# List of 2012 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 2012.

## 2012 deaths in popular music

| Preceded by 2011 | List of deaths in popular music 2012 | Succeeded by 2013 |
| Name | Age | Date | Location | Cause of death |
| Larry Reinhardt Iron Butterfly, Captain Beyond | 63 | January 2, 2012 | Bradenton, Florida, U.S. | Complications from cirrhosis |
| Bob Weston Fleetwood Mac | 64 | January 3, 2012 | Brent Cross, London, England | Gastrointestinal hemorrhage |
| Dave Alexander | 73 | January 8, 2012 | Marshall, Texas, U.S. | Suicide by gunshot |
| Robbie France Alphaville, Skunk Anansie | 52 | January 14, 2012 | Mazarrón, Spain | Ruptured aorta |
| Jimmy Castor The Jimmy Castor Bunch, The Teenagers | 71 | January 16, 2012 | Henderson, Nevada, U.S. | Heart failure |
| Johnny Otis | 90 | January 17, 2012 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Natural causes |
| Etta James | 73 | January 20, 2012 | Riverside, California, U.S. | Leukemia |
| Mark Reale Riot | 56 | January 25, 2012 | San Antonio, Texas, U.S. | Subarachnoid hemorrhage related to Crohn's disease |
| King Stitt | 71 | January 31, 2012 | Kingston, Jamaica | Prostate cancer |
| Don Cornelius Host of Soul Train | 75 | February 1, 2012 | Sherman Oaks, California, U.S. | Suicide by gunshot |
| David Peaston | 54 | February 1, 2012 | St. Louis Missouri, U.S. | Diabetes |
| Luis Alberto Spinetta Almendra, Pescado Rabioso, Invisible, Spinetta Jade | 62 | February 8, 2012 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Lung cancer |
| Whitney Houston | 48 | February 11, 2012 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Drowning due to cocaine intoxication |
| Tonmi Lillman Sinergy, To/Die/For, Lordi, Kylähullut | 38 | February 13, 2012 | | |
| Dory Previn | 86 | February 14, 2012 | Southfield, Massachusetts, U.S. | Natural causes |
| Michael Davis MC5, Destroy All Monsters | 68 | February 17, 2012 | Chico, California, U.S. | Liver failure |
| Billy Strange | 81 | February 22, 2012 | Franklin, Tennessee, U.S. | |
| Red Holloway | 84 | February 25, 2012 | Morro Bay, California, U.S. | Stroke and kidney failure |
| Louisiana Red | 79 | February 25, 2012 | Hanover, Germany | Stroke |
| Roland Bautista Earth, Wind & Fire | 60 | February 29, 2012 | U.S. | Natural causes |
| Davy Jones The Monkees | 66 | February 29, 2012 | Indiantown, Florida, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Lucio Dalla | 68 | March 1, 2012 | Montreux, Switzerland | Heart attack |
| Ronnie Montrose Edgar Winter Group, Montrose, Gamma | 64 | March 3, 2012 | San Francisco Bay Area, U.S. | Suicide by gunshot |
| Robert B. Sherman The Sherman Brothers | 86 | March 6, 2012 | London, England | Undisclosed causes |
| Jimmy Ellis The Trammps | 74 | March 8, 2012 | Rock Hill, South Carolina, U.S. | Alzheimer's disease |
| Hans G. Helms | 79 | March 11, 2012 | Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germany | Natural causes |
| Michael Hossack The Doobie Brothers | 65 | March 12, 2012 | Dubois, Wyoming, U.S. | Cancer |
| Ken Lyons 38 Special | 59 | March 20, 2012 | Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S. | |
| Vince Lovegrove The Valentines | 65 | March 24, 2012 | Bangalow, New South Wales, Australia | Traffic accident |
| Jerry McCain | 81 | March 28, 2012 | Gadsden, Alabama, U.S. | Natural causes |
| Jim Marshall Founder and owner of Marshall Amplification | 88 | April 5, 2012 | Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England | Natural causes |
| Andrew Love | 70 | April 12, 2012 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Alzheimer's disease |
| Krzysztof Puszyński Golec uOrkiestra | 54 | April 14/15, 2012 | ?, Poland | Heart attack |
| Graham Simpson Roxy Music | 68 | April 16, 2012 | Ladbroke Grove, London, England | Cancer |
| Dick Clark Host of American Bandstand | 82 | April 18, 2012 | Santa Monica, California, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Levon Helm The Band | 71 | April 19, 2012 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Cancer |
| Greg Ham Men At Work | 58 | April 19, 2012 | Carlton North, Victoria, Australia | Heart attack |
| Chris Ethridge International Submarine Band, The Flying Burrito Brothers | 65 | April 23, 2012 | Meridian, Mississippi, U.S. | |
| Tommy Marth The Killers | 33 | April 23, 2012 | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | Suicide |
| Jimmy Bond The Routers | 79 | April 26, 2012 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Cardiopulmonary disease |
| Charles Pitts | 65 | May 1, 2012 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Cancer |
| Adam Yauch Beastie Boys | 47 | May 4, 2012 | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | Parotid gland cancer |
| Michael Burks | 54 | May 6, 2012 | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Donald "Duck" Dunn Booker T. & the M.G.'s | 70 | May 13, 2012 | Tokyo, Japan | Natural causes |
| Chuck Brown | 75 | May 16, 2012 | Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | Multiple organ failure |
| Doug Dillard The Dillards, Dillard & Clark | 75 | May 16, 2012 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | Lung infection |
| Donna Summer | 63 | May 17, 2012 | Englewood, Florida, U.S. | Lung cancer |
