In 2021, the music world said goodbye to artistic visionaries from every corner of the field. We lost rock and roll pioneers, groundbreaking music journalists, and foundational jazz legends (many of whom were honored in a video made by our colleagues at Jazz Night in America). From prolific engineers to producers who helped reimagine the possibilities of sound to writers who helped us understand its impact, the breadth of talent was immeasurable. Below is a list of just some of the many musicians and voices lost in 2021, listed in chronological order by the date that they left us.
***
GerRY MARSDEN
Leader of the 1960s rock group Gerry and the Pacemakers
Sept. 24, 1942 — Jan. 3, 2021
*
Howard johnson
Tuba virtuoso who carved a place for tuba in contemporary jazz
Aug. 7, 1941 — Jan. 11, 2021
*
duke bootee
Record producer and hip-hop pioneer who co-wrote "The Message," Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's 1982 hit and cultural staple
Jun. 6, 1951 — Jan. 13, 2021
*
SYLVAIN SylVAIN
Guitarist for the hard-driving New York Dolls
Feb. 14, 1951 — Jan. 13, 2021
*
phil spector
Legendary producer and convicted murderer who created pop's "wall of sound"
Dec. 26, 1939 — Jan. 16, 2021
*
JUNIOR MANCE
Impeccably bluesy hard-bop pianist
Oct. 10, 1928 — Jan. 17, 2021
*
sammy nestico
Composer known for his big band jazz arrangements
Feb. 6, 1924 — Jan. 17, 2021
*
jimmie rodgers
Singer known for 1950s hits "Honeycomb" and "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine"
Sept. 18, 1933 — Jan. 18, 2021
*
jonas gwangWa
South African trombonist, composer and activist against apartheid
Oct. 19, 1937 — Jan. 23, 2021
*
eva coutaz
Director of revered classical label Harmonia Mundi
Feb. 26, 1943 — Jan. 26, 2021
*
hilton valentine
Founding guitarist for British Invasion band The Animals
May 21, 1943 — Jan. 29, 2021
*
flory jagoda
Singer-songwriter, guitarist and accordionist dedicated to preservation of Sephardic Jewish music
Dec. 21, 1923 — Jan. 29, 2021
*
sophie
Trailblazing producer who helped usher in a new era of pop-infused electronic music
Sept. 17, 1986 — Jan. 30, 2021
*
double k
People Under The Stairs rapper and producer
Aug. 1, 1977 — Jan. 30, 2021
*
ricky powell
Iconic street photographer who documented the ascension of hip-hop and other scenes in '80s and '90s New York
Nov. 20, 1961 — Feb. 1, 2021
*
danny ray
Legendary emcee and hype man for James Brown
Mar. 22, 1935 — Feb. 2, 2021
*
anne feeney
Folk singer and committed political activist
Jul. 1, 1951 — Feb. 3, 2021
*
jim weatherly
Singer-songwriter whose hits, including "Midnight Train to Georgia," spanned genres
Mar. 17, 1943 — Feb. 3, 2021
*
mary wilson
Trailblazing co-founder of The Supremes
Mar. 6, 1944 — Feb. 8, 2021
*
chick corea
Legendary jazz pianist and composer with a strong melodic sense and a crisp, distinctive touch
Jun. 12, 1941 — Feb. 9, 2021
*
rupert neve
Audio equipment inventor who shaped rock and roll's sound
Jul. 31, 1926 — Feb. 12, 2021
*
milford graves
Drummer, scientist, educator and improvisor who mapped the music of the heart
Aug. 20, 1941 — Feb. 12, 2021
*
johnny pacheco
Co-founder of Fania Records, which revolutionized the sound of Cuban dance music in the 1970s
Mar. 25, 1935 — Feb. 15, 2021
*
ketchy the great
LA rapper who came up in the underground scene, best known as a member of the Stinc Team
Apr. 19, 1994 — Feb. 15, 2021
*
u-roy
Jamaican dancehall icon who had an enormous influence on early rap
Sept. 21, 1942 — Feb. 17, 2021
*
prince markie dee
Member of the Fat Boys who brought beatboxing to the masses
Feb. 19, 1968 — Feb. 18, 2021
*
james burke
"O-o-h Child" singer and member of the Five Stairsteps
1950 — Feb. 19, 2021
*
ralph peterson jr.
