R.I.P. 2023
Notable musicians and other music-related figures who have died this year:
Juan Carlos Formell (replaced his father in the legendary Afro-Cuban band Los Van Van)
Isaac “Redd” Holt (founding member of Ramsey Lewis Trio and Young-Holt Unlimited)
Ed Ames (“Daniel Boone” star and Ames Brothers singer)
Tina Turner (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legend)
Bill Lee (jazz bassist and father of Spike Lee)
Chas Newby (one-time Beatles bassist)
Kirk Arrington (longtime Metal Church drummer)
Rolf Harris (disgraced former entertainer)
Pete Brown (Cream lyricist)
Andy Rourke (The Smiths bassist)
Richard Landis (Juice Newton producer and label executive)
John Giblin (longtime bassist for Kate Bush and session player)
Francis Monkman (keyboardist and founding member of Curved Air)
Frank Kozik (graphic artist designed posters and album covers for The Offspring, Queens of the Stone Age, et al)
Rita Lee (co-founder and vocalist of Os Mutantes)
Grace Bumbry (pioneering black opera singer)
Seán Keane (Chieftains fiddler)
Ian Bell (Aussie DJ and music writer)
Chris Strachwitz (founder of Arhoolie Records)
Linda Lewis (British singer-songwriter)
Irv Lichtman (editor and writer at Billboard and other music publications)
Gordon Lightfoot (legendary Canadian singer-songwriter)
Claude Gray (country singer’s version of “Family Bible” gave Willie Nelson his first hit)
Tim Bachman (Bachman-Turner Overdrive)
Johnny Fean (Horslips guitarist)
Wee Willie Harris (Britain’s “wild man of rock ‘n’ roll” was an early inspiration for The Beatles)
Harry Belafonte (singer, actor and activist)
Isaac Wiley (drummer and co-founder of Dazz Band)
Keith Gattis (country songwriter and producer)
Mark Stewart (The Pop Group)
April Stevens (“Deep Purple” singer with brother Nino Tempo)
Moonbin (of the K-pop group Astro)
Otis Redding III (son of the soul legend and member of The Reddings)
Ahmad Jamal (legendary jazz pianist)
Cliff Fish (bassist with Paper Lace, of “The Night Chicago Died” fame)
Mark Sheehan (guitarist and co-founder of The Script)
Julián Figueroa (Mexican ballad singer)
Lasse Wellander (longtime ABBA guitarist)
Guy Bailey (guitarist and co-founder of The Quireboys)
Ian Bairnson (former guitarist for Pilot and The Alan Parsons Project)
John Regan (bassist played with Peter Frampton, Ace Frehley, Billy Idol, et al)
Paul Cattermore (S Club 7 singer)
Vivian Trimble (Luscious Jackson)
Seymour Stein (Sire Records co-founder signed Madonna, Talking Heads, Ramones, et al)
Ryuichi Sakamoto (electronic music pioneer)
Ray Shulman (Gentle Giant)
Philip Balsam (composer-musician who created the music for “Fraggle Rock”)
Mark Russell (piano-playing political satirist)
Keith Reid (founding member of Procol Harum wrote the lyrics to “A Whiter Shade of Pale”)
Ray Pillow (Grand Ole Opry legend / Nashville publisher)
Wayne Swinny (Saliva guitarist)
Bill Zehme (author of Frank Sinatra biography)
Mick Slattery (original Hawkwind guitarist)
Clarence “Fuzzy” Haskins (Parliament-Funkadelic)
Fito Olivares (Tejano musician)
Paul Beasley (Blind Boys of Alabama)
Jim Gordon (session drummer, Derek and the Dominos member and co-writer of “Layla”)
Bobby Caldwell (“What You Won’t Do For Love” singer)
Gloria Bosman (South African jazz singer)
Jason Kaye (influential U.K. hardcore and garage DJ)
Costa Titch (South African rapper)
Jim Durkin (Dark Angel guitarist)
Jerry Samuels, aka Napoleon XIV (of “They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!” fame)
Lewis Largent (MTV “120 Minutes” VJ and KROQ DJ)
Topol (“Fiddler on the Roof” actor and singer)
Gary Rossington (last surviving founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd)
Robert Haimer (Barnes & Barnes, of “Fish Heads” fame)
Michael Rhodes (Musicians Hall of Fame session bass player)
Glen “SPOT” Lockett (SST Records producer)
Steve Mackey (Pulp bass player)
David Lindley (master session guitarist)
Wayne Shorter (jazz sax great)
Brian Bukantis (Goldmine Magazine)
Brett Radin (longtime artist manager)
Melvin Sloan (Sloan Brothers)
Bruce Barthol (Country Joe & the Fish bassist)
Tom Whitlock (songwriter wrote “Take My Breath Away” and “Danger Zone”)
Chuck Jackson (1960s R&B great)
Gerald Fried (Emmy winner for “Roots” and composer for “Star Trek,” “Gilligan’s Island,” etc.)
