As we finally close the book on what has indisputably been a terrible year, it has come time to remember the many influential artists and music industry figures who passed away in 2020.
2020 In Memoriam
Neil Peart 9/12/52 — 1/7/20 Neil Peart, Rush Drummer And Lyricist, Dead At 67
David Olney 3/23/48 — 1/18/20 Singer-Songwriter David Olney Dies Onstage At 30A Songwriters Festival [Video]
Wes Wilson 7/15/37 — 1/24/20 Wes Wilson, Psychedelic San Francisco Poster Artist, Dead At 82 [Video]
Buddy Cage 2/18/46 — 2/5/20 Buddy Cage, Pedal Steel Guitarist For New Riders Of The Purple Sage, Dead At 73
Lyle Mays 11/27/53 — 2/10/20 Jazz pianist Lyle Mays, co-founder of the Pat Metheny Group, dies at 66
Paul English 11/6/32 — 2/12/20 Paul English, Willie Nelson’s Longtime Drummer, Dead at 87
David Roback 4/4/58 — 2/24/20 Mazzy Star Co-Founder David Roback Dies At 61
McCoy Tyner 12/11/38 — 3/6/20 Iconic Jazz Pianist McCoy Tyner Dies At 81
DJ Black N Mild 1975 — 3/19/20 New Orleans DJ Black N Mild Dead At 44 Following Coronavirus Diagnosis
Kenny Rogers 8/21/38 — 3/20/20 Kenny Rogers, Country Music Legend, Dies At Age 81
Eric Weissberg 8/16/39 — 3/22/20 Eric Weissberg, ‘Dueling Banjos’ and ‘Blood on the Tracks’ Musician, Dead at 80
Manu Dibango 12/12/33 — 3/24/20 Storied African Saxophonist Manu Dibango Dies Of COVID-19 At 86
Terrence McNally 11/3/38 — 3/24/20 ‘Ragtime’ playwright Terrence McNally dies from coronavirus complications
Bill Rieflin 9/30/60 — 3/24/20 Seattle musician Bill Rieflin of King Crimson, R.E.M. dies at 59
Joe Diffie 12/28/58 — 3/29/20 Joe Diffie, Wry Country Traditionalist, Dead At 61 Following COVID-19 Diagnosis
Jan Howard 3/13/29 — 3/28/20 Jan Howard, Singer and Writer of Country Hits, Dies at 91
Bill Withers 7/4/38 — 3/30/20 Bill Withers, Beloved Singer-Songwriter, Dies At 81
Wallace Roney 5/25/60 — 3/31/20 Wallace Roney, Jazz Trumpet Virtuoso, Is Dead at 59
Adam Schlesinger 10/31/67 — 4/1/20 Adam Schlesinger, Emmy Winner, Fountains Of Wayne Co-Founder, Dies At 52
Ellis Marsalis 11/14/34 — 4/1/20 Ellis Marsalis, Jazz Pianist And Musical Patriarch, Dead At 85
Vaughan Mason 10/24/50 — 4/2/20 Vaughan Mason, Oft-Sampled ‘Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll’ Funk Artist, Dead at 69
John Prine 10/10/46 — 4/7/20 John Prine, Legendary Songwriter, Dies At 73
Hal Willner 4/6/56 — 4/7/20 Hal Willner, ‘SNL’ Music Supervisor, Music Producer, Dies At 64
Lee Konitz 10/13/27 — 4/15/20 Lee Konitz, Jazz Saxophonist Who Blazed His Own Trail, Dies at 92
Florian Schneider 4/7/47 — 4/21/20 Kraftwerk Co-Founder Florian Schneider Dies At 73
Fred The Godson 1/1/85 — 4/23/20 Fred the Godson Dies at 35 From Coronavirus
Troy Sneed 12/14/67 — 4/27/20 Gospel Star Troy Sneed Dies at 52 Due to COVID-19
Tony Allen 7/20/40 — 4/30/20 Tony Allen, Afrobeat Originator & Master Drummer, Dies At 79
Cady Groves 7/30/89 — 5/2/20 Singer-Songwriter Cady Groves Dies at 30
