Musicians Who Died in 1990

Publish date: 2024-08-21

1990 Calendar

Feb 8 Del Shannon [Charles Westover], American rock musician and songwriter ("Runaway"), commits suicide at 55
Feb 14 Tony Holiday, German singer, dies of complications from AIDS at 38
Feb 24 Johnnie Ray, American singer (Cry), dies of liver failure at 61
Feb 26 Cornell Gunther, American musician (The Coasters - "Poison Ivy"), dies at 53
Feb 26 Scott Jarvis, American theatrical actor and singer (1776; Here's Where I Belong), dies of AIDS at 48
Mar 13 Karl Münchinger, German conductor (Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, 1945-87), dies at 74
Mar 16 Ernst Bacon, American composer, dies at 91
Mar 17 Rick Grech, British musician (Blind Faith, Traffic), dies at 44
Mar 18 Robin Harris, American comedian and actor (House Party, Mo' Better Blues), dies of a heart attack at 36
Mar 19 Andrew Wood, American singer (Mother Love Bone) (b. 1966)
Mar 22 Alexander Chugayev, Soviet Russian composer, dies at 66
Mar 23 Al Sears, American jazz and R&B saxophonist (Duke Elllington Orchestra; Johnny Hodges - "Castle Rock"), dies at 80
Apr 3 Sarah Vaughan, American jazz and pop singer ("Body and Soul; "Broken Hearted Melody"), often known as "Sassy" and "The Divine One", dies of lung cancer at 66
Apr 14 Thurston Harris, American pop vocalist (The Sharps, Little Bitty Pretty One), dies of a heart attack at 58
Apr 25 Dexter Gordon, American jazz tenor saxophonist Go!; The Other Side of 'Round Midnight), and actor ('Round Midnight), dies of kidney failure at 67
Apr 29 Floyd Butler, American soul singer (Friends of Distinction - "Grazin' in the Grass"), dies of a heart attack at 52
May 2 William L. Dawson, American choir director, composer (Negro Folk Symphony), educator, and musicologist, dies at 90
May 8 Luigi Nono, Italian avant-garde composer (Intolleranza), dies at 66
May 9 Patrick Piggott, British pianist, composer, and musicologist (The Life & Music of John Field; The Innocent Diversion - Music in the Life and Writings of Jane Austen), dies at 74
May 14 Andre Ameller, French double bassist (Paris Opéra, 1937-53), conductor, composer, and educator (École Nationale de Musique - Dijon, 1953-81), dies at 78

May 16 American vaudeville, stage, and screen dancer, singer ("The Candy Man"), actor (Ocean's 11), and Rat Pack member, dies of throat cancer at 64

May 17 Frank Wright, American free jazz saxophonist, dies at 54
May 28 Julius Eastman, American pianist, vocalist, and minimalist composer (The Holy Presence of Joan d'Arc; Gay Guerrilla), dies of cardiac arrest at 49
Jun 2 Walter Davis Jr., American hard bop pianist (Davis Cup, Illumination), dies of liver and kidney disease at 57
Jun 3 Stiv Bators [Steven Bator], American punk rock singer and guitarist (The Dead Boys; The Lords of the New Church), dies from brain injury after being struck by a car in Paris, at 40
Jun 5 Jim Hodder, American drummer, and singer (Steely Dan, 1972-74), drowns in his home swimming pool at 42
Jun 7 Barbara Baxley, American stage and screen actress and singer (Norma Rae; Nashville; Countdown), dies of a heart attack at 67
Jun 11 Clyde McCoy, American jazz trumpeter ("Sugar Blues"; the wah-wah sound), bandleader and co-founder of "Down Beat" magazin, dies at 86
Jun 14 Erna Berger, German lyric soprano, and voice teacher, dies at 89
Jun 15 Carlo Prosperi, Italian composer, dies at 69
Jun 16 Eva Turner, British operatic soprano, dies at 98
Jun 19 Antonio Martinez, Spanish rock guitarist (Los Bravos - "Black Is Black", dies in a motorcycle accident at 44
Jun 21 June Christy, American jazz singer (Tampico), dies at 64
Jun 25 Peggy Glanville-Hicks, Australian composer (Triad), dies at 77
Jun 30 Dudu Pukwana [Mtutuzel], South African saxophonist and composer, dies at 51
Jul 2 Snooky Lanson [Roy Landman], American singer (Your Hit Parade; 5 Star Jubilee), dies at 76
Jul 7 Cazuza, Brazilian poet, singer and composer, dies at 32
Jul 15 Troy Dixon, American rapper (Trouble T-Roy of Heavy D), dies at 22 of a fall
Jul 16 Sidney Torch, English composer, conductor and theater organist, dies from an intentional medication overdose at 82
Jul 18 Gerry Boulet, French Canadian rock singer (Offenbach; Rendez-vous doux), dies of colon cancer at 44
Jul 22 Otmar Nussio, Swiss conductor and composer (Boccaccio Suite), dies at 87
Jul 23 Joe Turner, American jazz pianist, dies of cardiac arrest at 82
Jul 23 Robert Sommer, singer, dies of liver failure at 42
Jul 26 Brent Mydland, American rock keyboardist and vocalist (Grateful Dead - "Hell In A Bucket"; "I Will Take You Home"), dies of a cocaine and morphine "speedball" overdose at 38
Jul 27 Bobby Day [Robert Byrd], American rock musician (Rockin' Robin), dies of cancer at 58
Aug 8 Andrzej Dobrowolski, Polish classical and experimental composer, dies at 68
Aug 12 Piotr Perkowski, Polish composer, dies at 89
Aug 14 Chester Zardis, American jazz 'slap-style' double-bassist, dies at 90
Aug 15 Lew DeWitt, American country singer and composer (Statler Brothers - "Flowers on the Wall"), dies of Crohn's disease complications at 52
Aug 15 Viktor Tsoi, Russian rock singer-songwriter (Kino), dies in a car accident at 28
Aug 17 Pearl Bailey, American Tony and Emmy Award-winning stage and screen actress, singer and dancer (Hello, Dolly!), dies of a heart attack at 72
Aug 18 Grethe Ingmann (née Clemmensen), Danish pop singer (Eurovision, 1963), dies of cancer at 52
Aug 22 "Boogie" Bill Webb, American Louisiana blues and R&B guitarist, singer and songwriter ("Bad Dog"), dies at 66
Aug 23 David Rose, American Emmy Award-winning composer ("The Stripper"; "Holiday For Strings"), and orchestra leader (The Red Skelton Show), dies at 80
Aug 26 Roh Ogura, Japanese composer and writer, dies at 74

