This is a list of notable performers of rock music and other forms of popular music, and others directly associated with the music as producers, songwriters, or in other closely related roles, who died in 2026.
2026 deaths in popular music
NameAgeDateLocation of deathCause of death CCS, Hot Chocolate 98 January 2, 2026 London, England, U.K. UndisclosedRockabilly musician 77 January 2, 2026 Newport, Oregon, U.S. Complications from stroke and heart failure German composer 88 January 3, 2026 Germany UndisclosedCalbo Ärsenik 52 January 4, 2026 Lyon, France Undisclosed The Rumour 71 January 5, 2026 North Yorkshire, England, U.K. Liver cancer Country music songwriter 78 January 7, 2026 Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. Complications from a fall American composer 63 January 8, 2026 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Hit by a car while riding a scooter Renaissance 87 January 9, 2026 Lymington, England Short illness American composer97 January 9, 2026 Auburn, Washington, U.S. Complications from Alzheimer's disease Colombian singer 34 January 10, 2026 Paipa, Colombia Plane crash Grateful Dead 78 January 10, 2026 Mill Valley, California, U.S. Cancer and lung issues Trumpet player and composer 76 January 11, 2026 Cancer Refugee Camp All-Stars; producer for Fugees 50 January 12, 2026 Chilmark, Massachusetts, U.S. Complications from the flu Black Midi 26 January 12, 2026 London, England, U.K. Suicide Siouxsie and the Banshees 68 January 15, 2026 Cork, Ireland Undisclosed Italian singer and actor 89 January 16, 2026 Milan, Italy Undisclosed American singer-songwriter 84 January 17, 2026 Saint-Georges-sur-Meuse, Belgium Asphyxiated in a house fire Third World 69 January 18, 2026 Jamaica Undisclosed Oregon 85 January 18, 2026 Rome, Italy Undisclosed Black Ingvars, Swedish Erotica 63 January 19, 2026 Gothenburg, Sweden Cancer American country music singer and DJ 88 January 19, 2026 Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. Undisclosed Midnight Oil, Backsliders, Ghostwriters 70 January 20, 2026 New South Wales, Australia Pancreatic cancer Dschinghis Khan 75 January 20, 2026 Germany Undisclosed Ghanaian gospel musician and songwriter 66 January 20, 2026 Kumasi, Ghana UndisclosedScorpions, Dawn Road, Michael Schenker's Temple of Rock 71 January 22, 2026 Hanover, Germany Cancer American singer 84 January 22, 2026 Oxford, Mississippi, U.S. Undisclosed The Cookies 83 January 23, 2026 New York, New York, U.S. Undisclosed French baritone and music director 103 January 25, 2026 La Teste-de-Buch, France Undisclosed American pop-rock singer-songwriter and producer 49 January 25, 2026 Lymphoma Indian composer and music director 54 January 25, 2026 Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India Liver disease American jazz pianist 78 January 26, 2026 Worms, Germany Undisclosed Sly and Robbie 73 January 26, 2026 Kingston, Jamaica Cancer Portuguese fado guitarist 88 January 27, 2026 Amadora, Portugal Undisclosed Santana, Al Di Meola, The Tubes 72 January 27, 2026 Undisclosed American singer-songwriter and record producer 59 January 28, 2026 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Undisclosed Italian music critic and musicologist 76 January 29, 2026 Milan, Italy Undisclosed Moroccan singer 85 January 30, 2026 Rabat, Morocco Prolonged illness ELO Part II, The Orchestra 70 January 30, 2026 Chevy Chase, Maryland, U.S. Natural causes Hungária 78 January 31, 2026 Pneumonia Funkadelic, Parliament-Funkadelic 75 January 31, 2026 Plainfield, New Jersey, U.S. Natural causes Slave, Aurra 67 February 1, 2026 Undisclosed The Elegants 88 February 2, 2026 Staten Island, New York, U.S. Undisclosed Three Dog Night 83 February 2, 2026 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Heart failure and COPD Jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist 66 February 2, 2026 On a cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico Undisclosed Yuan Wei-jenTaiwanese singer-songwriter and record producer 57 February 2, 2026 Taitung, Taiwan Pneumonia The 5th Dimension 90 February 3, 2026 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. Undisclosed American guitarist 81 February 4, 2026 Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. Undisclosed