# List of 2010 deaths in popular music

This is a list of notable performers of rock music and other forms of popular music, and others directly associated with the music as producers, songwriters, or in other closely related roles, who died in 2010.

## 2010 deaths in popular music

| Preceded by 2009 | List of deaths in popular music 2010 | Succeeded by 2011 |
| Name | Age | Date | Location | Cause of death |
| Gregory Slay Remy Zero | 40 | January 1, 2010 | Bodega Bay, California, U.S. | Cystic fibrosis |
| Tony Clarke Record producer from The Moody Blues | 68 | January 4, 2010 | | Emphysema |
| Neil Christian | 66 | January 4, 2010 | | Cancer |
| Sandro de América | 64 | January 4, 2010 | Guaymallén, Mendoza, Argentina | Septic shock |
| Willie Mitchell | 81 | January 5, 2010 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Cardiac arrest |
| Woody Cunningham Kleeer | 61 | January 9, 2010 | Bowie, Maryland, U.S. | Cause unknown |
| Mick Green Johnny Kidd & The Pirates | 65 | January 11, 2010 | Ilford, Essex, England | Heart failure |
| Jimmy O | 35 | January 12, 2010 | Port-au-Prince, Haiti | Killed and crushed in Haiti earthquake 2010 |
| Yabby You | 63 | January 12, 2010 | Clarendon Parish, Jamaica | Brain aneurysm |
| Jay Reatard Lost Sounds, The Reatards | 29 | January 13, 2010 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Cocaine and alcohol toxicity |
| Teddy Pendergrass Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes | 59 | January 13, 2010 | Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Respiratory failure |
| Jim Korthe 3rd Strike, Phantasm | 39 | January 13, 2010 | San Pedro, California, U.S. | Natural causes |
| Ed Thigpen | 79 | January 13, 2010 | Copenhagen, Denmark | Heart and lung problems |
| Eddie Edehill The Valentines | 74 | January 13, 2010 | Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Bobby Charles | 71 | January 14, 2010 | Abbeville, Louisiana, U.S. | Natural causes |
| Mike "Ace" Evans The Action | 64 | January 15, 2010 | | Heart attack |
| Carl Smith | 82 | January 16, 2010 | Franklin, Tennessee, U.S. | Natural causes |
| Kate McGarrigle | 63 | January 18, 2010 | St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada | Cancer |
| Lynn Taitt | 75 | January 20, 2010 | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Cancer |
| Geoff Workman Record producer for Toto, The Cars, Drivin N Cryin, Foreigner and Mötley Crüe | 62 | January 21, 2010 | Aurora, Colorado, U.S. | Liver failure |
| Robert "Squirrel" Lester The Chi-Lites | 67 | January 21, 2010 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Liver cancer |
| Apache | 45 | January 22, 2010 | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Undisclosed causes |
| Shirley Collie Nelson | 78 | January 27, 2010 | Springfield, Missouri, U.S. | After a long illness |
| Pauly Fuemana OMC | 40 | January 31, 2010 | North Shore City, New Zealand | Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy |
| Herman Curtis Dunham The Solitaires | 73 | January 31, 2010 | Harlem, New York City, U.S. | Lung cancer |
| Mallia Franklin Parliament | 57 | February 5, 2010 | | Unknown |
| John Dankworth | 82 | February 6, 2010 | Marylebone, London, England | After a long illness |
| Richard Delvy Drummer for The Challengers/The Bel-Airs | 67 | February 6, 2010 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Pneumonia |
| Malcolm Vaughan | 80 | February 9, 2010 | Eastbourne, East Sussex, England | Alzheimer's disease |
| Sylvia Shemwell Record producer for "The Sweet Inspirations" also backup for Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, Van Morrison etc. | 68 | February 13, 2010 | | Complications from a stroke |
| Dale Hawkins | 73 | February 13, 2010 | Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. | Colorectal cancer |
| Doug Fieger The Knack | 57 | February 14, 2010 | Woodland Hills, California, U.S. | Cancer |
| Lee Freeman Rhythm guitar for The Strawberry Alarm Clock | 60 | February 14, 2010 | Glendale, California, U.S. | Cancer |
| Lil' Dave Thompson | 40 | February 14, 2010 | Aiken County, South Carolina, U.S. | Car crash |
| Kathryn Grayson | 88 | February 17, 2010 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Natural causes |
| Ines Paulke Motiv Danzu | 51 | February 17, 2010 | Thannhausen, Bavaria, Germany | Suicide |
| Lonnie Heard The 5 Dollars | 72 | February 23, 2010 | | Unknown |
| Edmundas Čivinskas Vocalist for Vairas | 49 | February 24, 2010 | Kaunas, Lithuania | Hepatitis B |
| Nujabes Record producer | 36 | February 26, 2010 | Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan | Traffic collision |
| Larry Cassidy Section 25 | 56 | February 27, 2010 | | Blood clot |
