“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 some of the artists who passed away in 2024. This year seemed particularly hard on drummers, bassists and members of The MC5, The Bee Gees, The Allman Brothers Band and Personality Crisis. See for yourself:
January
Chris Karrer
The German guitarist and composer for Amon Düül II died on Jan. 2 at age 76.
David Soul
Although best known as Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson in the TV series Starsky & Hutch, Soul also scored a No. 1 hit in 1976 with the soft -rock ballad Don’t Give Up On Us. He was 80 when he died on Jan. 4.
James Kottak
The American drummer for German rockers Scorpions and Kingdom Come died Jan. 9 at age 61.
Jo-El Sonnier
A Grammy-winning Cajun and country artist, Sonnier passed away at the age of 77 on Jan. 13.
Mary Weiss
The lead vocalist of legendary girl group The Shangri-Las died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at age 75 on Jan. 19. She released her final solo album, Dangerous Game, in 2007.
Melanie
Best known for the double-entendre pop single Brand New Key, singer-songwriter Melanie Safka — who performed at Woodstock — died in Nashville on Jan. 23. She was 76.
Melinda Ledbetter Wilson
Ledbetter Wilson was the wife and manager of Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson. She died at age 77 on Jan. 30.
Chita Rivera
A Broadway legend who starred in West Side Story, Chicago and Kiss of the Spider Woman, Rivera died Jan. 30 at 91.
February
Wayne Kramer
The influential guitarist and co-founder of Detroit proto-punk pioneers MC5 — and founder of the prison-music program Jail Guitar Doors — died Feb. 2 of pancreatic cancer. Brother Wayne was 75.
Aston (Family Man) Barrett
The Jamaican bassist played with Bob Marley & The Wailers and Lee (Scratch) Perry’s Upsetters, and taught Robbie Shakespeare. He died at age 77 in Miami on Feb. 3.
Toby Keith
The Oklahoma country superstar succumbed to stomach cancer on Feb. 5 at his Nashville home. He was 62.
Donald Kinsey
Best known for Chicago blues outfit The Kinsey Report, the singer-guitarist also worked with Albert King, Peter Tosh, Roy Buchanan and The Wailers — and was with Bob Marley when gunmen tried to assassinate him in 1976. He died of cancer on Feb. 6 at age 70.
Henry Fambrough
The Spinners vocalist, whose rich baritone and charismatic stage presence helped lead the Detroit group to musical heights, died of natural causes on Feb. 7 at age 85.
Mojo Nixon
An unapologetically and hilariously brash musician, actor and radio DJ, 66-year-old Neill Kirby McMillan Jr. died of a cardiac event on Feb. 7, while aboard the Outlaw Country Cruise he was hosting.
Damo Suzuki
Best known as the vocalist of German experimental rock band Can, Suzuki had been battling colon cancer since the ’90s; in 2014 he was given a 10% chance of survival. He was 74 when he died on Feb. 9.
Jimmy Van Eaton
One of the last surviving figures from the golden age of Sun Records, drummer J.M. “Jimmy” Van Eaton played behind Jerry Lee Lewis and Billy Lee Riley, among others. He died Feb. 9 at age 86.
Ian Amey
Better known as Tich in ’60s chart-toppers Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, guitarist Amey died on Feb. 15. He was 79.
Dexter Romweber
The influential singer-guitarist and leader of psychobilly garage-rockers The Flat Duo Jets died at the age of 57 on Feb. 16. I once saw them open for The Cramps. They don’t make gigs like that anymore.
Bobby Tench
An unheralded mainstay of British rock, the singer-guitarist worked with The Jeff Beck Group, Humble Pie, Van Morrison, Ginger Baker, Fela Kuti, Eric Burdon, Freddie King and more. He died on Feb. 19, aged 79.
Roni Stoneman
Veronica Loretta Stoneman was a bluegrass banjo player and comedian who gained fame on TV’s Hee Haw. She was 85 when she died on Feb. 22
John Lowe
In 1958, Paul McCartney invited pianist Lowe to join The Quarrymen, who evolved into The Beatles. He played with the band for two years, and appeared on their first recordings. He died at age 81 on Feb. 22.