Dave Greenfield 3/29/49 — 5/3/20 Stranglers’ Dave Greenfield Dead at 71 After Coronavirus Battle
Millie Small 10/6/46 — 5/5/20 Millie Small, “My Boy Lollipop” Singer, Dead at 72
Alfred “Uganda” Roberts 4/8/43 — 5/5/20 RIP Professor Longhair Percussionist Alfred “Uganda” Roberts (1943-2020)
Sweet Pea Atkinson 9/20/45 — 5/5/20 Sweet Pea Atkinson, Singer in Was (Not Was), Dead at 74
Andre Harrell 9/26/60 — 5/7/20 Andre Harrell, Founder of Uptown Records, Dead at 59
Little Richard 12/5/32 — 5/9/20 Little Richard, Founding Father Of Rock N’ Roll, Dead At 87
Betty Wright 12/21/53 — 5/10/20 Betty Wright, Soul And R&B Exemplar, Dead At 66
Darick Campbell 1966 — 5/11/20 Darick Campbell of Rochester’s The Campbell Brothers dies
Phil May 11/9/44 — 5/15/20 Phil May, Pretty Things Frontman, Dies at 75
Lucky Peterson 12/13/64 — 5/17/20 Bluesman Lucky Peterson Dies at 55
Robert Ford Jr. 6/30/49 — 5/19/20 Robert Ford Jr., an Early Force in Hip-Hop, Is Dead at 70
Jimmy Cobb 1/20/29 — 5/24/20 Jimmy Cobb, Veteran Jazz Drummer For Miles Davis & More, Dead At 91
Bucky Baxter 1955 — 5/25/20 Bucky Baxter, Pedal Steel Guitarist For Bob Dylan & Many More, Dead At 65
Bonnie Pointer 7/11/50 — 6/8/20 Bonnie Pointer, Co-Founder Of The Pointer Sisters, Dies At 69
Nick Cordero 11/17/78 — 7/5/20 Nick Cordero, Tony-Nominated Broadway Actor & Singer, Dies At 41 After Months-Long Battle With COVID-19
Charlie Daniels 10/28/36 — 7/6/20 Charlie Daniels, Legendary Fiddle Player, Dies At 83
Eddie Gale 8/15/41 — 7/10/20 Eddie Gale, Jazz Trumpeting Great, Dies at 78
Gordon Stone 1950 — 7/12/20 Gordon Stone, Emmy Award-Winning Multi-Instrumentalist & Phish Collaborator, Dies
Emmitt Rhodes 2/25/50 — 7/19/20 Cult Pop Singer-Songwriter Emitt Rhodes Dies at 70
Tim Smith 7/3/61 — 7/21/20 The Cardiacs’ Tim Smith Dead At 59
Annie Ross 7/25/30 — 7/21/20 Annie Ross, Mid-Century Jazz Icon, Dead At 89
Denise Johnson 1964 — 7/27/20 R.I.P. Denise Johnson, Primal Scream Vocalist Dies at 56
Malik B. 11/14/72 — 7/29/20 The Roots Co-Founder Malik B. Dies At 47; Questlove, Black Thought, More Pay Tribute
Trini Lopez 5/15/37 — 8/11/20 Trini Lopez Dead At 83
Pete Way 8/7/50 — 8/14/20 Pete Way (UFO, Ozzy) has died; Ozzy, Iron Maiden, Kirk Hammett, Geddy Lee & more pay tribute
Carl Dufrene ? — 8/17/20 Bassist Carl Dufrene (North Mississippi Allstars, Anders Osborne) Passes Away
Jack Sherman 1/18/56 — 8/18/20 Jack Sherman, Early Red Hot Chili Peppers Guitarist, Dies At 64
Todd Nance 11/20/62 — 8/19/20 Todd Nance, Founding Widespread Panic Drummer, Dies At 57
Frankie Banali 11/14/51 — 8/20/20 R.I.P. Frankie Banali, Quiet Riot Drummer Dies at 68
Justin Townes Earle 1/4/82 — 8/20/20 Singer-Songwriter Justin Townes Earle Dead At 38
Walter Lure 4/22/49 — 8/22/20 The Heartbreakers’ Walter Lure Dead at 71
Riley Gale 1986 — 8/24/20 Riley Gale, Fiery Singer Of Power Trip, Dead At 34
Erick Morillo 3/26/71 — 9/1/20 ‘I Like to Move It’ DJ Erick Morillo dies at 49
Ian Mitchell 8/22/58 — 9/1/20 Bay City Rollers Bassist Ian Mitchell Dies at 62