Aug 27 American blues guitarist (Texas Flood; "Pride And Joy"; David Bowie - "Let's Dance"), dies in a helicopter crash at 35

Aug 28 Pamela Harrison, British concert pianist and composer, dies at 74

Sep 14 Wime de Craene, Flemish singer and composer, dies at 40
Sep 16 Steve Condos, tap dancer, dies of a heart attack at 71
Sep 19 Werner Janssen, American conductor and composer (New Years Eve in NY), dies at 91
Sep 27 Matvey Isaakovich Blanter, Russian-Soviet composer of popular songs and film music ("Katyusha"), dies at 87
Oct 1 Andrzej Krzanowski, Polish classical composer and accordionist (The Wind Carries the Echo Across a Wood Clearing), dies at 49
Oct 1 Phil Napoleon [Filippo Napoli] American early jazz trumpeter and bandleader (Original Memphis Five; Napoleon and HIs Emperors), dies at 89
Oct 3 Eleanor Steber, American soprano (Metropolitan Opera, 1940-66), dies following unsuccessful heart surgery at 76
Oct 8 B.J. Wilson, British session and touring rock drummer (Procol Harum, 1967-77; Joe Cocker), dies of a drug overdose complications and pneumonia at 43

Oct 14 American Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award-winning conductor (New York Philharmonic, 1958-69; Israel Philharmonic; London Symphony), and composer (West Side Story; Chichester Psalms), dies of a heart attack at 72

Oct 16 Art Blakey, American jazz drummer (Jazz Messengers), dies of cancer at 71
Oct 16 Jorge Bolet, Cuban-born American pianist known for his performances of the work of Franz Liszt, dies at 75
Oct 26 Guus Jansen, Dutch pianist, Hammond organist, and popular song composer ("Net als Toen" - Eurovison, 1957), dies at 79
Oct 27 Xavier Cugat, Spanish-American bandleader, dies at 90
Oct 28 Frankie Masters [Masterman], American banjo player, guitarist, vocalist, and big band bandleader ("Scatter-Brain"), dies at 86
Oct 29 Anthony Donato, America violinist, composer (The Hidden Fortress), pedagogue, and music writer (Preparing Music Manuscript), dies at 81
Nov 1 Ray Pohlman, American session upright and electric bass guitarist and arranger (The Wrecking Crew), and jazz guitarist, dies of heart failure at 60
Nov 5 Bobby Scott, American composer, arranger and jazz singer ("He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"), dies of cancer at 53
Nov 10 Ronnie Dyson, American stage actor (Hair - "Aquarius"; Salvation), and soul singer ("(If You Let Me Make Love to You Then) Why Can't I Touch You?"; "I Don't Wanna Cry"), dies of heart failure at 40
Nov 11 Lisa Kirk, American Broadway singer and actress (Kiss Me Kate), dies of lung cancer at 65
Nov 12 Nico Haak, Dutch singer (Foxy Foxtrot), dies
Nov 18 Peter Schilperoort, saxophonist/clarinetist, dies
Nov 24 Bulent Arel, Turkish-born electronic composer, dies at 72

Dec 6 Pavlos Sidiropoulos, Greek rock singer, songwriter and guitarist (Electric Theseus), dies from a heroin overdose at 42
Dec 7 Dee Clark, American pop singer ("Raindrops"), dies at 52
Dec 7 Peter Mieg, Swiss composer, dies at 84
Dec 8 Boris Kochno, Russian ballet dancer (La Chatte) and librettist, dies at 86
Dec 8 Pony Sherrell Metcalf, American singer, dies of heart attack at undisclosed age
Dec 18 Connie Russell, American singer (Club Embassy; Garroway at Large), dies at 67
Dec 18 Paul Tortelier, French concert cellist, composer, and teacher, dies at 76
Dec 19 Massimo Amfiteatrof [Maksim Amfiteatrov], Russian-Italian classical musician, known as 'the Cellists' Caruso', dies at 83
Dec 20 (William) Elmo Tanner, American big band singer, whistler (Ted Weems Orchestra - "Heartaches"), bandleader, and DJ, dies at 86
Dec 22 Cecil Effinger, American oboist, composer, and inventor of a music typewriter, dies at 76
Dec 28 Walter Burle Marx, Brazilian pianist and composer, dies at 88

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Musicians Who Died in 1990