“The goal isn’t to live forever,” Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk once said. “The goal is to create something that will.” These people certainly did. Here’s a list of just some of the artists who passed away in 2022:
January
Harpdog Brown
The Canadian blues musician died on Jan. 7 at age 59.
Michael Lang
Co-creator and organizer of 1969’s Woodstock Music and Art Fair and its followups, the curly-haired promoter died on Jan. 8 at the age of 77 due to non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Burke Shelley
The singer/bassist of legendary Welsh rockers Budgie died at the age of 71 on Jan. 10.
Vince Fontaine
The Juno-winning guitarist of Winnipeg’s Eagle & Hawk died at age 60 following a heart attack on Jan. 11.
Ronnie Spector
Born Veronica Bennett, the pop singer who found fame with The Ronettes and the immortal single Be My Baby died of cancer at 78 on Jan. 12.
Dallas Frazier
The country singer-songwriter and composer of Alley Oop, Elvira and many more, died on Jan. 14 at age 82 at a care facility in Tennessee following two strokes.
Rachel Nagy
The singer of the Michigan garage-rock band Detroit Cobras died in New Orleans on Jan. 14 at age 48.
Ralph Emery
The Country Music Hall of Famer and host of TNN primetime talk show Nashville Now died on Jan. 15 at the age of 88.
Meat Loaf
Born Marvin Lee Aday, the plus-sized singer behind Bat Out of Hell, Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad and more hits died at 74 on Jan. 20. Read my 2012 interview with him HERE.
Don Wilson
The co-founding guitarist of The Ventures — who became the best-selling instrumental group of all time thanks to surf-rockers like Walk, Don’t Run and Hawaii Five-O — died at 88 on Jan. 22
Sam Lay
The drummer and vocalist, who worked with everyone from Howlin’ Wolf to Bob Dylan and Paul Butterfield, died of heart issues at 86 on Jan. 29.
Hargus “Pig” Robbins
An American Nashville session pianist who played on tracks everyone from by Patsy Cline, Charlie Rich and Roger Miller to Bob Dylan and Ween, Robbins died at 84 on Jan. 30.
February
Betty Davis
Formerly Betty Mabry, the model, iconoclastic soul / funk singer-songwriter (They Say I’m Different, Nasty Gal) and second wife of maverick jazz trumpeter Miles Davis died of cancer at home at 77 on Feb. 9.
Ian McDonald
A multi-instrumentalist who was a founding member of both King Crimson and Foreigner, McDonald died on Feb. 9 at the age of 75.
Sandy Nelson
The superstar rock drummer whose hits included Teen Beat and Let There Be Drums died from complications of a 2017 stoke, passing away at age 83 on Feb. 14 in Las Vegas.
Dallas Good
The Toronto alt-country-rock guitarist and Sadies co-founder died unexpectedly at 48 on Feb 17, due to a recently diagnosed heart condition.
Gary Brooker
British rock keyboardist and Procol Harum singer Brooker — the voice of A Whiter Shade of Pale, among other classics — died of cancer at 76 on Feb 19.
Mark Lanegan
The prolific singer-songwriter whose career included stints with Screaming Trees, Queens Of The Stone Age, Gutter Twins, Soulsavers, Twilight Singers and more — in addition to his own solo work — died at 57 on Feb 22. Although he had struggled with addiction throughout his life, he had reportedly been sober for a decade at the time of his death.
March
David “Ziggy” Sigmund
The guitarist for Vancouver bands Slow and Econoline Crush died on March 8. He was 56.
Bobbie Nelson
Affectionately known as Sister Bobbie, the singer-pianist — an original member of her younger brother Willie Nelson’s Family Band — died at age 91 on March 10 in Austin, Tex.
Taylor Hawkins
The beloved Foo Fighters drummer — who got his start with Canadian singers Sass Jordan and Alanis Morissette — died suddenly at age 50 on March 25, while on tour with the band in Colombia.
April
C.W. McCall
Born Billie Dale Fries, Jr., the singer-songwriter behind the ’70s CB radio-themed hit Convoy died of cancer at 93 on April 1 from complications due to lung cancer.
Bobby Rydell
The American pop singer (Wild One) and actor (Bye Bye Birdie) died of pneumonia at age 79 on April 5.
Bill Bourne
The Canadian songwriter and member of Tri-Continental passed away on April 16 after a battle with bladder cancer. He was 68.
Re Styles
The Dutch-American actress and designer born Shirley Macleod was also a singer and dancer with San Francisco band The Tubes from 1976-79. She died at age 72 on April 17.
