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2021 Musical Obituaries
Compiled by George Graham

01/03/21

Gerry Marsden

British rock artist (Gerry and the Pacemakers)

78

heart infection

01/06/21

Bobby Few

Jazz Pianist

85


01/08/21

David Darling

cellist (Winter Consort)

79


01/11/21

Howard Johnson

jazz brass player, tuba specialist

79


01/13/21

Tim Bogert

rock bassist (Vanilla Fudge)

76

cancer

01/13/21

Sylvain Sylvain

rock guitarist (New York Dolls)

69

cancer

01/16/21

Phil Spector

record producer

81

COVID

01/17/21

Junior Mance

jazz pianist, Chiaroscuro artist

92


01/17/21

Sammy Nestico

jazz composer, arranger

96


01/18/21

Jimmy Rodgers

pop singer ("Kisses Sweeter Than Wine")

87


01/21/21

Janet Lawson

jazz vocalist, was HGM veteran

80


01/23/21

Tom Stephens

bassist with Long Ryders

64


01/29/21

Hilton Valentine

British rock guitarist (The Animals)

77







02/03/21

Anne Feeney

folksinger-songwriter, activist

69

COVID

02/03/21

Jim Weatherly

singer-songwriter ("Midnight Train to Georgia")

77


02/04/21

Gil Saunders

vocalist (Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes)

68


02/08/21

Mary Wilson

vocalist with the Supremes

76

heart disease

02/09/21

Chick Corea

pianist, composer, band leader, 23-time Grammy winner

79


02/12/21

Milford Graves

avant garde jazz drummer

79

heart failure

02/17/21

U-Roy (Ewart Beckford)

Jamaican reggae artist

78


02/20/21

Gene Taylor

blues & rock pianist (Canned Heat, Fabulous Thunderbirds)

68


02/24/21

Peter Ostroushko

folk fiddler, mandolinist, regular on Prairie Home Companion

67


02/26/21

Bob James

rock singer-songwriter (Montrose)

68

stomach ulcer complications






03/01/21

Ralph Peterson, Jr.

jazz drummer

58

cancer

03/02/21

Bunny Wailer

Jamaican reggae artist

73

stroke

03/04/21

Alan Cartwright

English rock bassist (Procol Harum)

75

stomach cancer

03/02/21

Chris Barber

English jazz bandleader, trombonist

90


03/07/21

Michael Stanley

rock guitarst, singer-songwriter (Michael Stanley Band)

72

lung cancer

03/08/21

Mark Whitecage

Jazz reed player

83


03/09/21

James Levine

orchestral & opera conductor

77


03/11/21

Ray Campi

rockabilly bassist

86


03/17/21

Freddie Redd

jazz pianist, composer

92


03/18/21

Paul Jackson

jazz, fusion bassist (Headhunters, Santana)

73


03/19/21

Margie Evans

blues and Gospel singer, songwriter

81


03/20/21

Constance Demby

new age artist

81


03/24/21

Don Heffington

rock drummer, studio musician (Lone Justice)

70

leukemia

03/28/21

Malcolm Cecil

British composer, synthesist, producer (Tonto's Expanding Head Band

84







04/06/21

Sonny Simmons

jazz saxophonist

87


04/09/21

DMX (Earl Simmons)

platinum-selling rapper

50

overdose-induced organ failure

04/10/21

Bob Porter

jazz record producer

80


04/14/21

Rusty Young

member of Poco

75


04/15/21

Pat Rizzo

saxophonist (Sly & the Family Stone)

79


04/18/21

Paul Oscher

blues harmonica player (w/Muddy Waters Band)

74


04/19/21

Jim Steinman

rock composer (collaborator with Meat Loaf)

73


04/29/21

Tony Markellis

bassist (Trey Anastasio, was on HGM with Michael Jerling)

68







05/03/21

Lloyd Price

R&B singer ("Lawdy Miss Claudy")

88

complications from diabetes

05/06/21

Pervis Staples

soul-Gospel singer (Staples Singers)

85


05/08/21

Curtis Fuller

jazz trombonist

88


05/13/21

Norman Simmons

jazz pianist, arranger

91


05/20/21

Roger Hawkins

drummer (Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section)

75


05/29/21

BJ Thomas

pop singer "Hooked on a Feeling", Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head"

78

lung cancer






06/23/21

Ellen McIlwaine

blues-rock vocalist

75

cancer

06/26/21

Jon Hassell

trumpeter and composer

84


06/28/21

Burton Greene

jazz pianist

84


06/29/21

John Lawton

rock vocalist (Uriah Heep)

74


06/30/21

Vic Briggs

rock bassist (Eric Burdon & the Animals)

76

cancer






07/02/21

Elliot Lawrence

jazz pianist Emmy Award winner

96


07/04/21

Rick Laird

bassist with Mahavishnu Orchestral

80

throat cancer

07/06/21

Djivan Gasparyan

Armenian duduk player, new age

92


07/09/21

Frank Cook

rock drummer (Canned Heat)