Drummer, bandleader and composer who re-enlivened hard bop
May 20, 1962 — Mar. 1, 2021
*
bunny wailer
Singer, songwriter and reggae monarch who brought roots reggae to an international stage
Apr. 10, 1947 — Mar. 2, 2021
*
barbara ess
No Wave musician, toy-instrument virtuoso, zine-maker and pinhole camera auteur
Apr. 4, 1944 — Mar. 4, 2021
*
michael stanley
Leader of Cleveland's Michael Stanley Band and quintessential heartland rocker
Mar. 25, 1948 — Mar. 5, 2021
*
lou ottens
Philips engineer who invented the cassette tape
Jun. 21, 1926 — Mar. 6, 2021
*
james levine
Supremely gifted conductor and former maestro of the Metropolitan Opera whose career collapsed after allegations of sexual misconduct
Jun. 23, 1943 — Mar. 9, 2021
*
jimmie morales
Prolific Puerto Rican percussionist and salsa hero
Sept. 10, 1957 — Mar. 16, 2021
*
freddie redd
Jazz pianist and composer who scored the play The Connection
May 29, 1928 — Mar. 17, 2021
*
paul jackson
Bassist for Herbie Hancock's Headhunters who helped propel the group to the furthest reaches of rapturous jazz-funk
Mar. 28, 1947 — Mar. 18, 2021
*
buddy deppenschmidt
Drummer and educator whose work brought bossa nova into the mainstream
Feb. 16, 1936 — Mar. 20, 2021
*
malcolm cecil
Pioneering producer whose analog synthesizer transformed music
Jan. 9, 1937 — Mar. 28, 2021
*
B.B. dickerson
Founder and bassist for legendary funk group War
Aug. 3, 1949 — Apr. 2, 2021
*
victor paz
The most sought-after big band lead trumpeter of his time
Aug. 30, 1932 — Apr. 3, 2021
*
sonny simmons
Saxophonist and crucial voice in one of jazz's most innovative eras
Aug. 4, 1933 — Apr. 6, 2021
*
wayne peterson
Composer who won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1992 for his composition "The Face of the Night, the Heart of the Dark"
Sept. 3, 1927 — Apr. 7, 2021
*
dmx
Legendary rapper whose confessional, grounded songs made him a voice of his generation
Dec. 18, 1970 — Apr. 9, 2021
*
black rob
Former Bad Boy Records rapper known forhis signature 2000 song "Whoa!"
Jun. 8, 1968 — Apr. 17, 2021
*
jim steinman
"Lord of Excess" and writer of operatic power ballads for Meat Loaf and Bonnie Tyler
Nov. 1, 1947 — Apr. 19, 2021
*
les mckeown
Prolific performer and singer for Scotland's Bay City Rollers
Nov. 12, 1955 — Apr. 20, 2021
*
shock g
Introspective and party-starting songwriter, rapper andleader of Bay Area collective Digital Underground
Aug. 25, 1963 — Apr. 22, 2021
*
milva
One of Italy's most enduring pop divas
Jul. 17, 1939 — Apr. 23, 2021
*
christa ludwig
Warm-voiced German mezzo-soprano who mastered opera and art song
Mar. 16, 1928 — Apr. 24, 2021
*
bob fass
Host of New York City radio show Radio Unnameable, which served as a megaphone for the emerging 1960s counterculture
Jun. 29, 1933 — Apr. 24, 2021
*
al schmitt
Recording engineer known for his exquisite ear, warmth and fastidiousness
Apr. 17, 1930 — Apr. 26, 2021
*
martin bookspan
Radio broadcaster, critic and former "voice of the New York Philharmonic"
Jul. 30, 1926 — Apr. 29, 2021
*
ed ward
Incisive former critic, editor for Rolling Stone and longtime contributor to WHYY's Fresh Air
Nov. 2, 1948 — May 2021
*
lloyd price
Singer-songwriter and early rock and roll star
Mar. 9, 1933 — May 3, 2021
*
pervis staples
Founding member of The Staple Singers
Nov. 18, 1935 — May 6, 2021
*
curtis fuller
Leading trombonist and composer of jazz's Detroit wave
Dec. 15, 1932 — May 8, 2021
*
bob koester
Producer, record store owner and founder of Delmark Records
Oct. 30, 1932 — May 12, 2021
*
norman simmons
Pianist, composer and educator whose jazz career spanned more than 65 years
