July 3, 2026

Musicians and singers who died (July 2026)

vusleeper January 1, 2024

 

July 2026
  1. [03 July 2026] Alexi Cory-Smith, 58, British co-founder and CEO of Bella Figura Music
    Alexi Cory-Smith, co-founder and CEO of London-based catalog firm Bella Figura Music, and formerly an executive at BMG’s U.K. division, has died. She was 58. “We are devastated to announce the sudden and unexpected passing of our co-founder and CEO, Alexi Cory-Smith,” said a statement released on Friday (July 3) by Bella Figura, who manages the rights of evergreen hits like Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” and The Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me.” “Alexi built Bella Figura Music from the ground up, bringing the vision and passion from a successful career in the music industry. Her leadership, creativity, and unwavering commitment to our team and our work leaves a lasting legacy,” (source)
  2. [02 July 2026] Tommy Hunter, 89, Canadian country singer
    “Canada’s Country Gentleman” Tommy Hunter, the celebrated musician whose professional career spanned from the 1950s into the early 2010s, has died. The singer and guitarist died Thursday of natural causes, entertainment promoter and manager Brian Edwards confirmed to CBC News. Hunter was 89. Born on March 20, 1937, in London, Ont., Hunter got an early start as an entertainer. He began taking guitar lessons at around nine years old, which soon led to him booking gigs, playing in churches and eventually landing on the radio… (source)
  3. [02 July 2026] Abdel Rahim Arqi, 70, Tambour singer, illness
    Tambour artist Abdel Rahim Arqi passed away this morning (Thursday) in the city of Al-Dabba, Northern State, at the age of seventy, after a long battle with illness. Arqi was one of the singers who popularized tambour music from the Nile Bend region of the Northern State to other parts of Sudan. His album, “My Love for You Was My Impetus,” achieved record sales in the mid-1990s and was reprinted several times. He was particularly known for his song “I Forgive You and I Am Pleased with You.”(source)
  4. [01 July 2026] Dave Stimson, American music executive and writer, co-founder of Touch and Go Records
    Dave Stimson, co-founder of the pioneering ’80s hardcore punk zine, record label, and distribution company Touch & Go, has died. Stimson reportedly passed away Wednesday. Touch & Go’s Corey Rusk posted the news to the label’s Instagram account today along with a tribute to Stimson: Today is a sad day. Touch and Go co-founder Dave Stimson has passed away. I spent last night reminiscing and telling DS stories with Tesco. Bittersweet. Back in the Touch and Go Fanzine days, Tesco was the master of verbose storytelling. Although Dave was his linguistically minimalist counterpart, Dave could convey as much with a dry, condensed sentence as Tesco could in a full page.(source)
  5. [01 July 2026] Mykola Yanchenko (Микола Янченко), 66, Ukrainian composer and singer, accidental electrocution
    People’s Artist of Ukraine Mykola Yanchenko died at the age of 67. It happened on July 1. The sad news was reported by the musician’s friend Yuriy Melnyk. On his Facebook page, he expressed condolences to the artist’s family and told when and where the farewell to him would take place. You may also be interested in It was difficult: Ivo Bobul spoke for the first time about the reasons for his severe weight loss. Mykola Yanchenko died in the village of Stryzhavka near Vinnytsia. The tragedy occurred in the afternoon in his yard: the artist received a fatal electric shock in the swimming pool.(source)
  6. [01 July 2026] Shaun Glass, American bassist for Broken Hope and guitarist for Soil, stroke
    Shaun Glass, who initially found fame as the bassist of death metal band Broken Hope, before achieving further success with Soil, has passed away following a stroke. His former Soil bandmates posted the following message regarding his death: “We’d like to take a moment to say goodbye to our former guitarist Shaun Glass who passed away earlier today. Although we have been estranged and not on good terms since his departure in 2007, he was still an integral part of SOiL in the early years… (source)

 