79


07/16/21

Biz Markie

rapper, DJ

57


07/17/21

Robby Steinhadt

violinist & singer with Kansas band

71


07/20/21

Jerry Granelli

jazz drummer (Charlie Brown Christmas)

80


07/31/21

Charles Connor

pioneering rock drummer w/ Little Richard

86


07/31/21

Paul Cotton

member of Poco

78







08/04/21

David Lee

jazz drummer (Sonny Rollins)

80


08/04/21

Razzy Bailey

country artist

82


08/12/21

Ronnell Bright

jazz pianist

91


08/13/21

Nanci Griffith

singer-songwriter

68


08/18/21

Ron Cornelius

rock session guitarist (Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen)

76


08/20/21

Tom T. Hall

country singer-songwriter

85


08/21/21

Don Everly

rock pioneer, Everly Brothers

84


08/24/21

Charlie Watts

Rolling Stones drummer

80


08/24/21

John Sheridan

jazz pianist (Jim Cullum jazz band)

75

cancer

08/29/21

Lee "Scratch" Perry

reggae musician

85







09/01/21

Carol Fran

blues singer, pianist

87

COVID

09/02/21

Baron Browne

jazz and fusion bassist

61

cancer

09/02/21

Mikis Theodorakis

Greek composer ("Zorba the Greek")

96


09/08/21

Phil Schaap

jazz writer and historian

70


09/10/21

Michael Chapman

English singer-songwriter

80


09/10/21

Byther Smith

bluesman

89


09/13/21

George Wein

founder of Newport Jazz & Folk Festivals, pianist

95


09/16/21

George Mraz

jazz bassist

77


09/17/21

Dottie Dodgion

jazz drummer and vocalist

91

stroke

09/20/21

Colin Bailey

jazz drummer

87


09/23/21

Pee Wee Ellis

jazz and rock saxophonist

80


09/28/21

'Doctor' Lonnie Smith

jazz organist & keyboard player

79

pulmonary fibrosis

09/28/21

Mike Renzi

composer, musical director (Sesame Street)

80







10/01/21

Robin Morton

Irish folk musician, founded Boys of the Lough

81


10/05/21

Pat Fish

British musician "The Jazz Butcher"

63


10/05/21

Hobo Jim (Jim Varsos)

folksinger

69

cancer

10/09/21

Garnett Brown

jazz trombonist

85


10/11/21

Paddy Maloney

Irish musician, founder of The Chieftains

83


10/11/21

Emani Johnson a/k/a Emani 22

R&B, pop singer

22

Auto accident

10/12/21

Marcus Malone

percussionist with Santana, co-wrote "Soul Sacrifice"

77


10/14/21

Phil Leadbetter

resonator guitar specialist

59

COVID

10/16/21

Ron Tutt

rock drummer (Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison)

83


10/19/21

Leslie Bricusse

British composer worked with Anthony Newley ("What Kind of Fool Am I")


90


10/24/21

Sonny Osborne

banjoist with Osborne Bros.

83

stroke






11/01/21

Emmett Chapman

jazz musician, inventor of the Chapman Stick

85


11/01/21

Pat Martino

jazz guitar great

77


11/11/21

Graeme Edge

Moody Blues drummer, songwriter

80

cancer

11/11/21

John Goodsall

British rock guitarist (Brand X)

68


11/17/21

Dave Frishberg

jazz composer, pianist, vocalist

88


11/18/21

Slide Hampton

jazz trombonist, composer, arranger

89


11/26/21

Stephen Sondheim

Broadway composer

91







12/03/21

Melvin Parker

drummer (James Brown)

77


12/05/21

John Miles

British rock singer-songwriter

72


12/05/21

Bill Staines

folksinger

74

cancer

12/06/21

Robbie Shakespeare

Jamaican reggae bassist (Sly & Robbie)

68

complications from kidney surgery

12/08/21

Barry Harris

jazz pianist

91

COVID

12/08/21

Gil Bridges

rock musician (Rare Earth)

80

COVID

12/09/21

Garth Dennis

reggae musician (Black Uhuru, Wailing Souls)

72


12/10/21

Michael Nesmith

musician, producer, composer (the Monkees)

78

heart failure

12/11/21

Joe Simon

soul, R&B singer

85


12/12/21

Sonny Rhodes

blues singer, guitarist

81


12/14/21

Phil Chen

rock bassist (Rod Stewart)

75


12/14/21

Ken Kragen

music producer ("We Are the World")

85


12/16/21

Hub (Leonard Nelson Hubbard)

bassist for the band The Roots

62

cancer

12/24/21

J.D. Crowe

bluegrass banjo player, group leader

84




Other 2021 Year-End Material

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