Rock music developed from the rock and roll music that emerged during the 1950s, and includes a diverse range of subgenres. The terms "rock and roll" and "rock" each have a variety of definitions, some narrow and some wider. In determining criteria for inclusion, this list uses as its basis reliable sources listing "rock deaths" or "deaths in rock and roll", as well as such sources as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| style="background:#78866b; color:black; width:150px;"| Name
! style="background:#78866b; color:black; width:25px;"| Age
! style="background:#78866b; color:black; width:125px;"| Date
! style="background:#78866b; color:black; width:200px;"| Location
! style="background:#78866b; color:black; width:300px;"| Cause of death |
|---|
| Jesse Belvin | style="text-align:center;"|27 | February 6, 1960 | Hope, Arkansas, U.S. | Car accident [{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jesse-belvin-mn0000333175/biography|title=Jesse Belvin - Biography & History - AllMusic|website=AllMusic|accessdate=4 December 2017}}] |
Gene Alford
The Four Knights | style="text-align:center;"|37 | April 2, 1960 | | Epileptic Seizure |
| Forest City Joe | style="text-align:center;"|33 | April 3, 1960 | Horseshoe Lake, Arkansas, U.S. | Car crash |
| Beverly Kenney | style="text-align:center;"|28 | April 13, 1960 | Greenwich Village, New York City, New York, U.S. | Suicide by alcohol and secobarbital overdose [{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/beverly-kenney-mn0000866783/biography|title=Beverly Kenney - Biography & History |website=AllMusic|accessdate=4 December 2017}}] |
| Eddie Cochran | style="text-align:center;"|21 | April 17, 1960 | Chippenham, Wiltshire, England | Car crash [{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/content/articles/2009/02/27/the_death_of_eddie_cochran_feature.shtml|title=The death of Eddie Cochran|website=Bbc.co.uk|accessdate=22 November 2017}}] |
| Smokey Hogg | style="text-align:center;"|46 | May 1, 1960 | McKinney, Texas, U.S. | Unknown cancer[{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/andrew-smokey-hogg-mn0000751508/biography|title=Andrew "Smokey" Hogg - Biography & History - AllMusic|website=AllMusic|accessdate=4 December 2017}}] |
Eli Oberstein
Record producer and music executive | style="text-align:center;"|58 | June 12, 1960 | Westport, Connecticut, U.S. | Lymphatic cancer |
| Oscar Pettiford | style="text-align:center;"|37 | September 8, 1960 | Copenhagen, Denmark | Polio-like virus[{{cite book|title=The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Guinness Publishing|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=1945/6}}] |
| Johnny Horton | style="text-align:center;"|35 | November 5, 1960 | Milano, Texas, U.S. | Car crash[{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/johnny-horton-mn0000198783/biography|title=Johnny Horton - Biography & History - AllMusic|website=AllMusic|accessdate=8 December 2017}}] |
A. P. Carter
Carter Family | style="text-align:center;"|68 | November 7, 1960 | Kingsport, Tennessee, U.S. | Unknown |
Kelsey Pharr
The Delta Rhythm Boys | style="text-align:center;"|44 | April 20, 1961 | Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. | Unknown cancer/ Severe illness |
| Cisco Houston | style="text-align:center;"|42 | April 29, 1961 | San Bernardino, California, U.S. | Stomach cancer[{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=Virgin Books|date=2002|edition=Third|isbn=1-85227-937-0|page=208}}] |
| Tommy McClennan | style="text-align:center;"|56 | May 6, 1961 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Bronchopneumonia[{{cite web|url=http://www.msbluestrail.org/blues-trail-markers/tommy-mcclennan |title=Tommy McClennan |publisher=Msbluestrail.org |date= |access-date=August 30, 2015}}] |
| Scott LaFaro | style="text-align:center;"|25 | July 6, 1961 | Seneca, New York, U.S. | Automobile accident[{{cite web |last1=Yanow |first1=Scott |title=Scott LaFaro |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/scott-lafaro-mn0000258090/biography |website=AllMusic | access-date=August 21, 2018}}] |
| Sticks McGhee | style="text-align:center;"|43 | August 15, 1961 | The Bronx, New York, U.S. | Lung cancer[{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/sticks-mcghee-mn0000937181/biography|title=Sticks McGhee - Biography & History - AllMusic|website=AllMusic|accessdate=5 December 2017}}] |