March
W.C. Clark
Known as the godfather of Austin blues, guitarist Wesley Curley Clark played with both Stevie Ray and Jimmy Vaughan, and taught Charlie and Will Sexton how to play. He died at age 84 on March 2.
Jim Beard
A keyboardist, composer, producer and arranger with Steely Dan, Wayne Shorter and John McLaughlin, Beard died March 2 in New York City after a sudden illness. He was 63.
Eleanor Collins
“Canada’s first lady of jazz,” Collins died March 3 at the age of 104. The Edmonton-born singer began performing in the 1930s and worked with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie to Oscar Peterson.
Brit Turner
The drummer for Blackberry Smoke was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2022 and underwent surgery, but continued to tour with the Southern rock band. He was 57 when he died on March 3.
Steve Lawrence
The charismatic Grammy and Emmy-winning crooner had a decades-long career next to his wife Eydie Gorme. He was 88 when he died of Alzheimer’s disease on March 7.
Karl Wallinger
A former Waterboys multi-instrumentalist who formed the psych-pop project World Party, Wallinger died from a stroke at home in Hastings on March 10, at the age of 66.
Blake Harrison
The ex-member of grindcore veterans Pig Destroyer died at the age of 48 on March 10. He had reportedly been battling cancer for several years.
T.M. Stevens
Bassist Stevens (aka Shaka Zulu) joined The Pretenders for their Get Close album in 1986, and also worked with Steve Vai. He died of dementia at age 72 on March 10.
Eric Carmen
An icon of early ’70s power pop, The Raspberries’ frontman garnered solo success with hits like All By Myself and Hungry Eyes. He died in his sleep at age 74 on March 11.
Russell Wilson
The bass player for the iconic Hamilton rock band Junkhouse died of meningitis at home at the age of 62 on March 12.
Steve Harley
Born Stephen Malcolm Ronald Nice, the singer-songwriter and frontman of Cockney Rebel died of cancer at his Suffolk home on March 17. He was 73.
Gerry Conway
Drummer Conway played with Cat Stevens in the 1970s, Jethro Tull in the 1980s, and Fairport Convention from 1998 to 2022. He died at the age of 76 on March 29.
April
Michael Ward
Minneapolis-born Ward was the guitarist for The Wallflowers from 1995 to 2001. He died April 1 at age 57 from complications due to diabetes.
Graeme Naysmith
English guitarist Naysmith was best known for his years in ’90s-era 4AD shoegazers Pale Saints. He died on April 4. He was 57.
Rocket Norton
Born Gary Frederick Wanstall, Norton was the longtime drummer for Canadian rock icons Prism and a member of the B.C. Entertainment Hall of Fame. He died on April 5 at age 73, after a battle with cancer.
Clarence “Frogman” Henry
The New Orleans singer of Ain’t Got No Home toured with The Beatles in 1964. He was scheduled to perform at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, but died from complications after surgery on April 7. He was 87.
Jon Card
German-born drummer Card played in Canadian punk bands Personality Crisis, SNFU, D.O.A. and The Subhumans. He died in Vancouver at age 63 on April 8.
Lucy Rimmer
The singer provided backing vocals on The Fall’s mid-’90s albums Cerebral Caustic and The Light User Syndrome. She died on April 12.
Ben Eldridge
A banjo player and co-founder of The Seldom Scene, Eldridge died of natural causes on April 14, aged 85.
Dickey Betts
The singer, songwriter, and guitarist of The Allman Brothers Band — and the man who wrote and sang their hit Ramblin’ Man — died of cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on April 18 at the age of 80.
Chan Romero
Best known for the 1959 single The Hippy Hippy Shake, the singer died at age 82 on April 22.
Mike Pinder
A founding member and keyboard player for The Moody Blues, the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame member died on April 24 at age 82 at his northern California home, after suffering from dementia for some years.
Duane Eddy
The twangmeister guitarist and Grammy-winning instrumentalist died of cancer on April 30 in Franklin, Tenn. He was 86.
May
Richard Tandy
The longtime keyboardist for Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra died on May 1 at the age of 76.
