The following is a list of notable performers of rock and roll music or rock music, and others directly associated with the music as producers, songwriters or in other closely related roles, who have died in the 1980s. The list gives their date, cause and location of death, and their age.
Rock music developed from the rock and roll music that emerged during the 1950s, and includes a diverse range of subgenres. The terms "rock and roll" and "rock" each have a variety of definitions, some narrow and some wider. In determining criteria for inclusion, this list uses as its basis reliable sources listing "rock deaths" or "deaths in rock and roll", as well as such sources as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1980 Name Age Date Location Cause of death Jim Michaelson Little Bill and the Bluenotes 25 1980 Unknownhttp://pnwbands.com/bluenotes.html Wally Scott Ray Columbus & The Invaders 30 January , 1980 Australia, New Zealand Cancer Amos Milburn 52 January 3, 1980 Houston, Texas, U.S. Complications from a stroke Georgeanna Tillman The Marvelettes 35 January 6, 1980 Inkster, Michigan, U.S. Complications from sickle cell anemia and lupus Larry Williams 44 January 7, 1980 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Suicide by gunshot Carl White The Rivingtons 47 January 7, 1980 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Acute tonsillitisVic McAlpin 61 January 19, 1980 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. UnknownPiero Ciampi 45 January 19, 1980 Rome, Italy Throat cancer Professor Longhair 61 January 23, 1980 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. Heart attackSeab Meador The Gentlemen 30 January 24, 1980 Tyler, Texas, U.S. Brain cancer Jimmy Durante 86 January 29, 1980 Santa Monica, California, U.S. Pneumonia Edward Lewis Record producer for Decca Records 79 January 29, 1980 Chelsea, London, England Cancer Warren Smith 47 January 30, 1980 Longview, Texas, U.S. Heart attack Les Prior Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias 31 January 31, 1980 Manchester, England Leukemia Bon Scott AC/DC, The Valentines 33 February 19, 1980 Dulwich, London, England Alcohol poisoning, heroin overdose Janet Vogel The Skyliners 38 February 21, 1980 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States Suicide by carbon monoxide Dick Kallman 46 February 28, 1980 Manhattan, New York, U.S. Killed by stabbing wound Jacob Miller Inner Circle 27 March 23, 1980 Kingston, Jamaica Traffic accident John Poulos The Buckinghams 32 March 26, 1980 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Heart failure Ricky Lancelotti 35 April 7, 1980 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Overdose Anna Jantar 29 April 14, 1980 Warsaw, Poland "Mikolaj Kopernik" plane crash Tommy Caldwell The Marshall Tucker Band 30 April 28, 1980 Spartanburg, South Carolina, U.S. Traffic collision Ian Curtis Joy Division 23 May 18, 1980 Macclesfield, England Suicide by hanging Carl Radle Derek and the Dominos, Eric Clapton 37 May 30, 1980 Claremore, Oklahoma, U.S. Kidney infection Charles Miller War 41 June 14, 1980 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Stabbing Bert Kaempfert 56 June 21, 1980 Mallorca, Spain Stroke Barney Bigard 74 June 27, 1980 Culver City, California, U.S. Malcolm Owen The Ruts 26 July 14, 1980 London, England Heroin overdose Keith Godchaux The Grateful Dead 32 July 23, 1980 Marin County, California, U.S. Traffic accident Mohammed Rafi 55 July 31, 1980 Bombay, Maharashtra, India Heart attack Duke Pearson 47 August 4, 1980 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Multiple sclerosis George Scott III 26 August 5, 1980 New York City, New York, U.S. Heroin overdose Joe Dassin 41 August 20, 1980 Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia Heart attack Jimmy Forrest 60 August 26, 1980 Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. Heart failure Bill Evans 51 September 15, 1980 New York