Oct. 6, 1929 — May 13, 2021
*
mario pavone
Bassist, versatile composer and key figure in the Connecticut jazz educational scene
Nov. 11, 1940 — May 15, 2021
*
alix dobkin
Folk-singer and lesbian activist
Aug. 16, 1940 — May 19, 2021
*
chi modu
Photographer of some of the most enduring images in hip-hop
Jul. 7, 1966 — May 19, 2021
*
roger hawkins
Drummer and co-founderof Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
Oct. 16, 1945 — May 20, 2021
*
john davis
Unseen vocalist for lip-syncing, Grammy-winning, Grammy-forfeiting duo Milli Vanilli
Aug. 31, 1954 — May 24, 2021
*
b.j. thomas
Singer known for hits "I Just Can't Help Believing" and "Hooked on a Feeling"
Aug. 7, 1942 — May 29, 2021
*
gift of gab
Co-founder and emcee for legendary hip-hop group Blackalicious
Oct. 7, 1970 — Jun. 18, 2021
*
jeanne lamon
Violinist and conductor who offered historically informed performances of centuries-old music
Aug. 14, 1949 — Jun. 20, 2021
*
gianna rolandi
Acclaimed American soprano for the New York City Opera
Aug. 16, 1952 — Jun. 20, 2021
*
jon hassell
Trumpeter, composer and ethnomusicologist
Mar. 22, 1937 — Jun. 26, 2021
*
frederic rzewski
Politically minded American composer and pianist acclaimed for variations based on a Chilean protest song
Apr. 13, 1938 — Jun. 26, 2021
*
louis andriessen
Dutch composer of propulsive music which embraced jazz, minimalism and politics
Jun. 6, 1939 — Jul. 1, 2021
*
rick laird
Founding bassist of the Mahavishnu Orchestra
Feb. 5, 1941 — Jul. 4, 2021
*
raffaelLa carrà
Singer, actor and "the queen" of Italian television
Jun. 18, 1943 — Jul. 5, 2021
*
djivan gasparyan
Armenian musician and composer beloved by rock stars and Hollywood
Oct. 12, 1928 — Jul. 5, 2021
*
juini booth
Acclaimed jazz bassist and member of the Sun Ra Arkestra
Feb. 12, 1948 — Jul. 11, 2021
*
biz markie
Rapper and "clown prince" of hip-hop
Apr. 8, 1964 — Jul. 16, 2021
*
robby steinhardt
Violinist and vocalist for Kansas
May 25, 1950 — Jul. 17, 2021
*
jerry granelli
Drummer heard on Vince Guaraldi Trio's iconic Peanuts soundtracks
Dec. 30, 1940 — Jul. 20, 2021
*
peter rehberg
Electronic artist and co-founder of the Editions Mego record label
Jun. 29, 1968 — Jul. 22, 2021
*
patricia kennealy-morrison
One of the first woman rock critics, handfasted wife of Jim Morrison
Mar. 4, 1946 — Jul. 23, 2021
*
joey jordison
Drummer and founding member of Slipknot
Apr. 26, 1975 — Jul. 26, 2021
*
dusty hill
Bassist for the enduring Texas blues rock band ZZ Top
May 19, 1949 — Jul. 27, 2021
*
johnny ventura
Beloved Dominican merengue star and former mayor of Santo Domingo
Mar. 8, 1940 — Jul. 28, 2021
*
jacob desvarieux
Guitarist and singer for groundbreaking zouk band Kassav'
Nov. 21, 1955 — Jul. 30, 2021
*
charles connor
Longtime drummer for Little Richard
Jan. 14, 1935 — Jul. 31, 2021
*
kelli hand
Best known as K-Hand, a prolific producer and house music pioneer recognized as the "First Lady of Detroit"
Sept. 15, 1964 — Aug. 3, 2021
*
paul johnson
Producer, DJ and Chicago house music legend
Jan. 11, 1971 — Aug. 4, 2021
*
dennis "dee tee" thomas
Saxophonist and founding member of Kool & the Gang
Feb. 9, 1951 — Aug. 7, 2021
*
walter yetnikoff
Former president of CBS Records who championed stars including Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen
Aug. 11, 1933 — Aug. 9, 2021
*
chucky thompson
Super-producer and architect of hip-hop soul
Jul. 12, 1968 — Aug. 9, 2021
*
pil trafa
Frontman of Argentine punk group Los Violadores, one of the most celebrated groups from South America's underground scene.