Simeon Coxe 6/4/38 — 9/8/20 Simeon Coxe, Whose Silver Apples Presaged Synth-Pop, Dies at 82
Ronald “Khalis” Bell 11/1/51 — 9/9/20 Kool & The Gang Co-Founding Saxophonist Ronald ‘Khalis’ Bell Dies At 68
Sid McCray 7/3/57 — 9/9/20 Original Bad Brains singer Sid McCray, RIP
Toots Hibbert 12/8/42 — 9/11/20 Toots Hibbert, Legendary Reggae Pioneer, Dies At 77
Lee Kerslake 4/16/47 — 9/19/20 Uriah Heep and Ozzy Osbourne drummer Lee Kerslake has died
Francis “Rocco” Prestia 3/7/51 — 9/29/20 Francis “Rocco” Prestia, Longtime Tower Of Power Bassist, Dies At 69
Mac Davis 1/21/42 — 9/29/20 Mac Davis, Country Singer and Elvis Presley Songwriter, Dead at 78
Cookie Monsta 5/5/89 — 10/2/20 Famed Dubstep Artist Cookie Monsta Has Died
Eddie Van Halen 1/26/55 — 10/6/20 Eddie Van Halen, Guitar Legend, Dead At 65
Johnny Nash 8/19/40 — 10/6/20 Johnny Nash ‘I Can See Clearly Now’ Singer Dead At 80
Gordon Haskell 4/27/46 — 10/15/20 Early ’70s King Crimson vocalist Gordon Haskell, RIP
Tony Lewis 12/21/57 — 10/19/20 Tony Lewis, The Outfield Singer, Dies at 62
Jerry Jeff Walker 3/16/42 — 10/23/20 Musicians Mourn The Loss Of Outlaw Country Great Jerry Jeff Walker [Videos]
Billy Joe Shaver 8/16/39 — 10/28/20 Outlaw Country Singer-Songwriter Billy Joe Shaver Dead At 81
Rance Allen 11/20/48 — 10/31/20 Gospel legend Bishop Rance Allen dies at age 71
MF DOOM 1/9/71 — 10/31/20 Influential Rapper MF DOOM Dead At 49
Nikki McKibbin 9/28/78 — 11/1/20 Nikki McKibbin, ‘American Idol’ Finalist, Dies at 42
Baron Wolman 6/25/37 — 11/2/20 Baron Wolman, Rolling Stone Photographer Who Captured Rock Gods, Dead at 83
Ken Hensley 8/24/45 — 11/4/20 Ken Hensley, songwriter with 70s rock band Uriah Heep, dies aged 75
King Von 8/9/94 — 11/6/20 Rapper King Von Killed In Atlanta Shooting… Video Surfaces
Carl Monzo 6/30/63 — 11/16/20 R.I.P., Carl Monzo: Trey Anastasio, Bob Weir, Dave Schools, More Remember The Accomplished Security Head
Bruce Swedien 4/19/34 — 11/16/20 Bruce Swedien, a Shaper of Michael Jackson’s Sound, Dies at 86
Hal Ketchum 4/9/53 — 11/23/20 Hal Ketchum, Opry member and ‘Small Town Saturday Night’ singer, dies at 67
Howard Wales 2/8/43 – 12/7/20 Howard Wales, Jerry Garcia ‘Hoorteroll?’ Collaborator, Dead At 77
Harold Budd 4/24/36 — 12/8/20 Heralded Ambient Composer Harold Budd Dead at 84
Charley Pride 3/18/34 — 12/12/20 Charley Pride, Black Country Music Pioneer, Dies Of COVID-19 Weeks After CMA Lifetime Achievement Award
Jeff Clayton 2/16/54 — 12/17/20 Jeff Clayton 1955–2020
Miche Fambo 1956 — 12/19/20 Geneseo jazz musician Miche Fambro dies at 64
K.T. Oslin 5/15/42 — 12/21/20 K.T. Oslin, Country Singer-Songwriter of ’80’s Ladies,’ Dead at 78
Leslie West 10/22/45 — 12/23/20 Leslie West, Mountain Guitarist Who Belted Out ‘Mississippi Queen,’ Dead at 75
Tony Rice 6/8/51 — 12/25/20 Bluegrass Guitarist, Songwriter Tony Rice Dead At 69
The post In Memoriam: Looking Back On Those We Lost In 2020 appeared first on L4LM.