City, New York, U.S. Peptic ulcer Per Ivar Johansen Alex Band 27 September 19, 1980 Oslo, Norway Tour bus crash John Bonham Led Zeppelin 32 September 25, 1980 Windsor, England Asphyxiation on vomit Pat Hare 49 September 26, 1980 Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. Lung cancer Lincoln Chase 54 October 6, 1980 Metro Atlanta, U.S. Unknown Bobby Lester The Moonglows 49 October 6, 1980 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. Lung cancer Steve Peregrin Took T. Rex, Shagrat, Steve Took's Horns 31 October 27, 1980 Ladbroke Grove, London, England Asphyxiation O. V. Wright 41 November 16, 1980 Mobile, Alabama, U.S. Heart attack Darby Crash Germs 22 December 7, 1980 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Suicide by heroin overdose John LennonThe Beatles, Plastic Ono Band 40 December 8, 1980 New York City, New York, U.S. Murder Louis Neefs 43 December 25, 1980 Lier, Belgium Road accident Tim Hardin 39 December 29, 1980 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Heroin overdose Robert Pete Williams 66 December 31, 1980 Rosedale, Louisiana, U.S. Unknown
1981 Name Age Date Location Cause of death David Lynch The Platters 52 January 2, 1981 Long Beach, California, United States Cancer Felton Jarvis 46 January 3, 1981 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. Stroke Alice Mae Buschmann Spielvogel The Chordettes 55 January 6, 1981 North Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas, U.S. Cozy Cole 71 January 9, 1981 Columbus, Ohio, U.S. Cancer Blind James Campbell 74 January 22, 1981 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. Unknown Carl Feaster The Chords 50 January 23, 1981 New York City, New York, U.S. Cancer John Persh Rare Earth (band) 38 January 27, 1981 Detroit, Michigan, United States Staph infection Bill Haley Bill Haley & His Comets 55 February 9, 1981 Harlingen, Texas, U.S. Brain tumor or heart attack Mike Bloomfield The Paul Butterfield Blues Band 37 February 15, 1981 San Francisco, California, U.S. Accidental drug overdose Ty Hunter The Originals 40 February 24, 1981 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Lung cancer Little Hat Jones 81 March 7, 1981 Naples, Texas, U.S. Unknown Tampa Red 77 March 19, 1981 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Unknown Bob Hite Canned Heat 38 April 5, 1981 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Heart attack caused by heroin overdose Kit Lambert 45 April 7, 1981 Middlesex, England Cerebral hemorrhage after fall down stairs Austin Pitre 63 April 8, 1981 Elton, Louisiana, U.S. Unknown Steve Currie T. Rex 33 April 28, 1981 Vale de Parra, Algarve, Portugal Traffic accident Tracy Weber 21 May 1981 Harlem, New York City, U.S. Murder by gunshot Bob Marley The Wailers 36 May 11, 1981 Miami, Florida, U.S. Acral lentiginous melanoma Ernie Freeman 58 May 16, 1981 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Heart attack Roy Brown 55 May 25, 1981 San Fernando, California, U.S. Heart attack Mary Lou Williams 71 May 28, 1981 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Bladder cancerRino Gaetano Italian singer-songwriter30June 2, 1981Rome, ItalyRoad accident on Via Nomentana Joseph Santollo The Duprees 37 June 4, 1981 Jersey City, New Jersey, United States Heart attack Polka Dot Slim 54 June 22, 1981 Oakland, California, U.S. Unknown Chuck Wagon The Dickies 24 June 28, 1981 San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California, U.S. Suicide by gunshot Rushton Moreve Steppenwolf 32 July 1, 1981 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Traffic accident Hubert Johnson The Contours 40 July 11, 1981 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. Suicide by poison and gunshot Harry Chapin 38 July 16, 1981 Jericho, New York, U.S. Heart attack / Traffic accidentStefania Rotolo Italian dancer and showgirl30July 31, 1981Rome, ItalyLong illnessMario Abbate Italian singer and actor53August 6, 1981Naples, Italy