Below the list of musical artists, we’ve also noted several other prominent figures whose lives were lost in 2020.
We will miss all of these great talents. RIP.
Rance Allen—10/31—Gospel artist
Tony Allen—4/30—Pioneering Afrobeat drummer with Fela Kuti, others
Sweet Pea Atkinson—5/5—Singer with Was (Not Was)
Frankie Banali—8/20—Quiet Riot drummer
Len Barry—11/5—Singer of the ’60s hits “Bristol Stomp” (with the Dovells) and “1-2-3.”
Bucky Baxter—5/25—Pedal steel guitarist for Bob Dylan, others
Harold Beane—2/1—played wah-wah guitar on Isaac Hayes’ “Walk On By”
Ronald Bell—9/9—Kool and the Gang co-founder
Bob Biggs—10/17—Founder of Los Angeles punk label Slash Records
Martin Birch—8/9—Producer of Fleetwood Mac, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, others
Hamilton Bohannon—4/24—Drummer/percussionist for Motown artists; producer, bandleader in disco era
Claude Bolling—12/29—French jazz pianist
Julian Bream—8/14—Classical guitarist
Harold Budd—12/8—Avant-garde composer who worked with Brian Eno, others
Johnny Bush—10/16—Country artist/songwriter, wrote “Whiskey River”
Edd Byrnes—1/8—77 Sunset Strip actor and singer of “Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb”
Buddy Cage—2/5—Pedal steel guitarist for New Riders of the Purple Sage
Cándido—11/7—Conga player who was named an NEA Jazz Master (full name: Cándido Camero)
Jimmy Capps—6/1—Nashville session guitarist and longtime Grand Ole Opry member
Steve Martin Caro—1/14—Vocalist with the Left Banke, of “Walk Away Renee” fame
Pete Carr—6/27—Muscle Shoals session guitarist
Paul Chapman—6/9—Guitarist with UFO
Jeff Clayton—12/17—Jazz saxophonist
Jimmy Cobb—5/24—Jazz drummer; played on Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue album
Freddy Cole—6/27—Jazz pianist/vocalist, brother of Nat “King” Cole
Richie Cole—5/2—Jazz saxophonist
Simon Coxe—9/8—Synthesizer pioneer with ’60s band Silver Apples
Max Crook—7/1—Keyboardist on Del Shannon’s hit “Runaway”
Charlie Daniels—7/6—Southern rock pioneer, session musician, producer
Mac Davis—9/29—Songwriter for Elvis Presley, singer of “Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me”
Spencer Davis—10/19—Leader of British band that scored with the Steve Winwood-sung “Gimme Some Lovin'” and “I’m a Man”
Tommy DeVito—9/21—Member of the original Four Seasons
Manu Dibango—5/24—African musician known for 1972 hit “Soul Makossa”
Joe Diffie—3/29—Country singer/songwriter
Gloria Dobbins—9/21—Founding member of the Marvelettes, wrote “Please Mr. Postman”
Carl Dobkins, Jr.—4/8—Singer of 1959 hit “My Heart is an Open Book”
Terry Doran—4/18—Longtime Beatles associate
Judy Dyble—7/12—Founding member of Fairport Convention
Justin Townes Earle—8/23—Singer-songwriter, son of Steve Earle
Cleveland Eaton—7/5—Jazz bassist
Paul English—2/11—Drummer for Willie Nelson
Bent Fabric—7/28—Composer and artist behind the early ’60s instrumental dance hit “Alley Cat”
Pat Fairley—8/11—Co-founder of Marmalade; played acoustic guitar on “Reflections of My Life”
Steve Farmer—4/7—Amboy Dukes member; co-wrote “Journey to the Center of the Mind”
Majek Fashek—6/1—Nigerian reggae singer
