In Memoriam 2024: The Musicians We Lost

It takes a village to make the music we love. There are the voices and instruments out front, of course, and a band clicking everything into place. But there are also the songwriters who pen memorable melodies and words, producers and sound engineers to make everything sound just right, and journalists, photographers and illustrators to tell their stories. The music that has soundtracked your greatest triumphs and soothed your deepest wounds come from a thousand different places and people — that's worth remembering. 

What follows is a memorial to those music makers we lost in 2024, listed below in chronological order by the date they left us. 

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German guitarist and composer who co-founded the krautrock band Amon Düül

Jan. 20, 1947 — Jan. 2, 2024

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The Philly-born saxophonist became a mentor to the Baltimore jazz scene, where he composed "The Inner Harbor Suite"

July 27, 1944 — Jan. 5, 2024

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The energetic rockabilly guitarist was a member of The Collins Kids with his sister Lorrie

Oct. 4, 1944 — Jan. 5, 2024

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The English musician and sound engineer was a key collaborator with Kate Bush

Nov. 3, 1952 — Jan. 5, 2024

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The Greek-born American composer was a pioneer of new age music

Jan. 9, 1947 — Jan. 6, 2024

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The avant-garde composer and filmmaker tapped into the void with drones and microtones

Oct. 2, 1933 — Jan. 8, 2024

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The first female DJ on BBC Radio 1 and The Old Grey Whistle Test championed new music across genres

April 1, 1940 — Jan. 11, 2024

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The Cajun singer and accordionist found chart success in country music

Oct. 2, 1946 — Jan. 13, 2024

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With more than 100 works to his name — performed by the likes of the New York Philharmonic and Joan Baez — the composer was best known as musical parodist P.D.Q. Bach

July 17, 1935 — Jan. 16, 2024

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The Italian-born, Berlin-based musician studied dhrupad for 15 years to become a master of the North Indian classical vocal style

May 11, 1905 — Jan. 17, 2024

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Operating under the Silent Servant moniker, the Guatemalan-born DJ and electronic music producer helped to shape the L.A. techno scene

Aug. 14, 1977 — Jan. 18, 2024

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Sole member of The Soft Moon, a vehicle for the L.A. songwriter to battle his demons and heal through moody post-punk

May 30, 1979 — Jan. 18, 2024

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The singer exuded a tough yet tender image as leader of the 1960s girl group The Shangri-Las

Dec. 28, 1948 — Jan. 19, 2024

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The sultry nightclub singer's popular take on "California Soul" was sampled by Gang Starr and Quasimoto

Sept. 22, 1939 — Jan. 19, 2024

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A music journalist whose sharp, provocative criticism graced Melody Maker, The Guardian and The Quietus

July 26, 1972 — Jan. 23, 2024

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German producer behind Boney M. and Milli Vanilli, whose success showed a penchant for flash disregard for decorum

July 18, 1941 — Jan. 23, 2024

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Woodstock festival performer who penned the chart-topping innuendo-filled roller skate song "Brand New Key"

Feb. 3, 1947 — Jan. 23, 2024

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After a colleague critiqued his singing, the Japanese engineer invented the karaoke machine

Nov. 29, 1923 — Jan. 26, 2024

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British photographer whose portraits of Kate Bush and Iggy Pop — not to mention album covers for Depeche Mode and Echo and the Bunnymen — defined the 1980s

April 13, 1948 — Jan. 29, 2024

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The singer and dancer lit up Broadway productions of West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie and Chicago

Jan. 23, 1933 — Jan. 30, 2024

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Guitarist whose revolutionary riffs in MC5 paved the way for punk and later inspired him to co-found Jail Guitar Doors USA, which provides instruments to inmates serving time

April 30, 1948 — Feb. 2, 2024

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Soprano and star of the 1981 French thriller Diva

Jan. 5, 1949 — Feb. 2, 2024

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Bassist and bandleader of Bob Marley and the Wailers

Nov. 22, 1946 — Feb. 3, 2024

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To paraphrase the man himself, a Toby Keith song is the the best receptacle for barbecues, tailgates, fairs and festivals

July 8, 1961 — Feb. 5, 2024

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Longtime Boston Symphony Orchestra conductor

Sept. 1, 1935 — Feb. 6, 2024

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An over-the-top psychobilly rocker who took silly shots at celebrity, but also offered pointed critiques of the establishment

Aug. 2, 1957 — Feb. 7, 2024

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When Can needed a new singer in 1970, the Japanese experimentalist's ecstatic vocalizations expanded the already-adventurous German band's universe

