Pick a Day

Music History Events: Deaths

November 10, 1990 Ronnie Dyson dies of heart failure at age 40. The stage actor, known for his lead vocal on the Hair theme "Aquarius," launched his recording career with the Top 10 hit "(If You Let Me Make Love to You Then) Why Can't I Touch You?" in 1970.

October 27, 1990 Bandleader Xavier Cugat dies of heart failure in Barcelona, Spain, at age 90.

October 16, 1990 Jazz drummer Art Blakey dies of lung cancer in Manhattan, New York, at age 71.

October 14, 1990 Leonard Bernstein, the celebrated conductor and composer of Broadway hits West Side Story, Peter Pan and On The Town, dies at age 72.

October 8, 1990 Barrie "B.J." Wilson (drummer for Procol Harum) dies after a long illness in Eugene, Oregon, at age 43.

September 6, 1990 Tom Fogerty (rhythm guitarist for Creedence Clearwater Revival) dies from an AIDS-related tuberculosis infection in Scottsdale, Arizona, at age 48. He contracted HIV from blood transfusions.

August 23, 1990 David Rose (leader of David Rose & His Orchestra) dies of natural causes in Burbank, California, at age 80.

August 17, 1990 Actress/singer Pearl Bailey dies of arteriosclerotic coronary artery disease in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at age 72. Had a top-ten hit with "Takes Two to Tango" in 1952.

July 27, 1990 "Rockin' Robin" singer Bobby Day dies of cancer in Los Angeles, California, at age 60.

July 26, 1990 Grateful Dead keyboard player Brent Mydland dies of a drug overdose at age 37.

June 22, 1990 Doo-wop singer Corinthian "Kripp" Johnson (of The Dell-Vikings) dies of cancer at age 54.

June 5, 1990 Jim Hodder (original drummer for Steely Dan), age 42, drowns in the swimming pool of his home in Point Arena, California.

June 4, 1990 Stiv Bators (frontman for The Dead Boys, The Lords of the New Church), age 40, dies of a concussion in his sleep hours after being struck by a taxi.

June 3, 1990 Richard Sohl, pianist and songwriter known for his work with Patti Smith, dies of a heart attack at age 37.

May 16, 1990 Sammy Davis Jr. dies of complications from throat cancer at age 64. He was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1960s and 1970s, appearing in many movies and TV shows, and landing a #1 hit with "The Candy Man."

May 16, 1990 Muppets creator Jim Henson dies of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome at 53. Henson made music a key component of The Muppet Show, which featured a gnarly house band (The Electric Mayhem) and welcomed many superstars eager to interact with his creatures. Elton John, Julie Andrews, John Denver and Loretta Lynn all appeared on the show.

May 1, 1990 Italian-American tenor Sergio Franchi dies of cancer at age 64.

April 14, 1990 Rock and roll singer Thurston Harris, known for his hit 1957 cover of Bobby Day's "Little Bitty Pretty One," dies at age 58 of a heart attack.

April 3, 1990 Jazz singer Sarah Vaughan dies at age 66 of lung cancer.

March 17, 1990 Ric Grech, bass player in Traffic and Blind Faith, dies of a brain hemorrhage at age 43.

February 26, 1990 Cornell Gunter, former lead tenor for The Coasters, is murdered in Las Vegas, Nevada, at age 53. Gunter, who was in the midst of making a comeback, was shot in his car by an unknown assassin.

February 24, 1990 Johnnie Ray, one of the most popular singers of the early '50s, dies of liver failure at age 63.

February 8, 1990 Del Shannon, struggling with depression, commits suicide at age 55.

January 23, 1990 Original Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Allen Collins, a survivor of their 1977 plane crash, dies of pneumonia - a complication of paralysis caused by a 1986 car accident.

December 1, 1989 Scottish keyboardist Billy Lyall (of Bay City Rollers, Pilot, The Alan Parsons Project) dies of an AIDS-related illness at age 36.

November 6, 1989 Dickie Goodman (of the novelty duo Buchanan and Goodman) dies at age 55 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

November 5, 1989 Ukrainian pianist and composer Vladimir Horowitz dies of a heart attack at age 86.

September 22, 1989 Composer/lyricist Irving Berlin dies at age 101 in New York City.

September 14, 1989 Cuban bandleader/musician Pérez Prado dies of a stroke in Mexico City, Mexico, at age 72.

July 15, 1989 Atlantic Records executive Nesuhi Ertegun, who worked with The Drifters and Bobby Darin, dies following a cancer surgery at age 71.