June 2026
  1. [30 June 2026] Victor Willis, 74, American singer for Village People
    Victor Willis, the lead singer of the Village People who also co-wrote many of the group’s high-camp disco-era hits, including “Y.M.C.A.” and “Macho Man,” died on Monday. He was 74. The group announced his death in a statement posted to social media that said the cause was “a short but aggressive illness.” No further details were provided. The Village People became global stars in the 1970s by performing in the garb of sexualized male stereotypes, with Mr. Willis often wearing the uniform of a police officer (complete with helmet) or naval officer… (source)
  2. [30 June 2026] Daniel Melingo, 68, Argentine musician for Los Twist
    Musician Daniel Melingo was found dead in his apartment. A member of the bands Los Twist and Los Abuelos de la Nada in the 1980s, he later moved from rock to tango, gaining recognition in Europe with an influential album: *Tangos bajos*. Melingo’s body was discovered in his apartment by one of his children, *La Nación* confirmed through sources familiar with the discovery. “He was receiving palliative care at his home in Chacarita for a respiratory illness,” they clarified… (source)
  3. [30 June 2026] Tony Ndiema, Ohangla musician, illness
    Ohangla musician Tony Ndiema, born Anton Okoth Ochieng, is dead. According to a number of reports, the musician died on Tuesday, June 30, while undergoing treatment following a short illness. Ndiema was a vocalist and bandleader known for blending traditional Ohangla rhythms with contemporary influences. According to updates shared before his death, Ndiema’s condition had deteriorated significantly, leaving him unable to walk or speak… (source)
  4. [29 June 2026] Phyllis Kinney, 103, American-born British singer and author
  5. [29 June 2026] Antoinette Miggiani, 88, Maltese operatic soprano
  6. [29 June 2026] Dadi Yudistira, Indonesian musician
  7. [28 June 2026] Teruki Gotō, 43, Japanese musician and political activist
  8. [28 June 2026] Mignon Dunn, 98, American mezzo-soprano for Metropolitan Opera and voice teacher for Manhattan School of Music
  9. [28 June 2026] Ali Ideflawen, 69, Algerian singer
  10. [28 June 2026] Vlado Janevski, 65, Macedonian singer
  11. [27 June 2026] Raisa Mkrtchyan, 84, Armenian singer
  12. [27 June 2026] Thomas Fey, 65, German orchestral conductor, brain injury
  13. [26 June 2026] Günter Lenz, 87, German jazz bassist and composer
    Bassist, composer, and arranger Günter Lenz has died. He was a key figure in German jazz and was active for decades in the scene’s most important ensembles. Günter Lenz was born on July 25, 1938, in Frankfurt am Main. He initially played guitar but switched to the double bass during his military service in the late 1950s. Like many musicians of that era, he gained experience playing in jazz clubs, including those catering to the U.S. armed forces. In 1961, he joined Albert Mangelsdorff’s quintet; this collaboration became a defining chapter of his career… (source)
  14. [25 June 2026] Oshim Ottawa, Canadian actor and musician
  15. [24 June 2026] David Clayton-Thomas, 84, British-Canadian songwriter and singer for Blood, Sweat & Tears
    David Clayton-Thomas, the powerhouse Canadian singer who lifted American band Blood, Sweat & Tears to the heights of pop music success, including Grammy awards and one of the biggest selling albums of its time, has died. Clayton-Thomas, 84, died peacefully at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto on Wednesday, according to his publicist, Eric Alper. The cause of his death was not immediately clear… cbc
  16. [24 June 2026] Harold Wheeler, 82, American orchestrator and composer
  17. [24 June 2026] Tullio Možina, 91, Italian-born Slovene guitarist and singer
  18. [24 June 2026] Shapour Rahimi, 78, Iranian musician
  19. [23 June 2026] Azar Azima, 98, Iranian singer
  20. [23 June 2026] Jani Wickholm, 48, Finnish singer
  21. [22 June 2026] Clive Davis, 94, American record producer, and music executive for Columbia Records, founder of Arista Records
    Music executive, starmaker, and one of the most influential names in music, Clive Davis has passed away at the age of 94 at his home in Manhattan, following a recent hospitalization for respiratory problems, his family has confirmed. Beginning in the industry as a mid-level legal position at Columbia Records, the Brooklyn native rose to become one of the most important figures behind the scenes in music, helping sign and guide the careers of the likes of Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Barry Manilow and numerous others… wheartm
  22. [22 June 2026] Guesch Patti, 80, French singer
  23. [22 June 2026] Bára Tlučhořová, 37, Czech radio presenter
  24. [22 June 2026] Bruce Tull, 71, American guitarist and pedal-steel player for Scud Mountain Boys, brief illness (source)
  25. [21 June 2026] Noël Deschamps, 83, French singer
  26. [19 June 2026] Kirsti Sparboe, 79, Norwegian singer and actress
  27. [19 June 2026] Sir Emile Straker, 90, Barbadian singer for The Merrymen, complications from dementia
  28. [18 June 2026] Justin Cary, 50, American bass guitarist for Sixpence None the Richer, stroke
    Justin Cary, who played bass for Sixpence None the Richer, has died at just 50 years old. A GoFundMe set up in his honor revealed Justin recently suffered a serious stroke and was at a hospital in Albany… extratv
  29. [18 June 2026] Alex Bueno, 62, Dominican singer