Jerry Doucette
The award-winning guitarist and singer-songwriter known best for CanRock staple Mama Let Him Play — passed away April 18 in British Columbia following a battle with cancer.
Guitar Shorty
The blues-rock guitarist, singer and songwriter whose real name was David William Kearney died at age 87 on April 20.
Klaus Schulze
The German electronic musician and composer for Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel died on April 26 at the age of 74 after a long illness.
Judy Henske
The American folk singer and wife of musician Craig Doerge died at 85 on April 27 after a long illness.
Naomi Judd
One day before being inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame, the Grammy-winning country singer and mother of Judds bandmate Wynonna (and actress Ashley) died of a self-inflicted gunshot at 76 on April 30.
May
Mickey Gilley
A nightclub owner-turned-country singer — and cousin to both Jerry Lee Lewis and Jimmy Swaggart — Gilley died due to bone cancer on May 7 at age 86.
Rick Price
The veteran British rock bassist from The Move and Roy Wood’s Wizzard died at 77 on May 12.
Vangelis
Evángelos Odysséas Papathanassíou — a Greek composer, keyboardist, and Oscar winner for Chariots of Fire — died of heart failure on May 17 at age 79,at a hospital in Paris.
Bob Neuwirth
A folk singer-songwriter who influenced Bob Dylan, Neuwirth died on May 18 at 82.
Alan White
Best known as a member of John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Yes, the British rock drummer died at his home in Newcastle on May 26 at age 72, following a brief illness.
Andy Fletcher
The English keyboard player and founding member of the electro-pop heroes Depeche Mode died at age 60 on May 26, after suffering an aortic dissection at home.
Ronnie Hawkins
Born in Arkansas but based in Toronto for much of his career, the veteran singer-songwriter — whose backing band The Hawks once included the musicians who would go on to form The Band — died early on May 29, 2022, at the age of 87 from unspecified causes.
Kelly Joe Phelps
American blues musician Phelps passed away on May 31 at age 62.
June
Alec John Such
A founding member and ex-bassist of Bon Jovi, Such has passed away on June 5 at the age of 70.
Jim Seals
The American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler of Seals & Crofts (Summer Breeze) died at his home in Nashville on June 6 at age 79, four years after suffering a stroke.
Julee Cruise
Best known for voicing the 1989 Twin Peaks theme Falling, the singer-songwriter and actress took her own life at 65 on June 9, after years of living with systemic lupus and depression.
Big Rude Jake
The veteran Toronto musician died at 57 on June 16 after being diagnosed with small-cell carcinoma of the bladder in spring 2021.
Jim Schwall
The blues musician and co-founder of Siegel–Schwall Band died on June 19 at his home in Tucson at age 79.
July
Manny Charlton
The founding guitarist for the Scottish rock band Nazareth died on July 5 in Texas at age 80.
Monty Norman
The composer of the iconic James Bond films has died on July 11 at the age of 94.
Mo Ostin
A top executive at Warner Bros.-Reprise Records for more than three decades — during which the artist-friendly company enjoyed a glittering, hit-making run — died July 31 of natural causes at age 95.
August
Gord Lewis
The guitarist for Canadian punk pioneers Teenage Head was slain at home on Aug. 7 at age 65. His son Jonathan was arrested shortly after the crime and charged with second-degree murder.
Lamont Dozier
The member of the legendary Motown songwriting and production trio Holland–Dozier–Holland — whose hits included Heat Wave, Where Did Our Love Go, You Keep Me Hanging On and many more — died at 81 on Aug. 8.
Olivia Newton-John
The Grammy-winning British-Australian pop singer of Hopelessly Devoted to You and Physical died of breast cancer on Aug. 8 at age 73.
Jerry Allison
The longtime drummer and last surviving original member of the late Buddy Holly’s backing group The Crickets died Aug 22 at age 82.
Joey DeFrancesco
The jazz organist and nine-time winner of the Down Beat Critics Poll died at age 51 on Aug. 25.
September
Sonny West
The composer of the Buddy Holly hits Oh Boy and Rave On, passed away on Sept. 8, in Oklahoma at age 85.
Ramsey Lewis
A prolific Grammy-winning jazz-pop pianist best known for The In Crowd and Wade in the Water, Lewis passed away at age 87 on Sept. 12 after a six-decade career.
Anton Fier
The longtime drummer (The Lounge Lizards, Golden Palominos and Feelies), composer and producer died on Sept. 14, at the age of 66, in Switzerland, of assisted suicide.
John Hartman
The longtime Doobie Brothers drummer died at 72 on Sept. 22.
Pharoah Sanders
The veteran jazz saxophonist — whose real first name was Farrell — died on Sept. 24 at age 81 in his Los Angeles home.
