List of murdered musicians

Many musicians have been killed during their active career. Some of them have received extensive media attention, including the murder of John Lennon in 1980, the murder of Selena in 1995 and the murders of rappers Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. in 1996 and 1997, respectively. Others have received less media attention, including the murder of Bryan Harvey, who was killed during the 2006 Richmond spree murders.

Murdered musicians

Below is a list of notable murders of musicians.

NameKnown asDate killedAgeSite of deathPerpetratorMethod of murderCreditRef.
Alessandro StradellaAlessandro Stradella25 February 168242Genoa, ItalyUnknownStabbingClassical composer[1]
Jean-Marie LeclairJean-Marie Leclair22 October 176467Paris, FranceUnknownStabbingClassical composer and violinist[2]
Clarence SmithPinetop Smith15 March 192924Chicago, Illinois, USUnknownShootingBoogie-woogie pianist[3]
Anton WebernAnton Webern15 September 194561Vienna, AustriaPfc. Raymond Norwood BellShootingClassical composer[4]
John WilliamsonSonny Boy Williamson1 June 194834Chicago, Illinois, USUnknownShootingBlues singer[5]
Francis BlackwellScrapper Blackwell7 October 196259Indianapolis, Indiana, USUnknownShootingBlues guitarist, composer
Marc BlitzsteinMarc Blitzstein22 January 196458MartiniqueThree menBeatingClassical/musical theatre composer[6]
Sam CookeSam Cooke11 December 196433Los Angeles, California, USBertha Franklin'Justifiable homicide'Soul singer[7]
Darrell Banks Darrell Banks February 24, 1970 32 Detroit, Michigan, US Aaron Bullock Shooting Soul singer
Curtis OusleyKing Curtis13 August 197137New York City, USJuan MontanezStabbedJazz saxophonist[8]
Lee MorganLee Morgan19 February 197233New York City, USHelen MorganShootingJazz trumpeter
Robert RamirezBobby Ramirez24 July 197223Chicago, Illinois, USUnknownBeaten, stabbedDrummer, with Edgar Winter[9]
Víctor Lidio Jara MartínezVíctor Jara16 September 197340Santiago, ChileChilean military officersTorture and shootingSinger-songwriter
David AkemanStringbean10 November 197358Ridgetop, Tennessee, USJohn A. Brown and Marvin Douglas BrownShootingCountry banjo player[10]
Albert Jackson Jr.Al Jackson Jr.1 October 197539Memphis, Tennessee, USUnknownStabbingR&B, funk and soul drummer[11]
Eddie JeffersonEddie Jefferson9 May 197960Detroit, Michigan, USUnknownShootingVocalese[12]
John LennonJohn Lennon8 December 198040New York City, USMark David ChapmanShootingRock and roll artist
Claude VivierClaude Vivier7 March 198334Paris, FrancePascal DolzanStabbingClassical composer[13]
Felix Pappalardi Jr.Felix Pappalardi17 April 198343New York City, USGail PappalardiShootingRock artist[14]
Walter Notheis Jr.Walter Scott27 December 198340St. Peters, Missouri, USJames H. Williams Sr.ShootingRock 'n' roll singer
Marvin GayeMarvin Gaye1 April 198444Los Angeles, California, USMarvin Gay Sr.ShootingR&B singer
Leonard BreauLenny Breau12 August 198443Los Angeles, California, USUnknownStrangledGuitarist[15]
Carlton BarrettCarly Barrett17 April 198736Kingston, JamaicaGlenroy Carter and Junior NeilShootingReggae drummer
Winston Hubert McIntoshPeter Tosh11 September 198742Kingston, JamaicaDennis Lobban and two other individualsTortureReggae artist
John Pastorius, IIIJaco Pastorius21 September 198735Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USLuc HavanBeaten (barfight)Jazz bassist
Michael David FullerBlaze Foley1 February 198939Austin, Texas, USCarey JanuaryShootingCountry, folk singer-songwriter[16]
Osbourne RuddockKing Tubby6 February 198948Kingston, JamaicaUnknownShootingSound engineer[17]
Cornell GunterCornell Gunter26 February 199053Las Vegas, Nevada, USUnknownShootingR&B singer
David RowbothamDave Rowbotham8 November 199133Manchester, EnglandUnknownBludgeoned by hammerRock musician
Rosalino Sánchez FélixChalino Sanchez16 May 199231Tijuana, MexicoUnknownShootingNarcocorrido singer[18]
Mia ZapataMia Zapata7 July 199327Seattle, Washington, USJesus MezquiaStranglingRock singer[19]
Donald MyrickDon Myrick30 July 199353Los Angeles, California, USPolice Officer Gary BarbaroShootingJazz saxophonist[20]
Øystein AarsethEuronymous10 August 199325Oslo, NorwayVarg VikernesStabbingGuitarist
Rhett ForresterRhett Forrester22 January 199437Atlanta, Georgia, USUnknownShootingHeavy metal musician[21]
Selena Quintanilla-PérezSelena31 March 199523Corpus Christi, Texas, USYolanda SaldivarShootingTejano singer
Randy WalkerStretch30 November 199527New York City, USUnknownShootingRapper
Tupac ShakurTupac Shakur;
2Pac;
Makaveli		13 September 199625Las Vegas, Nevada, USOrlando Anderson (suspected)ShootingRapper
Christopher WallaceThe Notorious B.I.G.;
Biggie Smalls;
Frank White		9 March 199724Los Angeles, California, USWardell "Poochie" Fouse (suspected)ShootingRapper
Patrick HawkinsFat Pat13 February 199827Houston, Texas, USUnknownShootingRapper
Jaki ByardJaki Byard11 February 199976New York City, USUnknownShootingJazz pianist
Lamont ColemanBig L;
Corleone;
Mr. MVP		15 February 199925New York City, USGerard Woodley (suspected)ShootingRapper
Roger TroutmanRoger Troutman25 April 199947Dayton, Ohio, USLarry TroutmanShootingMusician
Jason William MizellJam Master Jay30 October 200237New York City, USTwo men indicted[22]ShootingDJ
Darrell AbbottDimebag Darrell8 December 200438Columbus, Ohio, USNathan GaleShootingHeavy metal guitarist
Bryan HarveyBryan Harvey1 January 200649Richmond, Virginia, USRay Joseph Dandridge and Ricky Javon GrayBlunt-force traumaSinger/guitarist
DeShaun HoltonProof11 April 200632Detroit, Michigan, USMario EtheridgeShootingRapper
John Edward HawkinsBig Hawk1 May 200636Houston, Texas, USUnknownShootingRapper
Valentín ElizaldeValentin Elizalde25 November 200627Reynosa, MexicoUnknownShootingBanda singer[23]
Winston RileyWinston Riley19 January 201268Kingston, JamaicaUnknownShootingRocksteady/reggae singer and producer
Natalia StrelchenkoNatalia Strelle30 August 201538Manchester, EnglandJohn MartinHead trauma, strangulationClassical pianist[24]
Christina GrimmieChristina Grimmie10 June 201622Orlando, Florida, USKevin James LoiblShootingPop singer
Amjad SabriAmjad Sabri22 June 201639Karachi, PakistanPakistani TalibanShootingQawwali singer[25]
Jahseh OnfroyXXXTentacion18 June 201820Deerfield Beach, Florida, USFour men indicted[26][27]ShootingRapper[28]
Travon SmartJimmy Wopo18 June 201821Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USUnknownShootingRapper
Ermias AsghedomNipsey Hussle31 March 201933Los Angeles, California, USEric Ronald Holder Jr.ShootingRapper
Bashar JacksonPop Smoke19 February 202020Los Angeles, California, USCorey Walker and Keandre RodgersShootingRapper
Dayvon Daquan BennettKing Von6 November 202026Atlanta, Georgia, USTimothy LeeksShootingRapper
Adolph Robert Thornton Jr. Young Dolph 17 November 2021 36 Memphis, Tennissee, US Unknown Shooting Rapper [29]