  30. [18 June 2026] Tay Keith, 29, American record producer
  31. [18 June 2026] Akihiro Miwa, 91, Japanese singer and actor
  32. [17 June 2026] Teddie Beverley, 99, English singer for The Beverley Sisters
  33. [17 June 2026] Toney Lee, 72, American singer, songwriter and record producer
  34. [17 June 2026] Beau Williams, 76, American gospel singer, cancer
  35. [17 June 2026] Walter Parazaider, 81, American Hall of Fame woodwind musician for Chicago, Alzheimer’s disease
    Walter Parazaider, a founding member of the jazz-rock band Chicago whose saxophone provided the punch of “Just You ‘n’ Me” while his flute solo on “Colour My World” lent that song its romantic poignance, died of complications from Alzheimers disease died this morning, June 17, while in hospice care. He was 81… deadline
  36. [16 June 2026] Afsaneh Malek, 83, Iranian singer
  37. [16 June 2026] Bobby Prince, 81, American video game composer for Doom
  38. [15 June 2026] Fred Alexander, American drummer for Lakeside
  39. [15 June 2026] Abdullah Ibrahim, 91, South African jazz pianist for The Jazz Epistles and composer
  40. [14 June 2026] Dave Greenslade, 83, English composer and keyboardist for Colosseum)
  41. [14 June 2026] Ronell Johnson, 49, American trombonist for Preservation Hall Jazz Band, heart attack
  42. [14 June 2026] Lucas Frota, 27, Brazilian music producer, Rio de Janeiro mid-air collision
  43. [14 June 2026] Oliver Tree, 32, American singer-songwriter and rapper
  44. [13 June 2026] Annick Chartreux, 83, French composer
  45. [13 June 2026] Görel Hanser, 76, Swedish record company executive for Polar Music and talent manager
  46. [13 June 2026] Dee Palmer, 88, English , arranger, composer, and musician for Jethro Tull
    Dee Palmer, the classically trained composer and arranger whose orchestrations shaped the sound of Jethro Tull through the band’s most ambitious years, has died at the age of 88. She passed away on June 13 at her home in Shropshire, with family at her bedside, following a period of illness…. axs
  47. [12 June 2026] Frank Michael, 79, Italian-born Belgian singer, lung cancer
  48. [12 June 2026] Zack Roach, American guitarist for Senses Fail
  49. [12 June 2026] Oisín Daly, 38, Irish Musician, (details)
  50. [11 June 2026] Stranger Cole, 83, Jamaican singer
  51. [11 June 2026] Vladimir Sapozhnikov, 81, Russian composer, traffic collision
  52. [11 June 2026] Memiş Selciuc, 47, Romanian-Turkish saxophonist, heart attack
  53. [10 June 2026] Manu Lann Huel, 77, French singer-songwriter and poet
  54. [10 June 2026] Jan Málek, 88, Czech composer and music director
  55. [10 June 2026 ] Anthony Enriquez, 36, American country musician for Shotgun Rider (source)
  56. [09 June 2026] Bruno Turner, 95, British musicologist
  57. [09 June 2026] Ruth Watson Henderson, 93, Canadian composer and pianist
  58. [09 June 2026] Floyd Brown, 79, American country musician, cancer (source)
  59. [09 June 2026] Bill Cody, 67, American country musician, kidney and heart failure (source)
  60. [08 June 2026] Robert Greenidge, 76, Trinidadian steelpan player for Coral Reefer Band, stroke
  61. [08 June 2026] Helmut Nadolski, 83, Polish musician
  62. [08 June 2026] Sylwia Rajchert, 82, Polish singer for Alibabki
  63. [08 June 2026] Nikke Ström, 75, Swedish rock musician for Nationalteatern, heart surgery
  64. [07 June 2026] Yishai Levi, 63, Israeli Mizrahi music singer
  65. [06 June 2026] Karel Tejkal, 88, Czech radio journalist and publicist
  66. [06 June 2026] Ute Walther, 83, German mezzo-soprano for Deutsche Oper Berlin
  67. [05 June 2026] Steve Almaas, 69, American musician for The Suicide Commandos, cancer
    Steve Almaas, an influential Twin Cities musician who helped kickstart a local punk scene, has died due to complications of recurrent cancer. Almaas died on Friday afternoon in Beacon, New York, where he lived with his partner Brandy Burre. He was 69. In addition to being a founding member of the Suicide Commandos, Almaas led the country rock group Beat Rodeo, and was an accomplished solo artist… thecurrent
  68. [05 June 2026] Marion Fossett, 71, Irish singer for Sheeba
  69. [05 June 2026] Ovidio Granados, 84, Colombian vallenato accordionist and songwriter
  70. [05 June 2026] Talay Riley, 35, British singer and songwriter, stabbed
  71. [05 June 2026] Jokke Seppälä, 72, Finnish musician
  72. [05 June 2026] Indio Solari, 77, Argentine musician for Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota
  73. [04 June 2026] Ian Hampton, 79, Scottish bassist for Sparks
    Legendary Sparks bass player Ian Hampton, who played with the group during their hugely successful 1970s era, died on Wednesday, June 3, at the age of 79. No cause of death has been revealed, but he had been unwell for some time and spent his final months in hospital. The news was confirmed by his daughter-in-law Judi Hampton, in a Facebook post. Alongside a picture of the musician, she wrote: “If you’ve been following me, you’ll know I’ve been a little quieter than usual over the last few days… express
  74. [04 June 2026] John B. Williams, 85, American double bassist and bass guitarist for The Tonight Show
  75. [03 June 2026] Margriet Hermans, 72, Belgian singer and politician, euthanasia
  76. [03 June 2026] James Blood Ulmer, 86, American guitarist
  77. [02 June 2026] Peabo Bryson, 75, American singer, stroke
  78. [01 June 2026] Areski Belkacem, 86, French singer, musician, and composer

