Classic Pop Icons

As we begin a new year, here’s a reminder of some of the many musicians who passed away in 2013.

Where available, you can click through to read obituaries.

January

• 1 Jan – Patti Page (67) – American pop and country singer, best known for the song “Tennessee Waltz”
• 2 Jan – Jon Fromer (66) – Folk singer, guitarist and television producer
• 4 Jan – Sammy Johns (66) – American singer, guitarist and songwriter best known for his hit single “Chevy Van”[
• 7 Jan – Lou Wilson (71) – Musician who played trumpet, flugelhorn and drums for Mandrill
• 7 Jan – Tom Ebbert (93) – Jazz trumpeter who worked with the Dukes of Dixieland
• 7 Jan – Kent Abbott (32) – Guitarist and singer for Grade and Somehow Hollow
• 7 Jan – Liz Lands (73) – Soul singer who recorded for Motown and later the Motorcity label
• 7 Jan – Sam Pace (68) – R&B singer and member of The Esquires
• 8 Jan – Tandyn Almer (70) – Musician and songwriter who wrote for The Association, The Beach Boys, and others
• 9 Jan – Frank Page (84) – Broadcaster who introduced Elvis Presley’s first appearance on the Louisiana Hayride
• 11 Jan – John Wilkinson (67) – American guitarist and former member of Elvis Presley’s TCB Band
• 17 Jan – Claudio Leo (40) – Italian guitarist for Lacuna Coil and Cayne
• 25 Jan – Leroy ‘Sugarfoot’ Bonner (69) – Guitarist and singer for the Ohio Players
• 30 Jan – Patty Andrews (94) – Singer and last surviving member of The Andrews Sisters.

February

• 4 Feb – Reg Presley (71) – Frontman for The Troggs
• 4 Feb – Donald Byrd (80) – Jazz and R&B trumpeter
• 5 Feb – Paul Tanner (95) – Trombone player for the Glenn Miller Orchestra
• 12 Feb – Rick Huxley (72) – Bass player for the Dave Clark Five
• 16 Feb – Shadow Morton (71) – Songwriter behind hits such as “Leader of the Pack” and “Walking in the Sand”
• 16 Feb – Tony Sheridan (72) – Singer/guitarist and early Beatles collaborator
• 17 Feb – Mindy McCready (37) – Country music singer
• 18 Feb – Otis ‘Damon’ Harris (62) – Singer with The Temptations
• 21 Feb – Cleotha Staples (77) – Gospel singer and member of The Staples Singers
• 21 Feb – Magic Slim (real name Morris Holt) (75) – Blues singer and guitarist
• 25 Feb – Dan Toler (64) – Guitar player and member of the Allman Brothers Band
• 25 Feb – Virgil Johnson (77) – Singer with doo-wop group “The Velvets” who are best known for the hit “Tonight (Could Be the Night)”
• 27 Feb – Richard Street – Singer for the Motown groups The Temptations and The Monitors.

March

• 1 Mar – DJ Ajax (real name Adrian Thomas) (41) – Australian DJ and dance music pioneer
• 1 Mar – Magic (real name Awood Johnson) (37) – Rapper best known for the song “Sky’s the Limit”
• 1 Mar – Jewel Akens (79) – R&B singer best known for the song “The Birds and the Bees”
• 3 Mar – Bobby Rogers (73) – Singer and co-founder of the Motown group the Miracles
• 6 Mar – Alvin Lee (68) – Guitarist and singer for Ten Years After
• 7 Mar – Claude King (90) – Country singer and songwriter best known for “Wolverton Mountain”
• 7 Mar – Peter Banks (65) – Guitarist for Yes
• 12 Mar – Clive Burr (56) – Drummer for heavy metal band Iron Maiden
• 15 Mar – Jack Greene (83) – Country singer best known for the song “There Goes My Everything”
• 16 Mar – Bobby Smith (76) – R&B singer and member of The Spinners
• 16 Mar – Jason Molina (39) – Singer-songwriter for Songs:Ohia and the Magnolia Electric Co.
• 20 Mar – Eddie Bond (79) – Rockabilly singer and guitarist
• 22 Mar – Bebo Valdés (94) – Cuban pianist, arranger and composer
• 24 Mar – Deke Richards (68) – Songwriter and producer who worked with Motown acts, including The Jackson 5, Martha and the Vandellas, and The Supremes
• 25 Mar – Scott Hardkiss (43) – DJ and member of techno trio the Hardkiss Brothers
• 27 Mar – Gordon Stoker (88) – Member of The Jordanaires vocal group
• 28 Mar – Hugh McCracken (70) – Session guitarist who appeared on recordings by John Lennon, Billy Joel, B.B. King, and many more
• 30 Mar – Phil Ramone (79) – Producer who worked with artists such as Billy Joel, Paul Simon, and Frank Sinatra.