Tom Finn—6/27—Co-founder of the Left Banke, of “Walk Away Renee” fame
Snooky Flowers—3/9—Saxophonist; was member of Janis Joplin’s Kozmic Blues Band
Wayne Fontana—8/6—Singer of 1965 British Invasion hit “Game of Love”
Andy Gill—1/1—Guitarist with the Gang of Four
Ivry Gitlis—12/24—Israeli classical violinist who played with Yoko Ono on The Rolling Stones Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus
Marty Grebb—1/1—Musician with Buckinghams, Chicago, others
Peter Green—7/25—Co-founder of Fleetwood Mac
Dave Greenfield—5/3—Keyboardist with the Stranglers
Albert Griffiths—12/15—Co-founder of reggae group the Gladiators
Henry Grimes—4/17—Jazz bassist
Steve Grossman—8/13—Jazz saxophonist
Tommy Hancock—1/1—Known as the “Godfather of West Texas music”
Andre Harrell—5/8—Music business executive
Alex Harvey—4/4—Country songwriter/musician; wrote Kenny Rogers’ “Reuben James”
Gordon Haskell—10/16—King Crimson member in 1970; later a singer-songwriter
Roy Head—9/21—Singer of 1965 hit “Treat Her Right”
Jimmy Heath—1/19—Jazz saxophonist with the Heath Brothers
Ken Hensley—11/4—Uriah Heep founding member
Frederick “Toots” Hibbert—9/11—Reggae pioneer who led Toots and the Maytals
Bones Hillman—1-7—Bassist of Midnight Oil
Rupert Hine—6/5—British musician who produced albums for Tina Turner, others
Steve Holland—8/2—Early Molly Hatchet guitarist
W.S. “Fluke” Holland—9/23—Drummer for Johnny Cash for more than four decades
Tony Hooper—11/18—Guitarist for the Strawbs
Jan Howard—3/28—Country singer
Brian Howe—5/6—Bad Company frontman in late ’80s/early ’90s
Pamela Hutchinson—9/18—Singer with the Emotions (“Best of My Love”)
Kenny Jeremiah—12/4—Co-founder of the Soul Survivors (“Expressway to Your Heart”)
Willie K—5/19—Hawaii-based guitarist/performer
Mory Kanté—5/22—Guinean singer
Ryo Kawasaki—4/13—Japanese jazz fusion guitarist
Lee Kerslake—9/19—Drummer for Uriah Heep, Ozzy Osbourne
Hal Ketchum—11/23—Country singer
Frank Kimbrough—12/30—Jazz pianist
Astrid Kirchherr—5/13—Photographer known for early Beatles images
Lee Konitz—4/15—Jazz alto saxophonist
Ivan Kral—2/2—Guitarist/songwriter, member of Patti Smith Group
Bob Kulick—5/28—Guitarist/producer who worked with Kiss, Lou Reed, others
Dave Kusworth—9/19—Member of British band Jacobites
Bunny Lee—10/6—Jamaican reggae producer
Bobby Lewis—4/28—“Tossin’ & Turnin’” hitmaker
Tony Lewis—10/20—Singer/bass guitarist for the Outfield
Buzzy Linhart—2/13—Singer/songwriter/musician whose songs were recorded by Bette Midler, others
Little Richard—5/9—Rock ’n’ roll pioneer whose influence spanned generations
Mike Longo—3/22—Jazz pianist
Trini Lopez—8/11—Singer of ’60s hits “If I Had a Hammer” and “Lemon Tree”
Walter Lure—8/21—Guitarist in Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers
Vera Lynn—6/18—Veteran British singer, famous for “We’ll Meet Again”
Lynn Evans Mand—2/6—Singer with the Chordettes (“Mr. Sandman”)
Ray Mantilla—3/21—Latin percussionist
Johnny Mandel—6/29—Composer of theme from M*A*S*H
Carl Mann—12/16—Rockabilly singer who recorded for Sun Records
Benny Mardones—6/29—Singer of hit song “Into the Night”
Ellis Marsalis—4/1—New Orleans pianist; father of Wynton, Branford, etc.
