Gone But Not Forgotten: Musicians We Lost in 2024
From Dickey Betts to Toby Keith, Melanie and beyond, here are the artists who have left us this year.
Dickey Betts of The Allman Brothers Band performs at Lakewood Amphitheater in Atlanta, Georgia Circa 1993.
Rick Diamond/Getty Images
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It’s so hard to say goodbye … especially to talented creators who have contributed beautiful works of art that have made the world a brighter place. But while no one can live forever, musicians’ compositions will go on to be enjoyed by future generations.
The world of music had a rough start when on Jan. 4, David Soul — who played the blond, blue-eyed Det. Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson on hit 1970s buddy-cop TV series Starsky and Hutch — died at age 80. But the late star wasn’t just an actor when it came to the world of entertainment — he was also an accomplished musician, landing three songs on the Billboard Hot 100 (including 1977’s No. 1 hit “Don’t Give Up on Us”) and two albums on the Billboard 200.
Then Grammy-winning artist Jo-El Sonnier died at age 77 on Jan. 14, while on tour. He suffered cardiac arrest after a show in Texas. Just days later, the world said goodbye to Mary Weiss, the lead singer of 1960s pop girl group The Shangri-Las. She was 75. And that was just the beginning of the musicians who would go on to leave us this year.
And a day after the 2024 Grammys, the music world was shaken by the news of Toby Keith’s death. The country star — who had previously shared with fans in 2022 that he was battling stomach cancer — died at age 62 on Feb. 5, a message on his website and social media accounts announced.
While friends and loved ones mourn these talented artists, they will not be forgotten by their fans around the world. Below, Billboard remembers the musicians who passed away in 2024.
Chino XL
Image Credit: Paul Mounce/Corbis via Getty Images
(July 28, 2024)
John Mayall
Image Credit: Graham Lowe /Redferns
(Nov. 29, 1933 – July 22, 2024)
Abdul “Duke” Fakir
Image Credit: Evening Standard/Getty Images/Hulton Archive
(Dec. 26, 1935 – July 22, 2024)
Jerry Fuller
Image Credit: CBS via Getty Images
(Nov. 19, 1938 – July 18, 2024)
Evelyn Thomas
Image Credit: YouTube
(Aug. 22, 1953 – July 21, 2024)
Jerry Miller
Image Credit: Gems/Redferns/Getty Images
(July 10, 1943 – July 21, 2024)
Bernice Johnson Reagon
Image Credit: Hiroyuki Ito/Getty Images
(Oct. 4, 1942 – July 16, 2024)
Dave Loggins
Image Credit: Michael Ochs/Getty Images
(Nov. 10, 1947 – July 10, 2024)
Joe Bonsall
Image Credit: Jon Mir
(May 18, 1948 – July 9, 2024)
Martin Phillipps
Image Credit: Jordi Vidal/Redferns
(July 2024)
DJ Polo (right)
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
(July 2024)
Kinky Friedman
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
(Nov. 1, 1944 – June 27, 2024)
Shifty Shellshock
Image Credit: Tim Roney/Getty Images
(Aug. 23, 1974 – June 24, 2024)
Julio Foolio
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
(June 23, 2024)
James Chance
Image Credit: Frans Schellekens/Redferns
(April 20, 1953 – June 18, 2024)
Angela Bofill
Image Credit: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images
(May 2, 1954 – June 13, 2024)
Johnny Canales
Image Credit: Rodrigo Varela/WireImage
(Aug. 19, 1947 – June 12, 2024)
Francoise Hardy
Image Credit: Blandford/Mirrorpix/Getty Images
(Jan. 17, 1944 – June 11, 2024)
Enchanting (center)
Image Credit: Prince Williams/Wireimage
(Oct. 9, 1997 – June 11, 2024)
Mark James
Image Credit: Gary Gershoff/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame
(Nov. 29, 1940 – June 8, 2024)
Dr. Velásquez
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
(June 8, 2024)
Brother Marquis
Image Credit: Kris Connor/Getty Images
(April 4, 1966 – June 3, 2024)
Doug Ingle
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
(Sept. 9, 1945 – May 25, 2024)
Richard Sherman
Image Credit: Michael Schwartz/WireImage
(June 12, 1928 – May 25, 2024)
Charlie Colin
Image Credit: Paul Hawthorne/WireImage
(May 2024)
Omar Geles
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
(Feb. 15, 1967 – May 21, 2024)
Jan A.P. Kaczmarek
Image Credit: Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto/Getty Images
(April 29, 1953 – May 21, 2024)
Jon Wysocki
Image Credit: Nigel Crane/Redferns
(Jan. 17 ,1971 – May 18, 2024)
Jimmy James (center)
Image Credit: Ivan Keeman/Redferns
(Sept. 13, 1940 – May 15, 2024)
