The following is a list of important musicians that made significant contributions to music, that we have lost over the years. Lost, but not forgotten.
1929:
- Blind Lemon Jefferson: 36
1938:
- Robert Johnson: 27
1945:
- Blind Willie Johnson: 48
1949:
- Leadbelly: 61
1953:
- Hank Williams: 29
1959:
- The Big Bopper: 28
- Buddy Holly: 22
- Ritchie Valens: 17
1967:
- Brian Epstein (The Beatles’ Manager): 32
- John Coltrane: 40
- Otis Redding: 26
1969:
- Brian Jones (The Rolling Stones): 27
1970:
- Janis Joplin (Solo, Big Brother & The Holding Company): 27
- Jimi Hendrix (The Jimi Hendrix Experience): 27
1971:
- Duane Allman (Allman Brothers Band): 24
- Jim Morrison (The Doors): 27
1973:
- Gram Parsons (Solo, The Flying Burrito Bros.): 26
- Ron “Pigpen” McKernan (Grateful Dead): 27
1974:
- Nick Drake: 26
1975:
- Dave Alexander (The Stooges): 27
- Pete Ham (Badfinger): 27
- Tim Buckley: 28
1976:
- Howlin’ Wolf: 65
1977:
- Elvis Presley: 42
- Marc Bolan (T. Rex): 29
- Ronie Van Zant (Lynyrd Skynyrd): 29
1978:
- Chris Bell (Solo, Big Star): 27
- Keith Moon (The Who): 32
1979:
- Charles Mingus: 56
- Sid Vicious (Sex Pistols): 21
1980:
- Bon Scott (AC/DC): 33
- Ian Curtis (Joy Division): 23
- John Bonham (Led Zeppelin): 32
- John Lennon (Solo, The Beatles): 40
1981:
- Bob Marley (The Wailers): 36
1982:
- Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot): 25
1983:
- Dennis Wilson (Solo, The Beach Boys): 39
- Muddy Waters: 70
1984:
- Marvin Gaye: 44
1985:
- D. Boon (Minutemen): 27
- Ian Stewart (The Rolling Stones): 47
1986:
- Cliff Burton (Metallica): 24
- Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy): 36
- Richard Manuel (The Band): 42
1987:
- Peter Tosh (The Wailers): 42
1988:
- Hillel Slovak (Red Hot Chili Peppers): 26
- Nico (Solo, The Velvet Underground): 49
- Roy Orbison (Solo, The Traveling Wilburys): 52
1990:
- Andrew Wood (Mother Love Bone): 24
- Sammy Davis Jr.: 64
- Steve Clark (Def Leppard): 30
- Stevie Ray Vaughan (Steveie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, David Bowie): 35
- Tom Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival): 48
1991:
- Eric Carr (KISS): 41
- Freddie Mercury (Solo, Queen): 45
- Gene Clark (Solo, The Byrds): 46
- Johnny Thunders (New York Dolls): 38
- Miles Davis: 65
1992:
- Eddie Hazel (Funkadelic): 42
- Jerry Nolan (New York Dolls): 45
- Willie Dixon: 76
1993:
- Frank Zappa (Solo, The Mothers Of Invention): 52
- Mick Ronson (Solo, David Bowie): 46
1994:
- Harry Nilsson: 52
- Kurt Cobain (Nirvana): 27
1995:
- Eazy-E (N.W.A): 30
- Jerry Garcia (Grateful Dead): 53
- Sterling Morrison (The Velvet Underground): 53
1996:
- Bradley Nowell (Sublime): 28
- Ella Fitzgerald: 79
- Tupac Shakur (2Pac): 25
1997:
- Jeff Buckley: 30
- The Notorious B.I.G.: 24
1998:
- Carl Wilson (The Beach Boys): 51
- Cozy Powell (Black Sabbath, Rainbow): 50
- Frank Sinatra: 82
- Linda McCartney (Wings): 56
- Wendy O. Williams (Plasmatics): 48
1999:
- Curtis Mayfield: 57
- Rick Danko (The Band): 55
2000:
- Benjamin Orr (The Cars): 53
2001:
- Chuck Schuldiner (Death): 34
- George Harrison (Solo, The Beatles, The Traveling Wilburys): 58
- Joey Ramone (Ramones): 49
- John Lee Hooker: 83
2002:
- Dee Dee Ramone (Ramones): 50
- Joe Strummer (The Clash): 50
- John Entwistle (The Who): 57
- Layne Stayley (Alice In Chains): 34
- Waylon Jennings (Solo, Highwaymen): 64
2003:
- Barry White: 58
- Elliott Smith: 34
- Johnny Cash (Solo, The Highwaymen): 71
- Nina Simone: 70
- Noel Redding (The Jimi Hendrix Experience): 57
2004:
- Arthur Kane (New York Dolls): 55
- Dimebag Darrell (Pantera, Damageplan): 38
- Johnny Ramone (Ramones): 55
- Ray Charles: 73
- Rick James: 56
2005:
- Jim Capaldi (Traffic): 60
- Luther Vandross: 54
2006:
- Arthur Lee (Love): 61
- Billy Preston: 59
- Boz Burrell (King Crimson, Bad Company): 60
- James Brown: 73
- Syd Barrett (Pink Floyd): 60
2007:
- Brad Delp (Boston): 55
- Ike Turner: 76