Gary Floyd
Floyd fronted legendary Texas punk band The Dicks as well as Sister Double Happiness. He died at age 71 on May 2 in San Francisco, suffering congestive heart failure after a period of ill health.
Steve Albini
An outspoken indie-rock icon who earned his stripes as audio engineer and performer in bands like Big Black and Shellac, Albini worked with everyone from Nirvana to Page & Plant. He died of a heart attack on May 7 at 61. I was fortunate enough to interview him a couple of times. Read our 1999 chat HERE.
Phil Wiggins
Acoustic blues harmonica player Wiggins — the longtime partner of guitarist John Cephas — died of cancer on May 7, aged 69.
Dennis Thompson
Aptly nicknamed Machine Gun, MC5 drummer Thompson’s muscular, high-octane style helped propel the influential Detroit band. He died May 8 after a series of medical issues. He was 75.
John Barbata
The veteran drummer’s list of credits included prime-era stints with The Turtles, CSNY, Jefferson Airplane and Starship. He died of heart issue on May 8 at age 79.
Conrad Kelly
The former drummer for reggae band Steel Pulse died on May 8, aged 65.
David Sanborn
Smooth jazz saxophonist Sanborn worked with Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Carly Simon, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones and more, died in New York on May 12 after an extended battle with prostate cancer. He was 78.
Spider John Koerner
The Minnesota singer-guitarist — who influenced everyone from Bob Dylan to Bonnie Raitt — died of cancer at 85 n May 12.
Jon Wysocki
The founding drummer for Staind, Wysocki, died on May 18 at age 53, after suffering from issues with his liver.
Frank Ifield
Renowned Australian country singer Ifield died of pneumonia at the age of 86 on May 18.
Charlie Colin
The founding bassist of pop-rock group Train — who parted ways with the group in 2003 — died in Belgium after falling in the shower on May 22. He was 58.
Doug Ingle
Best known as the founder, organist, primary composer and lead vocalist for Iron Butterfly, Ingle wrote the signature hit In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. He died at age 78 on May 24.
June
Ed Mann
A longtime percussionist for Frank Zappa, Mann died at the age of 69 on June 1.
Brother Marquis
The rapper and member of Miami hip-hop group 2 Live Crew died of a heart attack at the age of 58 on June 3.
Gaps Hendrickson
The frontman of 2-Tone band The Selecter died at 73 on June 11. He had been diagnosed with cancer in 2023.
Adam Lewis
Fenix TX’s longtime bassist passed away at the age of 45 on June 11. A founding member of the pop-punk band, he had been battling pancreatic cancer since 2021.
Françoise Hardy
Laryngeal cancer took the life of the celebrated, best-selling French singer-songwriter and actress on June 11. She was 80.
Angela Bofill
Known for singles such as This Time I’ll Be Sweeter, Angel Of The Night and I Try, the singer-songwriter’s career spanned four decades. She died at age 70 on June 13.
James Chance
The confrontational, controversial saxophonist and singer — who helped start the No Wave movement with bands like The Contortions and Teenage Jesus & The Jerks — died June 18 of gastrointestinal disease in New York at age 71.
Shifty Shellshock
The frontman of rap-rock band Crazy Town died from an accidental overdose at age 49 on June 24.
Ray St. Germain
The Winnipeg singer-guitarist and songwriter died on June 25 of Parkinson’s Disease at age 83.
Kinky Friedman
Richard Samet Friedman — a Texas singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist and politician — died of Parkinson’s Disease on June 27 at age 79. I once found myself jammed face-to-face with him in a mob at SXSW. I took the opportunity to ask for an autograph. He took my notepad and wrote: ‘See you in hell. Kinky.’ I look forward to it.
July
Tom Fowler
Perhaps best known as a bassist for Frank Zappa, Fowler also played with It’s A Beautiful Day, Jean-Luc Ponty, Ray Charles and others. He died following an aneurysm on July 2 at age 73.
Joe Bonsall
A member of country music vocal group The Oak Ridge Boys for 51 years, Bonsall died July 9 at 76 due to complications from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
Dave Loggins
Known for his 1974 hit Please Come to Boston and his 1984 duet with Anne Murray, Nobody Loves Me Like You Do, singer-songwriter Loggins — cousin of Kenny Loggins — died in Nashville on July 10. He was 76.