Coolio
The Grammy-winning, distinctively coiffed singer-rapper best known for Gangsta’s Paradise died following a suspected heart attack at 59 on Sept. 28.
October
Loretta Lynn
The singer-songwriter and country legend whose ascent from a small Kentucky town to national country music stardom was chronicled in the movie Coal Miner’s Daughter died at age 90 on Oct. 4. Read my interviews with her HERE and HERE.
Robert Gordon
The American rockabilly revival singer and songwriter (Rock Billy Boogie, Black Slacks, Red Hot) died of leukemia at age 75 on Oct. 18.
D.H. Peligro
Born Darren Henley, the former drummer for Dead Kennedys and Red Hot Chili Peppers died at age 63 from a head injury suffered in a fall at home on Oct. 28.
Jerry Lee Lewis
The hell-raising, larger-than-life rock ’n’ roll pioneer and latter-day country star who penned and performed Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On, Great Balls Of Fire and more died at 87 at his Mississippi home on Oct. 28.
Patrick Haggerty
The leader of the queer country outfit Lavender Country died at age 78 on Halloween, a few weeks after suffering a stroke.
November
Takeoff
Best known as one-third of the hip-hop group Migos, 28-year-old Kirshnik Khari Ball was fatally shot outside a private party at a bowling alley in Houston on Nov. 1.
Aaron Carter
The 34-year-old teen pop singer-turned-rapper was found dead in the bathtub of his California home on Nov. 5.
Mimi Parker
The drummer and singer for Minnesota indie-rock trio Low died of ovarian cancer on Nov. 5 at age 54.
Dan McCafferty
The founding frontman of Scottish hard rockers Nazareth — who retired from touring in 2013 due to COPD — died at age 76 on Nov. 8.
Nik Turner
The British jazz-rock fusion saxophonist, flute player, singer, and composer — best known for his time with space-rockers Hawkwind — passed away at 82 on Nov. 10.
Keith Levene
Born with the first name Julian, the British rock guitarist and onetime member of The Clash and Public Image Ltd. died of liver cancer at 65 on Nov. 11.
Wilko Johnson
The former John Wilkinson — the founding guitarist with legendary ’70s British pub rockers Dr. Feelgood — died of cancer at 75 on Nov. 21.
Irene Cara
The Grammy and Oscar-winning singer-songwriter of Fame and Flashdance — whose real last name was Escalera — died at her Florida home on Nov. 25 at age 63.
Christine McVie
Former Christine Perfect, the keyboardist, vocalist, and songwriter behind some of Fleetwood Mac’s biggest hits — including Little Lies, Everywhere, Don’t Stop, Say You Love Me, and Songbird, You Make Loving Fun and more — died in hospital on Nov. 30 at 79.
December
Jim Stewart
The co-founder of groundbreaking Memphis soul label Stax — whose handle combined the first letters of his last name along with those of his sister Estelle Axton — died at the age of 92 on Dec. 5.
Jet Black
Born Brian Duffy, the original drummer for 1970s and ’80s punks The Stranglers died on Dec. 6 at age 84, several years after retiring from the band.
Angelo Badalamenti
The Grammy-winning composer and arranger — best known for his work with David Lynch — died of natural causes at his home in New Jersey, on Dec. 11. He was 85.
Kim Simmonds
Savoy Brown’s founder, singer-songwriter, guitarist and sole permanent member died of colon cancer on Dec. 13 at age 75.
Dino Danelli
The Young Rascals drummer, producer and visual artist died on Dec. 15 at a rehabilitation facility in Manhattan after a period of declining health. He was 78.
Shirley Eikhard
The New Brunswick singer-songwriter and Juno winner — whose track Somethin’ To Talk About was a massive hit for Bonnie Raitt — died of cancer in Ontario on Dec. 15 at 67.
Rick Anderson
The former bassist of theatrical rock outfit The Tubes — famous for his waist-length locks — died at age 75 on Dec. 16.
Terry Hall
The lead singer of British ska icons The Specials — who also fronted Fun Boy Three and co-wrote The Go-Go’s hit Our Lips Are Sealed with then-girlfriend Jane Wiedlin — died from pancreatic cancer at age 63 on Dec. 18.
Thom Bell
The American singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, pianist, and composer known as one of the creators of Philadelphia soul died at age 79 at his home in Washington state after a lengthy illness.
Ian Tyson
The Canadian country and folk icon — who penned the timeless track Four Strong Winds and sang it with his then-wife Sylvia — died on Dec. 29 at age 89, several years after a major operation from which he reportedly never fully recovered.