1959 — Aug. 13, 2021
*
nanci griffith
Folk-singer known for her crystalline voice and literary songwriting
July 6, 1953 — Aug. 13, 2021
*
r. murray schafer
Experimental Canadian composer of music that explored connections between sound, humans and nature
Jul. 18, 1933 — Aug. 14, 2021
*
squeak
DJ and producer for Pivot Gang, the West Side Chicago hip-hop collective
Sept. 20, 1994 — Aug. 16, 2021
*
michael morgan
Versatile American conductor and longtime music director of the Oakland Symphony
Sept. 17, 1957 — Aug. 20, 2021
*
larry harlow
Iconic salsa musician, producer and activist
Mar. 20, 1939 — Aug. 20, 2021
*
tom t. hall
Country music storyteller responsible for "Harper Valley PTA"
May 25, 1936 — Aug. 20, 2021
*
bill emerson
Celebrated banjoist and co-founder of The Country Gentlemen
Jan. 22, 1938 — Aug. 21, 2021
*
don everly
Half of rock and roll's pioneering duoThe Everly Brothers
Feb. 1, 1937 — Aug. 21, 2021
*
charlie watts
Rolling Stonestimekeeper for nearly 60 years
Jun. 2, 1941 — Aug. 24, 2021
*
lee "scratch" perry
Prolific reggae artist and producer who reimagined what a mix could be
Mar. 20, 1936 — Aug. 29, 2021
*
mikis theodorakis
Greek composer, activist, politician and creator of music for the film Zorba the Greek
Jul. 29, 1925 — Sept. 2, 2021
*
alemayehu eshete
Celebrated Ethiopian pop artist
June 1941 — Sept. 2, 2021
*
sarah harding
Member of English pop group Girls Aloud
Nov. 17, 1981 — Sept. 5, 2021
*
ralph irizarry
Master timbalero and Latin jazz bandleader
Jul. 18, 1954 — Sept. 5, 2021
*
carmen balthrop
American soprano and star of Scott Joplin's Treemonisha, who once sang before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee
May 14, 1948 — Sept. 5, 2021
*
susan anway
Early vocalist for The Magnetic Fields
Jan. 9, 1951 — Sept. 5, 2021
*
carl bean
Archbishop, AIDS activist and pioneer in the LGBTQ religious movement
May 26, 1944 — Sept. 7, 2021
*
phil schaap
Leading American jazz scholar and evangelist
Apr. 8, 1951 — Sept. 7, 2021
*
tino contreras
Iconic Mexican jazz drummer
Apr. 3, 1924 — Sept. 9, 2021
*
george wein
Co-founder of the Newport Jazz Festival and lifelong supporter of where jazz was headed
Oct. 3, 1925 — Sept. 13, 2021
*
george mraz
Czech bass virtuoso with a prolific jazz career
Sept. 9, 1944 — Sept. 16, 2021
*
dottie dodgion
Swinging drummer with a groundbreaking career
Sept. 23, 1929 — Sept. 17, 2021
*
sarah dash
Singer and co-founder of the group Labelle
Aug. 18, 1945 — Sept. 20, 2021
*
melvin van peeBles
Filmmaker, musician, actor and godfatherof Black cinema
Aug. 21, 1932 — Sept. 21, 2021
*
julz sale
Singer and guitarist for British post-punk band Delta 5
May 24, 1958 — Sept 21, 2021
*
richard h. kirk
Electronic musician and founding member of Cabaret Voltaire
Mar. 21, 1956 — Sept. 21, 2021
*
pee wee ellis
Soulful saxophonist who sharpened the sounds of James Brown and Van Morrison
Apr. 21, 1941 — Sept. 23, 2021
*
george frayne
Commander Cody of the Lost Planet Airmen, whose exuberant psychedelic roots excavations helped define country rock
Jul. 19, 1944 — Sept. 26, 2021
*
dr. lonnie smith
NEA Jazz Master known for his dynamism and wizardry on the Hammond B3 organ
Jul. 3, 1942 — Sept. 28, 2021
*
mike renzi
Jazz pianist who accompanied many of the genre's greats
Apr. 28, 1941 — Sept. 28, 2021
*
carlisle floyd
American composer of lyrical operas steeped in the lore of the south
Jun. 11, 1926 — Sept. 30, 2021
*
raymond gniewek
Violinist and concertmaster for the Metropolitan Opera orchestra for 43 years
Nov. 13, 1931 — Oct. 1, 2021
*
paddy moloney
Co-founder of the Irish folk band The Chieftains
Aug. 1, 1938 — Oct. 12, 2021
*
ronnie tutt
Prolific drummer for artists including Elvis Presley and Neil Diamond
Mar. 12, 1938 — Oct. 16, 2021
*
edita gruberova
Slovak soprano whose stratospheric high notes and supreme vocal agility graced European stages for half a century
Dec. 23, 1946 — Oct. 18, 2021