Toumani Diabaté
After a brief illness, the Malian kora player died at age 58 on July 19.
Jerry Miller
A founding member of Moby Grape, singer-guitarist Miller was one of the most influential musicians in the San Francisco music scene of the 1960s. He died July 20 in Tacoma at age 81.
John Mayall
Rightly dubbed The Godfather of British Blues, Mayall helped launch the careers of Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor and more. He died at the age of 90 on July 22 at home in California. I had the honour of speaking to him in 2009. Read our chat HERE.
Duke Fakir
Abdul Fakir was the last surviving original member of the beloved Motown group The Four Tops. He died of heart failure on July 22 at home in Detroit. He was 88.
Pat Collier
After co-founding London punks The Vibrators, bassist Collier went on to produce bands like The Jesus and Mary Chain, Robyn Hitchcock and Soft Boys, Primal Scream and more. He died at 72 on July 27.
August
Shaun Martin
Keyboardist Martin was a member of Grammy-winning fusion band Snarky Puppy and musical director for gospel star Kirk Franklin. He died on Aug. 3 at age 45, more than a year after suffering a debilitating stroke.
Jack Russell
The longtime frontman of Great White gained infamy in 2003 after the band’s pyro set a Rhode Island club ablaze, killing 100 people. He died on Aug. 15 at age 63, less than a month after retiring due to Lewy body dementia.
Carl Bevan
The former drummer for Welsh rockers 60ft Dolls died at the age of 51 on Aug. 9.
Greg Kihn
Power-pop singer-guitarist Kihn’s ’80s hits included The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em) in 1981 and Jeopardy. He died on Aug. 13 after battling Alzheimer’s. He was 75.
September
Rich Homie Quan
The Atlanta rapper born Dequantes Devontay Lamar died at home of an accidental overdose on Sept. 5. He was 33.
Sérgio Mendes
The leader of Brasil ’66 released 35 albums of funk-infused bossa nova during his decades-long career. He died due to complications from long Covid in L.A. on Sept. 5 at age 83.
Screamin’ Scott Simon
Simon played piano for greaser-rock outfit Sha Na Na from 1970 until they disbanded in 2022. He died of sinus cancer in California on Sept. 5. He was 75.
Zoot Money
Singer and keyboardist George Bruno Money led his own Big Roll Band (named for a misheard lyric in Chuck Berry‘s Johnny B. Goode) and played with The Animals. He died at age 82 on Sept. 8
Frankie Beverly
The Philadelphia singer-songwriter was best know as the leader of the soul-funk group Maze. He died on Sept. 10 at 77.
Robin Guy
The former drummer for British punks Sham 69 battled cancer for years before dying on Sept. 12 at age 54.
Tito Jackson
The third of 10 children, Toriano Adaryll Jackson played guitar and sang in The Jackson 5 and The Jacksons. He died on Sept. 15 after suffering a heart attack in New Mexico during a road trip to move his cars. He was 70.
JD Souther
Singer-songwriter John David Souther declined an offer to join country-rockers Eagles, but wrote hits for them, including Best Of My Love, Heartache Tonight and New Kid In Town. On Sept. 17, he died at age 78 at home in New Mexico, days before a scheduled tour.
Nick Gravenites
The Chicago singer-guitarist formed The Electric Flag with Mike Bloomfield and played with Janis Joplin, Charlie Musselwhite, Big Brother & The Holding Company and others. He had been suffering from diabetes and dementia when he died in Santa Rosa on Sept. 18 at age 85.
Roger Palm
The Swedish drummer played on classic ABBA hits like Dancing Queen and Mamma Mia. He died at age 75 on Sept. 21, after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
Kris Kristofferson
The rugged, award-winning singer-songwriter and actor wrote classics like Me And Bobby McGee, Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down, Help Me Make It Through The Night and many more. He died on Sept. 28 at his home in Hawaii. He was 88. I had the privilege of speaking to him in 2012. Read our conversation HERE.
Dave Allison
An original guitarist for Canadian metal mainstays Anvil, Allison died at 68 on Sept. 30, reportedly after a battle with cancer.