| Booker Little | style="text-align:center;"|23 | October 5, 1961 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Uremia[{{Cite web|last=Lagamma|first=Dylan|date=October 2017|title=Abstract of the Dissertation Victory and Sorrow: The Musical Life of Booker Little|url=https://rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu/rutgers-lib/55280/PDF/1/play/|url-status=live|access-date=3 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927054602/https://rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu/rutgers-lib/55280/PDF/1/play/ |archive-date=2021-09-27 }}] |
| Doug Watkins | style="text-align:center;"|27 | February 5, 1962 | Holbrook, Arizona, U.S. | Automobile accident[{{Cite Grove |last=Rhyan |first=Dianna |date=2003 |title=Watkins, Doug(las) |doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J474900 }}] |
| Leo Parker | style="text-align:center;"|36 | February 11, 1962 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Heart attack[{{cite book|title=The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Guinness Publishing|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=1908}}] |
| Walter "Papoose" Nelson | style="text-align:center;"|29 | February 28, 1962 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Heroin overdose[{{cite book |title= Blue Monday: Fats Domino And The Lost Dawn Of Rock 'N' Roll|last=Coleman |first=Rick |year=2006 |publisher=Da Capo Press |isbn=0-306-815311}}] |
Stuart Sutcliffe
The Beatles | style="text-align:center;"|21 | April 10, 1962 | Hamburg, West Germany | Cerebral paralysis due to aneurysm;[{{cite book|author=Ian MacDonald|title=The People's Music|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R6aDgyfwN7UC&pg=PA43|year=2003|publisher=Pimlico|isbn=978-1-84413-093-1|pages=43–}}] |
| Eddie Costa | style="text-align:center;"|31 | July 28, 1962 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Car crash["Musician Dies as Auto Overturns on West Side" (July 31, 1962) The New York Times, p. 17.] |
| Marilyn Monroe | style="text-align:center;"|36 | August 4, 1962 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Barbiturate overdose[{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/archives/la-me-marilyn-monroe-19620806-story.html|title=From the Archives: Marilyn Monroe Dies; Pills Blamed|newspaper=LA Times|accessdate=21 October 2015}}] |
| Scrapper Blackwell | style="text-align:center;"|59 | October 7, 1962 | Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. | Shot[{{cite book|title=The Guinness Who's Who of Blues|editor=Larkin, Colin|publisher=Guinness Publishing|date=1995|edition=Second|isbn=0-85112-673-1|page=38}}] |
| Mercy Dee Walton | style="text-align:center;"|47 | December 2, 1962 | Murphys, California, U.S. | Cerebral hemorrhage[{{cite book| first1= Bob| last1= Eagle| first2= Eric S.| last2= LeBlanc| year= 2013| title= Blues - A Regional Experience| publisher= Praeger Publishers| location= Santa Barbara| pages=369–370 | isbn= 978-0313344237}}] |
| Sonny Clark | style="text-align:center;"|31 | January 13, 1963 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Heart attack[[http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2011/01/13/sonny-clark/?id=lM7kWuxnkvkC&pg=PT166&dq=%22Sonny+Clark%22+dead+OR+died+OR+death&lr=&cd=11#v=onepage&q=%22Sonny%20Clark%22&f=false Blue Note Records: the biography] By Richard Cook] |
| Ike Quebec | style="text-align:center;"|44 | January 16, 1963 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Lung cancer[{{cite book|title=The Guinness Who's Who of Blues|editor=Larkin, Colin|publisher=Guinness Publishing|date=1995|edition=Second|isbn=0-85112-673-1|page=986}}] |
| Bobby Jaspar | style="text-align:center;"|37 | February 28, 1963 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Heart attack[{{cite book|title=The Guinness Who's Who of Blues|editor=Larkin, Colin|publisher=Guinness Publishing|date=1995|edition=Second|isbn=0-85112-673-1|page=1269/70}}] |
| Patsy Cline | style="text-align:center;"|30 | March 5, 1963 | Camden, Tennessee, U.S. | 1963 Camden PA-24 crash[{{cite book|author=Paul Simpson|title=The Rough Guide to Cult Pop|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F7hpXcrqA-8C&pg=PA197|year=2003|publisher=Rough Guides|isbn=978-1-84353-229-3|pages=197–}}] |