| Robin Gibb Bee Gees | 62 | May 20, 2012 | Chelsea, London, England | Liver and kidney failure from colorectal cancer |
| Doc Watson | 89 | May 29, 2012 | Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S. | Complications following colon surgery |
| Pete Cosey | 68 | May 30, 2012 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Complications following surgery |
| Eduard Khil Russian singer | 77 | June 4, 2012 | Saint Petersburg, Russia | Stroke |
| Herb Reed The Platters | 83 | June 4, 2012 | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | Heart disease |
| Bob Welch Fleetwood Mac | 66 | June 7, 2012 | Antioch, Tennessee, U.S. | Suicide by gunshot |
| Gerry Bron Record producer and band manager from Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band | 79 | June 18, 2012 | Hendon, Middlesex, England | |
| Brian Hibbard The Flying Pickets | 65 | June 18, 2012 | Cardiff, Wales | Prostate cancer |
| Dennis Flemion The Frogs | 57 | July 7, 2012 | Racine County, Wisconsin, U.S. | Drowning |
| Bob Babbitt MFSB | 74 | July 16, 2012 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | Brain cancer |
| Jon Lord Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Paice Ashton Lord, The Artwoods, The Flower Pot Men | 71 | July 16, 2012 | London, England | Pulmonary embolism |
| Larry Hoppen Orleans | 61 | July 24, 2012 | | Suicide |
| Tony Martin | 98 | July 27, 2012 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Natural causes |
| Bill Doss The Olivia Tremor Control, The Sunshine Fix, The Apples in Stereo | 43 | July 30, 2012 | | Aneurysm |
| Tony Sly No Use for a Name | 41 | July 31, 2012 | San Jose, California, U.S. | Drug overdose |
| Jimmy Jones | 75 | August 2, 2012 | Aberdeen, North Carolina, U.S. | |
| Carl Davis Record producer | 77 | August 9, 2012 | Summerville, South Carolina, U.S. | Pulmonary fibrosis |
| Von Freeman | 88 | August 11, 2012 | Chicago Illinois, U.S. | Heart failure |
| Bob Birch The Elton John Band | 56 | August 15, 2012 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Suicide by gunshot |
| Scott McKenzie | 73 | August 18, 2012 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Guillain–Barré syndrome |
| Joe South | 72 | September 5, 2012 | Buford, Georgia, U.S. | Heart failure |
| James "Sugar Boy" Crawford | 77 | September 15, 2012 | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| Andy Williams The Williams Brothers | 84 | September 25, 2012 | Branson, Missouri, U.S. | Bladder cancer |
| R. B. Greaves | 68 | September 27, 2012 | Granada Hills, California, U.S. | Prostate cancer |
| Frank Wilson Record producer for Motown Records | 71 | September 27, 2012 | Duarte, California, U.S. | Prostate cancer |
| Berkant | 73 | October 1, 2012 | Istanbul, Turkey | Lung cancer |
| Big Jim Sullivan | 71 | October 2, 2012 | Billingshurst, West Sussex, England | Heart disease and diabetes |
| Kathi McDonald | 64 | October 3, 2012 | Seattle, Washington, U.S. | |
| Nick Curran The Fabulous Thunderbirds | 35 | October 6, 2012 | | Oral cancer |
| Bill Dees | 73 | October 24, 2012 | Mountain Home, Arkansas, U.S. | |
| Natina Reed Blaque | 31 | October 26, 2012 | Duluth, Georgia, U.S. | Traffic accident |
| Terry Callier | 67 | October 27, 2012 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Cancer |
| Mitch Lucker Suicide Silence | 28 | November 1, 2012 | Huntington Beach, California, U.S. | Traffic accident |
| Leonardo Favio | 74 | November 5, 2012 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Pneumonia |
| Major Harris | 65 | November 9, 2012 | Richmond, Virginia, U.S. | Congestive heart and lung failure |
| Earl Carroll The Cadillacs, The Coasters | 75 | November 25, 2012 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Compilations from a stroke and diabetes |
| Chris Stamp Record producer for The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Who, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Golden Earring and co-founder of Track Records | 70 | November 24, 2012 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Cancer |
| Mickey Baker | 87 | November 27, 2012 | Toulouse, France | Heart and kidney failure |
| Dave Brubeck | 91 | December 5, 2012 | Norwalk, Connecticut, U.S. | Congestive heart failure |
| Ed Cassidy Spirit | 89 | December 6, 2012 | San Jose, California, U.S. | Cancer |
| Huw Lloyd-Langton Hawkwind, Widowmaker | 61 | December 6, 2012 | Dorset, England | Cancer |
| Jenni Rivera | 43 | December 9, 2012 | Iturbide, Nuevo León, Mexico | Plane crash |
| Ravi Shankar | 92 | December 11, 2012 | San Diego, California, U.S. | Complications from surgery. |
| Eddie "Guitar" Burns | 84 | December 12, 2012 | U.S. | Heart failure |
| Jimmy McCracklin | 91 | December 20, 2012 | San Pablo, California, U.S. | |
| Lee Dorman Iron Butterfly, Captain Beyond | 70 | December 21, 2012 | Laguna Niguel, California, U.S. | Natural causes |
| Marva Whitney | 68 | December 22, 2012 | Kansas City, Kansas, U.S. | Pneumonia |
| Mike Scaccia Ministry, Rigor Mortis, Revolting Cocks | 47 | December 22, 2012 | Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Capital Steez Pro Era | 19 | December 23, 2012 | Manhattan, New York City, U.S. | Suicide |
| Fontella Bass | 72 | December 26, 2012 | St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | Heart attack |