| Tom Wolk Hall & Oates, Billy Joel Band, Saturday Night Live Band | 58 | February 28, 2010 | Pawling, New York, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Big Tiny Little (Dudley Little) Solo/Lawrence Welk/Various | 79 | March 3, 2010 | Carson City, Nevada, U.S. | Natural causes |
| Etta Cameron | 70 | March 4, 2010 | Aarhus, Denmark | After a long illness |
| Ron Banks The Dramatics | 58 | March 4, 2010 | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Lolly Vegas Redbone | 70 | March 4, 2010 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Lung cancer |
| Bud Cockrell It's a Beautiful Day | 59 | March 6, 2010 | Hinds County, Mississippi, U.S. | Complications from diabetes |
| Mark Linkous Sparklehorse | 47 | March 6, 2010 | Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. | Suicide by gunshot |
| Rich Parris Guitarist for Animal Bag | 47 | March 9, 2010 | | Ruptured ulcer |
| Lesley Duncan | 66 | March 12, 2010 | Isle of Mull, Scotland | Cerebrovascular disease |
| Cherie DeCastro The DeCastro Sisters | 87 | March 14, 2010 | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | Pneumonia |
| Alex Chilton The Box Tops, Big Star | 59 | March 17, 2010 | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Diz Disley | 78 | March 22, 2010 | London, England | |
| Jim Marshall Rock and roll photographer | 74 | March 24, 2010 | New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| Herb Ellis | 88 | March 28, 2010 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Alzheimer's disease |
| Vinnie Chas Pretty Boy Floyd | 46 | April 6, 2010 | Vancouver, Washington, U.S. | |
| Jerry Byrne | 69 | April 7, 2010 | Morgan City, Louisiana, U.S. | Lung cancer |
| Eddie Johnson | 89 | April 7, 2010 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| Malcolm McLaren Manager for Sex Pistols | 64 | April 8, 2010 | Bellinzona, Ticino, Switzerland | Peritoneal mesothelioma |
| Steve Reid | 66 | April 13, 2010 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Throat cancer |
| Peter Steele Type O Negative, Carnivore | 48 | April 14, 2010 | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | Aortic aneurysm |
| Guru Gang Starr | 48 | April 19, 2010 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Multiple myeloma |
| Owsley | 44 | April 30, 2010 | Franklin, Tennessee, U.S. | Suicide |
| Eddie L. Jackson Brenda & the Tabulations | 63 | May 3, 2010 | | Brain aneurysm |
| Lena Horne | 92 | May 9, 2010 | Manhattan, New York City, U.S. | Congestive heart failure |
| Ronnie James Dio Dio, Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Elf | 67 | May 16, 2010 | Houston, Texas, U.S. | Stomach cancer |
| Hank Jones | 91 | May 16, 2010 | The Bronx, New York, U.S. | |
| Beaver | 59 | May 23, 2010 | Auckland, New Zealand | Sarcoma |
| Paul Gray Slipknot | 38 | May 24, 2010 | Urbandale, Iowa, U.S. | Drug overdose |
| Steve New Rich Kids | 50 | May 24, 2010 | London, England, | Cancer |
| Ali-Ollie Woodson The Temptations | 58 | May 30, 2010 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Leukemia |
| Marvin Isley The Isley Brothers | 56 | June 6, 2010 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Complications due to diabetes |
| Calvin Leavy | 70 | June 6, 2010 | Pine Bluff, Arkansas, U.S. | |
| Stuart Cable Stereophonics | 40 | June 7, 2010 | Llwydcoed, Wales | Asphyxiation on vomit |
| Walt Woodward III Twisted Sister, Shark Island, The Painkillers, Sweet Savage | 51 | June 8, 2010 | | Liver failure |
| Crispian St. Peters | 71 | June 8, 2010 | Swanley, United Kingdom | Unknown |
| Garry Shider Parliament-Funkadelic | 56 | June 16, 2010 | Greater Upper Marlboro, Maryland, U.S. | Lung cancer |
| Peter Quaife The Kinks | 66 | June 23, 2010 | Copenhagen, Denmark | Kidney failure |
| Sergio Vega | 40 | June 26, 2010 | Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico | Shot |
| Park Yong-ha | 32 | June 30, 2010 | Seoul, South Korea | Suicide |
| Ilene Woods Disney's Cinderella | 81 | July 1, 2010 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Alzheimer's disease |
| Harvey Fuqua The Moonglows | 80 | July 6, 2010 | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Sugar Minott | 54 | July 10, 2010 | Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica | |
| Tuli Kupferberg The Fugs | 86 | July 12, 2010 | New York City, U.S. | Kidney failure |
| Madalina Manole | 41 | July 14, 2010 | Otopeni, Romania | Suicide |
| Fred Carter Jr. | 76 | July 17, 2010 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | Stroke |
| Andy Hummel Big Star | 59 | July 19, 2010 | Weatherford, Texas, U.S. | Cancer |
| Phillip Walker | 73 | July 22, 2010 | Palm Springs, California, U.S. | Heart failure |