Cake 56 February 5, 2026 Brief Illness Helen and Joseph 75 February 5, 2026 Undisclosed Television, Blondie 77 February 5, 2026 New York, New York, U.S. Cancer Mr. ComplexPolyrhythm Addicts 56 February 6, 2026 Undisclosed Tres Chicas 63 February 6, 2026 Undisclosed 3 Doors Down 47 February 7, 2026 Meridian, Mississippi, U.S. Renal cell carcinoma Israeli singer 76 February 7, 2026 Tel Aviv, Israel Cancer Ghanaian guitarist 90 February 7, 2026 Saltpond, Ghana Undisclosed American soul singer and pianist 83 February 9, 2026 Undisclosed The Pogues 72 February 10, 2026 Undisclosed American record producer, songwriter and guitarist 85 February 11, 2026 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. Undisclosed MilkmanMexican rapper, producer, and composer 36 February 12, 2026 Undisclosed English DJ and producer 63 February 13, 2026 London, England, U.K. Undisclosed We the People 78 February 13, 2026 Undisclosed Manchester Orchestra 42 February 14, 2026 Undisclosed Italian model, actress, and singer 84 February 14, 2026 Martinsicuro, Italy Undisclosed American songwriter 75 February 16, 2026 Brentwood, California, U.S. Cancer ShinyaLuna Sea 56 February 17, 2026 Colorectal cancer Lil PoppaAmerican rapper 25 February 18, 2026 Fulton County, Georgia, U.S. Suicide by gunshot Italian singer and actress 87 February 20, 2026 Naples, Italy Heart failure Streetheart 73 February 20, 2026 Ayr, Scotland, U.K. Undisclosed American salsa musician 75 February 21, 2026 New York, New York, U.S. Respiratory failure Spectrum, Ayers Rock, Marcia Hines 74 February 21, 2026 Clayton, Victoria, Australia Undisclosed Luci4American rapper 23 February 22, 2026 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Fentanyl overdose French composer 94 February 23, 2026 Paris, France Complications from a fall American singer, member of Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes 86 February 23, 2026 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. Complications from COPD Gospel and soul singer 97 February 26, 2026 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. Unknown American singer-songwriter, member of The Tokens 86 February 27, 2026 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Undisclosed American rock and roll guitarist 81 February 27, 2026 Alabama, U.S. Undisclosed Max Webster 85 February 28, 2026 Undisclosed Blues guitarist and singer 83 February 28, 2026 Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. Undisclosed American record producer, audio engineer, composer, and performer 73 March 1, 2026 Unknown The Walker Brothers, The Standells 83 March 1, 2026 Essex, England, U.K. Complications from a stroke The Quarrymen 84 March 2, 2026 Liverpool, England, U.K. Pneumonia English record producer and music executive 81 March 2, 2026 Andalusia, Spain Undisclosed American folk and blues musician 82 March 3, 2026 Undisclosed The Dream Weavers 89 March 5, 2026 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. Undisclosed Italian musician, composer and writer 63 March 6, 2026 Parma, Italy Undisclosed Indonesian singer-songwriter 35 March 7, 2026 Jakarta, Indonesia Kidney cancer Joey Dee and the Starliters, The Rascals 85 March 7, 2026 Montville, New Jersey, U.S. Undisclosed God Bless 75 March 7, 2026 Jakarta, Indonesia Sarcopenia, vascular blockage, and autoimmune diseases Herbs 75 March 7, 2026 Undisclosed Goblin 72 March 7, 2026 Livorno, Italy Undisclosed Country Joe and the Fish 84 March 7, 2026 Berkeley, California, U.S. Complications from Parkinson's disease Sir Douglas Quintet, Texas Tornados 85 March 7, 2026 Bulverde, Texas, U.S. UndisclosedBritish rapper 37 March 8, 2026 Gambia UndisclosedBoston 60 March 9, 2026 Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. Brain cancerMotörhead, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons 64 March 13, 2026 Pontypridd, Wales, U.K. Complications from surgery American blues musician 81 March 14, 2026 Undisclosed Italian singer and actress 63 March 15, 2026 Naples, Italy A long illness I Nuovi Angeli 78 March 15, 2026 Milan, Italy Undisclosed De Dannan 72 March 16, 2026 Caherlistrane, County Galway, Ireland Undisclosed German musician 66 March 16, 2026 Capaccio Paestum, Italy Undisclosed American guitarist