List of murdered musicians

Last updated

Many musicians have been murdered during their active career. Most of the musicians had been shot or stabbed to death. Some of them have received extensive media attention, including the murder of John Lennon in 1980, the killing of Marvin Gaye in 1984, the murder of Selena in 1995, the murder of Tupac Shakur in 1996, the murder of the Notorious B.I.G. in 1997, the murder of XXXTentacion in 2018, and the assassination of Sidhu Moose Wala in 2022. Others have received less media attention, including the murder of Bryan Harvey, who was killed during the 2006 Richmond spree murders.

Contents

For hip hop musicians see: list of murdered hip hop musicians.

Murdered musicians

Below is a list of notable murders of musicians.

NameKnown asDate of murderAgeSite of deathPerpetratorMethod of murderCreditRef.
Darrell Wayne Caldwell [1] Drakeo The Ruler.; Mr. Mosley ; Big Bank Buddah ; Mr. Pops On My Knots; The Foreign Whip Crasher19 December 202128Los Angeles, California, USUnknownStabbingRapper [2] [3]
Ermias Joseph Asghedom Nipsey Hussle.; Naybahood Nip ; Lil Thundercat ;30 March 201933Los Angeles, California, USEric HolderShootingRapper [4] [5]
Alessandro Stradella 25 February 168238Genoa, ItalyUnknownStabbingClassical composer [6]
Jean-Marie Leclair 22 October 176467Paris, FranceClassical composer and violinist [7]
Clarence Smith Pinetop Smith15 March 192924Chicago, Illinois, USShooting Boogie-woogie pianist [8]
Alejandro García Caturla 12 November 194034Havana, CubaUnknownClassical composer [9] [ circular reference ]
Anton Webern 15 September 194561Vienna, AustriaPfc. Raymond Norwood BellShooting [10]
John Williamson Sonny Boy Williamson1 June 194834Chicago, Illinois, USUnknownBlues singer [11]
Francis Blackwell Scrapper Blackwell7 October 196259Indianapolis, Indiana, USBlues guitarist, composer
Marc Blitzstein 22 January 196458MartiniqueThree menBeatingClassical/musical theatre composer [12]
Sam Cooke 11 December 196433Los Angeles, USBertha FranklinShootingSoul singer-songwriter
Darrell Banks 24 February, 197032Detroit, Michigan, USAaron BullockSoul singer
Curtis Ousley King Curtis13 August 197137New York City, USJuan MontanezStabbingJazz saxophonist [13]
Lee Morgan 19 February 197233New York City, USHelen MorganShootingJazz trumpeter
Víctor Lidio Jara Martínez Víctor Jara16 September 197340Santiago, ChileChilean military officersShooting and tortureSinger-songwriter
David Akeman Stringbean10 November 197358Ridgetop, Tennessee, USJohn A. Brown and Marvin Douglas BrownShootingCountry banjo player [14]
Al Jackson Jr. 1 October 197539Memphis, Tennessee, USUnknownR&B, funk and soul drummer [15]
Eddie Jefferson 9 May 197960Detroit, Michigan, US Vocalese [16]
Jannie Pought September 198034New JerseyStabbingR&B singer [17]
John Lennon 8 December 198040New York City, US Mark David Chapman Shooting Rock and pop artist
Claude Vivier 7 March 198334Paris, FrancePascal DolzanStabbingClassical composer [18]
Felix Pappalardi 17 April 198343New York City, US Gail Pappalardi ShootingRock artist [19]
Hugh Mundell 14 October 198321Kingston, JamaicaRicardo CodringtonReggae singer
Walter Notheis Jr. Walter Scott27 December 198340St. Peters, Missouri, USJames H. Williams Sr.Rock and roll singer
Marvin Gaye 1 April 198444Los Angeles, California, US Marvin Gay Sr. Shooting R&B singer
Lenny Breau 12 August 198443Los Angeles, California, USUnknownStranglingGuitarist [20]
Carly Barrett 17 April 198736Kingston, JamaicaGlenroy Carter and Junior NeilShootingReggae drummer
Winston Hubert McIntosh Peter Tosh11 September 198742Kingston, JamaicaDennis Lobban and two other individualsShooting and tortureReggae artist
John Pastorius III Jaco Pastorius21 September 198735Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USLuc HavanBeaten (barfight), brain hemorrhage Jazz bassist
Amar Singh Chamkila Chamkila8 March 198827 Mehsampur, Punjab, IndiaUnknownShootingPunjabi singer
Michael David Fuller Blaze Foley1 February 198939Austin, Texas, USCarey JanuaryCountry, folk singer-songwriter [21]
Osbourne Ruddock King Tubby6 February 198948Kingston, JamaicaUnknownReggae sound engineer [22]
