# List of 2021 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 2021.

## 2021 deaths in popular music

| Preceded by 2020 | List of deaths in popular music 2021 | Succeeded by 2022 |
| Name | Age | Date | Location of death | Cause of death |
| Misty Morgan Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan | 75 | January 1, 2021 | Florida, U.S. | Cancer |
| Mick Bolton Mott the Hoople, Dexys Midnight Runners | 72 | January 1, 2021 | Hastings, England | Undisclosed |
| Carlos do Carmo | 81 | January 1, 2021 | Lisbon, Portugal | |
| Gerry Marsden Gerry & the Pacemakers | 78 | January 3, 2021 | Arrowe Park, Merseyside, England | Blood infection |
| Jamie O'Hara The O'Kanes | 70 | January 7, 2021 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | Cancer |
| Ed Bruce | 81 | January 8, 2021 | Clarksville, Tennessee, U.S. | Natural causes |
| Marsha Zazula Megaforce Records founder | 68 | January 10, 2021 | Clermont, Florida, U.S. | Cancer |
| John Oakley-Smith Rhodesian singer | 71 | January 11, 2021 | Mutare, Zimbabwe | Murder |
| Tim Bogert Beck, Bogert & Appice, Vanilla Fudge, Cactus | 76 | January 13, 2021 | Simi Valley, California, U.S. | Cancer |
| Sylvain Sylvain New York Dolls | 69 | January 13, 2021 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | Cancer |
| Phil Spector Record producer | 81 | January 16, 2021 | San Joaquin, California, U.S. | COVID-19 Spector was serving time at California Health Care Facility for the Murder of Lana Clarkson. |
| Jason Cope The Steel Woods | 43 | January 16, 2021 | | Complications from diabetes |
| Jimmie Rodgers | 87 | January 18, 2021 | Palm Desert, California, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Ronnie Nasralla Record producer from Byron Lee and the Dragonaires | 90 | January 20, 2021 | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | Natural causes |
| Hilton Valentine The Animals | 77 | January 29, 2021 | | Undisclosed |
| Sophie | 34 | January 30, 2021 | Athens, Greece | Accidental fall |
| Double K People Under the Stairs | 43 | January 30, 2021 | | Unknown |
| David Donato Black Sabbath, White Tiger | 66 | February 2, 2021 | | Unknown |
| Jim Weatherly | 77 | February 3, 2021 | Brentwood, Tennessee, U.S. | Natural causes |
| Stefan Cush The Men They Couldn't Hang | 60 | February 4, 2021 | | Heart attack |
| Örs Siklósi AWS | 29 | February 5, 2021 | | Leukaemia |
| Mary Wilson The Supremes | 76 | February 8, 2021 | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | Hypertensive heart disease |
| Chick Corea Return to Forever, Chick Corea Elektric Band | 79 | February 9, 2021 | Tampa Bay, Florida, U.S. | Cancer |
| Cedrick Cotton Ideal | 46 | February 9, 2021 | Houston, Texas, U.S. | Stabbing |
| Jon Mark Mark-Almond, John Mayall | 77 | February 10, 2021 | | Unknown |
| Louis Clark Music arranger from Electric Light Orchestra | 73 | February 13, 2021 | Elyria, Ohio, U.S. | Kidney failure |
| Françoise Cactus Stereo Total, Lolitas | 57 | February 17, 2021 | Berlin, Germany | Breast cancer |
| U-Roy | 78 | February 17, 2021 | Kingston, Jamaica | Kidney failure |
| Prince Markie Dee The Fat Boys | 52 | February 18, 2021 | Miami, Florida, U.S. | Congestive heart failure |
| James Burke The Five Stairsteps | 70 | February 19, 2021 | | Pneumonia |
| Đorđe Balašević Rani Mraz | 67 | February 19, 2021 | Novi Sad, Serbia | |
| Scott Pettersen Backwater | 64 | February 21, 2021 | Austin, Texas, U.S. | Cancer |
| Viktoras Michnevičius Member of Sel | 47 | February 24, 2021 | ?, Lithuania | Undisclosed |
| Bob James Swan, Montrose, Magnet | 68 | February 26, 2021 | | Ulcer complications |
| Anna Kast Little Big | 39 | February 28, 2021 | | Infection |