 

 

 

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55 thoughts on “Musicians and singers who died (July 2026)”

  6. It looks like you missed Larry Lee. Larry was one of the lead vocalists and the drummer for the Ozark Mountain Daredevils. He sang and co-wrote their biggest hit, “Jackie Blue”, released in 1974, which peaked at #3 on The Billboard Hot 100. He was the drummer on their 2nd biggest hit, “If You Wanna Get To Heaven”, which hit the U.S. Top 40 in 1974, peaking at #25. “You Know Like I Know” and “If I Only Knew”, both sung by and either written or co-written by Larry Lee, charted on The Hot 100 in 1976 and 1977, respectively. He also co-wrote, but did not sing, “Take You Tonight”, which peaked at #67 on the U.S. Pop Chart in 1980. He was a major contributor to the eclectic sound of the Daredevils. To hear the breadth and scope of his talent, just listen to the 1974 masterpiece from the Ozark Mountain Daredevils’ eponymous debut album – the totally sublime, “Spaceship Orion”, also written and sung by Larry.

    Reply

  10. It’s worth noting that sadly the highly regarded singer songwriter Bill Fay passed away on February 22, 2025. His excellent debut album was released on Nova / Decca (UK) February 1970.

    Reply

  12. Hi! Your link “https://weheartmusic.typepad.com/blog/musicians-who-died-in-2024.html” is not working. It would be nice if you can fix it.
    Thanks!

    Reply

  14. How could the highly revered Zakir Hussain who died December 15 still not be listed? This man was prolific & legendary. Huge oversight, please correct.

    Reply

  20. Linda LaFlamme, the songwriter and keyboardist for “It’s A Beautiful Day”, passed away October 23, 2024. She was a founding member of the band and co-wrote the 1960’s anthem, “White Bird”, along with her then husband, David LaFlamme, who sang and played violin in the band. It was released on the band’s debut album in 1969. Other songs made popular by “It’s A Beautiful Day” included “Don & Dewey” and “Hot Summer Day”.

    Reply

  21. Hey, Music.typepad. you forgot Anvil, guitarist Dave Allison died (Sept. 30) of unspecified causes at age 68. He played on the group’s first five studio albums before departing in 1989.
    Thanks
    Carlos A. A.