Calton Coffie (Inner Circle)
Hans Poulsen (Australian singer-songwriter)
Kyle Jacobs (country songwriter and husband of Kellie Pickler)
Huey “Piano” Smith (New Orleans rock ‘n’ roll pioneer)
Joe Millar (The Irish Rovers)
Peter McCann (1970s singer-songwriter)
David “Trugoy the Dove” Jolicoeur (one-third of De La Soul)
Kiernan “AKA” Forbes (South African rapper)
Burt Bacharach (legendary pop composer)
Pat Bunch (country music songwriter)
Phil Spalding (former GTR bassist and longtime session player)
Carol Sloane (jazz singer)
Larry Rivera (legendary Hawaiian singer)
Charlie Thomas (longtime member of The Drifters)
Stephen Allen Davis (Nashville singer-songwriter)
Louise Harrison (George Harrison’s older sister, who helped The Beatles break into the U.S. market)
Floyd Sneed (Three Dog Night drummer)
Barrett Strong (singer-songwriter had Motown’s first big hit)
Tom Verlaine (Television)
Dean Daughtry (Atlanta Rhythm Section keyboardist)
Sanderson Rasjid, aka Antony “Top” Topham (guitarist and founding member of The Yardbirds)
Lloyd Morrisett (co-creator of “Sesame Street”)
Ginny Redington Dawes (composer of ad jingles)
Lin Brehmer (93XRT Chicago radio host)
Marshall Tucker (Marshall Tucker Band namesake)
Jerry Blavat (legendary Philly DJ)
David Crosby (Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash co-founder)
Van Conner (Screaming Trees bassist and co-founder)
Bruce Gowers (music video director, best known for Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”)
Renée Geyer (Australian singer)
C.J. Harris (“American Idol” alum)
Ray Cordiero (world’s oldest DJ)
Yukihiro Takahashi (drummer and lead vocalist of Yellow Magic Orchestra)
Carl Pagter (bluegrass banjo player)
Vivian Williams (bluegrass fiddler-singer)
Jamie Slocum (Contemporary Christian artist)
Robbie Bachman (Bachman-Turner Overdrive drummer)
Lisa Marie Presley (singer and daughter of Elvis Presley)
Jeff Beck (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist)
Tatjana Patitz (supermodel of ’80s and ’90s starred in George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90” video)
Les Brown Jr. (musician-actor and son of band leader Les Brown)
Ilanga (The G-Clefs)
Gordy Harmon (co-founder of The Whispers)
Jack Hayford (pastor and songwriter)
Mark Capps (Grammy-winning recording engineer)
Stan Hitchcock (country singer and founder of Americana Television Network)
Don Williams (last surviving member of the Williams Brothers Quartet)
Alan Rankine (founding member of the Associates)
Sebastian Marino (guitarist for Overkill and Anvil)
Fred White (longtime Earth, Wind & Fire drummer)
Gangsta Boo (Three 6 Mafia)
R.I.P. 2022
R.I.P. 2021
R.I.P. 2020
R.I.P. 2019
R.I.P. 2018
R.I.P. 2017
R.I.P. 2016
R.I.P. 2015
R.I.P. 2014
R.I.P. 2013
R.I.P. 2012
About the Author
Gerry Galipault Gerry Galipault debuted Pause & Play online in October 1997. Since then, it has become the definitive place for CD-release dates — with a worldwide audience.
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