April

• 7 Apr – Andy Johns (62) – Sound engineeer/record producer for such groups as The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin
• 8 Apr – Annette Funicello (70) – Singer and star of the 1960s Beach Party movies
• 13 Apr – Chi Cheng (42) – Bassist for the Deftones
• 14 Apr – George Jackson (68) – Singer/songwriter who wrote or co-wrote hits such as “One Bad Apple” and “Old Time Rock and Roll”
• 14 Apr – Colin Davis (85) – Grammy-winning English conductor
• 15 Apr – Scott Miller (53) – Singer and guitarist for Game Theory and The Loud Family
• 16 Apr – Rita MacNeil, (68) – Singer, songwriter and host of “Rita and Friends”
• 18 Apr – Cordell “Boogie” Mosson (60) – Bassist for Parliment-Funkadelic
• 21 Apr – Chrissy Amphlett (53) – Lead singer for the Divinyls
• 22 Apr – Richie Havens (72) – Singer and guitarist who opened the Woodstock Festival in August 1969
• 26 Apr – George Jones (81) – Country music legend who had 14 Number One country hits.

May

• 1 May – Chris Kelly (34) – Member of hip-hop duo Kris Kross
• 2 May – Sid Selvidge (69) – Producer and musician with Mud Boy and the Neutrons
• 2 May – Jeff Hanneman (49) – Guitarist and songwriter for Slayer
• 3 May – Cedric Brooks (70) – Reggae musician known for his work with The Skatalites
• 11 May – Grayson Minney (28) – Lead singer for Columbia Fields
• 17 May – Alan O’Day (72) – Singer-songwriter best known for the song “Undercover Angel”
• 17 May – Monroe Hopper (86) – Singer and founding member of the Hopper Brothers band
• 20 May – Ray Manzarek (74) – Keyboardist for The Doors
• 21 May – Trevor Bolder (62) – Bassist for Uriah Heep and David Bowie
• 21 May – Phil Buerstatte (44) – Drummer for White Zombie and Last Crack
• 25 May – Marshall Lytle (79) – Bass player with Bill Haley & His Comets
• 25 May – Clarence Burke Jr (62) – Singer, songwriter and guitarist for the Five Stairsteps
• 29 May – Mulgrew Miller (57) – Jazz pianist.

June

• 2 Jun – MickDeth (Real name Mick Morris) (35) – Bassist for Eighteen Visions and former bassist for Bleeding Through
• 3 Jun – Chris Levoir (31) – Singer and guitarist for The Mark Inside
• 4 Jun – Joey Covington (67) – Drummer with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna
• 12 Jun – Johnny Smith (90) – Jazz guitarist and songwriter
• 19 Jun – Slim Whitman (90) – Country music singer known for his yodeling prowess
• 23 Jun – Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland (83) – R&B singer known as the Lion of the Blues
• 24 Jun – Alan Myers (58) – Drummer for Devo.

July

• 4 Jul – Bernie Nolan (52) – Singer/actress who fronted The Nolans
• 20 Jul – Faye Hunter (59) – Bass player for the rock band Let’s Active
• 26 Jul – JJ Cale (74) – Singer, songwriter and guitarist whose hits included “Crazy Mama”.

August

• 5 Aug – George Duke (67) – Jazz keyboardist
• 8 Aug – Cowboy Jack Clement (82) – Singer, songwriter, producer and engineer
• 13 Aug – Eydie Gorme (84) – Singer and television personality
• 13 Aug – Jon Brookes (44) – Drummer for The Charlatans
• 13 Aug – Tompall Glaser (79) – Country singer and key figure in the “Outlaw Movement”
• 14 Aug – Allen Lanier (67) – Keyboardist, guitarist and founding member of Blue Öyster Cult
• 29 Aug – Cedar Walton (79) – Jazz pianist.

September

• 15 Sep – Jackie Lomax (69) – Guitarist and singer/songwriter who worked with many bands and collaborated with artists such as George Harrison and Eric Clapton
• 16 Sep – Mac Curtis (74) – Rockabilly singer and DJ
• 17 Sep – Marvin Rainwater (88) – Country and rockabilly singer best known for “Whole Lotta Woman”
• 24 Sep – Pat Fear (real name Bill Bartell) (52) – Singer and guitarist with White Flag.

October

• 8 Oct – Phil Chevron (56) – Singer/songwriter/guitarist with The Pogues
• 27 Oct – Lou Reed (71) – Singer-songwriter and former frontman of the Velvet Underground.

November

• 7 Nov – Cheb I Sabbah (66) – Algerian-born and San Francisco-based producer and DJ
• 12 Nov – Sir John Tavener (69) – Composer best known for works such as “The Protecting Veil” and “Song for Athene”. He was knighted in 2000
• 23 Nov – Wayne Mills (44) – Lead singer of country band The Wayne Mills Band
• 25 Nov – Chico Hamilton (92) – Jazz drummer.

December

• 2 Dec – Junior Murvin (67) – Jamaican reggae musician best known for the single “Police and Thieves”
• 10 Dec – Jim Hall (83) – Jazz guitarist
• 16 Dec – Ray Price (87) – Country music legend known for hits such as “Release Me”, “Crazy Arms”, and “For the Good Times”
• 20 Dec – Lord Infamous (40) – Founder of rap group Three 6 Mafia
• 23 Dec – Ricky Lawson (59) – Drummer and composer who worked with artists such as Eric Clapton and Michael Jackson
• 23 Dec – Yusef Lateef (93) – Multi-instrumentalist known for blending jazz with “Eastern” music
• 29 Dec – Benjamin Curtis (35) – Guitarist and drummer who worked with Secret Machines, Tripping Daisy and School of Seven Bells.