| Ian North Milk 'N' Cookies | 68 | February 28, 2021 | Sarasota, Florida, U.S. (?) | Heart attack |
| Bunny Wailer The Wailers | 73 | March 2, 2021 | Kingston, Jamaica | Complications from a stroke |
| Alan Cartwright Procol Harum | 75 | March 4, 2021 | | Stomach cancer |
| Michael Stanley | 72 | March 5, 2021 | | Lung cancer |
| James MacGaw Magma | 52 | March 8, 2021 | | Brain tumour |
| Ray Campi | 86 | March 11, 2021 | U.S. | Unknown |
| Reggie Warren Troop | 52 | March 14, 2021 | Pasadena, California, U.S. | Cause not disclosed |
| Doug Parkinson Fanny Adams, The Life Organisation | 74 | March 15, 2021 | Northern Beaches, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | Undisclosed |
| Matt "Money" Miller Titus Andronicus | 34 | March 17, 2021 | | Unknown |
| Corey Steger Underoath | 42 | March 17, 2021 | | Traffic collision |
| Dan Sartain | 39 | March 20, 2021 | Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. | Unknown |
| Malcolm Cecil Record producer from Tonto's Expanding Head Band | 84 | March 28, 2021 | | Unknown |
| Oscar Kraal Niels Geusebroek, Van Dik Hout, Milow | 50 | April 1, 2021 | | Pancreatic cancer |
| Patrick Juvet | 70 | April 1, 2021 | Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain | Cardiac arrest |
| B.B. Dickerson War | 71 | April 2, 2021 | Long Beach, California, U.S. | A long, undisclosed illness |
| Ralph Schuckett Utopia | 73 | April 3, 2021 | | Unknown |
| Paul Humphrey Blue Peter | 61 | April 4, 2021 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Multiple system atrophy |
| DMX | 50 | April 9, 2021 | White Plains, New York, U.S. | Heart attack leading to organ failure |
| Bob Porter American Hall of Fame record producer, discographer and broadcaster | 80 | April 10, 2021 | Northvale, New Jersey, U.S. | Esophageal cancer |
| Bosse Skoglund Peps Persson | 85 | April 10, 2021 | | Unknown |
| Leonid Bortkevich Pesniary | 71 | April 13, 2021 | | Unknown |
| Rusty Young Poco | 75 | April 14, 2021 | Davisville, Missouri, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Evgeniy Ostapenko Ukrainian singer | 44 | April 14, 2021 | Klaipėda, Lithuania | Heart failure |
| Barby Kelly The Kelly Family | 45 | April 15, 2021 | Belascoáin, Spain | Heart failure |
| Barry Mason | 85 | April 16, 2021 | | Unknown |
| Mike Mitchell The Kingsmen | 77 | April 16, 2021 | | Died on his 77th birthday of unknown cause |
| Lew Lewis Eddie and the Hot Rods | 65–66 | April 17, 2021 | | Unknown |
| Paul Oscher | 71 | April 18, 2021 | Austin, Texas, U.S. | COVID-19 |
| Lars Ratz Metalium | 53 | April 18, 2021 | Vilafranca de Bonany, Mallorca, Spain | Ultralight crash |
| Jim Steinman | 73 | April 19, 2021 | Danbury, Connecticut, U.S. | Kidney failure |
| Les McKeown Bay City Rollers | 65 | April 20, 2021 | London, England | Suspected heart attack |
| Joe Long The Four Seasons | 88 | April 21, 2021 | Long Beach, New Jersey, U.S. | COVID-19 |
| Shock G Digital Underground | 57 | April 22, 2021 | Tampa, Florida, U.S. | Accidental overdose |
| Denny Freeman | 76 | April 25, 2021 | Austin, Texas, U.S. | Abdominal cancer |
| Al Schmitt Recording engineer for RCA Records, Capitol Studios | 91 | April 26, 2021 | Bell Canyon, California, U.S. | Unknown |
| Paul Couter TC Matic | 72 | April 27, 2021 | Ghent, Belgium | Cancer |
| Anita Lane The Birthday Party, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds | 61 | April 28, 2021 | | Unknown |
| John Hinch Judas Priest, Bakerloo | 73 | April 29, 2021 | | Unknown |
| Tony Markellis Trey Anastasio Band | 68 | April 29, 2021 | Saratoga Springs, New York, U.S. | Unknown |
| Will Mecum Karma to Burn, Year Long Disaster | 48 | April 29, 2021 | Morgantown, West Virginia, U.S. | Accidental fall |