David Sanborn
Image Credit: Paul Natkin/Getty Images
(July 30, 1945 – May 12, 2024)
Dennis Thompson
Image Credit: Jim Dyson/Getty Images
(Sept. 7, 1948 – May 9, 2024)
John Barbata
Image Credit: Roger Ressmeyer/CORBIS/VCG via Getty Images
(April 1, 1945 – May 8, 2024)
Steve Albini
Image Credit: Paul Natkin/Getty Images
(July 22, 1962 – May 7, 2024)
Duane Eddy
Image Credit: PoPsie Randolph/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
(April 26, 1938 – April 30, 2024)
Mike Pinder
Image Credit: Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns
(Dec. 27, 1941 – April 24, 2024)
Chris King
Image Credit: Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Trippie Redd/10K Projects
(April 20, 2024)
Mandisa
Image Credit: Brad Barket/Getty Images
(Oct. 2, 1976 – April 18, 2024)
Dickey Betts
Image Credit: Kirk West/Getty Images
(Dec. 12, 1943 – April 18, 2024)
Jorge “Clorofila” Verdin (center)
Image Credit: Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic
(April 16, 2024)
Park Boram
Image Credit: Han Myung-Gu/WireImage
(April 11, 2024)
Mister Cee
Image Credit: Johnny Nunez/WireImage
(Aug. 17, 1966 – April 10, 2024)
Clarence “Frogman” Henry
Image Credit: Skip Bolen/WireImage
(March 19, 1937 – April 7, 2024)
C.J. Snare
Image Credit: Gary Miller/Getty Images
(Dec. 14, 1959 – April 5, 2024)
Keith LeBlanc
Image Credit: Derek Storm/Everett Collection
(1954 – April 4, 2024)
Maurizio Pollini
Image Credit: Roberto Serra – Iguana Press/Redferns
(Jan. 5, 1942 – March 23, 2024)
Jean-Paul Vignon
Image Credit: Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
(Jan. 30, 1935 – March 22, 2024)
Sandra Crouch
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
(July 1, 1942 – March 17, 2024)
Cola Boyy
Image Credit: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for Coachella
(Feb. 14, 1990 – March 17, 2024)
Steve Harley
Image Credit: Roberto Ricciuti/Redferns
(Feb. 27, 1951 – March 17, 2024)
Byron Janis
Image Credit: Dario Cantatore/Getty Images
(March 24, 1928 – March 14, 2024)
Bo$$
Image Credit: Al Pereira/Getty Images/Michael Ochs Archives
(March 11, 2024)
Anthony “Baby Gap” Walker
Image Credit: Getty Images
(Aug. 12, 1963 – March 4, 2024)
Eric Carmen
Image Credit: Tom Hill/WireImage
(Aug. 11, 1949 – March 2024)
Karl Wallinger
Image Credit: Courtesy of World Party
(Oct. 19, 1957 – March 10, 2024)
Steve Lawrence
Image Credit: Harry Langdon/Getty Images
(July 8, 1935 – March 7, 2024)
Debra Byrd
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
(July 19, 1951 – March 5, 2024)
Brit Turner
Image Credit: Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
(May 8, 1966 – March 3, 2024)
Cat Janice
Image Credit: Claire LeJeune
(Feb. 28, 2024)
Shinsadong Tiger
Image Credit: Yang Ji-ung/Yonhap/AP
(June 3, 1983 – Feb. 23, 2024)
Roni Stoneman
Image Credit: Courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
(May 5, 1938 – Feb. 22, 2024)
Vitalij Kuprij
Image Credit: Kevin Nixon/Prog Magazine/Future via Getty Images
(1974 – Feb. 20, 2024)
Cynthia Strother
Image Credit: Courtesy of Rex Strother
(Oct. 4, 1935 – Feb. 16, 2024)
Damo Suzuki
Image Credit: Vincenzo Buscemi/Getty Images
(Jan. 16, 1950 – Feb. 9, 2024)
Jimmy Van Eaton
Image Credit: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
(Dec. 23, 1937 – Feb. 9, 2024)
Henry Fambrough
Image Credit: Mike Coppola/WireImage
(1938 – Feb. 7, 2024)
Chuy Montana
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
(Feb. 7, 2024)
Mojo Nixon
Image Credit: Paul Natkin/Getty Images
(Aug. 2, 1957 – Feb. 7, 2024)
Seiji Ozawa
Image Credit: Shintaro Shiratori
(Sept. 1, 1935 – Feb. 6, 2024)
Toby Keith
Image Credit: Christopher Polk/Getty Images
(July 8, 1961 – Feb. 5, 2024)
Wayne Kramer
Image Credit: Jim Newberry
(April 30, 1948 – Feb. 2, 2024)
Chita Rivera
Image Credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
(Jan. 23, 1933 – Jan. 30, 2024)
Frank Farian
Image Credit: ARTCO-Berlin/ullstein bild via Getty Images
(July 18, 1941 – Jan. 23, 2024)
Melanie
Image Credit: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
(Feb. 3, 1947 – Jan. 23, 2024)
Marlena Shaw
Image Credit: Michael Putland/Getty Images
(Sept. 22, 1939 – Jan. 19, 2023)
Mary Weiss
Image Credit: Roberta Bayley/Redferns
(Jan. 19, 2024)
Jo-El Sonnieh
Image Credit: Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
(1946 – Jan. 13, 2024)
David Soul
Image Credit: Jeremy Grayson/Radio Times/Getty Images
(Aug. 28, 1943 – Jan. 4, 2024)
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