| Cowboy Copas | style="text-align:center;"|49 | March 5, 1963 | Camden, Tennessee, U.S. | 1963 Camden PA-24 crash |
| Hawkshaw Hawkins | style="text-align:center;"|41 | March 5, 1963 | Camden, Tennessee, U.S. | 1963 Camden PA-24 crash |
| Elmore James | style="text-align:center;"|45 | May 24, 1963 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Heart attack[{{cite book|author=Colin Larkin|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_NNmFiUnSmUC&pg=RA2-PA1974|date=27 May 2011|publisher=Omnibus Press|isbn=978-0-85712-595-8|pages=2–}}] |
| Glen Gray | style="text-align:center;"|63 | May 24, 1963 | Plymouth, Massachusetts, U.S. | [{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1963/08/25/archives/glen-gray-band-leader-dies-headed-casa-loma-orchestra-leader-of.html|title=Glen Gray, Band Leader, Dies; Headed Casa Loma Orchestra; Leader of Cooperative Group Was 63--Retired in '50 When Unit Broke Up|newspaper=New York Times|date=August 25, 1963}}] |
| Walter Davis | style="text-align:center;"|52-53 | October 22, 1963 | St. Louis, Missouri | [{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/walter-davis-mn0000812470/biography|title=Walter Davis: Biography |author=Ankeny, Jason|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=January 20, 2015}}] |
| Daddy Stovepipe | style="text-align:center;"|96 | November 1, 1963 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Bronchial pneumonia after a gallbladder operation |
| Dinah Washington | style="text-align:center;"|39 | December 14, 1963 | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | Complications of a drug overdose[{{cite book|author=Edward M. Komara|title=Encyclopedia of the Blues|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-w-uGwm_LhcC&pg=PA1052|year=2006|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=978-0-415-92699-7|pages=1052–}}] |
| Cyril Davies | style="text-align:center;"|31 | January 7, 1964 | Eel Pie Island, London, England | Endocarditis and Leukaemia |
Rudy Lewis
The Drifters | style="text-align:center;"|27 | May 20, 1964 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Died in his sleep/Asphyxiation |
| Meade Lux Lewis | style="text-align:center;"|58 | June 7, 1964 | Minneapolla, Minnesota, U.S. | Car crash |
| Eric Dolphy | style="text-align:center;"|36 | June 29, 1964 | Berlin, Germany | Complications from diabetes[{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/eric-dolphy-mn0000800100/biography|title=Eric Dolphy - Biography & History|website=AllMusic|accessdate=3 December 2017}}] |
| Jim Reeves | style="text-align:center;"|40 | July 31, 1964 | Davidson County, Tennessee, U.S. | Plane crash |
Johnny Burnette
The Rock and Roll Trio | style="text-align:center;"|30 | August 14, 1964 | Clear Lake, California, U.S. | Drowned following a serious boating accident[{{cite book|author=Scott Stanton|title=The Tombstone Tourist: Musicians|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9eEPAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA295|date=September 2003|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-0-7434-6330-0|pages=295–}}] |
| Tiny Topsy | style="text-align:center;"|34 | August 16, 1964 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Brain hemorrhage |
| Gracie Allen | style="text-align:center;"|69 | August 27, 1964 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Heart attack |
David Box
The Crickets | style="text-align:center;"|21 | October 23, 1964 | Houston, Texas, U.S. | Plane crash[{{Cite web|url=http://www.davidbox.net/story.php|title=His Story|website=Davidbox.net|access-date=August 11, 2023}}] |
| Joe Henderson | style="text-align:center;"|27 | October 24, 1964 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | Heart attack[{{cite book|author=Nick Talevski|title=Rock Obituaries - Knocking On Heaven's Door|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DykffzkFALoC&pg=PA265|date=7 April 2010|publisher=Omnibus|isbn=978-0-85712-117-2|pages=265–}}] |
| Buster Pickens | style="text-align:center;"|48 | November 24, 1964 | Houston, Texas, U.S. | Gunshot wound[{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagosouthsidepiano.com/buster-pickens/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025101407/http://www.chicagosouthsidepiano.com/buster-pickens/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=October 25, 2014|title=Buster Pickens|website=Chicago Southside Piano|date=15 March 2014 |accessdate=7 July 2019}}] |