Barbara Martin—3/4—Pre-fame member of the Supremes
Moon Martin—5/11—Singer/songwriter; wrote “Bad Case of Loving You”
Phil May—5/15—Frontman of England’s Pretty Things
Lyle Mays—2/10—Jazz pianist; best known for his work with Pat Metheny
Michael McBride—11/9—Raspberries drummer in 1974-75
Sid McCray—9/9—Original singer of the Bad Brains
Mickey McGee—7/20—Drummer with Linda Ronstadt, Flying Burrito Brothers, others
William McEuen—9/24—Manager/producer of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Phyllis McGuire—12/29—Member of the sibling vocal group the McGuire Sisters
Alan Merrill—3/29—Singer/songwriter; best known for writing “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll”
Miss Mercy—7/27—Member of the Frank Zappa-produced group the GTOs
Ian Mitchell—9/1—Bay City Rollers bassist
Joseph “Mojo” Morganfield—12/10—Blues artist, son of Muddy Waters
Ennio Morricone—7/6—Italian film score composer (The Good, The Bad & The Ugly)
Dave Munden—10/15—Original member of the Tremeloes (“Silence is Golden”)
Todd Nance—8/19—Founding drummer of Widespread Panic
Johnny Nash—10/6—Reggae-pop singer with a #1 hit, “I Can See Clearly Now”
Bob Nave—1/28—Keyboardist for the Lemon Pipers, of “Green Tambourine” fame
Lennie Niehaus—5/28—Film composer; jazz saxophonist, arranger
Jamie Oldaker—7/16—Drummer for Eric Clapton, others
David Olney—1/18—Folk singer/songwriter
Keith Olsen—3/9—Producer of Fleetwood Mac, Pat Benatar, others
K.T. Oslin—12/21—Country singer whose biggest hit was “80’s Ladies”
Robert Parker—1/19—R&B singer, best known for the hit “Barefootin’”
Gary Peacock—9/4—Jazz bassist who played with Keith Jarrett, others
Neil Peart—1/7—Drummer for Rush
Charli Persip—8/23—Jazz drummer
Lucky Peterson—5/17—Blues musician
Phil Phillips—3/14—”Sea of Love” singer
Bucky Pizzarelli—4/1—Jazz guitarist
Bonnie Pointer—6/8—Member of the Pointer Sisters
Joe Porcaro—7/6—Jazz drummer
Genesis P-Orridge—3/14–British musician/composer; vocalist with Throbbing Gristle
Francis Rocco Prestia—9/30–Tower of Power bassist
Charley Pride—12/12—First Black member of the Country Music Hall of Fame
Steve Priest—6/4—Bassist for the glam band the Sweet
John Prine—4/7—Singer-songwriter who’d recently received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
Helen Reddy—9/29—Singer of “I Am Woman” and “Delta Dawn”
Alto Reed—12/30—Saxophonist in Bob Seger’s Silver Bullet Band
Harold Reid—4/24—Bass singer with country group the Statler Brothers
Al Rex—5/24—Played double bass with Bill Haley and His Comets on “See You Later, Alligator”
Emitt Rhodes—7/19—Singer-songwriter with the Merry-Go-Round and solo
Tony Rice—12/25—Influential and prolific bluegrass guitarist/vocalist
Bill Rieflin–—3/24—Drummer for King Crimson and other bands
Claudio Roditi—1/18—Brazilian jazz trumpeter
Kenny Rogers—3/22—Leader of the First Edition, then a highly successful country-pop solo artist
Wallace Roney—3/31—Jazz trumpeter
Annie Ross—7/21—Jazz singer (Lambert, Hendricks and Ross)
Rudy Salas—12/29—Tierra and El Chicano guitarist
Jorge Santana—5/14—Frontman of Latin-rock band Malo
Jan Savage—8/5—Guitarist for the L.A. ’60s band the Seeds (“Pushin’ Too Hard”)
Adam Schlesinger—4/1—Award-winning songwriter and founding member of Fountains of Wayne
Florian Schneider—5/6—Kraftwerk co-founder
Matthew Seligman—4/17—Bassist for British band the Soft Boys
Joseph Shabalala—2/11—Founder of South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Bob Shane—1/26—Founding member of folk group the Kingston Trio
Billy Joe Shaver—10/28—Country singer-songwriter whose songs were covered by Johnny Cash, the Allman Brothers Band and Elvis Presley
