List of 2012 deaths in popular music

Last updated

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 2012.

Contents

Preceded by
2011
List of deaths in popular music
2012
Succeeded by
2013
NameAgeDateLocationCause of death
Larry Reinhardt
Iron Butterfly, Captain Beyond
63January 2, 2012 Bradenton, Florida, U.S.Complications from cirrhosis [1]
Bob Weston
Fleetwood Mac
64January 3, 2012 Brent Cross, London, EnglandGastrointestinal hemorrhage [2]
Dave Alexander 73January 8, 2012 Marshall, Texas, U.S.Suicide by gunshot [3]
Robbie France
Alphaville, Skunk Anansie
52January 14, 2012 Mazarrón, SpainRuptured aorta
Jimmy Castor
The Jimmy Castor Bunch, The Teenagers
71January 16, 2012 Henderson, Nevada, U.S.Heart failure [4]
Johnny Otis 90January 17, 2012 Los Angeles, California, U.S.Natural causes [5]
Etta James 73January 20, 2012 Riverside, California, U.S. Leukemia [6]
Mark Reale
Riot
56January 25, 2012 San Antonio, Texas, U.S.Subarachnoid hemorrhage related to Crohn's disease [7]
King Stitt 71January 31, 2012 Kingston, Jamaica, U.S.Prostate cancer [8]
Don Cornelius
Host of Soul Train
75February 1, 2012 Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.Suicide by gunshot [9]
David Peaston 54February 1, 2012 St. Louis Missouri, U.S.Diabetes [10]
Luis Alberto Spinetta
Almendra, Pescado Rabioso, Invisible, Spinetta Jade
62February 8, 2012 Buenos Aires, ArgentinaLung cancer [11]
Whitney Houston 48February 11, 2012 Los Angeles, California, U.S.Drowning due to cocaine intoxication [12]
Tonmi Lillman
Sinergy, To/Die/For, Lordi, Kylähullut
38February 13, 2012 [13]
Dory Previn 86February 14, 2012 Southfield, Massachusetts, U.S.Natural causes [14]
Michael Davis
MC5, Destroy All Monsters
68February 17, 2012 Chico, California, U.S.Liver failure [15]
Billy Strange 81February 22, 2012 Franklin, Tennessee, U.S. [16]
Red Holloway 84February 25, 2012 Morro Bay, California, U.S.Stroke and kidney failure
Louisiana Red 79February 25, 2012 Hanover, GermanyStroke [17]
Roland Bautista
Earth, Wind & Fire
60February 29, 2012U.S.Natural causes
Davy Jones
The Monkees
66February 29, 2012 Indiantown, Florida, U.S.Heart attack [18]
Lucio Dalla 68March 1, 2012 Montreux, SwitzerlandHeart attack [19]
Ronnie Montrose
Edgar Winter Group, Montrose, Gamma
64March 3, 2012 San Francisco Bay Area, U.S.Suicide by gunshot [20]
Robert B. Sherman
The Sherman Brothers
86March 6, 2012 London, EnglandUndisclosed causes [21]
Jimmy Ellis
The Trammps
74March 8, 2012 Rock Hill, South Carolina, U.S. Alzheimer's disease [22]
Hans G. Helms 79March 11, 2012 Friedrichshain, Berlin, GermanyNatural causes
Michael Hossack
The Doobie Brothers
65March 12, 2012 Dubois, Wyoming, U.S.Cancer [23]
Ken Lyons
38 Special
59March 20, 2012 Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S. [24]
Vince Lovegrove
The Valentines
65March 24, 2012 Bangalow, New South Wales, AustraliaTraffic accident [25]
Jerry McCain 81March 28, 2012 Gadsden, Alabama, U.S.Natural causes [26]
Jim Marshall
Founder and owner of Marshall Amplification
88April 5, 2012 Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, EnglandNatural causes
Andrew Love 70April 12, 2012 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.Alzheimer's disease
Krzysztof Puszyński
Golec uOrkiestra
54April 14/15, 2012 ?, Poland Heart attack [27]
Graham Simpson
Roxy Music
68April 16, 2012 Ladbroke Grove, London, EnglandCancer [28] [29]
Dick Clark
Host of American Bandstand
82April 18, 2012 Santa Monica, California, U.S.Heart attack [30]
Levon Helm
The Band
71April 19, 2012 New York City, New York, U.S.Cancer [31]
Greg Ham
Men At Work
58April 19, 2012 Carlton North, Victoria, AustraliaHeart attack [32]
Chris Ethridge
International Submarine Band, The Flying Burrito Brothers
65April 23, 2012 Meridian, Mississippi, U.S.
Tommy Marth
The Killers
33April 23, 2012 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.Suicide [33]
Jimmy Bond
The Routers
79April 26, 2012 Los Angeles, California, U.S.Cardiopulmonary disease
Charles Pitts 65May 1, 2012 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.Cancer [34]
Adam Yauch
Beastie Boys
47May 4, 2012 Brooklyn, New York, U.S.Parotid gland cancer [35]
Michael Burks 54May 6, 2012 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.Heart attack [36]
Donald "Duck" Dunn
Booker T. & the M.G.'s
70May 13, 2012 Tokyo, JapanNatural causes [37]
Chuck Brown 75May 16, 2012 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.Multiple organ failure [38]
Doug Dillard
The Dillards, Dillard & Clark
75May 16, 2012 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.Lung infection [39]
Donna Summer 63May 17, 2012 Englewood, Florida, U.S.Lung cancer [40]
Robin Gibb
Bee Gees
62May 20, 2012 Chelsea, London, EnglandLiver and kidney failure from colorectal cancer [41]