Sam Cooke
The Soul Stirrers | style="text-align:center;"|33 | December 11, 1964 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Shot by Bertha Franklin[{{cite book|first=Mike|last=Evans|title=Rock'n'Roll's Strangest Moments: Extraordinary But True Tales from 45 Years of Rock & Roll History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5i-_CAAAQBAJ&pg=PT95|date=28 March 2014|publisher=Pavilion Books|isbn=978-1-84994-181-5|pages=95–}}] |
| Alan Freed | style="text-align:center;"|43 | January 20, 1965 | Palm Springs, California, U.S. | Uremia and cirrhosis of the liver[{{cite book|author=Glenn C. Altschuler|title=All Shook Up: How Rock 'n' Roll Changed America|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CGIl8IRCc6MC&pg=PT151|date=7 August 2003|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-983957-5|pages=151–}}] |
| Nat King Cole | style="text-align:center;"|45 | February 15, 1965 | Santa Monica, California, U.S. | Lung cancer[{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/archives/la-me-nat-king-cole-19650216-story.html|title=From the Archives: Nat 'King' Cole dies of cancer at 45|date=16 February 1965|website=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=27 November 2017}}] |
| Sonny Boy Williamson II | style="text-align:center;"|52 | May 25, 1965 | Helena, Arkansas, U.S. | Heart attack[{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/sonny-boy-williamson-ii-mn0000036031/biography|title=Sonny Boy Williamson II - Biography & History|website=AllMusic|accessdate=29 November 2017}}] |
| Bill Black | style="text-align:center;"|39 | October 21, 1965 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Brain tumor[{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bill-black-mn0000072225/biography|title=Bill Black - Biography & History - AllMusic|website=AllMusic|accessdate=9 December 2017}}] |
Mike Millward
Rhythm guitarist for The Fourmost | style="text-align:center;"|24 | March 7, 1966 | | Leukemia/Blood cancer |
| Jazz Gillum | style="text-align:center;"|61 | March 29, 1966 | Chicago. Illinois, U.S. | Gunshot wound [{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jazz-gillum-mn0000762937/biography|title=Jazz Gillum - Biography & History - AllMusic|website=AllMusic|accessdate=8 December 2017}}] |
| Richard Fariña | style="text-align:center;"|29 | April 30, 1966 | Carmel Valley, California, U.S. | Motorcycle accident[{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/farina-richard-george|title=Fariña, Richard George - Dictionary definition of Fariña, Richard George - Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary|website=www.encyclopedia.com|accessdate=9 December 2017}}] |
Bobby Fuller
The Bobby Fuller Four | style="text-align:center;"|23 | July 18, 1966 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Asphyxia (Suicide, murder or accident)[{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-fuller-mn0000073348/biography|title=Bobby Fuller - Biography & History - AllMusic|website=AllMusic|accessdate=9 December 2017}}] |
| Bud Powell | style="text-align:center;"|41 | July 31, 1966 | Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. | Tuberculosis[[http://www.blackpast.org/?q=aah/powell-bud-1924-1966 "Powell, Earl 'Bud' (1924–1966)"], Blackpast.org] |
| Peg Leg Howell | style="text-align:center;"|78 | August 11, 1966 | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | Complications from diabetes |
Dave Lambert
Lambert, Hendricks & Ross | style="text-align:center;"|49 | October 3, 1966 | Connecticut Turnpike, Connecticut, U.S. | Car crash [{{cite news|title=Jazz Musician Dave Lambert Killed In Crash|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XCYxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dgEEAAAAIBAJ&dq=dave%20lambert&pg=7412%2C4238510|newspaper=Toledo Blade |via=Associated Press |date=October 4, 1966}}] |
| Smiley Lewis | style="text-align:center;"|53 | October 7, 1966 | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | Stomach cancer[{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/smiley-lewis-mn0000029758/biography|title=Smiley Lewis - Biography & History|website=AllMusic|accessdate=30 November 2017}}] |
Johnny Kidd