| Wondress Mantronix | 56 | May 1, 2021 | | Unknown |
| Phil Naro Singer for Talas | 63 | May 3, 2021 | | Tongue cancer |
| Lloyd Price | 88 | May 3, 2021 | New Rochelle, New York, U.S. | Natural causes |
| Nick Kamen | 59 | May 4, 2021 | London, England | Bone marrow cancer. |
| Pervis Staples The Staple Singers | 85 | May 6, 2021 | Dolton, Illinois, U.S. | Undisclosed causes |
| Tawny Kitaen Whitesnake video actress | 59 | May 7, 2021 | Newport Beach, California, U.S. | Dilated cardiomyopathy |
| Franco Battiato | 76 | May 18, 2021 | Milo, Catania, Italy | |
| Alix Dobkin | 80 | May 19, 2021 | Woodstock, New York, U.S. | Stroke |
| Roger Hawkins | 75 | May 20, 2021 | Sheffield, Alabama, U.S. | Undisclosed |
| Florian Pilkington-Miksa Curved Air | 70 | May 20, 2021 | | Pneumonia |
| Lorrae Desmond | 91 | May 23, 2021 | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia | Unknown |
| John Davis Milli Vanilli | 66 | May 24, 2021 | Nuremberg, Germany | COVID-19 |
| Søren Holm Liss | 25 | 25 May 2021 | Denmark | Unknown |
| B. J. Thomas | 78 | May 29, 2021 | Arlington, Texas, U.S. | Lung cancer |
| Phil Johnstone | 63 | May 31, 2021 | | Died after long battle with undisclosed illness |
| Lil Loaded | 20 | May 31, 2021 | Dallas, Texas, U.S. | Suicide by gunshot |
| Michele Merlo | 28 | June 6, 2021 | Bologna, Italy | Fulminant leukemia |
| David C. Lewis Ambrosia, Shadowfax | 80-81 | June 7, 2021 | Agua Dulce, California, U.S. | Brain cancer |
| Don Hill Saxophonist for The Treniers | 99 | June 18, 2021 | Died at his home | Unknown |
| Takeshi Terauchi | 82 | June 18, 2021 | Yokohama, Japan | Pneumonia |
| Ellen McIlwaine | 75 | June 23, 2021 | Calgary, Canada | Esophageal cancer |
| Wes | 57 | June 25, 2021 | Paris, France | Infection |
| Johnny Solinger Skid Row | 55 | June 26, 2021 | | Liver failure |
| Jon Hassell | 84 | June 26, 2021 | | Natural causes |
| Peps Persson Blues Quality, Peps Blodsband | 74 | June 27, 2021 | Vittsjö, Sweden | Unknown |
| Bryan St. Pere Hum, Castor | 52 | June 29, 2021 | Evansville, Indiana, U.S. | Unknown |
| John Lawton Uriah Heep, Lucifer's Friend, Les Humphries Singers | 74 | June 29, 2021 | | Unknown |
| Steve Kekana | 62 | July 1, 2021 | Johannesburg, South Africa | COVID-19 Related complications |
| Sanford Clark | 85 | July 4, 2021 | Joplin, Missouri, U.S. | COVID-19 during cancer treatment |
| Rick Laird Mahavishnu Orchestra | 80 | July 4, 2021 | New City, New York, U.S. | Lung cancer |
| Raffaella Carrà | 78 | July 5, 2021 | Rome, Italy | Lung cancer |
| Andy Williams Drummer for Casting Crowns | 49 | July 9, 2021 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | Motorcycle accident |
| Jeff LaBar Cinderella | 58 | July 14, 2021 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | Undisclosed |
| Gary Corbett Keyboardist for Cinderella, Kiss | 62 | July 15, 2021 | | Aggressive lung cancer |
| Pyotr Mamonov Zvuki Mu | 70 | July 15, 2021 | Moscow, Russia | COVID-19 |
| Tsepo Tshola Member of Sankomota | 68 | July 15, 2021 | ?, South Africa | COVID-19 |
| Biz Markie Juice Crew | 57 | July 16, 2021 | Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | Complications from diabetes. |
| Robby Steinhardt Kansas | 71 | July 17, 2021 | Tampa, Florida, U.S. | Complications from pancreatitis |
| James Weatherstone The Demics | 63 | July 18, 2021 | Died at his home | Unknown |
| Raimundas Narsas Vocalist for Nars | 56 | July 23, 2021 | ?, Lithuania | Unknown |
| Joey Jordison Slipknot | 46 | July 26, 2021 | | Acute transverse myelitis |
| Mike Howe Metal Church | 55 | July 26, 2021 | Eureka, California, U.S. | Suicide by hanging |