January 16, 1950 — Feb. 9, 2024

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The rockabilly and roots rock musician influenced generations of power duos, including The White Stripes, with his band Flat Duo Jets

June 18, 1966 — Feb. 16, 2024

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Lead singer of reggae band Morgan Heritage

July 11, 1973 — Feb. 25, 2024

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Frontman for the 1970s power-pop band Raspberries and solo star behind "All By Myself" and "Hungry Eyes"

Aug. 11, 1949 — March 2024

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Music supervisor for films that included Roma, plus Lee Daniels' Precious, The Butler and The United States vs. Billie Holiday

1963 — March 1, 2024

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Jazz-rock pianist who performed with Steely Dan, Wayne Shorter and Pat Metheny

Aug. 26, 1960 — March 2, 2024

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The Bronx-born boogaloo pianist and bandleader's "I Like It Like That" has lived several lives, most recently as a sample on Cardi B, Bad Bunny and J Balvin's hit "I Like It"

April 16, 1934 — March 7, 2024

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The husband-and-wife vocal duo Steve & Eydie kept the Tiny Pan Alley tradition alive well into rock and roll's awakening

July 8, 1935 — March 7, 2024

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Noise-maker for the grindcore band Pig Destroyer and effusive hypeman for all things loud, heavy and fast

Dec. 17, 1975 — March 9, 2024

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Welsh singer-songwriter who helped to define 1980s college radio in World Party and The Waterboys

Oct. 19, 1957 — March 10, 2024

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A brash and brilliant pioneer of the alternative Christian rock scene who challenged the faithful to examine their faults and hypocrisies

Dec. 22, 1962 — March 12, 2024

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German composer of emotionally devastating operas

March 4, 1936 — March 13, 2024

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Scottish-born, L.A.-based singer for the '90s band Wild Colonials

Feb. 28, 1960 — March 14, 2024

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Singular American concert pianist who specialized in Chopin

March 24, 1928 — March 14, 2024

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Gospel music singer and twin sister to Andraé Crouch

July 1, 1942 — March 17, 2024

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Born with spina bifida, Matthew Urango used his disco-influenced indie-pop music to advocate for people with disabilities

Feb. 14, 1990 — March 17, 2024

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Co-lead singer of the L.A. ska band Hepcat

Nov. 3, 1970 — March 19, 2024

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Towering, intellectually rigorous, classical pianist

January 5, 1942 — March 23, 2024

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Leading Hungarian modernist composer and conductor

January 2, 1944 — March 24, 2024

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Bassist for British new wave band Ultravox

July 14, 1952 — March 25, 2024

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Member of the 1960s experimental music collective Theatre of Eternal Music and lighting designer for the immersive "Dream House" installation co-created with her husband, the composer La Monte Young

April 15, 1940 — March 28, 2024

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Saxophonist and vocoder wizard in the Robert Glasper Experiment

Oct. 10, 1978 — March 30, 2024

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The poet's radical politics dovetailed with those of the Detroit rock band MC5, which he managed from 1966-1969

Oct. 2, 1941 — April 2, 2024

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An expressive drummer who brought finesse and forward pull to a sweeping expanse of modern jazz over more than seven decades

May 31, 1935 — April 3, 2024

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Guitarist for the English shoegaze band Pale Saints

Feb. 9, 1967 — April 4, 2024

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The in-house drummer for early hip-hop labels Sugar Hill and Tommy Boy also appeared on Nine Inch Nails' Pretty Hate Machine

Nov. 1954 — April 4, 2024

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New Orleans R&B singer and pianist whose signature croak can be heard on his song "Ain't Got No Home"

March 19, 1937 — April 7, 2024

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German-born Canadian drummer for the punk bands D.O.A., SNFU and Subhumans

Dec. 11, 1960 — April 8, 2024

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Ethiopian singer whose songs from the 1970s and '80s were filled with love and longing for better times

May 15, 1951 — April 9, 2024

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This seminal figure in Atlanta hip-hop, who provided the Dungeon that produced OutKast, Goodie Mob and many other local players, helped lead a regional rap movement as a member of Organized Noize

Feb. 26, 1972 — April 13, 2024

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As a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band, his blues, rock and country-influenced guitar style helped define Southern rock in the 1960s and '70s

Dec. 12, 1943 — April 18, 2024

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Bassist for the psychedelic rock band Dead Meadow

May 26, 1976 — April 18, 2024

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The American Idol singer won a Grammy for her 2013 album Overcomer

