattle Folklife festival
Alan Aldridge, graphic designer (A Quick One, Captain Fantastic)
Peter Skellern, British singer, songwriter and pianist
Clyde Stubblefield, funk drummer (James Brown)
Larry Coryell, jazz guitarist
Ilene Berns, record company executive (Bang Records)
Leah Adler, concert pianist and mother of Steven Spielberg
Enzo Carella, Italian singer and songwriter
Steve Clark, tap dancer (The Clark Brothers)
Horace Parlan, jazz pianist
Leon Ware, soul songwriter, producer and singer
Fumio Karashima, Japanese jazz pianist
Don Markham, saxophonist and trumpeter (The Strangers)
Rich Chavez, metal guitarist (Drive)
Eric Miller, jazz producer (Pablo Records)
Toshio Nakanishi, Japanese musician (Plastics) and graphic designer
Ronnie Allen, bluegrass musician (Allen Brothers)
G.C. McCoury, bluegrass musician and brother of Del McCoury
Ric Marlow, songwriter (“A Taste of Honey”)
March
Mike Barhorst, concert promoter (Country Concert in the Hills)
Chisai Childs, entertainer, broadcaster and talent scout (Branson)
Hiroshi Kamayatsu, Japanese rock guitarist and singer (The Spiders)
Gustav Metzger, artist and mentor to Pete Townshend
Wally Pikal, trumpeter and band leader
Paul Abler, jazz guitarist
Roberta Alloisio, Italian singer and songwriter
Jim Fuller, rock guitarist (The Surfaries)
Misha Mengelberg, Dutch jazz pianist
Tommy Page, singer and songwriter (“I’ll Be Your Everything”)
Lyle Ritz, bassist (The Wrecking Crew) and ukulelist
Valerie Carter, singer and backing singer (James Taylor)
Edi Fitzroy, Jamaican reggae singer
Winfried Schrammek, German organist and musicologist
Fiora Corradetti Contino, opera maestro
Ante Perković, Croation music critic
Fred Weintraub, club owner (The Bitter End), film producer
Lars Diedricson, Swedish singer (Snowstorm) and songwriter
Robbie Hoddinott, rock guitarist (Kingfish)
Hurshel Wiginton, session singer (The Nashville Edition)
Kalika Prasad Bhattacharya, Indian folk singer
Jonathan Strasser, violinist, educator and actor (Fame)
Dave Valentin, jazz flutist
Junior Barber, resonator guitarist
Barbara Helsingius, Finnish folk singer
Tony Lorenzo, death metal guitarist
Joni Sledge, R&B singer (Sister Sledge)
Evan Johns, roots-rock guitarist (The LeRoi Brothers)
Ángel Parra, Chilean singer and songwriter
Ray Sponaugle, bluegrass fiddler
Don Warden, steel guitarist (Porter Wagoner) and manager
Joey Alves, rock guitarist (Y&T)
Maxx Kidd, soul singer, producer and promoter
John Lever, British rock drummer (The Chameleons)
Tommy LiPuma, producer and label executive
Ileana Ciuculete, Romanian folk singer
Phil Garland, New Zealand folk musician
Aloysius “Lucky” Gordon, Jamaican jazz singer
Wojciech Młynarski, Polish poet, singer and songwriter
James Cotton, blues harmonica player
Roberta Knie, operatic soprano
Vernon McQueen, bluegrass musician and singer (Blue Grass Boys)
Faye McGinnis, head of the Stanley Brothers fan club
Chuck Berry, rock ‘n’ roll singer, guitarist and songwriter
Clarece Candamio, church organist
Don Hunstein, photographer (The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan)
Buck Hill, jazz saxophonist
Tony Terran, trumpeter (Desi Arnaz Orchestra, The Wrecking Crew)
Chuck Barris, television producer and host, songwriter
Roy Fisher, British poet and jazz pianist
Inao Jiro, Indonesian artist manager (JKT48)
Gabriel Mafa, Romanian folk-metal drummer (Negură Bunget)
Sib Hashian, rock drummer (Boston)
Sven-Erik Magnusson, Swedish singer (Sven-Ingvars)
VIncent Falcone, pianist and music director (Frank Sinatra)
André Larson, founder of the National Music Museum
Buddy Pendleton, bluegrass fiddler (Greenbriar Boys)
Peter Shotton, washboard player (Quarrymen) & Apple Corps exec
Mary Tortorich, voice teacher
Avo Uvezian, jazz pianist and cigar maker
Hovie Walker, gospel singer
Allan Weiss, screenwriter (Roustabout, Blue Hawaii)
Alessandro Alessandroni, composer, instrumentalist and whistler
Jimmy Dotson, blues singer, guitarist and drummer