| Dusty Hill ZZ Top | 72 | July 28, 2021 | Houston, Texas, U.S. | Complications from bursitis |
| Johnny Ventura | 81 | July 28, 2021 | Santiago, Dominican Republic | Heart attack |
| Paul Cotton Poco | 78 | July 31, 2021 | Eugene, Oregon, U.S. | Unknown |
| Paul Johnson | 50 | August 4, 2021 | Evergreen Park, Illinois, U.S. | COVID-19 |
| Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas Kool & the Gang | 70 | August 7, 2021 | New Jersey, U.S. | Natural causes |
| Joey Ambrose Bill Haley & His Comets | 87 | August 9, 2021 | Henderson, Nevada, U.S. | Unknown |
| Nanci Griffith | 68 | August 13, 2021 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | Cancer |
| Charli Britton "Edward H. Dafis" | 68 | August 14, 2021 | Bangor, Gwynedd | Unknown |
| Gary "Chicken" Hirsh Country Joe and the Fish | 81 | August 17, 2021 | Ashland, Oregon, U.S. | Unknown |
| Ian Carey | 45 | August 20, 2021 | | Unknown |
| Tom T. Hall | 85 | August 20, 2021 | Franklin, Tennessee, U.S. | Suicide by gunshot wounds |
| Don Everly The Everly Brothers | 84 | August 21, 2021 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | Unknown |
| Micki Grant | 90 | August 22, 2021 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Unknown |
| Brian Travers UB40 | 62 | August 22, 2021 | Birmingham, England | Cancer |
| Eric Wagner Trouble, The Skull, Probot | 62 | August 23, 2021 | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | COVID-19 |
| Olli Wisdom Specimen | 63 | August 23, 2021 | London, England | Unknown |
| Charlie Watts The Rolling Stones | 80 | August 24, 2021 | London, England | Undisclosed |
| Kenny Malone | 83 | August 26, 2021 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | COVID-19 |
| Lee "Scratch" Perry The Upsetters, Producer | 85 | August 29, 2021 | Lucea, Jamaica | An unspecified illness |
| Ron Bushy Iron Butterfly | 79 | August 29, 2021 | Santa Monica, California, U.S. | Esophageal cancer |
| Marty Fried The Cyrkle | 77 | September 1, 2021 | U.S. | Pancreatic cancer |
| Timo Kaltio Hanoi Rocks, Cheap & Nasty, Cherry Bombz | 61 | September 2, 2021 | Helsinki, Finland | Unknown |
| Rickie Lee Reynolds Black Oak Arkansas | 72 | September 5, 2021 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Kidney failure and cardiac arrest |
| Sarah Harding Girls Aloud | 39 | September 5, 2021 | Manchester, England | Breast cancer |
| Michael Chapman | 80 | September 10, 2021 | | Unknown |
| María Mendiola Baccara | 69 | September 11, 2021 | Madrid, Spain | Cancer |
| Ron Leejack Wicked Lester, Cactus | 78 | September 12, 2021 | New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S. | Unknown |
| David Stenshoel Boiled in Lead | 71 | September 16, 2021 | | Squamous cell carcinoma of the gingiva |
| Marina Tucaković Serbian musician and member of Zana | 67 | September 19, 2021 | Belgrade, Serbia | Breast cancer |
| Sarah Dash LaBelle | 76 | September 20, 2021 | | Heart failure |
| Richard H. Kirk Cabaret Voltaire | 65 | September 21, 2021 | | Unknown |
| Bob Moore | 88 | September 22, 2021 | U.S. | Unknown |
| Pee Wee Ellis James Brown Band | 80 | September 24, 2021 | Somerset, England | Unknown |
| Alan Lancaster Status Quo | 72 | September 26, 2021 | Sydney, Australia | Multiple sclerosis |
| George Frayne Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen | 77 | September 26, 2021 | Saratoga Springs, New York, U.S. | Esophageal cancer |
| Andrea Martin | 49 | September 27, 2021 | New York City, U.S. | Undisclosed |
| Barry Ryan | 72 | September 28, 2021 | | Lung disorder |
| Greg Gilbert Delays | 44 | September 30, 2021 | Southampton, England | Bowel cancer |
| Ghanashyam Nayak | 77 | October 3, 2021 | Mumbai, India | Cancer |