2008:
- Bo Diddley: 79
- Buddy Miles: 60
- Isaac Hayes: 65
- Klaus Dinger (NEU!): 61
- Mitch Mitchell (The Jimi Hendrix Experience): 62
- Richard Wright (Pink Floyd): 65
2009:
- Michael Jackson: 50
- Lux Interior (The Cramps): 62
- Ron Asheton (The Stooges): 60
2010:
- Alex Chilton (Big Star): 59
- Captain Beefheart (Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band): 69
- Ronnie James Dio (Dio, Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Heaven & Hell): 67
2011:
- Amy Winehouse: 27
2012:
- Adam Yauch/MCA (Beastie Boys): 47
- Jon Lord (Deep Purple): 71
- Levon Helm (The Band): 71
- Whitney Houston: 48
2013:
- Chi Cheng (Deftones): 42
- Jeff Hanneman (Slayer): 49
- Lou Reed (Solo, The Velvet Underground): 71
- Ray Manzarek (The Doors): 74
- Storm Thorgerson (Graphic Designer): 69
2014:
- Scott Asheton (The Stooges): 64
- Tommy Ramone (Ramones): 65
2015:
- B.B. King: 89
- Chris Squire (Yes): 67
- Lemmy Kilmister (Motörhead): 70
- Phil Taylor (Motörhead): 61
- Scott Weiland (Solo, Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver): 48
2016:
- Bernie Worrell (Parliament-Funkadelic): 72
- David Bowie: 69
- George Martin (Producer): 90
- George Michael (Solo, Wham!): 53
- Glenn Frey (Solo, Eagles): 67
- Keith Emerson (Emerson, Lake & Palmer): 71
- Leonard Cohen: 82
- Greg Lake (Emerson, Lake & Palmer): 69
- Phife Dawg (A Tribe Called Quest): 45
- Prince (Solo, Prince & The Revolution): 57
2017:
- John Wetton (King Crimson, Asia): 67
- Chuck Berry: 90
- Chris Cornell (Solo, Soundgarden, Temple Of The Dog, Audioslave): 52
- Chester Bennington (Linkin Park, Stone Temple Pilots): 41
- Gregg Allman (Allman Brothers Band): 69
- Walter Becker (Steely Dan): 67
- Tom Petty (Solo, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers): 66
- Fast Domino: 89
- Malcolm Young (AC/DC): 64
2018:
- Aretha Franklin: 76
- Eddie Clarke (Motörhead): 67
- Vinnie Paul Abbott (Pantera, Damageplan, Hellyeah): 54
2019:
- Dick Dale: 81
- Ginger Baker (Cream, Blind Faith): 80
- Ric Ocasek (The Cars, Producer): 75
- Scott Walker: 76
2020:
- Andy Gill (Gang Of Four): 64
- Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen): 65
- Florian Schneider (Kraftwerk): 73
- Little Richard: 87
- MF DOOM (Solo, Madvillain): 49
- Neil Peart (Rush): 67
2021:
- Bunny Wailer (The Wailers): 73
- Dusty Hill (ZZ Top): 72
- Sylvain Sylvain (New York Dolls): 69
2022:
- Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac): 79
- Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, Queens Of The Stone Age): 57
- Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters): 50
2023:
- Andy Rourke (The Smiths): 59
- Burt Bacharach: 94
- David Crosby (Solo, The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young): 81
- Gary Rossington (Lynyrd Skynyrd): 71
- Gordon Lightfoot: 84
- Jeff Beck (Solo, The Yardbirds, The Jeff Beck Group): 78
- Jimmy Buffett: 76
- Randy Meisner (Eagles): 77
- Robbie Robertson (The Band): 80
- Sixto Rodriguez: 81
- Shane McGowan (The Pogues): 65
- Sinéad O’Connor: 56
- Steve Mackey (Pulp): 66
- Tina Turner: 83
- Tom Verlaine (Solo, Television): 73
- Tony Bennett: 96
2024:
- Damo Suzuki (CAN): 74
- Kris Kristofferson (Solo, Highwaymen): 88
- Paul Di’Anno (Iron Maiden): 66
- Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead): 84
- Quincy Jones (Producer): 91
- Steve Albini (Big Black, Producer): 61
- Wayne Kramer (MC5): 75
2025:
- Ace Frehley (Solo, KISS): 74
- Brent Hinds (Mastodon): 51
- Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys): 82
- D’Angelo: 51
- Dave Allen (Gang Of Four): 69
- David Johansen (New York Dolls): 75
- David Lynch (Solo, Film Director): 78
- Garth Hudson (The Band): 87
- Gary “Mani” Mounfield (The Stone Roses): 63
- Jimmy Cliff: 81
- Marianne Faithfull: 78
- Ozzy Osbourne: 76
- Perry Bamonte (The Cure): 65
- Sly Stone (Sly & The Family Stone): 82
* Bolded names are members of the 27 Club