Věra Špinarová, Czech singer
Endrik Wottrich, German tenor
Arthur Blythe, jazz saxophonist
Clem Curtis, British pop singer (“Now That I’ve Found You”)
Edward Grimes, post-rock drummer (Rachel’s)
Aldo Guibovich, Peruvian pop singer (Los Pasteles Verdes)
Rosie Hamlin, pop singer (Rosie and the Originals)
April
Lonnie Brooks, blues guitarist and singer
Bob Cunningham, jazz bassist
Ikutaro Kakehashi, Japanese engineer and entrepreneur (Roland)
Louis Sarno, musicologist
Vivienne de Silva Boralessa, Sri Lankan singer
Warren “Rhubarb” Jones, radio broadcaster (WYAY-FM)
Kishori Amonkar, Indian classical singer
L.A. Dre, hip-hop producer, keyboardist and sound engineer
Brenda Jones, R&B singer (The Jones Girls)
Leo J. Baroi, Bangladeshi singer
Ryo Kagawa, Japanese folk singer
Paul O’Neill, producer and songwriter (Trans-Siberian Orchestra)
David Peel, rock singer and political activist
Joseph Rascoff, business manager and tour producer (Rolling Stones)
Glenn O’Brien, writer and editor (Interview, Rolling Stone, GQ, Spin)
Ben Speer, gospel singer, pianist, producer, publisher and educator
Yuushi Matsuyama, film composer
Brian Matthew, British broadcaster (Saturday Club)
Kim Plainfield, jazz drummer
Keni Richards, rock drummer (Autograph)
Jan Elliott, tour manager and lighting director
Alan Henderson, Northen Irish bassist (Them)
Stan Robinson, British jazz saxophonist and flautist
Bob Wootton, country guitarist (Johnny Cash’s Tennessee Three)
David Angel, British violinist (Maggini Quartet)
Banner Thomas, rock bassist (Molly Hatchet)
Eric Cook, artist manager (Venom)
Eddy Fondo, Kenyan radio broadcaster
J. Geils, rock guitarist
Scotty Miller, funk drummer (Instant Funk)
Toby Smith, keyboardist (Jamiroquai)
Kathleen Cassello, operatic soprano
Tom Coyne, Grammy-winning mastering engineer
Peggy Hayama, Japanese singer
Barry Smith, rock drummer (Lee Michaels, Sweathog, Soulhat)
Mika Vainio, Finnish electronic musician (Pan Sonic)
José Miguel Class, Puerto Rican singer
Martín Elías, Colombian vallenato singer and songwriter
Bruce Langhorne, folk guitarist and tambourine man
Allan Holdsworth, British guitarist (Soft Machine, U.K., Gong)
Matt Holt, heavy metal singer (Nothingface, Kingdom of Snakes)
Sylvia Moy, songwriter (“My Cherie Amour”) and producer
Willy Cruz, Filipino songwriter and music producer
Frank Dostal, German rock singer, songwriter and producer
Gordon Langford, English pianist, composer and arranger
Nona Liddell, British violinist
Dick Contino, accordionist
Pat Fitzpatrick, Irish keyboardist (Aslan)
Cuba Gooding Sr., soul singer (The Main Ingredient)
Trustin Howard, singer, actor and writer
Tammy Sullivan, bluegrass singer and bassist
Bill Tolley, death metal drummer (Internal Bleeding)
Lucky Akhand, Bangladeshi singer and composer
Sandy Gallin, talent agent (Barbra Streisand) and producer
Kristine Jepson, mezzo-soprano
Jerry Adriani, Brazilian singer and actor
Calep Emphrey Jr., blues drummer (B.B. King)
Erik Martin, German songwriter (“When the Evening Approaches”)
Eduard Brunner, Swiss clarinetist
John Shifflett, jazz double bassist and teacher
Zoe Realla, rapper
Andrew Tyler, rock journalist (NME) an animal rights activist
Belchior, Brazilian singer and composer
Bill Bryson, bassist and singer (The Desert Rose Band)
June LeBell, classical radio broadcaster (WQXR-FM)
Gil Wright, country and pop singer (Anita Kerr Singers)
May
Katy Bødtger, Danish singer
Bruce Hampton, guitarist, singer and songwriter
Erkki Kurenniemi, Finnish electronic musician
Tony Alamo, convicted child abuser, singer and costumer
Kevin Garcia, alt-rock bassist (Grandaddy)
Péter Komlós, Hungarian violinist
Grigori Zhislin, Russian violinist and teacher
Charles Hoffer, music educator and author
C’el Revuelta, rock bassist (Black Flag)
Saxa, Jamaican saxophonist (The Beat)
Mario Maglieri, nightclub owner (Rainbow, Roxy, Whisky A Go Go)
Clive Brooks, British drummer (Egg) and drum technician
Almir Guineto, Brazilian sambista, singer and instrumentalist