Prince Far I/King Cry Cry King Curtis15 September 198339Kingston, JamaicaUnknownReggae vocalist/producer [23]
Belgin Sarılmışer Bergen14 August 198931Pozantı,TurkeyHalis Serbest Arabseque Singer,actress [24]
Cornell Gunter 26 February 199053Las Vegas, Nevada, USUnknownR&B singer
Andrzej Zaucha 10 October 199142Kraków, PolandYves GoulaisR&B singer, saxophonist
Chris Bender 3 November 199119Brockton, Massachusetts, USEroy KindellR&B singer [25]
Dave Rowbotham 8 November 199133Manchester, EnglandUnknownBludgeoned by hammerRock musician
Rosalino Sánchez Félix Chalino Sanchez16 May 199231Culiacán, MexicoShooting Narcocorrido singer [26]
Willie Irving Gaston JuniorHeavy One29 September 199224Eaton Road Barry Farms Southeast DCBass, drummer, of the Junk Yard Band [27]
Mia Zapata 7 July 199327Seattle, Washington, US Jesus Mezquia StranglingRock singer [28]
Don Myrick 30 July 199353Los Angeles, California, USPolice Officer Gary BarbaroShootingJazz saxophonist [29]
Øystein Aarseth Euronymous10 August 199325Oslo, Norway Varg Vikernes StabbingBlack metal guitarist
Rhett Forrester 22 January 199437Atlanta, Georgia, USUnknownShootingHeavy metal musician [30]
Hasni Chakroun Cheb Hasni29 September 199426 Oran, Algeria Armed Islamic Group of Algeria Raï singer
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez Selena31 March 199523Corpus Christi, Texas, US Yolanda Saldívar Shooting Tejano singer
Tupac Shakur Tupac; 2Pac; Makaveli13 September 199625Las Vegas, Nevada, US Orlando Anderson (suspected) Shooting Rapper
Christopher Wallace The Notorious B.I.G.; Biggie Smalls; Frank White9 March 199724Los Angeles, California, USWardell "Poochie" Fouse (suspected) Shooting Rapper
Lounès Matoub 25 June 199842Aït Aissi, Tizi Ouzou, Algeria Armed Islamic Group of Algeria Shooting Kabyle music singer
Jaki Byard 11 February 199976New York City, USUnknownJazz pianist
Roger Troutman 25 April 199947Dayton, Ohio, USLarry TroutmanFunk musician
Darrell Abbott Diamond Darrell; Dimebag Darrell8 December 200438Columbus, Ohio, USNathan Gale Shooting Heavy metal guitarist
Bryan Harvey 1 January 200649Richmond, Virginia, USRay Joseph Dandridge and Ricky Javon Gray Blunt-force trauma Folk rock singer/guitarist
Valentín Elizalde 25 November 200627Reynosa, MexicoUnknownShooting Banda singer [31]
Winston Riley 19 January 201268Kingston, Jamaica Rocksteady/reggae singer and producer
Natalia Strelchenko Natalia Strelle30 August 201538Manchester, EnglandJohn MartinHead trauma, strangulationClassical pianist [32]
Christina Grimmie 10 June 201622Orlando, Florida, USKevin James LoiblShootingPop singer
Amjad Sabri 22 June 201639Karachi, Pakistan Pakistani Taliban Qawwali singer [33]
Jahseh Onfroy XXXTentacion18 June 201820Deerfield Beach, Florida, USFour men indicted [34] [35] Shooting Rapper and singer [36]
Andrea Meyer Nebelhexe13 October 202152Kongsberg, NorwayEspen Andersen Bråthen Stabbing Rock and electronic singer [37]
Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu Sidhu Moose Wala29 May 202228Punjab, IndiaUnknown Shooting Rapper and singer [38]
Yurii Kerpatenko 16 October 202246Kherson Oblast, UkraineRussian soldiersShootingClassical conductor, accordionist [39]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Drakeo the Ruler, People's Champion". complex.com. 21 December 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  2. ↑ "The Assassination of Drakeo the Ruler". 13 January 2022.
  3. ↑ "Essay: Three years later, rapper Drakeo's killing leaves behind more questions than answers". Los Angeles Times . 25 February 2025.
  4. ↑ "Nipsey Hussle gunned down in a South L.A. He helped build up. 'It's a sad day in L.A.'". Los Angeles Times . April 2019.
  5. ↑ Diaz, Johnny (22 February 2023). "Nipsey Hussle's Killer Sentenced to 60 Years to Life in Prison". The New York Times.
  6. ↑ Gianturco, Carolyn. "Alessandro Stradella (1639–1682)". Hyperion Records. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  7. ↑ Sadler, Graham, Leclair, Jean-Marie, in Sadie, Stanley (ed.), The New Grove Dictionary of Opera , New York, Grove (Oxford University Press), 1997, II, pp. 1118–1119 ( ISBN   978-0-19-522186-2)