Johnny Kidd & The Pirates | style="text-align:center;"|30 | October 8, 1966 | Breightmet, Bolton, Lancashire, England | Car accident[{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/johnny-kidd-mn0000241458|title=Johnny Kidd - Biography & History|website=AllMusic|accessdate=22 November 2017}}] |
| Mississippi John Hurt | style="text-align:center;"|74 | November 2, 1966 | Grenada, Mississippi, U.S. | Heart attack[{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mississippi-john-hurt-mn0000424019/biography|title=Mississippi John Hurt - Biography & History|website=AllMusic|accessdate=2 December 2017}}] |
| Harold Burrage | style="text-align:center;"|35 | November 26, 1966 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Heart failure[{{cite book| first1= Bob| last1= Eagle| first2= Eric S.| last2= LeBlanc| year= 2013| title= Blues – A Regional Experience| publisher= Praeger Publishers| location= Santa Barbara| pages=68 | isbn= 978-0313344237}}] |
| Moon Mullican | style="text-align:center;"|57 | January 1, 1967 | Beaumont, Texas, U.S. | Heart attack[{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/moon-mullican-mn0000594267/biography|title=Moon Mullican - Biography & History - AllMusic|website=AllMusic|accessdate=9 December 2017}}] |
| Joe Meek | style="text-align:center;"|37 | February 3, 1967 | London, England | Suicide by gunshot[{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/joe-meek-and-telstars-tragic-tale-1670448.html|title=Joe Meek and Telstar's tragic tale|date=18 April 2009|website=Independent.co.uk|accessdate=26 November 2017}}] |
| Fats Pichon | style="text-align:center;"|60 | February 25, 1967 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Unknown[{{cite book| first1= Bob| last1= Eagle| first2= Eric S.| last2= LeBlanc| year= 2013| title= Blues - A Regional Experience| publisher= Praeger Publishers| location= Santa Barbara| pages=169 | isbn= 978-0313344237}}] |
| Nelson Eddy | style="text-align:center;"|65 | March 6, 1967 | Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. | Cerebral hemorrhage |
| J. B. Lenoir | style="text-align:center;"|38 | April 29, 1967 | Urbana, Illinois, U.S. | Injuries from a car crash[{{cite web|author=Doc Rock |url=http://thedeadrockstarsclub.com/1960.html |title=The 1960s |publisher=The Dead Rock Stars Club |access-date=March 10, 2013}}] |
LaVerne Andrews
The Andrews Sisters | style="text-align:center;"|55 | May 8, 1967 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Unknown cancer[{{cite book|author=Sforza, John|title=Swing It! The Andrews Sisters Story|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HqkeBgAAQBAJ&q=laverne+andrews+cremated&pg=PA154|year=2014|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|isbn=9780813148977|page=154}}] |
| Elmo Hope | style="text-align:center;'|43 | May 19, 1967 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Heart failure |
| John Coltrane | style="text-align:center;"|40 | July 17, 1967 | Huntington, New York, U.S. | Liver cancer and hepatitis B |
| Brian Epstein | style="text-align:center;"|32 | August 27, 1967 | London, England | Accidental drug overdose [{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/27/newsid_3767000/3767499.stm|title=1967: Beatles' manager Epstein dies|date=27 August 1967|accessdate=26 November 2017|website=News.bbc.co.uk}}] |
| Rex Stewart | style="text-align:center;"|60 | September 7, 1967 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Brain hemorrhage |
| Woody Guthrie | style="text-align:center;"|55 | October 3, 1967 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Huntington's Disease[{{cite book|author1=Walter Fred Bodmer|author2=Robin McKie|title=The Book of Man: The Human Genome Project and the Quest to Discover Our Genetic Heritage|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1jSOLUCiKnIC&pg=PA70|year=1997|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-511487-4|pages=70–}}] |
| Robert Nighthawk | style="text-align:center;"|57 | November 5, 1967 | Helena, Arkansas, U.S. | Heart failure |
| Peter Bocage | style="text-align:center;"|80 | December 3, 1967 | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | Unknown |
Bert Lahr
Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz | style="text-align:center;"|72 | December 4, 1967 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Pneumonia/Unknown cancer[{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1967/12/05/archives/bert-lahr-comic-actor-dies-played-burlesque-and-beckett-bert-lahr.html|title=Bert Lahr, Comic Actor, Dies; Played Burlesque and Beckett; Bert Lahr, Comic Actor, Is Dead at 72 Child of Immigrants 'Boy Wonder' of Burlesque Broadway Debut|first=Alden|last=Whitman|work=The New York Times |date=December 5, 1967|via=NYTimes.com}}] |
| Otis Redding | style="text-align:center;"|26 | December 10, 1967 | Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. | Plane crash[{{cite book|author=Harris M. Lentz III|title=Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2015|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=peLIDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA58|date=30 March 2016|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-2553-9|pages=58–}}] |
Ronnie Caldwell
The Bar-Kays | style="text-align:center;"|18 | December 10, 1967 | Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. | Plane crash |
Phalon Jones
The Bar-Kays | style="text-align:center;"|18-19 | December 10, 1967 | Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. | Plane crash |
Jimmy King
The Bar-Kays | style="text-align:center;"|18 | December 10, 1967 | Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. | Plane crash |
Carl Cunningham
The Bar-Kays | style="text-align:center;"|18-19 | December 10, 1967 | Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. | Plane crash |
Robin Roberts
The Wailers | style="text-align:center;"|27 | December 22, 1967 | San Mateo County, California, U.S. | Car crash[{{cite web|url=http://www.historylink.org/File/9217|title=Roberts, "Rockin' Robin" (1940-1967) - HistoryLink.org|website=Historylink.org|accessdate=3 December 2017}}] |
| Pat Kilroy | style="text-align:center;"|24 | December 25, 1967 | San Francisco, California, U.S. | Hodgkin's lymphoma[{{Cite web|url=https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/light-of-day|title=Light of Day – Record Collector Magazine|website=Recordcollectormag.com|accessdate=April 27, 2020}}] |
| Bert Berns | style="text-align:center;"|38 | December 30, 1967 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Heart failure |
| Little Walter | style="text-align:center;"|37 | February 15, 1968 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Coronary thrombosis due to injuries sustained when he was beaten[{{cite web|url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/king-blues-harp-little-walter/|title=The King of Blues Harp – Little Walter - uDiscover|date=15 February 2015|website=Udiscovermusic.com|accessdate=29 November 2017}}] |
Frankie Lymon
Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers | style="text-align:center;"|25 | February 27, 1968 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Complications of a heroin overdose[{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1986/07/10/3-in-running-to-be-widow-of-frankie-lymon/|title=3 In Running To Be Widow Of Frankie Lymon|website=Articles.chicagotribune.com|date=10 July 1986 |access-date=25 November 2017}}] |
| Syd Nathan | style="text-align:center;"|63 | March 5, 1968 | Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. | Pneumonia[{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/syd-nathan-mn0000044204/biography|title=Syd Nathan - Biography & History - AllMusic|website=AllMusic|accessdate=5 December 2017}}] |
| Bumps Myers | style="text-align:center;"|55 | April 9, 1968 | Los Angeles California, U.S. | Several health conditions |
Lester Melrose
Record producer | style="text-align:center;"|76 | April 12, 1968 | Lake, Florida, U.S. | Unknown[{{cite book|author1=Edward Komara|author2=Peter Lee|title=The Blues Encyclopedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XQU3AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA679|date=July 2004|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-135-95832-9|pages=679–}}] |
Manolo Fernández
Los Bravos | style="text-align:center;"|23 | May 20, 1968 | Seville, Spain | Suicide by gunshot[{{cite web|last=Marcos |first=Carlos |date=April 13, 2024 |url=https://english.elpais.com/culture/2024-04-14/the-extraordinary-life-of-los-bravos-singer-mike-kennedy-a-genuine-musical-rebel.html?|title=The extraordinary life of Los Bravos singer Mike Kennedy, a genuine musical rebel|website=El País|accessdate=5 March 2025}}] |