Dave Pell, jazz saxophonist, bandleader and label executive (Liberty)
Dr. Benjamin Caldwell, preservationist (Ryman Auditorium)
Kelley Sallee Snead, country songwriter and singer
Mary Tsoni, Greek actress and singer (Mary and the Boy)
Gerry Lacoursiere, record executive (A&M Canada, Polygram)
Robert Miles, Swiss DJ, composer and producer (“Children”)
Michael Parks, actor and singer
Joy Byers, country and pop songwriter (“What’s A Matter Baby”)
William David Brohn, music arranger and orchestrator (Miss Saigon)
Corki Casey, session guitarist (“The Fool” “Rebel Rouser”)
İbrahim Erkal, Turkish singer and songwriter
Bob Forshee, country songwriter
Joachim Kaiser, German musicologist and editor
Corki Casey O’Dell, rock ‘n’ roll guitarist (Duane Eddy)
Bill Dowdy, jazz drummer (The Three Sounds)
Jimmy Copley, English session drummer
Earl Sinks, singer, songwriter, guitarist, actor and producer
Steve Sutton, bluegrass banjo player
Daniel Brewbaker, composer and poet
Tom McClung, jazz pianist
Keith Mitchell, drummer (Mazzy Star)
Derek Poindexter, bassist (The Waynes)
Rosa Nell Speer, gospel singer (Speer Family)
Kevin Stanton, New Zealand rock guitarist and songwriter (Mi-Sex)
Chris Cornell, singer and songwriter (Soundgarden, Audioslave)
Frankie Paul, Jamaican reggae singer
Kid Vinil, Brazilian rock singer, songwriter and radio broadcaster
Natalia Shakhovskaya, Russian cellist
Kenny Cordray, blues-rock guitarist and songwriter
Wendell Goodman, songwriter, manager & husband of Wanda Jackson
Leo Kristi, Indonesian singer
Jimmy LaFave, singer, songwriter and guitarist
George Reiff, bassist and record producer
Curtis Womack, soul singer (The Valentinos)
Barbara Smith Conrad, opera singer
Mickey Roker, jazz drummer
Zbigniew Wodecki, Polish singer and songwriter
Irio De Paula, Brazilian guitarist and composer
Saucy Silvia, Canadian comedian, singer and pianist
Wajahat Attre, Pakistani film composer
Gregg Allman, singer, songwriter and musician
Ken Ackerman, radio broadcaster (KFBK, KCBS)
Elisabeth Chojnacka, Polish harpsichordist
Marcus Intalex, British disc jockey, radio broadcaster and producer
David Lewiston, British field recordist and world music collector
Naomi Martin, country songwriter
June
James Watson, clawhammer banjo player
Aamir Zaki, Pakistani rock guitarist and songwriter
Educated Rapper, rapper (UTFO)
Blake Johnson, bluegrass vocalist and multi-instrumentalist
Skipp Pearson, jazz saxophonist, educator and band director
Vin Garbutt, British folk singer and songwriter
Sandra Reemer, Indo-Dutch singer
Paul Zukofsky, violinist and conductor
Jan Høiland, Norwegian singer
Prince Udaya Priyantha, Sri Lankan singer and songwriter
Norro Wilson, country songwriter, producer & industry executive
Nigel Grainge, British music industry executive (Phonogram, Ensign)
Corneliu Stroe, Romanian jazz drummer and percussionist
Rosalie Sorrels, folk singer
Ben Eyestone, rock drummer (The Lonely H)
Philip Gossett, musicologist
Luis Abanto Morales, Peruvian singer and songwriter
Sheila Raye Charles, singer, songwriter and daughter of Ray Charles
Jacques Charpentier, French composer and organist
Kyla Greenbaum, British pianist
Harry Prime, big band singer
Howard Stark, record executive (ABC Records, MTM Records)
Eliza Clívia, Brazilian singer
Thara Memory, jazz trumpeter, bandleader and educator
Chris Murrell, jazz singer
Bob Heatherly, record industry executive
Prodigy, rapper (Mobb Deep)
Ludger Rémy, German harpsichordist and conductor
Belton Richard, Cajun accordionist
Gunter Gabriel, German singer, musician, songwriter and producer
Jimmy Nalls, rock guitarist (Sea Level)
A.J. Nelson, country guitarist (Smokey Mountain Boys)
Donna Darlene, country singer
Dave Evans, bluegrass singer
Jimmy Chi, Australian playwright, composer and singer
Geri Allen, jazz pianist, composer and educator
Sudhin Das, Bangladeshi Nazrul Sangeet singer and teacher
Ruth Pearson, British dancer (Pan’s People)
Dave Rosser, rock guitarist (Afghan Whigs, Gutter Twins)