October
Ken Tobias
The St. John singer-songwriter — whose hits include Stay Awhile, Give A Little Love and I Just Want To Make Music — died of brain cancer at age 79 on Oct. 2.
Nell Smith
The young B.C. singer gained fame when she cut an album of Nick Cave songs with Flaming Lips in 2021. She died in a single-vehicle car accident on Oct. 6. She was just 17.
Johnny Neel
The keyboardist and songwriter was a member of The Allman Brothers Band and The Dickey Betts Band, and his songs have been covered by Gov’t Mule, John Mayall and many more. He died of heart failure on Oct. 6, aged 70.
Cissy Houston
The gospel singer and member of The Sweet Inspirations was also the mother of Whitney Houston and Dionne Warwick’s aunt. She died of Alzheimer’s disease on Oct. 7 at age 91.
Libby Titus
Best known for the song Love Has No Pride, singer-songwriter Titus worked with everyone from Paul Simon and Robbie Robertson to Burt Bacharach and Martin Mull, was the mother of Amy Helm and was married to Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen. She died on Oct. 13 at age 77.
Liam Payne
The former member of One Direction died on Oct. 2 after falling from the third-floor balcony of his Buenos Aires hotel room. He was 31.
Paul Di’Anno
Born Paul Andrews, Di’Anno sang for Iron Maiden from 1978-’81, before leading several other groups. He died from heart issues on Oct. 21 at age 66.
Jack Jones
The jazz-pop singer and actor — whose hits includes Wives And Lovers, The Impossible Dream and Lollipops And Roses — died of leukemia on Oct. 23 at age 86.
Phil Lesh
A classically trained musician, bassist Lesh was a founding, permanent member of The Grateful Dead while also pursuing various side projects. He died on Oct. 25 at 84, weeks before the band received The Kennedy Center Honors.
November
Quincy Jones
Producer, arranger, songwriter, composer and musical icon Jones worked with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson over his career. The father of Rashida Jones died of pancreatic cancer at home in Bel Air on Nov. 3 at 91.
Roy Haynes
The legendary jazz drummer was nicknamed Snap Crackle for his sound. He worked with legends like Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, John Coltrane, Sarah Vaughan and more. He died at 99 in New York on Nov. 12.
Shel Talmy
The U.S. record producer was behind the board for classic-rock hits like The Who’s My Generation and The Kinks’ You Really Got Me, All Day And All Of The Night, Tired Of Waiting For You and more. He died on Nov. 13 after a stroke. He was 87.
Peter Sinfield
A poet and songwriter, Sinfield was a co-founder and lyricist for prog-rock pioneers King Crimson. He also worked with or wrote for ELP, Cher, Celine Dion, Cliff Richard and others. He died on Nov. 14 at age 80.
Dennis Bryon
The Welsh drummer played with The Bee Gees from 1973-1980, appearing on nine No. 1 singles. He also worked with Jimi Hendrix, Dave Edmunds and others before dying on Nov. 14 at age 75.
Colin Petersen
Australian Petersen drummed for The Bee Gees in the late ’60s, playing on their first six albums. Four days after Byron passed, he died at age 78 on Nov. 18.
Will Cullen Hart
The singer-songwriter and guitarist co-founded the Georgia band Olivia Tremor Control and the Elephant 6 Recording Co. He died of a heart attack on Nov. 29 at age 53.
December
Mitch Funk
The pioneering punk musician fronted Winnipeg bands like Personality Crisis and Honest John. The older brother of electronica artists Aaron Funk — aka Venetian Snares — died on Dec. 2 after a lengthy battle with multiple myeloma. He was 65.
Steve Lewinson
The British bassist for Simply Red died on Dec. 18 at age 58, two months after being diagnosed with an aggressively malignant brain tumour.
Slim Dunlap
The Minneapolis guitarist — best known for replacing Bob Stinson in The Replacements in 1987 — died at home on Dec. 18 at age 73, a dozen years after suffering a debilitating stroke.
Richard Perry
A legendary record producer and music executive, Perry helmed albums by everyone from Ringo Starr and Diana Ross to Captain Beefheart and Tiny Tim. He died on Christmas Eve in Los Angeles at age 82.