| Little Willie John | style="text-align:center;"|30 | May 26, 1968 | Walla Walla, Washington, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Bumble Bee Slim | style="text-align:center;"|63 | June 8, 1968 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Unknown |
| Wes Montgomery | style="text-align:center;"|45 | June 15, 1968 | Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Luther Perkins | style="text-align:center;"|40 | August 5, 1968 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | Smoke inhalation[{{cite web|url=http://www.rockabillyhall.com/LutherPerkins1.html|title=Luther Perkins|website=Rockabillyhall.com|accessdate=7 December 2017}}] |
| Joe Hinton | style="text-align:center;"|38 | August 13, 1968 | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | Melanoma/Skin cancer[{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/joe-hinton-mn0000784524/biography|title=Joe Hinton - Biography & History - AllMusic|website=AllMusic|accessdate=9 December 2017}}] |
Malcolm Hale
Spanky and Our Gang | style="text-align:center;"|27 | October 31, 1968 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Either Bronchial Pneumonia or accidental carbon monoxide poisoning |
| Red Foley | style="text-align:center;"|58 | September 19, 1968 | Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S. | Died in his sleep/Respiratory failure |
| Kokomo Arnold | style="text-align:center;"|67-72 | November 8, 1968 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Paul Chambers | style="text-align:center;"|33 | January 4, 1969 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Tuberculosis[{{cite book |last=Davis |first=John S. |year=2012 |title=Historical Dictionary of Jazz |url={{Google books|c-_1LifRPJkC|page=64|plainurl=yes}} |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |page=64 |isbn=978-0810867574 |access-date=November 9, 2013}}] |
| Dickie Pride | style="text-align:center;"|27 | March 26, 1969 | London, England | Complications from a barbiturate overdose[{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dickie-pride-mn0000218704|title=Dickie Pride - Biography & History - AllMusic|website=AllMusic|accessdate=4 December 2017}}] |
Benny Benjamin
The Funk Brothers | style="text-align:center;"|43 | April 20, 1969 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Stroke/No brain activity[{{cite book|author=Nick Talevski|title=Rock Obituaries - Knocking On Heaven's Door|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DykffzkFALoC&pg=PA29|date=7 April 2010|publisher=Omnibus|isbn=978-0-85712-117-2|pages=29–}}] |
| Don Drummond | style="text-align:center;"|37 | May 6, 1969 | Kingston, Jamaica | Suicide[{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/don-drummond-mn0000798026/biography|title=Don Drummond - Biography & History - AllMusic|website=AllMusic|accessdate=6 December 2017}}] |
Martin Lamble
Fairport Convention | style="text-align:center;"|19 | May 12, 1969 | Scratchwood Services, M1 Motorway, England | Car crash[{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/aug/03/folk|title=John Harris on the story of Fairport Convention's Liege and Lief|first=John|last=Harris|date=2 August 2007|accessdate=29 November 2017|website=Theguardian.com}}] |
| Coleman Hawkins | style="text-align:center;"|64 | May 19, 1969 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Liver disease[{{cite book|title=The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Guinness Publishing|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-580-8|page=193/4}}] |
Judy Garland
Dorothy Gale from The Wizard of Oz among other acting roles | style="text-align:center;"|47 | June 22, 1969 | London, England | Complications of a Barbiturate Overdose[{{cite news |last1=Bertram |first1=Colin |title=Judy Garland's Life Was in a Downward Spiral Before Her 1969 Death |url=https://www.biography.com/news/judy-garland-london-concerts-final-years |access-date=November 18, 2020 |via=Biography |date=September 30, 2020}}] |
| Shorty Long | style="text-align:center;"|29 | June 29, 1969 | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | Drowned[{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/shorty-long-mn0000032628/biography|title=Shorty Long - Biography & History|website=AllMusic|accessdate=27 November 2017}}] |
Brian Jones