*
leslie bricusse
Songwriter and composer for movies including Goldfinger and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Jan. 29, 1931 — Oct. 19, 2021
*
tommy debarge
Member of funky R&B group Switch
Sept. 5, 1957 — Oct. 21, 2021
*
bernard haitink
Dutch conductor who prized thoughtful music making over showboating and glamour
Mar. 4, 1929 — Oct. 21, 2021
*
jay black
Lead singer for the 1960s pop group Jay and the Americans
Nov. 2, 1938 — Oct. 22, 2021
*
sonny osborne
Bluesgrass musician, banjo player and one half of the Osborne Brothers
Oct. 29, 1937 — Oct. 24, 2021
*
pat martino
Jazz guitarist revered forhis speed and fluid precision
Aug. 25, 1944 — Nov. 1, 2021
*
nelson freire
Brazilian piano virtuoso
Oct. 18, 1944 — Nov. 1, 2021
*
ronnie wilson
Multi-instrumentalist and founding member of R&B funk group The Gap Band
Apr. 7, 1948 — Nov. 2, 2021
*
Marília Mendonça
Passionate Brazilian pop singer
Jul. 22, 1995 — Nov. 5, 2021
*
astro
Founding member of reggae band UB40
Jun. 24, 1957 — Nov. 6, 2021
*
graeme edge
Drummer and co-founder of The Moody Blues
Mar. 30, 1941 — Nov. 11, 2021
*
young dolph
Memphis rapper who uplifted collaborators and fans
Jul. 27, 1985 — Nov. 17, 2021
*
dave frishberg
Jazz pianist, singer and witty songwriter for Schoolhouse Rock!
Mar. 23, 1933 — Nov. 17, 2021
*
mick rock
Rock photographer who captured countless iconic images of artists including David Bowie and Lou Reed
Nov. 21, 1948 — Nov. 18, 2021
*
slide hampton
Atruly original trombonist, arranger and composer
Apr. 21, 1932 — Nov. 18, 2021
*
joanne shenandoah
Native American multi-instrumentalist, singer and composer
Jun. 23, 1957 — Nov. 22, 2021
*
gared o'donnell
Singer and guitarist for Planes Mistaken for Stars
Dec. 19, 1976 — Nov. 24, 2021
*
stephen sondheim
Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Broadway legend
Mar. 22, 1930 — Nov. 26, 2021
*
alvin lucier
American experimental composer whose music changed the way we think about sound
May 14, 1931 — Dec. 1, 2021
*
stonewall jackson
Country music veteran and, at the time of his death, the most senior member of the Grand Ole Opry after 65 years
Nov. 6, 1932 — Dec. 4, 2021
*
greg tate
Essential music writer, critic and journalist who chronicled Black culture
Oct. 14, 1957 — Dec. 7, 2021
*
barry harris
Beloved jazz pianist who carefully preserved the language of bebop
Dec. 15, 1929 — Dec. 8, 2021
*
slim 400
Compton rapper known for his frequent collabs with YG
Jun. 21, 1987 — Dec. 8, 2021
*
robbie shakespeare
Legendary reggae bassist of Sly & Robbie
Sept. 27, 1953 — Dec. 8, 2021
*
michael nesmith
Musician, producer, member of The Monkees and much more
Dec. 30, 1942 — Dec. 10, 2021
*
steve bronski
Founding member of British synth-pop group Bronski Beat
Feb. 7, 1960 — Dec. 7, 2021
*
vicente Fernández
An icon of traditional Mexican music whose voice became synonymous with Mexico itself
Feb. 17, 1940 — Dec. 12, 2021
*
wanda young
Marvelettes singer of "Please Mr. Postman" fame
Aug. 9, 1943 — Dec. 15, 2021
*
leonard hubbard
Bassist and founding member of The Roots
1959 — Dec. 16, 2021
*
kangol kid
Early New York City hip-hop pioneer and member of UTFO
Aug. 10, 1966 — Dec. 18, 2021
*
drakeo the ruler
A critically acclaimed force in West Coast rap
Dec. 1, 1993 — Dec. 18, 2021
*
j.d. crowe
Adventurous banjo expert, whose work with The New South cleared new paths for bluegrass
Aug. 27, 1937 — Dec. 24, 2021
*
janice long
Groundbreaking broadcaster who helped launch Amy Winehouse, Frankie Goes To Hollywood and The La's
Apr. 5, 1955 — Dec. 25, 2021
*
sandra jaffe
Co-founder of Preservation Hall, essential New Orleans jazz venue and cultural center
Mar. 10, 1938 — Dec. 27, 2021
*
Will Chase, Susie Cummings, Sarah Knight, Candice Vo Kortkamp and Barclay Walsh contributed research to support this story.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDM3NjYwMjA5MDE1MjA1MzQ1NDk1N2ZmZQ004))
