February Deaths

Rip Radio Celebrates the lives of musicians no longer with us!!
The Artists may be gone but their music lives on

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" Audiences like their blues singers to be miserable "Janis Joplin

February Deaths

Historical - Month

Article Index
February Deaths
9-16
17-24
25-28
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Page 1 of 4

1979 - Sid Vicious, [John Simon Ritchie], bassist (Sex Pistols), OD's at 31

1987 - Alfred Lion, record founder (Blue Note), dies at 78

1987 - Patrick "Spike" Hughes, Brit jazz musician (Cinderella), dies at 78

1994 - John Wesley Funchess Littlejohn, blues guitarist/singer, dies at 62

1994 - Willie Mae Ford Smith, gospel Singer/Songwriter, dies at 89

1994 - Zilner T Randolph, jazz Trumpeter/ Arranger, dies at 95

1999 - David McComb, Australian musician (The Triffids) (b. 1962)

2002 - Paul Baloff, American singer (Exodus) (b. 1960)

2007 - Billy Henderson, American singer (The Spinners) (b. 1939)

2007 - Joe Hunter, American pianist and bandleader of The Funk Brothers (b. 1927)

2007 - Eric von Schmidt, American folk/blues singer-songwriter (b. 1931)

1959 - Big Bopper, rocker, dies in plane crash at 28

1959 - Buddy Holly, rocker (That'll be the Day), dies in a plane crash at 22

1959 - Richie Valens, rock vocalist (Donna), killed in plane crash at 17

1967 - Joe Meek, rocker (Tornados)/producer (Telstar), commits suicide

1995 - Turner Fodrell, blues singer/guitarist, dies at 66

1996 - Wild Jimmy Spruill, blues guitarist, dies at 61

2007 - Pedro Knight, Cuban-American musician, husband of legendary singer Celia Cruz (b. 1921)

1975 - Louis Jordan, American musician (b. 1908)

1982 - Alex Harvey, Scottish musician (b. 1935)

1983 - Karen Carpenter, rock drummer (Carpenters), dies of anorexia at 32

1987 - Liberace, pianist (Liberace Show, Evil Chandell-Batman), dies at 67

1989 - Kenneth "Jethro" Burns, country singer (Homer & Jethro), dies at 69

2000 - Doris Coley, American singer (Shirelles) (b. 1941)

2000 - Phil Tonken, American radio and television announcer (b. 1919)

2001 - J. J. Johnson, American jazz trombonist and composer (b. 1924)

2003 - Charlie Biddle, Canadian jazz bassist (b. 1926)

2007 - Barbara McNair, American singer and actress (b. 1934)

2009 - Lux Interior, Frontman of the garage rock band The Cramps (b. 1946)

1976 - Rudy Pompilli, American musician (Bill Haley and His Comets) (b. 1926)

1994 - Kenneth "Buddy" Scott, blues guitarist/Singer, dies at 59

1998 - Tim Kelly, guitarist, dies at 34

1960 - Jesse Belvin, rocker, dies at 26 in a car crash

1976 - Vince Guaraldi, jazz pianist (Charlie Brown TV specials), dies at 43

1988 - Nuno Oliveira, Bass Player (b. 1925)

1991 - Danny Thomas, comedian (Jazz Singer), dies of a heart attack at 79

1995 - Arthur S Taylor Jr, US drummer/author (Notes on notes), dies at 65

1998 - Carl Wilson, rock vocalist (Beach Boy), dies of lung cancer at 51

1998 - [Johann Hoelzel] Falco, singer (Rock Me Amadeus), dies at 40

2007 - Frankie Laine, American singer (b. 1913)

1948 - "Red" McKenzie, blues-jazz singer (played comb-with-tissue-paper), dies

1959 - Slim [Eddie Jones] Guitar, rocker, dies at 32

1968 - Stuart Foster, singer (Galen Drake Show), dies at 49

1985 - Matt Monro, English singer (b. 1932)

1996 - Tiny Winters, musician, dies at 87

1998 - Carl Dean Wilson, musician, dies at 51

1999 - Bobby Troup, American musician and actor (b. 1918)

2000 - Big Pun, Puerto Rican-American rapper (b. 1971)

2000 - Dave Peverett, English musician (Foghat, Savoy Brown) (b. 1943)

2001 - Dale Evans, American actress and singer (b. 1912)

1996 - Mercer Kennedy Ellington, trumpeter bandleader/composer, dies at 76

2005 - Jimmy Smith, American jazz musician (b. 1925)

2005 - Keith Knudsen, American drummer, vocalist and songwriter (The Doobie Brothers) (b. 1948)

2006 - Elton Dean, English musician (Soft Machine) (b. 1945)