Oct. 2, 1976 — April 18, 2024

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British conductor and long-standing director of the Lyric Opera of Chicago

Feb. 2, 1944 — April 20, 2024

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Record producer for the Arista, Freedom and Muse labels, who also curated archival box sets around the works of Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker and Nat "King" Cole

Sept.  20, 1948 — April 20, 2024

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With producer Lee Hazlewood, the unfussy-yet-idiosyncratic guitarist put the twang in early rock and roll

April 26, 1938 — April 30, 2024

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Unapologetic frontman of the San Francisco queercore punk band the Dicks

Dec. 11, 1952 — April 30, 2024

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As the guitarist for Shellac and Big Black, he was abrasive and absurd; as an engineer on thousands of records, he left an indelible mark on how we hear music

July 22, 1962 — May 7, 2024 

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Drummer for Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Jefferson Airplane and The Turtles, including on the latter's 1967 hit "Happy Together"

April 1, 1945 — May 8, 2024

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The drummer's thunderous swing drove the proto-punk chaos of MC5

Sept.  7, 1948 — May 9, 2024

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An alto saxophonist whose tone was as bright and steadfast as a lighthouse beacon during a career that spanned nearly 60 years

July 30, 1945 — May 12, 2024

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Founding member of Iron Butterfly who sang and played organ on the band's hit song "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"

Sept.  9, 1945 — May 24, 2024

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With his late brother Robert, he wrote "It's A Small World" and scores for several Disney films, including Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

June 12, 1928 — May 25, 2024

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Bassist in metal bands Sumerlands and Eternal Champion

April 26, 1988 — May 29, 2024

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A member of the rap group 2 Live Crew, which pioneered the Miami bass sound in the late '80s

April 2, 1967 — June 3, 2024

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The "voice of house music" gave the fervent sermon heard on Rhythm Controll's 1987 track "My House"

Birth date unknown — June 6, 2024

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France's It Girl of the 1960s was a striking presence on the "yé-yé" scene, yet her musical career outlasted many of her peers, spanning more than 30 studio albums

Jan. 17, 1944 — June 11, 2024

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Caribbean-born singer for the London-based ska band The Selecter

April 29, 1951 — June 11, 2024

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The Mexican-born, South Texas-based TV host introduced many artists, including a teenage Selena Quintanilla, to a wider audience

Aug. 23, 1942 — June 12, 2024

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New York R&B singer whose three-and-half octave range fueled "This Time I'll Be Sweeter" and "I Try"

May 2, 1954 — June 13, 2024

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The music journalist championed the outskirts of country and Americana via SiriusXM

Nov. 18, 1963 — June 14, 2024

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The saxophonist's provocative performances and outlandish punk-funk music in the Contortions pioneered New York's no wave scene

April 20, 1953 — June 18, 2024

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Frontman for Crazy Town, whose "Butterfly" was the only rap-rock song to hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100

Aug. 23, 1974 — June 24, 2024

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One-time record label executive who co-founded Cornerstone Agency and The Fader, linking music media and marketing

July 12, 1968 — June 24, 2024

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The offbeat country singer and mystery novelist — and candidate for Texas governor in 2006 — who blurred the line between his persona and true identity

Nov. 1, 1944 — June 27, 2024

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Record producer with a diverse set of credits, ranging from Rush and Queensrÿche to Jewel and Indigo Girls

Jan. 14, 1951 — June 28, 2024

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The vocalist disappeared after making two hauntingly spare albums for ESP-Disk' in the 1960s, and was celebrated by the avant-garde community upon her return decades later

March 11, 1940 — June 29, 2024

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Austin-based music journalist who wrote scholarly books about the fringes of Texas music

Nov. 30, 1955 — July 1, 2024

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The singer and guitarist's time in the Minneapolis indie rock scene inspired her beloved memoir, Petal Pusher: A Rock and Roll Cinderella Story

Sept.  28, 1961 — July 1, 2024

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Co-founder of Stealers Wheel and co-writer of the Scottish band's "Stuck in the Middle With You"

Oct. 18, 1946 — July 6, 2024

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The hard-bop musician brought a level-headed calm to the role of a trumpet hero

Aug. 28, 1962 — July 7, 2024

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Tenor in the country and gospel vocal quartet The Oak Ridge Boys

May 18, 1948 — July 9, 2024

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The Nashville songwriter penned songs for Kenny Rogers and the Oak Ridge Boys, and had his own hit in "Please Come to Boston"

