From Dickey Betts to Toby Keith, Melanie and beyond, here are the artists who have left us this year.
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
John Mayall
Abdul “Duke” Fakir
Jerry Fuller
Evelyn Thomas
Jerry Miller
Bernice Johnson Reagon
Dave Loggins
Joe Bonsall
Martin Phillipps
DJ Polo (right)
Kinky Friedman
Shifty Shellshock
Julio Foolio
James Chance
Angela Bofill
Johnny Canales
Francoise Hardy
Enchanting (center)
Mark James
Dr. Velásquez
Brother Marquis
Doug Ingle
Richard Sherman
Charlie Colin
(May 2024)
Omar Geles
Jan A.P. Kaczmarek
Jon Wysocki
Jimmy James (center)
David Sanborn
Dennis Thompson
John Barbata
Steve Albini
Duane Eddy
Mike Pinder
Chris King
Mandisa
Dickey Betts
Jorge “Clorofila” Verdin (center)
Park Boram
Mister Cee
Clarence “Frogman” Henry
C.J. Snare
Keith LeBlanc
Maurizio Pollini
Jean-Paul Vignon
Sandra Crouch
Cola Boyy
Steve Harley
Byron Janis
Bo$$
Anthony “Baby Gap” Walker
Eric Carmen
Karl Wallinger
Steve Lawrence
Debra Byrd
Brit Turner
Cat Janice
Shinsadong Tiger
Roni Stoneman
Vitalij Kuprij
Cynthia Strother
Damo Suzuki
Jimmy Van Eaton
Henry Fambrough
Chuy Montana
Mojo Nixon
Seiji Ozawa
Toby Keith
Wayne Kramer
Chita Rivera
Frank Farian
Melanie
Marlena Shaw
Mary Weiss
Jo-El Sonnieh
David Soul
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