Jack Sherman—8/19—Early Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist
Jerry Slick—3/17—Drummer of San Francisco band the Great Society
Millie Small–5/5—Jamaican singer best known for “My Boy Lollipop”
Viola Smith—10/21—One of the first professional female drummers, she worked from the ’20s to the ’70s
Maynard Solomon—9/28—Founder of Vanguard Records
Mike Somerville—2/28—Guitarist and songwriter for Head East
Geoff Stephens—12/24—British songwriter whose compositions included “Winchester Cathedral,” “There’s a Kind of Hush,” and more
Mark Stone—9/26—Original Van Halen bassist
Chad Stuart—12/20—Half of the British Invasion-era duo Chad and Jeremy
Ira Sullivan—9/21—Jazz saxophonist and trumpeter
Doug Supernaw—9/26—Country artist
Keith Tippett—6/14—British jazz and prog keyboardist; performed with King Crimson, others
Willie Torres—8/13—Singer with the Joe Cuba Sextet
Jim Tucker—11/12—Founding member and rhythm guitarist of the Turtles
Sean Tyla—5/17—Leader of British bands Ducks Deluxe and the Tyla Gang
McCoy Tyner—3/6—Jazz pianist best known for his work with John Coltrane
“Blue” Gene Tyranny—12/12—Jazz pianist (real name: Robert Sheff) who briefly played with Iggy and the Stooges
Eddie Van Halen—10/6—Influential lead guitarist of Van Halen
Howard Wales—12/7—Keyboardist who recorded the album Hooteroll? with Jerry Garcia
Jerry Jeff Walker—10/23—Singer-songwriter, composer of “Mr. Bojangles”
Pete Way—8/14—UFO founding bassist
Steve Weber—2/7—Holy Modal Rounders member
Eric Weissberg—3/22—Multi-instrumentalist best known for “Dueling Banjos”
Leslie West—12/23—Mountain frontman and hard rock guitar hero
Ian Whitcomb—4/19—English pianist and singer known for the mid-’60s hit “You Turn Me On”
Bruce Williamson—9/6—Latter-day member of the Temptations
Hal Willner—4/7—Producer of numerous tribute albums and themed concerts
Wes Wilson—1/24—San Francisco-based rock poster artist
Bill Withers—3/30—R&B singer whose hits included “Lean on Me” and “Ain’t No Sunshine”
Baron Wolman—11/2—Rock photographer who shot many iconic ’60s artists
Betty Wright—5/10—”Clean Up Woman” singer
Edna Wright—9/12—Singer of Honey Cone (“Want Ads”)
Eugene Wright—12/30—Bassist in the Dave Brubeck Quartet
We will miss all of these great talents. RIP.
Rance Allen—10/31—Gospel artist
Tony Allen—4/30—Pioneering Afrobeat drummer with Fela Kuti, others
Sweet Pea Atkinson—5/5—Singer with Was (Not Was)
Frankie Banali—8/20—Quiet Riot drummer
Len Barry—11/5—Singer of the ’60s hits “Bristol Stomp” (with the Dovells) and “1-2-3.”
Bucky Baxter—5/25—Pedal steel guitarist for Bob Dylan, others
Harold Beane—2/1—played wah-wah guitar on Isaac Hayes’ “Walk On By”
Ronald Bell—9/9—Kool and the Gang co-founder
Bob Biggs—10/17—Founder of Los Angeles punk label Slash Records
Martin Birch—8/9—Producer of Fleetwood Mac, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, others
Hamilton Bohannon—4/24—Drummer/percussionist for Motown artists; producer, bandleader in disco era
Claude Bolling—12/29—French jazz pianist
Julian Bream—8/14—Classical guitarist
Harold Budd—12/8—Avant-garde composer who worked with Brian Eno, others
Johnny Bush—10/16—Country artist/songwriter, wrote “Whiskey River”
Edd Byrnes—1/8—77 Sunset Strip actor and singer of “Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb”
Buddy Cage—2/5—Pedal steel guitarist for New Riders of the Purple Sage
Cándido—11/7—Conga player who was named an NEA Jazz Master (full name: Cándido Camero)
Jimmy Capps—6/1—Nashville session guitarist and longtime Grand Ole Opry member