Doc Watson 89May 29, 2012 Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.Complications following colon surgery [42]
Pete Cosey 68May 30, 2012 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.Complications following surgery [43]
Eduard Khil 77June 4, 2012 Saint Petersburg, Russia.Stroke
Herb Reed
The Platters
83June 4, 2012 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.Heart disease [44]
Bob Welch
Fleetwood Mac
66June 7, 2012 Antioch, Tennessee, U.S.Suicide by gunshot [45]
Gerry Bron
Record producer and band manager from Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
79June 18, 2012 Hendon, Middlesex, England
Brian Hibbard
The Flying Pickets
65June 18, 2012 Cardiff, WalesProstate cancer [46]
Dennis Flemion
The Frogs
57July 7, 2012 Racine County, Wisconsin, U.S.Drowning [47]
Bob Babbitt
MFSB
74July 16, 2012 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.Brain cancer [48]
Jon Lord
Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Paice Ashton Lord, The Artwoods, The Flower Pot Men
71July 16, 2012 London, England Pulmonary embolism [49]
Larry Hoppen
Orleans
61July 24, 2012Suicide [50] [ non-primary source needed ]
Tony Martin 98July 27, 2012 Los Angeles, California, U.S.Natural causes [51]
Bill Doss
The Olivia Tremor Control, The Sunshine Fix, The Apples in Stereo
43July 30, 2012Aneurysm
Tony Sly
No Use for a Name
41July 31, 2012 San Jose, California, U.S.Drug overdose [52]
Jimmy Jones 75August 2, 2012 Aberdeen, North Carolina, U.S. [53]
Carl Davis
Record producer
77August 9, 2012 Summerville, South Carolina, U.S. Pulmonary fibrosis [54]
Von Freeman 88August 11, 2012 Chicago Illinois, U.S.Heart failure [55]
Bob Birch
The Elton John Band
56August 15, 2012 Los Angeles, California, U.S.Suicide by gunshot [56]
Scott McKenzie 73August 18, 2012 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Guillain–Barré syndrome [57]
Joe South 72September 5, 2012 Buford, Georgia, U.S.Heart failure [58]
James "Sugar Boy" Crawford 77September 15, 2012 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. [59]
Andy Williams
The Williams Brothers
84September 25, 2012 Branson, Missouri, U.S.Bladder cancer [60]
R. B. Greaves 68September 27, 2012 Granada Hills, California, U.S.Prostate cancer [61]
Frank Wilson
Record producer for Motown Records
71September 27, 2012 Duarte, California, U.S.Prostate cancer [62]
Berkant 73October 1, 2012 Istanbul, TurkeyLung cancer [63]
Big Jim Sullivan 71October 2, 2012 Billingshurst, West Sussex, EnglandHeart disease and diabetes [64]
Kathi McDonald 64October 3, 2012 Seattle, Washington, U.S. [65]
Nick Curran
The Fabulous Thunderbirds
35October 6, 2012Oral cancer
Bill Dees 73October 24, 2012 Mountain Home, Arkansas, U.S. [66]
Natina Reed
Blaque
31October 26, 2012 Duluth, Georgia, U.S.Traffic accident [67]
Terry Callier 67October 27, 2012 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.Cancer [68]
Mitch Lucker
Suicide Silence
28November 1, 2012 Huntington Beach, California, U.S.Traffic accident [69]
Leonardo Favio 74November 5, 2012 Buenos Aires, Argentina Pneumonia
Major Harris 65November 9, 2012 Richmond, Virginia, U.S.Congestive heart and lung failure [70]
Earl Carroll
The Cadillacs, The Coasters
75November 25, 2012 New York City, New York, U.S.Compilations from a stroke and diabetes
Chris Stamp
Record producer for The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Who, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Golden Earring and co-founder of Track Records
70November 24, 2012 New York City, New York, U.S.Cancer
Mickey Baker 87November 27, 2012 Toulouse, FranceHeart and kidney failure [71]
Dave Brubeck 91December 5, 2012 Norwalk, Connecticut, U.S.Congestive heart failure [72]
Ed Cassidy
Spirit
89December 6, 2012 San Jose, California, U.S.Cancer [73]
Huw Lloyd-Langton
Hawkwind, Widowmaker
61December 6, 2012 Dorset, EnglandCancer [74]
Jenni Rivera 43December 9, 2012 Iturbide, Nuevo León, MexicoPlane crash [75]
Ravi Shankar 92December 11, 2012 San Diego, California, U.S.Complications from surgery. [76]
Eddie "Guitar" Burns 84December 12, 2012U.S.Heart failure [77]
Jimmy McCracklin 91December 20, 2012 San Pablo, California, U.S. [78]
Lee Dorman
Iron Butterfly, Captain Beyond
70December 21, 2012 Laguna Niguel, California, U.S.Natural causes [79]
Marva Whitney 68December 22, 2012 Kansas City, Kansas, U.S.Pneumonia [80]
Mike Scaccia
Ministry, Rigor Mortis, Revolting Cocks
47December 22, 2012 Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.Heart attack [81]
Capital Steez
Pro Era
19December 23, 2012 Manhattan, New York City, U.S.Suicide [82]
Fontella Bass 72December 26, 2012 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.Heart attack [83]

See also

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