Nov. 10, 1947 — July 10, 2024

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WRTI host and founder of the Philadelphia Jazz Project who, above all, believed in telling stories

March 4, 1957 — July 13, 2024

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Rising pianist, composer and new music advocate

May 21, 1986 — July 14, 2024

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Editor at Dallas Observer and D Magazine

June 13, 1974 — July 16, 2024

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A civil rights activist who co-founded The Freedom Singers and later started the African American vocal ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock

Oct. 4, 1942 — July 16, 2024

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Long-running Geffen Records president who oversaw the label's Guns N' Roses and Nirvana years

Nov. 6, 1934 — July 16, 2024

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The Greenwich Village folk singer and guitarist worked with Bob Dylan, Levon Helm, Pete Seeger and Peter Tosh

May 9, 1938 — July 17, 2024

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Co-vocalist (along with cousin Juan Brujo, who died just two months later) in L.A.-based Latin metal band Brujeria

Nov. 24, 1966 — July 17, 2024

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When the Malian musician plucked the kora's 21 strings, the world fell in love

Aug. 10, 1965 — July 19, 2024

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Lead guitarist for the late-'60s psychedelic three-guitar attack of Moby Grape

July 10, 1943 — July 21, 2024

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The last surviving original member of The Four Tops

Dec. 26, 1935 — July 22, 2024

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Through his band the Bluesbreakers, several guitarists flourished under the "godfather of the British blues," including Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor and Peter Green

Nov. 29, 1933 — July 22, 2024

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Professor of musicology, preeminent scholar of American music and author of The American Musical Landscape

May 12, 1935 — July 23, 2024

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Strikingly original, and prolific, German composer

March 13, 1952 — July 27, 2024

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The fire-starting Bronx-born rapper and actor who began his career in the duo Art of Origin in the early '90s once feuded with Tupac Shakur

April 8, 1974 — July 28, 2024

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In the New Zealand band The Chills, the songwriter crafted the ramshackle indie-rock sound that influenced the likes of R.E.M. and Pavement

July 2, 1963 — July 28, 2024

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The Snarky Puppy singer and keyboardist was also the music director for gospel music titan Kirk Franklin

Aug. 23, 1978 — Aug. 3, 2024

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Beloved Brazilian cellist and member of the Beaux Arts Trio

Aug. 23, 1957 — Aug. 3, 2024

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Williams' song "Stay," first recorded by his doo-wop group The Zodiacs in 1960, became a hit for The Four Seasons and The Hollies

April 26, 1938 — Aug. 6, 2024

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J. Mascis called on this bassist for his stoner rock band Witch and vice versa for the power-pop band Sweet Apple

Nov. 8, 1965 — Aug. 8, 2024

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The Rocket editor and writer documented Seattle's rising grunge scene and wrote pivotal books on Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain

May 7, 1957 — Aug. 9, 2024

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The New Zealand singer-songwriter made ghostly music as White Winged Moth and in the band Autistic Daughters

March 24, 1975 — Aug. 10, 2024

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The singer-songwriter's 1983 power-pop hit "Jeopardy" reached No. 2 on the pop chart, behind Michael Jackson's "Beat It"

July 10, 1949 — Aug. 13, 2024

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Singer for the hard rock band Great White

Dec. 5, 1960 — Aug. 15, 2024

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The Houston rapper, a self-proclaimed Club Godzilla, produced several viral striptease anthems, including "Then Leave" and the platinum-selling "Thick" with DJ Chose

Nov. 24, 1984 — Aug. 15, 2024

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Founding member of the psychedelic soul band The Chambers Brothers

Aug. 22, 1942 — Aug. 15, 2024

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Keyboardist for the experimental electronic band Ulver

Aug. 16, 1970 — Aug. 16, 2024

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Bluegrass and country music fiddler who played with Bill Monroe and Porter Wagoner

July 21, 1933 — Aug. 16, 2024

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Classical music host and producer for WFIU

March 7, 1943 — Aug. 21, 2024

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Guitarist for Turing Machine and Pitchblende who later opened the Michelin-starred Brooklyn restaurant The Four Horseman with LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy

June 17, 1970 — Aug. 22, 2024

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The adventurous French singer made a pivot from the popular "yé-yé" scene to psychedelic prog-rock in the band Alpes

Sept.  22, 1941 — Aug. 22, 2024

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Vocalist and keyboardist for the synth-doom duo Pinkish Black

June 19, 1976 — Aug. 22, 2024

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A versatile and soulful guitarist who epitomized straight-ahead jazz guitar for his generation