Steve Martin Caro—1/14—Vocalist with the Left Banke, of “Walk Away Renee” fame
Pete Carr—6/27—Muscle Shoals session guitarist
Paul Chapman—6/9—Guitarist with UFO
Jeff Clayton—12/17—Jazz saxophonist
Jimmy Cobb—5/24—Jazz drummer; played on Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue album
Freddy Cole—6/27—Jazz pianist/vocalist, brother of Nat “King” Cole
Richie Cole—5/2—Jazz saxophonist
Simon Coxe—9/8—Synthesizer pioneer with ’60s band Silver Apples
Max Crook—7/1—Keyboardist on Del Shannon’s hit “Runaway”
Charlie Daniels—7/6—Southern rock pioneer, session musician, producer
Mac Davis—9/29—Songwriter for Elvis Presley, singer of “Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me”
Spencer Davis—10/19—Leader of British band that scored with the Steve Winwood-sung “Gimme Some Lovin'” and “I’m a Man”
Tommy DeVito—9/21—Member of the original Four Seasons
Manu Dibango—5/24—African musician known for 1972 hit “Soul Makossa”
Joe Diffie—3/29—Country singer/songwriter
Gloria Dobbins—9/21—Founding member of the Marvelettes, wrote “Please Mr. Postman”
Carl Dobkins, Jr.—4/8—Singer of 1959 hit “My Heart is an Open Book”
Terry Doran—4/18—Longtime Beatles associate
Judy Dyble—7/12—Founding member of Fairport Convention
Justin Townes Earle—8/23—Singer-songwriter, son of Steve Earle
Cleveland Eaton—7/5—Jazz bassist
Paul English—2/11—Drummer for Willie Nelson
Bent Fabric—7/28—Composer and artist behind the early ’60s instrumental dance hit “Alley Cat”
Pat Fairley—8/11—Co-founder of Marmalade; played acoustic guitar on “Reflections of My Life”
Steve Farmer—4/7—Amboy Dukes member; co-wrote “Journey to the Center of the Mind”
Majek Fashek—6/1—Nigerian reggae singer
Tom Finn—6/27—Co-founder of the Left Banke, of “Walk Away Renee” fame
Snooky Flowers—3/9—Saxophonist; was member of Janis Joplin’s Kozmic Blues Band
Wayne Fontana—8/6—Singer of 1965 British Invasion hit “Game of Love”
Andy Gill—1/1—Guitarist with the Gang of Four
Ivry Gitlis—12/24—Israeli classical violinist who played with Yoko Ono on The Rolling Stones Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus
Marty Grebb—1/1—Musician with Buckinghams, Chicago, others
Peter Green—7/25—Co-founder of Fleetwood Mac
Dave Greenfield—5/3—Keyboardist with the Stranglers
Albert Griffiths—12/15—Co-founder of reggae group the Gladiators
Henry Grimes—4/17—Jazz bassist
Steve Grossman—8/13—Jazz saxophonist
Tommy Hancock—1/1—Known as the “Godfather of West Texas music”
Andre Harrell—5/8—Music business executive
Alex Harvey—4/4—Country songwriter/musician; wrote Kenny Rogers’ “Reuben James”
Gordon Haskell—10/16—King Crimson member in 1970; later a singer-songwriter
Roy Head—9/21—Singer of 1965 hit “Treat Her Right”
Jimmy Heath—1/19—Jazz saxophonist with the Heath Brothers
Ken Hensley—11/4—Uriah Heep founding member
Frederick “Toots” Hibbert—9/11—Reggae pioneer who led Toots and the Maytals
Bones Hillman—1-7—Bassist of Midnight Oil
Rupert Hine—6/5—British musician who produced albums for Tina Turner, others
Steve Holland—8/2—Early Molly Hatchet guitarist
W.S. “Fluke” Holland—9/23—Drummer for Johnny Cash for more than four decades
Tony Hooper—11/18—Guitarist for the Strawbs
Jan Howard—3/28—Country singer
Brian Howe—5/6—Bad Company frontman in late ’80s/early ’90s
Pamela Hutchinson—9/18—Singer with the Emotions (“Best of My Love”)
Kenny Jeremiah—12/4—Co-founder of the Soul Survivors (“Expressway to Your Heart”)
Willie K—5/19—Hawaii-based guitarist/performer
Mory Kanté—5/22—Guinean singer
Ryo Kawasaki—4/13—Japanese jazz fusion guitarist