See also

References
  1. Gianturco, Carolyn. "Alessandro Stradella (1639–1682)". Hyperion Records. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  2. 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)
  3. Pinetop Smith
  4. Moldenhauer, Hans (1961). The Death of Anton Webern: A Drama in Documents. New York: Philosophical Library. OCLC 512111.
  5. "Sonny Boy Williamson". Biography.com.
  6. Shewey, Don (16 July 1989). "'Moonlight' and Marxism". The New York Times Book Review.
  7. "Shooting of Sam Cooke Held 'Justifiable Homicide'". The New York Times. 17 December 1964.
  8. Kernfield, Barry Dean. New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. Grove's Dictionaries. p. 544.
  9. 45 Years Ago: Former Edgar Winter Drummer Bobby Ramirez Killed
  10. "Stringbean Akeman's killer free on parole". The Tennessean. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  11. Lisle, Andria (25 November 2015). "Memphis sunset: The Mysterious death of Stax heartbeat Al Jackson, Jr". Retrieved 29 June 2017 – via The Guardian.
  12. "Eddie Jefferson, 60, Jazz Lyricist, Slain After Leaving Detroit Club". The New York Times. 10 May 1979.
  13. Gilmore, Bob (2014). Claude Vivier. A Composer's Life. University of Rochester Press. ISBN 978-1580464857.
  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.
  16. "Blaze Foley: Killing of a Songwriter". 7 October 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  17. Thompson, Dave (2002) Reggae & Caribbean Music, Backbeat Books, ISBN 0-87930-655-6, pp. 138–141
  18. POV (17 January 2006). "El Valiente: Chalino Sánchez - Al Otro Lado". PBS. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  19. Tizon, Alex (23 August 1998). "Who Murdered Mia Zapata? No Arrests, Few Clues 5 Years After Slaying". Seattle Times.
  20. Chazanov, Mathis (15 August 1993). "Questions Cloud Life, Death of Saxophonist". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  21. Katel, Jacob (14 September 2010). "Top 10 Murdered Musicians You've Never Heard Of". Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  22. Southall, Ashley; Zaveri, Mihir; Feuer, Alan (17 August 2020). "2 Are Charged in Killing of Jam Master Jay, Hip-Hop Pioneer". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  23. "Mexico: Musician killed for his drug related lyrics". 18 March 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  24. "Natalia Strelchenko murder: 'Jealous' husband John Martin jailed", BBC News, 21 March 2016, retrieved 22 March 2016
  25. Ali, Imtiaz (22 June 2016). "Famed qawwal Amjad Sabri gunned down in Karachi". Dawn.com. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  26. Reuters Staff (19 July 2018). "Four men indicted in murder of Florida rapper XXXTentacion". Reuters. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  27. 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.
  28. Margol, Andrea Torres, Amanda Batchelor, Ian (19 June 2018). "Rapper XXXTentacion killed in Deerfield Beach shooting". local10.com. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  29. Romo, Vanessa (17 November 2021). "Rapper Young Dolph is shot and killed in Memphis". NPR. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
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