Phil Cohran, jazz composer and multi-instrumentalist
Gary DeCarlo, singer & songwriter (“Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye”)
Sabita Chowdhury, Indian singer
Yu Lun, Chinese film composer and songwriter
Karunamaya Goswami, Bangladeshi musicologist
M. Dung, radio broadcaster (KFOG)
July
Chris Roberts, German pop singer
Zdeněk Juračka, Czech rock guitarist
Rudy Rotta, Italian blues guitarist
John Blackwell, funk and jazz drummer (Prince)
Pierre Henry, French composer and musique concrète pioneer
Paul Hollingdale, British radio broadcaster (Radio Luxembourg)
Melvyn “Deacon” Jones, organist & band director (John Lee Hooker)
Earl Clark, country songwriter (“Can’t Break It to My Heart”)
Claude Hall, editor for Billboard, creator of the term “easy listening”
Daniel Lewis, conductor (USC Thornton Symphony) and educator
Egil Monn-Iversen, Norwegian composer and pianist
Seiji Yokoyama, Japanese radio, television and anime composer
Paquita Rico, Spanish actress and singer
Sylvia Mobley, country singer
Luigi Ferdinando Tagliavini, Italian classical organist and educator
Imran Usmanov, Chechen folk singer
David Kapralik, A&R executive (Columbia, Epic)
Tamara Miansarova, Russian pop singer
Ray Phiri, South African jazz singer and guitarist
John Dalby, English composer, singer and musician
Fresh Kid Ice, rapper (2 Live Crew)
Simon Holmes, Australian singer and guitarist (The Hummingbirds)
Bill Hudson, pop and country guitarist (Light Crust Doughboys)
Giannis Kalatzis, Greek singer
Egil Kapstad, Norwegian jazz pianist, arranger and composer
Kayton Roberts, steel guitarist (Rainbow Ranch Boys)
Mahi Beamer, Hawaiian singer, pianist and organist
Bill Collings, luthier
Cookie Inman, country bassist (The All American Bluegrass Band)
Clara (Cuqui) Nicola, Cuban guitarist and educator
David Zablidowsky, bassist (Adrenaline Mob)
Warrick L. Carter, music educator and college president
Roland Cazimero, Hawaiian guitarist, singer and songwriter
Régis Gizavo, Malagasy accordionist
Thor Lindsay, label founder (Tim/Kerr)
Wilfried, Austrian singer (“Lisa Mona Lisa“)
José Bragato, Italian-born Argentine cellist and composer
Red West, actor, songwriter and member of the Memphis Mafia
Peter Principle Dachert, American bassist
Blaoui Houari, Algerian singer and songwriter
Fenwick Smith, flutist (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
Barbara Weldens, French singer
Graham Wood, Australian jazz pianist
Chester Bennington, singer and songwriter (Linkin Park)
Wilindoro Cacique, Peruvian Amazonian cumbia musician
Andrea Jürgens, German schlager singer
Errol Dyers, South African jazz guitarist and composer
Cune Gojković, Serbian singer
Geoff Mack, Australian singer and songwriter
Kenny Shields, Canadian rock singer (Streetheart)
Paapa Yankson, Ghanaian highlife musician
Polo Hofer, Swiss rock singer and songwriter
Kommanduri Krishnamachari, Indian violinist
Ernst Ottensamer, Austrian clarinetist
Jan Stulen, Dutch conductor
Bobby Taylor, Canadian soul singer & Motown producer
Thomas Füri, Swiss violinist and educator
Amir Fryszer Guttman, Israeli singer
Abby Nicole, country singer
Zoi Fitoussi, Greek actress and singer
Michael Johnson, pop and country singer, songwriter and guitarist
Ivana Loudová, Czech composer
Barbara Sinatra, model and fourth wife of Frank Sinatra
Billy Joe Walker Jr., country songwriter, guitarist and producer
Geoffrey Yunupingu, Australian indigenous singer and songwriter
Paul Angerer, Austrian violist, composer and conductor
D.L. Menard, Cajun musician
Gilles Tremblay, Canadian composer and educator
Steve Chapman, bluegrass and country guitarist
H. Sayeeduddin Dagar, Indian Dhrupad singer
Chuck Loeb, jazz guitarist and composer (Fourplay, Steps Ahead)
August
Goldy McJohn, Canadian keyboardist (Steppenwolf)
Skapti Ólafsson,Icelandic rock and jazz musician
Raiman Rai, Nepalese singer
Patrick Thomas, Australian conductor
Tony Cohen, Australian record producer (Nick Cave, Bad Seeds)