Lee Kerslake—9/19—Drummer for Uriah Heep, Ozzy Osbourne
Hal Ketchum—11/23—Country singer
Frank Kimbrough—12/30—Jazz pianist
Astrid Kirchherr—5/13—Photographer known for early Beatles images
Lee Konitz—4/15—Jazz alto saxophonist
Ivan Kral—2/2—Guitarist/songwriter, member of Patti Smith Group
Bob Kulick—5/28—Guitarist/producer who worked with Kiss, Lou Reed, others
Dave Kusworth—9/19—Member of British band Jacobites
Bunny Lee—10/6—Jamaican reggae producer
Bobby Lewis—4/28—“Tossin’ & Turnin’” hitmaker
Tony Lewis—10/20—Singer/bass guitarist for the Outfield
Buzzy Linhart—2/13—Singer/songwriter/musician whose songs were recorded by Bette Midler, others
Little Richard—5/9—Rock ’n’ roll pioneer whose influence spanned generations
Mike Longo—3/22—Jazz pianist
Trini Lopez—8/11—Singer of ’60s hits “If I Had a Hammer” and “Lemon Tree”
Walter Lure—8/21—Guitarist in Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers
Vera Lynn—6/18—Veteran British singer, famous for “We’ll Meet Again”
Lynn Evans Mand—2/6—Singer with the Chordettes (“Mr. Sandman”)
Ray Mantilla—3/21—Latin percussionist
Johnny Mandel—6/29—Composer of theme from M*A*S*H
Carl Mann—12/16—Rockabilly singer who recorded for Sun Records
Benny Mardones—6/29—Singer of hit song “Into the Night”
Ellis Marsalis—4/1—New Orleans pianist; father of Wynton, Branford, etc.
Barbara Martin—3/4—Pre-fame member of the Supremes
Moon Martin—5/11—Singer/songwriter; wrote “Bad Case of Loving You”
Phil May—5/15—Frontman of England’s Pretty Things
Lyle Mays—2/10—Jazz pianist; best known for his work with Pat Metheny
Michael McBride—11/9—Raspberries drummer in 1974-75
Sid McCray—9/9—Original singer of the Bad Brains
Mickey McGee—7/20—Drummer with Linda Ronstadt, Flying Burrito Brothers, others
William McEuen—9/24—Manager/producer of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Phyllis McGuire—12/29—Member of the sibling vocal group the McGuire Sisters
Alan Merrill—3/29—Singer/songwriter; best known for writing “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll”
Miss Mercy—7/27—Member of the Frank Zappa-produced group the GTOs
Ian Mitchell—9/1—Bay City Rollers bassist
Joseph “Mojo” Morganfield—12/10—Blues artist, son of Muddy Waters
Ennio Morricone—7/6—Italian film score composer (The Good, The Bad & The Ugly)
Dave Munden—10/15—Original member of the Tremeloes (“Silence is Golden”)
Todd Nance—8/19—Founding drummer of Widespread Panic
Johnny Nash—10/6—Reggae-pop singer with a #1 hit, “I Can See Clearly Now”
Bob Nave—1/28—Keyboardist for the Lemon Pipers, of “Green Tambourine” fame
Lennie Niehaus—5/28—Film composer; jazz saxophonist, arranger
Jamie Oldaker—7/16—Drummer for Eric Clapton, others
David Olney—1/18—Folk singer/songwriter
Keith Olsen—3/9—Producer of Fleetwood Mac, Pat Benatar, others
K.T. Oslin—12/21—Country singer whose biggest hit was “80’s Ladies”
Robert Parker—1/19—R&B singer, best known for the hit “Barefootin’”
Gary Peacock—9/4—Jazz bassist who played with Keith Jarrett, others
Neil Peart—1/7—Drummer for Rush
Charli Persip—8/23—Jazz drummer
Lucky Peterson—5/17—Blues musician
Phil Phillips—3/14—”Sea of Love” singer
Bucky Pizzarelli—4/1—Jazz guitarist
Bonnie Pointer—6/8—Member of the Pointer Sisters
Joe Porcaro—7/6—Jazz drummer
Genesis P-Orridge—3/14–British musician/composer; vocalist with Throbbing Gristle
Francis Rocco Prestia—9/30–Tower of Power bassist
Charley Pride—12/12—First Black member of the Country Music Hall of Fame
Steve Priest—6/4—Bassist for the glam band the Sweet
John Prine—4/7—Singer-songwriter who’d recently received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