| Pat Fish The Jazz Butcher | 64 | October 5, 2021 | | Heart attack |
| Dee Pop Bush Tetras, The Gun Club | 65 | October 9, 2021 | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | Heart failure |
| Misko Barbara Dead Rooster | 49 | October 11, 2021 | Lviv, Ukraine | Cardiac arrest |
| Paddy Moloney The Chieftains | 83 | October 11, 2021 | Dublin, Ireland | Unknown |
| Andrea Meyer Cradle of Filth, Nebelhexe | 52 | October 13, 2021 | Kongsberg, Norway | Murdered in bow and arrow attack |
| Toby Slater Catch, Brattish | 42 | October 13, 2021 | | Unknown |
| Ron Tutt | 83 | October 16, 2021 | Franklin, Tennessee, U.S. | Unknown |
| Einár | 19 | October 21, 2021 | Stockholm, Sweden | Murdered by gunshot |
| Jay Black Jay and the Americans | 82 | October 22, 2021 | Queens, New York City, U.S. | Pneumonia |
| Willie Cobbs | 89 | October 25, 2021 | | |
| Alvin "Seeco" Patterson Wailers | 90 | November 1, 2021 | Kingston, Jamaica | Unknown |
| Ronnie Wilson The Gap Band | 73 | November 2, 2021 | Died at his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma | Stroke |
| Marília Mendonça | 26 | November 5, 2021 | Minas Gerais, Brazil | Plane crash |
| Terence "Astro" Wilson UB40 | 64 | November 6, 2021 | | Allergic reaction |
| Andrew Barker 808 State | 53 | November 6, 2021 | Manchester, England | Unknown |
| Graeme Edge The Moody Blues | 80 | November 11, 2021 | Bradenton, Florida, U.S. | Metastatic cancer |
| John Goodsall Brand X, Atomic Rooster, The Fire Merchants | 68 | November 11, 2021 | | Unknown |
| Young Dolph | 36 | November 17, 2021 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Murdered |
| Jim Gallagher The Astronauts | 78 | November 20, 2021 | U.S. | Unknown |
| Billy Hinsche Dino, Desi, and Billy, The Beach Boys | 70 | November 20, 2021 | | Lung cancer |
| David Longdon Big Big Train | 56 | November 20, 2021 | Nottingham, England | Accidental fall |
| Gared O'Donnell Planes Mistaken for Stars | 44 | November 25, 2021 | Peoria, Illinois, U.S. | Esophegal cancer |
| Melvin Parker | 77 | December 3, 2021 | Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | Unknown |
| Stonewall Jackson | 89 | December 4, 2021 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | Vascular dementia |
| John Miles The Alan Parsons Project | 72 | December 5, 2021 | Newcastle upon Tyne, England | Unknown |
| János Kóbor Omega | 79 | December 6, 2021 | | COVID-19 |
| Robbie Shakespeare Sly and Robbie | 68 | December 8, 2021 | Miami, Florida, U.S. | Kidney failure |
| Gil Bridges Rare Earth | 80 | December 8, 2021 | | COVID-19 |
| David Lasley Chic | 74 | December 9, 2021 | | Unknown |
| Steve Bronski Bronski Beat | 61 | December 9, 2021 | | House fire |
| Michael Nesmith The Monkees | 78 | December 10, 2021 | Carmel Valley, California, U.S. | Natural causes |
| Vicente Fernández | 81 | December 12, 2021 | Guadalajara, Mexico | Complications from injuries |
| Joe Simon | 85 | December 13, 2021 | | |
| Wanda Young The Marvelettes | 78 | December 15, 2021 | Garden City, Michigan, U.S. | COPD |
| John Morgan The Wurzels | 80 | December 17, 2021 | Gloucester, England | COVID-19 |
| Drakeo the Ruler | 28 | December 18, 2021 | Los Angeles, California | Stabbing |
| Kangol Kid UTFO | 55 | December 18, 2021 | Manhasset, New York, U. S. | Colon Cancer |
| Billy Conway Morphine | 65 | December 19, 2021 | | Liver cancer |
| Ron Anderson vocal coach | 75 | December 19, 2021 | | Undisclosed cause |
| Carlos Marín Il Divo | 53 | December 19, 2021 | Manchester, England | COVID-19 |
| Luboš Andršt Framus Five, Energit, Jazz Q | 73 | December 20, 2021 | | Undisclosed cause |
| John Hartman The Doobie Brothers | 71 | December 29, 2021 | | Unknown |