Daniel Licht, television and film composer (Dexter)
Luiz Melodia, Brazilian singer and songwriter
Jessy Serrata, Tejano musician
Lee Blakeley, opera and theatre director
Ralph Lewis, bluegrass musician (Blue Grass Boys)
Tim Homer, New Zealander radio broadcaster
Walter Levin, classical violinist (LaSalle Quartet)
David Maslanka, composer
Arleta, Greek folk singer, songwriter and illustrator
Glen Campbell, singer, guitarist, television host and film actor
Barbara Cook, singer and actress (The Music Man)
Pēteris Plakidis, Latvian composer and pianist
Janet Seidel, Australian cabaret singer and pianist
Ed Greene, Emmy-winning sound mixer
Marián Varga, Slovak organist and composer
Xavier Benguerel Godó, Spanish composer
Segun Bucknor, Nigerian afro-pop musician and journalist
Daisy Sweeney, Canadian music educator
Ivo Pavlík, Czech composer, keyboardist and clarinetist
Benard Ighner, jazz and pop singer, songwriter and producer
Robert Yancy, drummer and son of Natalie Cole
Zhu Jian’er, Chinese composer
Pavel Egorov, Russian classical pianist and educator
Jo Walker-Meador, former exec director of the CMA
Jesse Boyce, R&B and gospel musician (FAME Gang)
Sonny Burgess, rockabilly guitarist, singer and songwriter
Leon Douglas, country singer (Grand Ol’ Opry, Wheeling Jamboree)
Concha Valdes Miranda, Cuban composer
Bea Wain, big band singer
Dave Wheeler, record company executive (RCA)
Margot Hielscher, German singer and film actress
Wilhelm Killmayer, German composer and conductor
Fredell Lack, violinist and educator
Jerry Lewis, comedian, actor, humanitarian and singer
Nati Mistral, Spanish actress and singer
Seija Simola, 73, Finnish singer
John Abercrombie, jazz guitarist
Aloys Kontarsky, German pianist
Pete Kuykendall, bluegrass banjoist, songwriter and journalist
Winston Samuels, Jamaican ska musician (The Aces)
Enzo Dara, Italian opera singer
Nathan Condon, Canadian fiddler
Wilson das Neves, Brazilian percussionist and singer
René Tuček, Czech opera singer and educator
Melissa Bell, English R&B singer (Soul II Soul)
Denis Richard, Canadian singer and songwriter
Dmitri Kogan, Russian violinist
Larry Elgart, saxophonist and bandleader
Abdul Jabbar, Bangladeshi singer
Skip Prokop, Canadian drummer (Lighthouse) and radio broadcaster
L.N. Shastri, Indian playback singer and composer
Norman Maclean, Scottish comedian, singer and piper
September
Hedley Jones, Jamaican musician, audio engineer and inventor
Novella Nelson, actress and singer
Mick Softley, British singer, songwriter and guitarist
Halim El-Dabh, Egyptian-born composer and ethnomusicologist
Murray Lerner, documentary filmmaker
Harry Sandler, tour manager and photographer
Walter Becker, guitarist, songwriter and producer (Steely Dan)
John Byrne Cooke, author and musician (Charles River Valley Boys)
Dave Hlubek, rock guitarist and songwriter (Molly Hatchet)
Earl Lindo, Jamaican reggae musician (The Wailers)
Leo Cuypers, Dutch jazz pianist and composer
Holger Czukay, German multi-instrumentalist (Can)
Rick Stevens, R&B singer (Tower of Power)
Derek Bourgeois, English composer
Rosa Judge, Maltese musician
Jim Rollins, bluegrass banjo player
Troy Gentry, country singer (Montgomery Gentry)
Josh Schwartz, singer, guitarist and songwriter (Beachwood Sparks)
Don Williams, country singer and songwriter
Michael Friedman, composer and lyricist
Xavier Atencio, animator, lyricist and Imagineer
Sir Peter Hall, British theatre, opera and film director
Virgil Howe, British drummer (Little Barrie)
Frank Capp, jazz drummer
Riem de Wolff, Dutch-Indonesian singer (The Blue Diamonds)
Siegfried Köhler, German conductor
Jessi Zazu, singer, guitarist and songwriter (Those Darlins)
Alla Tarán, Ukrainian violinist and educator
Lil Ameer, Nigerian hip-hop singer and songwriter
Grant Hart, drummer and songwriter (Hüsker Dü)
Judy Parker Gaudio, songwriter (“Who Loves You”)
Ben Dorcy, roadie (Hank Thompson, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash)