    Reply

  22. Hans van Hemert is mentioned twice whereas this post:
    ‘[07 Oct 2024] Hans van Hemert (American singer for The Sweet Inspirations), 91, Alzheimer’s disease’
    is false. The other one is correct. Please delete the false one.
    thank you

    Reply

  23. This used to be a great source for up to date info on recently deceased musicians but it looks like it only gets updated once a month now & is not nearly as complete as it used to be. Pretty sad because it used to be the best source online…..

    Reply

  28. This is the reason John Mayall deserves a yellow highlight!
    Link below is to his documentary “Godfather Of British Blues”
    He contributed more to music than Shifty Shellshock. Really. A yellow highlight for Shifty??? Butterfly??? Really???

    Reply

  29. John Mayall deserves a yellow highlight.
    He was one of the guiding lights of the British blues movement in the early to mid-1960s.
    He is celebrated for the musicians he attracted into his band, the Bluesbreakers. Through his patronage of several important guitarists, notably Eric Clapton, Peter Green, and Mick Taylor, he exerted an indirect but considerable influence on the course of rock music.
    “So Many Roads”
    Rest In Peace.

    Reply

  33. Dave Loggins should be recognized with a yellow highlight. The popularity of “Please Come To Boston” is significant enough to merit the added recognition, but the annual spotlight of “The Masters” golf tournament featuring his song, “Augusta”, should make it a no-brainer.

    Reply

  36. One of the greatest session musicians of the latter half of the 20th century and into the 21st, David Sanborn passed away May 12, 2024. The alto saxophonist was a highly regarded session player from the late 1960s onwards, playing with an array of well-known artists, such as James Brown, Bryan Ferry, Michael Stanley, Eric Clapton, Bobby Charles, Cat Stevens, Roger Daltrey, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Jaco Pastorius, the Brecker Brothers, Michael Franks, Kenny Loggins, Casiopea, Players Association, David Bowie, Todd Rundgren, Bruce Springsteen, Little Feat, Tommy Bolin, Bob James, James Taylor, Al Jarreau, Pure Prairie League, Kenny G, Loudon Wainwright III, George Benson, Joe Beck, Donny Hathaway, Elton John, Gil Evans, Carly Simon, Guru, Linda Ronstadt, Billy Joel, Kenny Garrett, Roger Waters, Steely Dan, Ween, the Eagles, Grateful Dead, Nena, Hikaru Utada, The Rolling Stones, Ian Hunter, and Toto. He certainly deserves recognition here (a yellow “special recognition” banner would not be inappropriate).

    Reply

  37. Muere John Pisano quién abarcó siete décadas y compartió escenario o estudio de grabación con muchos artistas de jazz, incluidos Chico Hamilton, Herb Alpert, Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Benny Goodman, su amigo Joe Pass y muchos guitarristas destacados del negocio.

    Reply

  41. Eric Carmen passed away this weekend (March 10 or 11). He scored a couple of hits in the late ‘60’s with his band, The Raspberries, including “Go All The Way” and “Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)”. In the ‘70’s he had hits with “All By Myself” and “Never Gonna Fall In Love Again”. In 1987 he struck gold again with “Hungry Eyes” from the Dirty Dancing Soundtrack. He also had success writing for other artists, evidenced by the hit, “Almost Paradise”, which he co-wrote in 1984 for Mike Reno (Loverboy) & Ann Wilson (Heart). He was 74.

    Reply

  42. Jim Beard, a solo artist and touring keyboardist for Steely Dan for the past 16 years has died at age 63.

    Reply

  43. Bobby Tench, who was a British vocalist, guitarist, sideman, songwriter and arranger, passed away February 19, 2024. He was Jeff Beck’s lead vocalist on the 1971 Jeff Beck Group album, “Rough And Ready”. In addition he appeared on albums by Ginger Baker, Freddie King, Streetwalkers, Widowmaker, Van Morrison, Humble Pie, Topper Headon, as well as, many others.

    Reply

  46. Lead singer Tony Middleton of the Willows passed away 02/04/2024. The Willows were a doo wop group that had a hit with “Church Bells May Ring” in 1956.

    Reply

  49. Wow. Not only is the picture for Steve Brown an album cover of the jazz musician Steve Brown (who is still alive), but the link takes you to the author(s) Steve Brown.

    Reply

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