| Al Goodman Ray, Goodman & Brown | 67 | July 26, 2010 | Hackensack, New Jersey, U.S. | Heart failure |
| Ben Keith Great Speckled Band | 73 | July 26, 2010 | La Honda, California, U.S. | Blood clot in lung |
| Derf Scratch Fear | 58 | July 28, 2010 | Camarillo, California, U.S. | Liver disease |
| Mitch Miller | 99 | July 31, 2010 | New York, New York, U.S. | Short illness |
| Bobby Hebb | 72 | August 3, 2010 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | Lung cancer |
| Catfish Collins Parliament-Funkadelic, The J.B.'s | 66 | August 6, 2010 | Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | Cancer |
| Calvin "Fuzz" Jones | 84 | August 9, 2010 | Southaven, Mississippi, U.S. | Lung cancer |
| Dana Dawson | 36 | August 10, 2010 | New York U.S. | Colorectal Cancer |
| Richie Hayward Little Feat | 64 | August 12, 2010 | Victoria, British Columbia, Canada | Liver cancer |
| Abbey Lincoln | 80 | August 14, 2010 | Manhattan, New York, New York, U.S. | Complications from open-heart surgery |
| Kenny Edwards The Stone Poneys | 64 | August 18, 2010 | Santa Barbara, California, U.S. | Prostate cancer |
| Michael Been The Call | 60 | August 19, 2010 | Hasselt, Belgium | Heart attack |
| Mike Edwards Electric Light Orchestra | 62 | September 3, 2010 | Halwell, Devon, England | Traffic accident |
| Hadley Caliman | 78 | September 8, 2010 | Seattle, Washington, U.S. | |
| Rich Cronin LFO | 36 | September 8, 2010 | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | Leukemia and stroke |
| King Coleman | 78 | September 11, 2010 | Miami, Florida, U.S. | |
| Arrow (Alphonsus Cassell) | 60 | September 15, 2010 | Montserrat, West Indies | Cerebral cancer |
| Buddy Collette | 89 | September 19, 2010 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Heart failure |
| Don Partridge | 68 | September 21, 2010 | Peacehaven, East Sussex, England | Heart attack |
| Eddie Fisher | 82 | September 22, 2010 | Berkeley, California, U.S. | Complications from hip surgery |
| Dick Griffey Founder of SOLAR Records | 71 | September 24, 2010 | Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Complications from coronary artery bypass surgery |
| Ed Wiley, Jr. | 80 | September 27, 2010 | Garner, North Carolina, U.S. | Injuries sustained in fall |
| Steve Lee Gotthard | 47 | October 5, 2010 | Mesquite, Nevada, U.S. | Traffic accident |
| Reg King The Action | 65 | October 8, 2010 | | Cancer |
| Solomon Burke | 70-74 | October 10, 2010 | Badhoevedorp, Netherlands | Pulmonary embolism |
| General Johnson Chairmen of the Board, The Showmen | 69 | October 13, 2010 | Atlanta, U.S. | Lung cancer |
| Eyedea Eyedea & Abilities | 28 | October 16, 2010 | Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. | Accidental drug overdose |
| Marion Brown | 79 | October 18, 2010 | Hollywood, Florida, U.S. | |
| Ari Up The Slits | 48 | October 20, 2010 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Cancer |
| Denis Simpson The Nylons | 59 | October 22, 2010 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Brain hemorrhage |
| Gregory Isaacs | 59 | October 25, 2010 | London, England | Lung cancer |
| Jim Clench April Wine, Loverboy, Bachman–Turner Overdrive | 61 | November 3, 2010 | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Lung cancer |
| James Freud Models | 51 | November 4, 2010 | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | |
| Randy Miller The Myriad | 39 | November 5, 2010 | Redding, California, U.S. | Bone cancer |
| Robert Curtis Smith | 80 | November 10, 2010 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| Peter Christopherson Throbbing Gristle, Coil | 55 | November 25, 2010 | Bangkok, Thailand | |
| Trev Thoms Inner City Unit, Atomgods, Steve Took's Horns | 60 | December 8, 2010 | Brighton, England | Pancreatic cancer |
| James Moody | 85 | December 9, 2010 | San Diego, California, U.S. | Pancreatic cancer |
| Captain Beefheart Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band | 69 | December 17, 2010 | Glendale, California, U.S. | Complications from multiple sclerosis |
| Jack Tracy Record producer and music journalist | 84 | December 21, 2010 | Nooksack, Washington, U.S. | |
| Myrna Smith The Sweet Inspirations | 69 | December 24, 2010 | Canoga Park, Los Angeles, U.S. | Kidney failure |
| Teena Marie | 54 | December 26, 2010 | Pasadena, California, U.S. | Natural causes |
| Bernard Wilson Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes | 64 | December 26, 2010 | | Stroke and heart attack |
| Billy Taylor | 89 | December 28, 2010 | New York City, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Nick Santo Lead Singer for The Capris | 69 | December 30, 2010 | | Cancer |
| Bobby Farrell Boney M | 61 | December 30, 2010 | Saint Petersburg, Russia | Heart failure |