Brenda Lewis, operatic soprano and actress
Laudir de Oliveira, Brazilian musician (Sérgio Mendes) and producer
Mark Selby, singer, songwriter (“There’s Your Trouble”) and guitarist
André Van den Meersschaut, Belgian singer and guitarist
Speedy Tolliver, banjo and fiddle player
Leonid Kharitonov, Russian opera singer
Reggie Lavong, radio broadcaster and record industry executive
Johnny Sandlin, producer (Allman Brothers Band) and drummer
Cees Bergman, Dutch rock singer (Catapult) and producer
Johnny Burke, Canadian country singer
Guy Villari, American singer (The Regents, “Barbara Ann”)
Mike Carr, English jazz keyboard player
Eric Eycke, rock singer (Corrosion of Conformity)
Harold Pendleton, British club owner and festival organizer
Rick Shaw, radio broadcaster (WQAM)
Ammon Tharp, soul and pop drummer (Bill Deal and the Rhondels)
Charles Bradley, soul singer
Seth Firkins, audio engineer (Future, Jay-Z, Young Thug)
Caesar Giovannini, composer and pianist
Tsisana Tatishvili, Georgian opera singer
Jack Good, British producer (Shindig!), musician and manager
Ken Stilts, artist manager (The Judds) and record label founder
Gérard Palaprat, French singer and songwriter
Folke Rabe, Swedish composer and trombonist
Elaine Hoffman Watts, klezmer drummer
Barry Dennen, actor and singer (Jesus Christ Superstar)
Paul Rodriguez, sound industry executive
CeDell Davis, blues singer and guitarist
Joy Fleming, German singer (Eurovision Song Contest 1975)
Zuzana Růžičková, Czech harpsichordist
Alan Thompson, British broadcaster (BBC Radio Wales)
Dmitry Smolsky, Belarusian composer and teacher
Rob “Apex” Dickeson, drum’n’bass producer and DJ
Tom Paley, folk singer and musician (New Lost City Ramblers)
October
Kenny Beard, country songwriter, manager and producer
Skip Haynes, musician and songwriter (“Lake Shore Drive”)
Klaus Huber, Swiss composer and academic
Azra Kolaković, Bosnian pop singer
Tom Petty, rock singer, guitarist and songwriter
Janis Hansen, singer (Brasil ‘66) and author
Jerry Ross, producer, songwriter and record label executive
Alvin DeGuzman, post-hardcore guitarist (The Icarus Line)
Aubrey Holt, bluegrass singer, songwriter and guitarist
Borislav Oslovčan, Serbian bassist (Pekinška Patka)
Monojit Datta, Indian Latin percussionist, composer and lyricist
Lou Gare, English jazz saxophonist
Walter “Bunny” Sigler, songwriter and record producer (O’Jays)
Jimmy Beaumont, singer and songwriter (The Skyliners)
Jan Arvid Johansen, Norwegian musician
Coriún Aharonián, Uruguayan composer and musicologist
László Aradszky, Hungarian pop singer
Grady Tate, jazz drummer and singer
Chester R. Green, food company executive (Kraft Music Hall)
Vincent La Selva, founder of the New York Grand Opera
Reggie Joseph “Mac” McLaughlin, booking agent
Terry Elam, artist manager (Roy Orbison, Vince Gill)
Andy McGhee, jazz saxophonist
Richard Adam, Czech swing singer
Dave Bry, music journalist and editor (Vibe, Spin, The Awl)
Fedor Glushchenko, Russian conductor and violinist
Antonín Matzner, Czech music historian, publisher and producer
Augustin Mawangu Mingiedi, Congolese bandleader and likembist
Iain Shedden, Scottish-Australian musician (The Saints)
Heather Slade-Lipkin, English pianist, harpsichordist and teacher
Howard Carroll, gospel guitarist (Dixie Hummingbirds)
Harshita Dahiya, Indian singer
Gord Downie, Canadian singer and songwriter (The Tragically Hip)
Ingvar Lidholm, Swedish composer
Eamonn Campbell, Irish guitarist and singer (The Dubliners)
Phil Miller, English guitarist (Matching Mole, Hatfield & the North)
Boris Lindqvist, Swedish rock singer
Martin Eric Ain, heavy metal bassist (Hellhammer, Celtic Frost)
Atle Hammer, Norwegian jazz musician
Al Hurricane, singer and songwriter
Emu Lehtinen, Finnish record dealer
Scott Putesky, rock guitarist (Marilyn Manson)
George Young, Australian musician (Easybeats), songwriter and producer (AC/DC)
Girija Devi, Indian thumri singer
Fats Domino, pianist, singer and songwriter
