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.
Alessandro Stradella Alessandro Stradella25 February 168238Genoa, ItalyUnknownStabbingClassical composer [1]
Jean-Marie Leclair Jean-Marie Leclair22 October 176467Paris, FranceUnknownStabbingClassical composer and violinist [2]
Clarence Smith Pinetop Smith15 March 192924Chicago, Illinois, USUnknownShooting Boogie-woogie pianist [3]
Alejandro García Caturla Alejandro García Caturla12 November 194034Havana, CubaUnknownUnknownClassical composer [4] [ circular reference ]
Anton Webern Anton Webern15 September 194561Vienna, AustriaPfc. Raymond Norwood BellShootingClassical composer [5]
John Williamson Sonny Boy Williamson1 June 194834Chicago, Illinois, USUnknownShootingBlues singer [6]
Francis Blackwell Scrapper Blackwell7 October 196259Indianapolis, Indiana, USUnknownShootingBlues guitarist, composer
Marc Blitzstein Marc Blitzstein22 January 196458MartiniqueThree menBeatingClassical/musical theatre composer [7]
Sam Cooke Sam Cooke11 December 196433Los Angeles, USBertha FranklinShootingSoul singer-songwriter
Darrell Banks Darrell Banks24 February, 197032Detroit, Michigan, USAaron BullockShootingSoul singer
Curtis Ousley King Curtis13 August 197137New York City, USJuan MontanezStabbingJazz saxophonist [8]
Lee Morgan Lee Morgan19 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 [9]
Albert Jackson Jr. Al Jackson Jr.1 October 197539Memphis, Tennessee, USUnknownShootingR&B, funk and soul drummer [10]
Eddie Jefferson Eddie Jefferson9 May 197960Detroit, Michigan, USUnknownShooting Vocalese [11]
Jannie Pought Jannie PoughtSeptember 198034New JerseyUnknownStabbingR&B singer [12]
John Lennon John Lennon8 December 198040New York City, US Mark David Chapman Shooting Rock and pop artist
Claude Vivier Claude Vivier7 March 198334Paris, FrancePascal DolzanStabbingClassical composer [13]
Felix Pappalardi Jr. Felix Pappalardi17 April 198343New York City, US Gail Pappalardi ShootingRock artist [14]
Hugh Mundell Hugh Mundell14 October 198321Kingston, JamaicaRicardo CodringtonShootingReggae singer
Walter Notheis Jr. Walter Scott27 December 198340St. Peters, Missouri, USJames H. Williams Sr.ShootingRock and roll singer
Marvin Gaye Marvin Gaye1 April 198444Los Angeles, California, US Marvin Gay Sr. Shooting R&B singer
Leonard Breau Lenny Breau12 August 198443Los Angeles, California, USUnknownStranglingGuitarist [15]
Carlton Barrett Carly Barrett17 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 JanuaryShootingCountry, folk singer-songwriter [16]
Osbourne Ruddock King Tubby6 February 198948Kingston, JamaicaUnknownShootingReggae sound engineer [17]
Belgin Sarılmışer Bergen14 August 198931Pozantı,TurkeyHalis SerbestShooting Arabseque Singer,actress [18]
Cornell Gunter Cornell Gunter26 February 199053Las Vegas, Nevada, USUnknownShootingR&B singer
Andrzej Zaucha Andrzej Zaucha10 October 199142Kraków, PolandYves GoulaisShootingR&B singer, saxophonist
Christopher Lamont Bender Chris Bender3 November 199119Brockton, Massachusetts, USEroy KindellShootingR&B singer [19]
David Rowbotham Dave Rowbotham8 November 199133Manchester, EnglandUnknownBludgeoned by hammerRock musician
Rosalino Sánchez Félix Chalino Sanchez16 May 199231Culiacán, MexicoUnknownShooting Narcocorrido singer [20]
Willie Irving Gaston JuniorHeavy One29 September 199224Eaton Road Barry Farms Southeast DCUnknownShootingBass, drummer, of the Junk Yard Band [21]
Mia Zapata Mia Zapata7 July 199327Seattle, Washington, USJesus MezquiaStranglingRock singer [22]
Donald Myrick Don Myrick30 July 199353Los Angeles, California, USPolice Officer Gary BarbaroShootingJazz saxophonist [23]
Øystein Aarseth Euronymous10 August 199325Oslo, Norway Varg Vikernes StabbingBlack metal guitarist
Rhett Forrester Rhett Forrester22 January 199437Atlanta, Georgia, USUnknownShootingHeavy metal musician [24]
Hasni Chakroun Cheb Hasni29 September 199426 Oran, Algeria Armed Islamic Group of Algeria Shooting Raï singer
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez Selena31 March 199523Corpus Christi, Texas, US Yolanda Saldivar Shooting Tejano singer
Tupac Shakur Tupac;
2Pac;
Makaveli		13 September 199625Las Vegas, Nevada, US Orlando Anderson (suspected) Shooting Rapper
Christopher Wallace The Notorious B.I.G.;

