2017 Musical Obits

January

1/10

Buddy Greco

singer, pianist, actor

90

1/11

Tommy Allsup

guitarist w/ Buddy Holly, Willie Nelson

85

surgical complications

1/15

Greg Trooper

singer-songwriter

61

cancer

1/18

Mike Kellie

drummer, Spooky Tooth

69

1/21

Maggie Roche

singer-songwriter, The Roches

65

cancer

1/22

Pete Overend Watts

bassist, Mott the Hoople

69

cancer

1/23

Bobby Freeman

soul singer-songwriter, "Do You Want to Dance"

76

1/24

Butch Trucks

Allman Bros. band drummer

69

gun suicide

1/31

Deke Leonard

Welsh rock guitarist, band Man

72

1/31

John Wetton

vocalist, bassist King Crimson, Asia

67

cancer

February

2/7

Svend Asmussen

Danish Jazz violinist

100

2/12

Al Jarreau

jazz & pop vocalist

76

respiratory failure

2/12

Barbara Carroll

jazz pianist

92

2/19

Larry Coryell

jazz & fusion guitarist

73

heart failure

2/23

Horace Parlan

jazz pianist

86

2/24

Don Payne

jazz bassist

84

March

3/3

Jim Fuller

guitarist, The Surfaris, "Wipe Out"

69

3/4

Valerie Carter

singer-songwriter

64

3/8

Dave Velentin

jazz flutist

64

Parkinson's

3/10

Joni Sledge

singer w/ Sister Sledge 60

3/11

Evan Johns

rock guitarist, Evan Johns & the H-Bombs

60

surgery complications

3/16

James Cotton

blues harmonica great

81

3/18

Chuck Berry

rock & roll legend

90

heart attack

3/20

Buck Hill

jazz saxophonist

90

3/22

Sib Hashian

drummer with Boston band

67

collapsed on stage

3/27

Arthur Blythe

jazz saxophonist

76

Parkinson's

April

4/1

Lonnie Brooks

blues singer, guitarist

83

4/10

Linda Hopkins

actress, blues singer

92

4/11

J. Geils

Guitarist in J. Geils Band

71

4/14

Tom Langorne

folk musician, was inspiration for "Mr. Tambourine Man"

78

stroke

4/15

Allan Holdsworth

British rock & fusion guitarist

70

heart attack

4/20

Cuba Gooding, Sr.

soul singer (The Main Ingredient)

72

May

5/3

Casey Jones

blues drummer w/Albert Collins

77

cancer

5/5

Clive Brooks

British rock bassist w/ Egg, Groundhogs

67

5/7

Dave Pell

jazz saxophonist

92

5/7

Jerry Harris

jazz vocalist in Poconos

74

5/11

Rosalie Sorrels

folksinger

83

5/12

Bill Doudy

jazz drummer w/The Three Sounds

84

5/13

Jimmy Copley

British rock drummer w/Jeff Beck, Tears for Fears

63

lukemia

5/18

Chris Cornell

rock vocalist (Soundgarden, Audioslave)

52

suicide by hanging

5/18

Frankie Paul

reggae singer

51

kindey failure

5/21

Jimmy LaFave

folk singer-songwiter

61

cancer

5/21

Kenny Cordray

rock guitarist

62

gun murder

5/22

Mikey Roker

jazz drummer

84

lung cancer

5/27

Gregg Allman

of Allman Brothers

69

liver cancer

June

6/22

Jimmy Nalls

rock & fusion guitarist (Sea Level)

66

fall

6/26

Geri Allen

jazz pianist

60

cancer

July

7/6

Melvin "Deacon" Jones

blues musician

73

7/25

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu

Australian aboriginal musician

46

7/12

Ray Phiri

South African vocalist, appeared on Paul Simon's "Graceland"

70

7/20

Chester Bennington

singer & songwriter (Linkin Park, Stone Temple Pilots)

41

suicide

7/25

Michael Johnson

singer-songwriter

72

7/25

Billy Joe Walker, Jr.

Nashville songwriter & guitarist

65

7/31

Chuck Loeb

jazz & fusion guitarist (Fourplay)

61

cancer

August

8/8

Barbara Cook

jazz & Broadway singer

89

Respiratory failure

8/8

Glen Campbell

pop singer, TV personality

81

Alzheimer's

8/18

Sonny Burgess

rockabilly guitarist

88

8/22

John Abercrombie

influential jazz guitarist

72

heart failure

8/29

Larry Elgart

Big band leader

95

September

9/3

Walter Becker

co-founder of Steely Dan

67

9/3

Dave Hlubek

Southern Rock guitarist, founded Molly Hatchett

66

heart attack

9/8

Don WIlliams

country singer-songwriter 78

9/8

Troy Gentry

Montgomery Gentry country act

50

helicopter crash

9/12

Frank Capp

veteran jazz drummer

86

9/13

Grant Hart

singer-songwriter & drummer (Husker Du)

56

liver cancer

9/23

Charles Bradley

blues and soul singer

68

stomach cancer

9/30

Tom Paley

Folk musician (New Lost City Ramblers)

89

October

10/2

Tom Petty

Rock Hall of Famer

66

heart attack

10/8

Grady Tate

jazz drummer

85

10/12

Andy McGhee

jazz saxophonist

89

10/17

Gord Downie

Canadian rock musician (The Tragically Hip)

53

cancer

10/22

George Young

member of Easybeats, produced AC/DC

70

10/24

Fats Domino

New Orleans pianist and rock pioneer

89

10/29

Muhal Richard Abrams

jazz pianist

87

November

11/7

Paul Buckmaster

British composer, arranger (Elton John, Rolling Stones) 71

11/9

Chuck Mosley

rock singer (Faith No More, Bad Brains)

57

11/18

Malcolm Young

co-founder of AC/DC

64

11/18

Ben Riley

jazz drummer (Thelonious Monk)

84

11/19

William "Pete" Moore

R&B songwriter ("Tracks of My Tears")

79

11/19

Della Reese

vocalist, actress

86

11/19

Mel Tillis

country singer-songwriter

85

respiratory failure

11/21

David Cassidy

pop star

67

organ failure

11/21

Wayne Cochran

soul singer ("Last Kiss")

78

11/22

John Coates, Jr.

jazz pianist, helped establish Poconos jazz scene

79

11/22

Jon Hendricks

jazz vocal great

96

11/22

Tommy Keene

power-pop singer & songwriter

59

11/27

Rob Popwell

rock bassist (Young Rascals)

66

December

12/2

Mundell Lowe

jazz guitarist

95

12/7

Sunny Murray

jazz drummer (Cecil Taylor, Albert Ayler)

81

12/6

Johnny Halliday

popular French rock star

74

lung cancer

12/16

Ralph Carney

saxophonist (Tom Waits, Tin Huey)

61

injuries from fall

12/11

Willie Pickens

jazz pianist

85

12/12

Pat DiNinzio

rock singer-songwriter, led Smithereens

62

12/17

Kevin Mahagony

jazz vocalist

59

12/16

Keely Smith

jazz and pop singer

89

heart failure

12/21

Roswell Rudd

jazz trombonist

82

cancer

12/21

Dominic Frontiere

film composer (The Outer Limits, The Flying Nun)

86

12/27

Curley Seckler

bluegrass multi-instrumentalist (Foggy Mountain Boys

98

12/28

Melton Mustapha

jazz trumpeter, educator

70

cancer