Robert Guillaume, actor and singer
Larry Ray, rock guitarist (Outrageous Cherry)
Juliette, Canadian singer and television host
Shea Norman, gospel singer
Brian Galliford, British opera singer
Mike Hudson, punk rock guitarist and singer (The Pagans)
Dick Noel, band and jingle singer
Rob Potts, Australian country music promoter
Bruce Black, metal drummer (Meliah Rage)
Landy Gardner, choir director (Christ Church Choir)
Billy Mize, steel guitarist, band leader and singer
Mitchell Peters, timpanist, composer and teacher
Gert Timmerman, Dutch singer
Orville Almon, Jr., music and entertainment attorney
Muhal Richard Abrams, jazz pianist and composer
Metin Ersoy, Turkish singer
Raúl García Zárate, Peruvian guitarist
Frank Holder, Guyanese jazz singer and percussionist
Keith Wilder, funk and disco singer (Heatwave)
Theo Bophela, South African jazz pianist, composer and pianist
Lajos Som, Hungarian rock bassist (Piramis)
Daniel Viglietti, Uruguayan folk singer, guitarist and songwriter
Papi Oviedo, Cuban tresero
November
Katie Lee, folk singer
Roland Verlooven, Belgian producer
María Martha Serra Lima, Argentine ballad and bolero singer
Gaetano Bardini, Italian opera singer,
Václav Riedlbauch, Czech composer, pedagogue and manager
Isabel Granada, Filipino actress and singer
Dudley Simpson, Australian composer (Doctor Who) and conductor
Danny Anaya, heavy metal drummer (XM Machine, Abbatoir)
Robert Knight, R&B singer (“Everlasting Love”)
Louis Roney, opera singer
Wim Brussen, Dutch bandleader
Paul Buckmaster, English arranger (David Bowie, Elton John)
Robert De Cormier, singer and composer (Belafonte Folk Singers)
Wendell Eugene, jazz trombonist
Pentti Glan, Finnish-Canadian drummer (Alice Cooper, Lou Reed)
Karel Štědrý, Czech singer, actor, screenwriter and presenter
Gilbert Rouget, French ethnomusicologist
Fred Cole, rock singer and guitarist (The Lollipop Shoppe)
Chuck Mosley, rock singer and songwriter (Faith No More)
Hans Vermeulen, Dutch singer, guitarist and producer (Sandy Coast)
Chiquito de la Calzada, Spanish singer, actor and comedian
Frank Corsaro, opera director and actor
Helen Borgers, jazz disc jockey
Michel Chapuis, French classical organist
Chad Hanks, rock bassist (American Head Charge)
Eric Salzman, composer, producer and critic
Luis Bacalov, Argentine-born Italian composer (Il Postino, Kill Bill)
Bonnie Flower, singer, songwriter & drummer (Wendy and Bonnie)
Lil Peep, rapper
Wabi Daněk, Czech folk musician
MIchael “Dik Mik” Davies, English keyboard player (Hawkwind)
Al Neil, Canadian jazz pianist and club founder (Cellar Jazz Club)
William Mayer, composer
Joey Scinta, 69, bassist and Las Vegas entertainer (The Scintas)
Ben Riley, jazz drummer (Thelonious Monk, Kenny Barron, Sphere)
Malcolm Young, Australian guitarist & songwriter (AC/DC)
Claudio Báez, Mexican actor and singer
Ronnie Butler, Bahamian singer and entertainer
Aleksandër Lalo, Albanian composer
Warren “Pete” Moore, singer (The Miracles) and songwriter
Della Reese, actress and singer
Mel Tillis, country singer and songwriter
Laila Sari, Indonesian singer and actress
David Cassidy, singer, guitarist, songwriter and actor
Wayne Cochran, soul singer and songwriter
John Preston, record industry executive (EMI, Decca, Polydor, RCA)
George Avakian, record producer and executive
John Coates Jr., jazz pianist
Jon Hendricks, jazz singer and songwriter (Lambert, Hendricks & Ross)
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Siberian opera singer
Shawn Jones, gospel singer
Tommy Keene, rock singer, guitarist and songwriter
Carol Neblett, operatic soprano
Bari Siddiqui, Bangladeshi singer, flautist and songwriter
Dimitri Sjöberg, Finnish tango singer
A.D. Washington, record industry executive (MCA, Warner Brothers)
Mitch Margo, singer and songwriter (The Tokens)
Clotilde Rosa, Portuguese harpist
Enrico Boccadoro, Italian singer and songwriter
Oscar Alem, Argentine pianist and composer
Patrick Bourgeois, Canadian musician (Les B.B.)