Nov. 8, 1963 — Aug. 23, 2024

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The journalist is best known for his work in Wired and his writing about neurodiversity, but got his start covering 1970s counterculture, including the artists Grateful Dead and David Crosby

Dec. 23, 1957 — Aug. 29, 2024

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A musician who emerged with Brazil's bossa nova movement in the 1960s and became an ambassador for that country's music around the world

Feb. 11, 1941 — Sept. 5, 2024

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The Atlanta rapper scored several hits in the mid-2010s, including "Lifestyle" as part of Rich Gang, but he will be remembered more for his influence on the texture of modern rap

Oct. 4, 1989 — Sept. 5, 2024

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The English bassist was a member of T. Rex and a prolific session musician, whose many credits include the iconic bass line heard on Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side"

May 19, 1938 — Sept. 5, 2024

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Even if you don't know his name, you may well know all of the words he wrote for "My Heart Will Go On" and "Tears in Heaven"

June 27, 1944 — Sept. 6, 2024

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Stalwart soprano who sang 748 performances with the Metropolitan Opera

March 1, 1925 — Sept. 6, 2024

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The historian and critic who helmed Metronome and Downbeat believed that jazz is "America's gift to the world"

Oct. 24, 1929 — Sept. 7, 2024

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For over five decades, the R&B and funk legend kept the cookout classics coming in his band Maze

Dec. 6, 1946 — Sept. 10, 2024

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Reissues of his two 1970s LPs renewed interest in the Brazilian pop singer's music — and laid to rest rumors of his disappearance

May 1, 1905 — Sept. 13, 2024

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Big brother to Michael, singer and guitarist for the Jackson 5

Oct. 15, 1953 — Sept. 15, 2024

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Swans member and Foetus collaborator who carried on his penchant for extremity by producing records for The The and The Young Gods

Nov. 7, 1955 — Sept. 15, 2024

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The singer-songwriter shaped the Southern California sound, penning songs performed by the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt

Nov. 2, 1945 — Sept. 17, 2024

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Vocalist and co-founder of the outsized metal band Brujeria

June 28, 1968 — Sept. 18, 2024

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A master saxophonist revered as much for the durable standards he contributed to the jazz repertoire as for his eloquent tenor sound

Jan. 25, 1929 — Sept. 21, 2024

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Guitarist for the '80s New York anarcho-punk band Reagan Youth

March 19, 1964 — Sept. 21, 2024

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The dancer choreographed Prince's 1987 concert film Sign o' the Times and rapped on his hit "Alphabet St."

July 24, 1964 — Sept. 24, 2024

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A movie star and musical rebel who wrote songs about lovers, loners, boozers and a footloose pair of hitchhikers

June 22, 1936 — Sept. 28, 2024

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Drummer who inaugurated James Blood Ulmer's "avant-gutbucket" jazz trio Odyssey, and who also worked with Nina Simone and Larry Willis

Dec. 22, 1951 — Sept. 29, 2024

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The teenaged Canadian musician had collaborated with the Flaming Lips, and was preparing to release her debut solo album in 2025

July 17, 2007 — Oct. 6, 2024

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Generation-spanning gospel singer who performed with Elvis, Aretha and Van Morrison; mother to Whitney Houston

Sept.  30, 1933 — Oct. 7, 2024

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Eclectic Finnish conductor and composer of 371 symphonies

March 2, 1944 — Oct. 9, 2024

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Thoughtful, Grammy-winning classical music producer

June 5, 1961 — Oct. 10, 2024

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Scottish DJ and producer who performed as Jackmaster

January 11, 1986 — Oct. 12, 2024

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This Brooklyn rapper's hard-work ethic set the standard for DIY artists everywhere. His lyrical precision shone a light back on his community.

Aug. 11, 1972 — Oct. 12, 2024

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A singer who rose to fame as a member of the chart-topping boy band One Direction

Aug. 29, 1993 — Oct. 16, 2024

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Jazz, blues and folk singer who championed social justice causes

May 12, 1927 — Oct. 20, 2024

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Early vocalist for Iron Maiden who sang on the heavy metal band's self-titled debut and Killers

May 17, 1958 — Oct. 21, 2024

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Guitar mangler for the improvised noise trio Borbetomagus

May 7, 1958 — Oct. 22, 2024

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The beloved baritone saxophonist's 1999 debut, Swing Low, was selected for the collection of the William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum

Feb. 26, 1958 — Oct. 22, 2024

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The Brooklyn-born producer worked with Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G. and Mariah Carey, but will be remembered just as fondly for his mark on rap's sneaker culture

Sept.  28, 1966 — Oct. 24, 2024

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The bassist and founding member of The Grateful Dead sang on some of the band's most memorable songs, including "Box of Rain"

March 15, 1940 — Oct. 25, 2024

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With his brother Tim, the illustrator of the Star Wars: A New Hope poster, he also worked on cover art for Black Sabbath's Mob Rules, Manilla Road's Mystification and several Trans-Siberian Orchestra albums

Jan. 23, 1939 — Oct. 31, 2024

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Former drummer of My Chemical Romance, who performed on its landmark album The Black Parade

Dec. 1979 — Nov. 2024 

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The pop music mastermind produced hit albums for several decades, including Michael Jackson's Thriller, and composed music for The Wiz and The Color Purple

March 14, 1933 — Nov. 3, 2024

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An alto saxophonist who played a crucial role in both the development of hard bop and its evolution into soul jazz

Nov. 1, 1926 — Nov. 9, 2024

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The first lady of children's music, whose "You'll Sing A Song and I'll Sing A Song" will forever be passed down, believed in learning from the world

Aug. 6, 1924 — Nov. 9, 2024

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Pioneering modern jazz drummer

March 13, 1925 — Nov. 12, 2024

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American producer who shaped the Brit Beat sound with The Who and The Kinks

Aug. 11, 1937 — Nov. 13, 2024

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The garage-rock singer had a voice that could puncture heaven and soothe hell

Feb. 14, 1973 — Nov. 14, 2024

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The British poet co-founded King Crimson with Robert Fripp and penned lyrics for the likes of Cher, Celine Dion and Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Dec. 27, 1943 — Nov. 14, 2024

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The iconic James Bond theme would be nothing without the session guitarist's rumbling sound

May 14, 1937 — Nov. 14, 2024

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Drummer for the Bee Gees during its disco years, including the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack

April 14, 1949 — Nov. 14, 2024

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Indian classical musician who collaborated with Ravi Shankar and George Harrison, and produced the sumptuously cool Disco Jazz for the pop singer Rupa

Dec. 5, 1939 — Nov. 14, 2024

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The songwriter worked with French artists Jaques Brel and Juliette Gréco and penned Édith Piaf's iconic "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien"

March 26, 1929 — Nov. 18, 2024

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Drummer who appeared on Bee Gees' late '60s albums, including Horizontal and Odessa

March 24, 1946 — Nov. 18, 2024

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Once a dancer in Digital Underground, the Oakland rapper grew to become a singular presence on the Bay Area scene

Aug. 23, 1970 — Nov. 19, 2024

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Producer, songwriter and rocker whose broad catalog — Madonna, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Brian Wilson, Jonathan Richman, SpongeBob SquarePants — was playful and unique

Nov. 1, 1951 — Nov. 20, 2024

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The Elephant 6 collective co-founder meticulously collaged psychedelic-pop symphonies in The Olivia Tremor Control and Circulatory System

June 14, 1971 — Nov. 29, 2024

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Miami-based producer, songwriter and record label owner who discovered Sam & Dave, released records by KC and the Sunshine Band

Dec. 6, 1939 — Nov. 30, 2024

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The oldest person to win best new artist at the Latin Grammys

June 13, 1927 — Dec. 6, 2024

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Founder of Soultown, As-Shams and The Sun, the only Black-owned labels that operated under Apartheid

1939 — Dec. 7, 2024

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Jazz trumpeter who worked with avant-garde luminaries such as Tim Berne, Satoko Fujii and Anthony Davis

Feb. 21, 1951 — Dec. 10, 2024

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A distinguished French pianist whose dextrous and imaginative command of the jazz language made him a trailblazer in Europe

Aug. 23, 1927 — Dec. 12, 2024

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Indian tabla player who united musicians from diverse cultures and by doing so, shaped modern world music

March 9, 1951 — Dec. 15, 2024

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Alison Krauss, Pete Seeger and many others have recorded his songs, especially the folk standard "Garden Song," which John Denver performed with The Muppets

April 21, 1951 — Dec. 17, 2024

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The beloved rock guitarist joined The Replacements from 1987-1991, and released a pair of stellar solo albums in the '90s

Aug. 14, 1951 — Dec. 18, 2024

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Will Chase and Zazil Davis-Vazquez contributed research to support this story. Tom Huizenga and Sheldon Pearce contributed text. Jacob Ganz edited.