Biggie Smalls;
Frank White

9 March 199724Los Angeles, California, USWardell "Poochie" Fouse (suspected) Shooting Rapper
Lounès Matoub Lounès Matoub25 June 199842Aït Aissi, Tizi Ouzou, Algeria Armed Islamic Group of Algeria Shooting Kabyle music singer
Jaki Byard Jaki Byard11 February 199976New York City, USUnknownShootingJazz pianist
Roger Troutman Roger Troutman25 April 199947Dayton, Ohio, USLarry TroutmanShootingFunk musician
Darrell Abbott Diamond Darrell;

Dimebag Darrell

8 December 200438Columbus, Ohio, USNathan Gale Shooting Heavy metal guitarist
Bryan Harvey Bryan Harvey1 January 200649Richmond, Virginia, USRay Joseph Dandridge and Ricky Javon Gray Blunt-force trauma Folk rock singer/guitarist
Valentín Elizalde Valentin Elizalde25 November 200627Reynosa, MexicoUnknownShooting Banda singer [25]
Winston Riley Winston Riley19 January 201268Kingston, JamaicaUnknownShooting Rocksteady/reggae singer and producer
Natalia Strelchenko Natalia Strelle30 August 201538Manchester, EnglandJohn MartinHead trauma, strangulationClassical pianist [26]
Christina Grimmie Christina Grimmie10 June 201622Orlando, Florida, USKevin James LoiblShootingPop singer
Amjad Sabri Amjad Sabri22 June 201639Karachi, Pakistan Pakistani Taliban Shooting Qawwali singer [27]
Jahseh Onfroy XXXTentacion18 June 201820Deerfield Beach, Florida, USFour men indicted [28] [29] Shooting Rapper and singer [30]
Andrea Meyer Nebelhexe13 October 202152Kongsberg, NorwayEspen Andersen Bråthen Stabbing Rock and electronic singer [31]
Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu Sidhu Moose Wala29 May 202228Punjab, IndiaUnknown Shooting Rapper and singer [32]
Yurii Kerpatenko Yurii Kerpatenko16 October 202246Kherson Oblast, UkraineRussian soldiersShootingClassical conductor, accordionist [33]

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References

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  11. ↑ "Eddie Jefferson, 60, Jazz Lyricist, Slain After Leaving Detroit Club". The New York Times. 10 May 1979.
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  14. ↑ Katel, Jacob (14 September 2010). "Top 10 Murdered Musicians You've Never Heard Of" . Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  15. ↑ 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.
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  17. ↑ Thompson, Dave (2002) Reggae & Caribbean Music, Backbeat Books, ISBN   0-87930-655-6, pp. 138–141
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  23. ↑ Chazanov, Mathis (15 August 1993). "Questions Cloud Life, Death of Saxophonist". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  24. ↑ Katel, Jacob (14 September 2010). "Top 10 Murdered Musicians You've Never Heard Of" . Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  25. ↑ "Mexico: Musician killed for his drug related lyrics". 18 March 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  26. ↑ "Natalia Strelchenko murder: 'Jealous' husband John Martin jailed", BBC News, 21 March 2016, retrieved 22 March 2016
  27. ↑ Ali, Imtiaz (22 June 2016). "Famed qawwal Amjad Sabri gunned down in Karachi". Dawn.com. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  28. ↑ "Four men indicted in murder of Florida rapper XXXTentacion". Reuters. 19 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  29. ↑ 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.
  30. ↑ 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)
  31. ↑ Meyer, Andrea. "Metal Musician Andrea Meyer Dies in Bow-and-Arrow Attack: What We Know". popculture. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  32. ↑ Moose Wala, Sidhu. "Sidhu Moose Wala: Murder of popular Indian singer sparks anger". BBC. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  33. ↑ "Russian troops kill Ukrainian musician for refusing role in Kherson concert". the Guardian. 16 October 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
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