  8. ↑ Pinetop Smith
  9. ↑ "Alejandro García Caturla".
  10. ↑ Moldenhauer, Hans (1961). The Death of Anton Webern: A Drama in Documents. New York: Philosophical Library. OCLC   512111.
  11. ↑ "Sonny Boy Williamson". Biography.com.
  12. ↑ Shewey, Don (16 July 1989). "'Moonlight' and Marxism". The New York Times Book Review.
  13. ↑ Kernfield, Barry Dean. New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. Grove's Dictionaries. p. 544.
  14. ↑ "Stringbean Akeman's killer free on parole". The Tennessean . Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  15. ↑ Lisle, Andria (25 November 2015). "Memphis sunset: The Mysterious death of Stax heartbeat Al Jackson, Jr". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  16. ↑ "Eddie Jefferson, 60, Jazz Lyricist, Slain After Leaving Detroit Club". The New York Times. 10 May 1979.
  17. ↑ Hickey, Andrew (25 November 2019). "Episode 58: "Mr. Lee" by the Bobbettes". A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  18. ↑ Gilmore, Bob (2014). Claude Vivier. A Composer's Life. University of Rochester Press. ISBN   978-1580464857.
  19. ↑ Katel, Jacob (14 September 2010). "Top 10 Murdered Musicians You've Never Heard Of" . Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  20. ↑ Forbes-Robert, Ron. (2006). "One Long Tune: the life and music of Lenny Breau". Denton, TX. University of North Texas Press. ISBN   1-57441-210-8.
  21. ↑ "Blaze Foley: Killing of a Songwriter". 7 October 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  22. ↑ Thompson, Dave (2002) Reggae & Caribbean Music, Backbeat Books, ISBN   0-87930-655-6, pp. 138–141
  23. ↑ http://reggaelicious.pbworks.com
  24. ↑ "Acıların Kadını: Bergen – CafeMedyam – Haber Platformu". 5 March 2022. Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  25. ↑ Sandy Coleman (9 November 1991). "500 mourn slain Brockton singer In eulogy, minister urges youth to shun drugs, violence". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  26. ↑ POV (17 January 2006). "El Valiente: Chalino Sánchez - Al Otro Lado". PBS. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  27. ↑ Avis Thomas-Lester (16 October 1992). "SLAIN GO-GO DRUMMER EULOGIZED". Washington Post. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  28. ↑ Tizon, Alex (23 August 1998). "Who Murdered Mia Zapata? No Arrests, Few Clues 5 Years After Slaying". Seattle Times.
  29. ↑ Chazanov, Mathis (15 August 1993). "Questions Cloud Life, Death of Saxophonist". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  30. ↑ Katel, Jacob (14 September 2010). "Top 10 Murdered Musicians You've Never Heard Of" . Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  31. ↑ "Mexico: Musician killed for his drug related lyrics". 18 March 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  32. ↑ "Natalia Strelchenko murder: 'Jealous' husband John Martin jailed", BBC News, 21 March 2016, retrieved 22 March 2016
  33. ↑ Ali, Imtiaz (22 June 2016). "Famed qawwal Amjad Sabri gunned down in Karachi". Dawn.com. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  34. ↑ "Four men indicted in murder of Florida rapper XXXTentacion". Reuters. 19 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  35. ↑ Neal, David J.; Teproff, Carli (19 July 2018). "Rapper XXXTentacion had $50,000. Four men have been indicted for killing him to get it". Miami Herald. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  36. ↑ Margol, Andrea Torres, Amanda Batchelor, Ian (19 June 2018). "Rapper XXXTentacion killed in Deerfield Beach shooting". local10.com. Retrieved 19 June 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  37. ↑ Meyer, Andrea (20 November 2021). "Metal Musician Andrea Meyer Dies in Bow-and-Arrow Attack: What We Know". popculture. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  38. ↑ Moose Wala, Sidhu. "Sidhu Moose Wala: Murder of popular Indian singer sparks anger". BBC. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  39. ↑ "Russian troops kill Ukrainian musician for refusing role in Kherson concert". the Guardian. 16 October 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.