Guy Stevens Record producer and band manager from Hapshash and the Coloured Coat, Mott the Hoople, Procol Harum and The Clash 38 August 28, 1981 South London, England Prescription drug overdose Sandra Tilley The Velvelettes, Martha and the Vandellas 35 September 9, 1981 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. Complications from brain surgery Helen Humes 68 September 13, 1981 Santa Monica, California, U.S. Cancer Furry Lewis 88 September 14, 1981 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. Heart failure Hazel Scott 61 October 2, 1981 Mount Sinai Hospital, Manhattan, New York, U.S. Pancreatic cancer Jud Strunk 45 October 5, 1981 Carrabassett Valley, Maine, U.S. Plane crash George de Fretes 59 November 19, 1981 Los Angeles County, California, U.S. Big Walter Horton 60 December 8, 1981 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Heart failure Pigmeat Markham 77 December 13, 1981 The Bronx, New York, U.S. Stroke
1982 Name Age Date Location Cause of deathRemo Bartolomei Italian singer and bassist 341982Rome, ItalyEstella Blain French actress and singer51January 1, 1982Port-Vendres, France David Záizar 53 January 2, 1982 Mexico City, Mexico Non-traumatic cardiac arrest Tommy Bryant 51 January 3, 1982 Unknown Elis Regina 36 January 19, 1982 São Paulo, Brazil Drug overdose Tommy Tucker 48 January 22, 1982 Newark, New Jersey, U.S. Food poisoning Lightnin' Hopkins 69 January 30, 1982 Houston, Texas, U.S. Esophageal cancer Alex Harvey Sensational Alex Harvey Band 46 February 4, 1982 Zeebrugge, Belgium Heart attack Thelonious Monk 64 February 17, 1982 Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. John Belushi The Blues Brothers 33 March 5, 1982 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Speedball overdose Leonid Osipovič Utësov Singer and conductor86March 9, 1982Moscow, Soviet Union Sam George The Capitols 39 March 17, 1982 Stabbed to death Randy Rhoads Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne 25 March 19, 1982 Leesburg, Florida, U.S. Plane accidentKing Pleasure58March 21, 1982Los Angeles, California, U.S.Heart attack Floyd Smith 65 March 29, 1982 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. Unknown Ann Richards 46 April 1, 1982 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Suicide by gunshot Lester Bangs music journalist33 April 30, 1982 New York City, New York, U.S. Opioid, diazepam, and NyQuil overdose Cal Tjader 56 May 5, 1982 Manila, Philippines Heart attack Neil Bogart Record producer for Kiss and music executive from Casablanca Records 39 May 8, 1982 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Cancer Monk Montgomery 60 May 20, 1982 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. Cancer Rusty Day The Amboy Dukes 36 June 3, 1982 Longwood, Florida, U.S. Murder Addie Harris The Shirelles 42 June 10, 1982 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Heart attack Art Pepper 56 June 15, 1982 Los Angeles. California, U.S. Stroke James Honeyman-Scott The Pretenders 25 June 16, 1982 London, England Cocaine overdose Warren Ryanes The Monotones 45 June 16, 1982 Newark, New Jersey, United States Unknown Jane Vasey Downchild Blues Band 32 July 6, 1982 Toronto, Canada Leukemia Bill Justis 55 July 15, 1982 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. Cancer Sonny Stitt 58 July 22, 1982 Washington, D.C., U.S. Heart attack Keith Green 28 July 28, 1982 Garden Valley, Texas, U.S. Plane crash Nick Lucas 84 July 28, 1982 Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S. Double pneumoniaKurt Feltz72August 2, 1982Pollença, SpainÑico Saquito Cuban musician and guitarist81August 4, 1982Santiago de Cuba, CubaHeart failureFerré Grignard Belgian singer and songwriter43August 8, 1982Antwerp, Belgium Joe Tex 47 August 13, 1982 Navasota, Texas, U.S. Heart attackRiccardo Rauchi Italian saxophonist, singer and composer62August 22, 1982San Benedetto del Tronto, Ascoli Piceno, ItalyLuciana Dolliver