Helen Reddy—9/29—Singer of “I Am Woman” and “Delta Dawn”
Alto Reed—12/30—Saxophonist in Bob Seger’s Silver Bullet Band
Harold Reid—4/24—Bass singer with country group the Statler Brothers
Al Rex—5/24—Played double bass with Bill Haley and His Comets on “See You Later, Alligator”
Emitt Rhodes—7/19—Singer-songwriter with the Merry-Go-Round and solo
Tony Rice—12/25—Influential and prolific bluegrass guitarist/vocalist
Bill Rieflin–—3/24—Drummer for King Crimson and other bands
Claudio Roditi—1/18—Brazilian jazz trumpeter
Kenny Rogers—3/22—Leader of the First Edition, then a highly successful country-pop solo artist
Wallace Roney—3/31—Jazz trumpeter
Annie Ross—7/21—Jazz singer (Lambert, Hendricks and Ross)
Rudy Salas—12/29—Tierra and El Chicano guitarist
Jorge Santana—5/14—Frontman of Latin-rock band Malo
Jan Savage—8/5—Guitarist for the L.A. ’60s band the Seeds (“Pushin’ Too Hard”)
Adam Schlesinger—4/1—Award-winning songwriter and founding member of Fountains of Wayne
Florian Schneider—5/6—Kraftwerk co-founder
Matthew Seligman—4/17—Bassist for British band the Soft Boys
Joseph Shabalala—2/11—Founder of South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Bob Shane—1/26—Founding member of folk group the Kingston Trio
Billy Joe Shaver—10/28—Country singer-songwriter whose songs were covered by Johnny Cash, the Allman Brothers Band and Elvis Presley
Jack Sherman—8/19—Early Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist
Jerry Slick—3/17—Drummer of San Francisco band the Great Society
Millie Small–5/5—Jamaican singer best known for “My Boy Lollipop”
Viola Smith—10/21—One of the first professional female drummers, she worked from the ’20s to the ’70s
Maynard Solomon—9/28—Founder of Vanguard Records
Mike Somerville—2/28—Guitarist and songwriter for Head East
Geoff Stephens—12/24—British songwriter whose compositions included “Winchester Cathedral,” “There’s a Kind of Hush,” and more
Mark Stone—9/26—Original Van Halen bassist
Chad Stuart—12/20—Half of the British Invasion-era duo Chad and Jeremy
Ira Sullivan—9/21—Jazz saxophonist and trumpeter
Doug Supernaw—9/26—Country artist
Keith Tippett—6/14—British jazz and prog keyboardist; performed with King Crimson, others
Willie Torres—8/13—Singer with the Joe Cuba Sextet
Jim Tucker—11/12—Founding member and rhythm guitarist of the Turtles
Sean Tyla—5/17—Leader of British bands Ducks Deluxe and the Tyla Gang
McCoy Tyner—3/6—Jazz pianist best known for his work with John Coltrane
“Blue” Gene Tyranny—12/12—Jazz pianist (real name: Robert Sheff) who briefly played with Iggy and the Stooges
Eddie Van Halen—10/6—Influential lead guitarist of Van Halen
Howard Wales—12/7—Keyboardist who recorded the album Hooteroll? with Jerry Garcia
Jerry Jeff Walker—10/23—Singer-songwriter, composer of “Mr. Bojangles”
Pete Way—8/14—UFO founding bassist
Steve Weber—2/7—Holy Modal Rounders member
Eric Weissberg—3/22—Multi-instrumentalist best known for “Dueling Banjos”
Leslie West—12/23—Mountain frontman and hard rock guitar hero
Ian Whitcomb—4/19—English pianist and singer known for the mid-’60s hit “You Turn Me On”
Bruce Williamson—9/6—Latter-day member of the Temptations
Hal Willner—4/7—Producer of numerous tribute albums and themed concerts
Wes Wilson—1/24—San Francisco-based rock poster artist
Bill Withers—3/30—R&B singer whose hits included “Lean on Me” and “Ain’t No Sunshine”
Baron Wolman—11/2—Rock photographer who shot many iconic ’60s artists
Betty Wright—5/10—”Clean Up Woman” singer
Edna Wright—9/12—Singer of Honey Cone (“Want Ads”)
Eugene Wright—12/30—Bassist in the Dave Brubeck Quartet