Narayanrao Bodas, Indian singer
Robert “Pops” Popwell, bassist (The Young Rascals, The Crusaders)
Magín Díaz, Colombian folk singer and songwriter
Shadia, Egyptian actress and singer
Robert Walker, blues musician
Jim Nabors, actor, comedian and singer
Zé Pedro, Portuguese guitarist (Xutos & Pontapés)
December
Maelé, Equatorial Guinean singer
William Blankenship, operatic tenor
Norihiko Hashida, Japanese folk singer and songwriter
Mundell Lowe, jazz guitarist and composer
Kalachand Darbesh, Indian singer
Cherry Taketani, Brazilian singer and guitarist
Purabi Mukhopadhyay, Indian singer
Carles Santos, Spanish pianist and composer
Adithyan, Indian composer
Ted Simons, composer, arranger and musical director
Johnny Hallyday, French rock singer
Magnus Bergdahl, Swedish guitarist (Thorleifs)
Žermēna Heine-Vāgnere, Latvian opera singer
Sunny Murray, jazz drummer (Cecil Taylor, Albert Ayler)
Sir Christus, Finnish rock guitarist (Negative)
Kuno Areng, Estonian choir director
Vincent Nguini, Cameroonian guitarist (Paul Simon)
Lando Fiorini, Italian actor and singer
Heitaro Nakajima, Japanese digital audio pioneer
Leon Rhodes, country guitarist
Manno Charlemagne, Haitian singer, songwriter and guitarist
Bill Hearn, record industry executive (Capitol Christian Music Group)
Pat DiNizio, rock singer, guitarist and songwriter (The Smithereens)
Harry Sparnaay, Dutch bass clarinetist
Warrel Dane, rock singer (Sanctuary, Nevermore)
Rory O’Donoghue, Australian singer, songwriter, guitarist and actor
Willie Pickens, jazz pianist
Jack Boyle, concert promoter (Cellar Door Concerts) and club owner
Dave Christenson, pop singer and songwriter (Stabilizers)
John Critchinson, English jazz pianist
Ralph Carney, saxophonist (Tin Huey, Tom Waits) and composer
Richard Dobson, country singer and songwriter (“Baby Ride Easy”)
Juli Fábián, Hungarian singer and songwriter
Randy Hongo, Christian musician and minister
Michael Prophet, Jamaican reggae singer
Keely Smith, jazz and pop singer (“That Old Black Magic”)
Z’EV, percussionist and poet
Virginia Da Brescia, Italian actress and singer
Margaret Locicero, radio and record industry veteran
Kevin Mahogany, jazz singer
Rod Dibble, pianist and piano bar host (The Alley)
Jim Forrester, bass guitarist (Sixty Watt Shaman, Foghound)
Larry Harris, record label executive (Casablanca Records)
Kim Jong-hyun, South Korean singer, songwriter and radio host
Manuel Moneo, Spanish singer.
Leo Welch, blues musician
Reggie “Combat Jack” Ossé, music journalist (The Source)
Dominic Frontiere, composer (The Outer Limits, Hang ‘Em High)
Halvard Kausland, Norwegian jazz guitarist
Jatileswar Mukhopadhyay, Indian singer
Roswell Rudd, jazz trombonist
Marilyn Tyler, opera singer
Pam the Funkstress, hip hop DJ (The Coup, Prince)
Jim Burns, television executive (MTV Unplugged)
Jordan Feldstein, artist manager (Maroon 5)
George Maida, radio broadcaster (WCVE)
André Di Cesare, Canadian music producer
Robbie Malinga, South African musician and producer
Vladimir Shainsky, Russian composer
Curly Seckler, bluegrass musician (Foggy Mountain Boys)
Rose Marie, actress, comedienne and singer
Melton Mustafa, jazz trumpeter (Count Basie Orchestra)
Chingiz Sadykhov, Azerbaijani pianist