The Rolling Stones | style="text-align:center;"|27 | July 3, 1969 | Hartfield, East Sussex, England | Drowned due to liver disfunction and ingestion [{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global/from-the-archive-blog/2011/jul/07/from-the-archive-rolling-stones-brian-jones-1969|title=July 1969: Rolling Stones Hyde Park gig marred by death of Brian Jones|first=Katy|last=Stoddard|date=7 July 2011|accessdate=23 November 2017|newspaper=The Guardian}}] |
| Wynonie Harris | style="text-align:center;"|53 | July 4, 1969 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Esophageal cancer |
| Roy Hamilton | style="text-align:center;"|40 | July 20, 1969 | New Rochelle, New York, U.S. | Stroke/Massive brain hemorrhage[{{cite book|author=Scott Wilson|title=Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FOHgDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA312|date=16 September 2016|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-2599-7|pages=312–}}] |
| Alexandra | style="text-align:center;"|27 | July 31, 1969 | Tellingstedt, Germany | Road accident |
| Josh White | style="text-align:center;"|55 | September 5, 1969 | Manhasset, New York, U.S. | Complications from surgery[{{Cite web |last=Horsley |first=Carter B. |date=September 6, 1969 |title=Josh White, Folk Singer, Dead. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1969/09/06/archives/josh-white-folk-singer-dead-known-for-spirituals-and-bluesi.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105201746/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60D14FD345E1B7493C4A91782D85F4D8685F |archive-date=November 5, 2012 |access-date=2009-02-24 |website=New York Times |quote=Josh White, the folk singer, died at the North Shore Hospital in Manhasset, L. I., yesterday while undergoing heart surgery ...}}] |
| Skip James | style="text-align:center;"|67 | October 3, 1969 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Unknown cancer[{{cite web | title=Nehemiah Skip James: Mississippi Blues Musician | website=Mississippi Writers, Musicians, Actors, and Artists | date=1902-06-09 | url=https://www.mswritersandmusicians.com/mississippi-musicians/skip-james | access-date=2019-09-10}}] |
Leonard Chess
Record producer, record company executive and co-founder of Chess Records | style="text-align:center;"|52 | October 16, 1969 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Cardiac arrest[{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-phil-chess-dead-20161019-story.html|title=Phil Chess, co-founder of blues label Chess Records, dies|first=Tribune news|last=Services|date=20 October 2016 |publisher=Chicago Tribune}}] |
| Tommy Edwards | style="text-align:center;"|47 | October 22, 1969 | Richmond, Virginia, U.S. | Bleeding ulcer linked to cirrhosis of the liver[{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tommy-edwards-mn0000936126/biography|title=Tommy Edwards - Biography & History - AllMusic|website=AllMusic|accessdate=9 December 2017}}] |
| Pops Foster | style="text-align:center;"|77 | October 29, 1969 | San Francisco, California, U.S. | Unknown[{{cite book|author=David Dicaire|title=Jazz Musicians of the Early Years, to 1945|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ug9FPHAvcbcC&pg=PA28|date=12 August 2003|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-8556-7|pages=28–}}] |
Ivory "Deek" Watson
The 4 Tunes, The Brown Dots, The Ink Spots | style="text-align:center;"|60 | November 4, 1969 | Washington, D.C., U.S. | Unknown[{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=Virgin Books|date=2002|edition=Third|isbn=1-85227-937-0|pages=149/50}}] |
| Magic Sam | style="text-align:center;"|32 | December 1, 1969 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Heart attack[{{cite book|author1=Edward Komara|author2=Peter Lee|title=The Blues Encyclopedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XQU3AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA647|date=July 2004|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-135-95832-9|pages=647–}}] |
| James "Stump" Johnson | style="text-align:center;"|67 | December 5, 1969 | St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | Esophageal cancer[{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/james-stump-johnson-mn0000133400|title=James "Stump" Johnson | Biography & History|website=AllMusic|access-date=December 25, 2019}}] |