and singer-songwriter 74 March 16, 2026 Argo, Alabama, U.S. StrokePentangle 89 March 19, 2026 Mahón, Menorca, Spain Undisclosed Louie LouiePuerto Rican musician and record producer 63 March 20, 2026 Undisclosed Los Piojos 54 March 21, 2026 Undisclosed Belgian jazz saxophonist and flutist 76 March 21, 2026 Banneux, Belgium Undisclosed Bluegrass guitarist and singer-songwriter 64 March 22, 2026 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. Motorcycle accident American singer and songwriter and member of Just Us 86 March 23, 2026 New York, New York, U.S. Cancer 5miinust 40 March 24, 2026 Tallinn, Estonia Suicide Seals & Crofts 87 March 25, 2026 Austin, Texas, U.S. Complications from heart surgery Lebanese singer, composer, and actor 70 March 26, 2026 Beirut, Lebanon A long illness Ross the BossThe Dictators, Manowar 72 March 26, 2026 ALS The Skunks, True Believers 67 March 27, 2026 Austin, Texas, U.S. Died after a fall Guitar maker for Jerry Garcia and others 76 March 27, 2026 Undisclosed DJ DanAmerican house music DJ 57 March 28, 2026 Heart attack BoySetsFire 48 March 28, 2026 Complications following a car accident MarinellaGreek singer 87 March 28, 2026 Kifisia, Greece Undisclosed Italian singer-songwriter and actor 73 March 29, 2026 Rome, Italy A serious illness Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Brogues 79 March 29, 2026 Jerome, Idaho, U.S. Undisclosed The Marcels 88 March 30, 2026 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. Undisclosed Ambrosia 75 March 30, 2026 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Medical complications after being hit by a car Manager for The Buckinghams, Daughters of Eve 85 March 30, 2026 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Complications from pneumonia Harmony Grass 85 March 30, 2026 Selby, England, U.K. Sepsis English record producer and engineer 96 March 31, 2026 U.K. A short illness E Street Band 74 April 1, 2026 Jerusalem, Israel Undisclosed Harm’s Way 39 April 2, 2026 Suicide Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band 86 April 2, 2026 Los Angeles, California Undisclosed The Lost Generation, The Chi-Lites 74 April 3, 2026 Undisclosed Alvin LBrazilian musician and songwriter 67 April 5, 2026 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Heart attack Record producer for Van Halen, The Doobie Brothers 79 April 5, 2026 Natural causes English-Canadian folk singer-songwriter 84 April 5, 2026 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Undisclosed Ladysmith Black Mambazo 77 April 5, 2026 Estcourt, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa A short illness BlondyThe Sequence 66 April 6, 2026 Undisclosed Bulgarian singer-songwriter and poet 79 April 6, 2026 Sofia, Bulgaria Undisclosed Men Without Hats 65 April 8, 2026 Undisclosed American DJ, rapper, and record producer 68 April 9, 2026 Pennsylvania, U.S. Prostate cancer Rare Earth 79 April 9, 2026 Farmington, Michigan, U.S. Undisclosed The Phenix Horns, Phil Collins Band 74 April 10, 2026 Cancer English jazz pianist and composer 90 April 11, 2026 Exeter, England, U.K. Unknown Indian playback singer 92 April 12, 2026 Mumbai, Maharashtra, India Multiple organ failure Nirvana (1960s band not 1990s band) 82 April 13, 2026 Undisclosed Clannad 73 April 13, 2026 Gweedore, Donegal, Ireland Pulmonary fibrosis Canadian record producer and promoter 82 April 13, 2026 Undisclosed Enanitos Verdes 64 April 13, 2026 Mendoza, Argentina Complications from a bacterial infection Timber Timbre 44 April 14, 2026 Undisclosed yahyel 33–34 April 14, 2026 Undisclosed illness Mexican singer and actress 86 April 15, 2026 Mexico City, Mexico Natural causes American songwriter 73 April 16, 2026 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. A sudden illness Jamaican reggae singer 80 April 16, 2026 Miami, Florida, U.S. Undisclosed Year of No Light, Monarch 44 April 17, 2026 Cancer Traffic, Fleetwood Mac 79 April 19, 2026 Gardnerville, Nevada, U.S. Undisclosed The Osmonds 76 April 20, 2026 Lehi, Utah, U.S. Multiple sclerosis Area Code 615, Barefoot Jerry 88 April 20, 2026 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. Cancer Scorpions 71 April 21, 2026 Heart Attack The Delta 72, Cat Power 53 April 21, 2026 Los Angeles, C