# List of deaths in rock and roll (1970s)

The following is a list of notable performers of rock and roll music or rock music, and others directly associated with the music as producers, songwriters or in other closely related roles, who have died in the 1970s. The list gives their date, cause and location of death, and their age.
Rock music developed from the rock and roll music that emerged during the 1950s, and includes a diverse range of subgenres. The terms "rock and roll" and "rock" each have a variety of definitions, some narrow and some wider. In determining criteria for inclusion, this list uses as its basis reliable sources listing "rock deaths" or "deaths in rock and roll", as well as such sources as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
| Preceded by 1960s | List of deaths in popular music 1970s | Succeeded by 1980s |
| Name | Age | Date | Location | Cause of death |
| Billy Stewart | 32 | January 17, 1970 | Selma, North Carolina, U.S. | Car crash |
| L. C. McKinley | 51 | January 19, 1970 | East Chicago, Indiana, U.S. | Natural causes |
| Slim Harpo | 46 | January 31, 1970 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Ishmon Bracey | 69-71 | February 12, 1970 | Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. | Unknown |
| Darrell Banks | 32 | February 24, 1970 | Battle Creek, Michigan, U.S. | Shot to death by police |
| Tammi Terrell | 24 | March 16, 1970 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Brain tumor |
| Mary Ann Ganser The Shangri-Las | 22 | March 16, 1970 | Forest Hills, New York, U.S. | Heroin overdose |
| Kid Thomas | 35 | April 5, 1970 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Shot to death |
| George Goldner | 52 | April 15, 1970 | Turtle Bay, New York, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Earl Hooker | 40 | April 21, 1970 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Tuberculosis |
| Otis Spann | 40-46 | April 24, 1970 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Liver cancer |
| Frankie Lee Sims | 53 | May 10, 1970 | Dallas, Texas, U.S. | Pneumonia |
| Johnny Hodges | 62 | May 11, 1970 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Earl Grant | 39 | June 10, 1970 | Interstate 10, Lordsburg, New Mexico, U.S. | Car crash |
| Lonnie Johnson | 71 | June 16, 1970 | Toronto, Canada | |
| Booker Ervin | 39 | August 31, 1970 | New York City, U.S. | |
| Alan Wilson Canned Heat | 27 | September 3, 1970 | Topanga Canyon, California, U.S. | Suicide or accidental barbiturate overdose |
| Maxwell Davis | 54 | September 18, 1970 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma |
| Jimi Hendrix The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 27 | September 18, 1970 | Kensington, London, England | Asphyxiation on vomit after consuming an unhealthy amount of barbiturates |
| Janis Joplin Big Brother and the Holding Company | 27 | October 4, 1970 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Heroin overdose |
| Baby Huey Baby Huey & the Babysitters | 26 | October 28, 1970 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Drug induced heart attack |
| Agustín Lara | 73 | November 6, 1970 | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| Albert Ayler | 34 | November 25, 1970 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Presumed suicide |
| George "Smitty" Smith Original lead singer for The Manhattans | 30 | December 16, 1970 | | Brain tumor |
| Coot Grant | 77 | December 26, 1970 | Riverside County, California, U.S. | Unknown |
| Harold McNair Ginger Baker's Air Force | 39 | March 7, 1971 | London, England | Lung cancer |
| Francis Wolff | 63 | March 8, 1971 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Heart attack following surgery |
| Arlester "Dyke" Christian Dyke and the Blazers | 27 | March 13, 1971 | Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. | Shot to death |
| Wynton Kelly | 39 | April 12, 1971 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Epileptic seizure |
| Carmen Lombardo Younger brother of Guy Lombardo | 67 | April 17, 1971 | Miami, Florida, U.S. | Undisclosed cancer |
| Jim Morrison The Doors | 27 | July 3, 1971 | Paris, France | Heart failure brought on by heroin addiction |
| Louis Armstrong | 69 | July 6, 1971 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Henry D. "Homer" Haynes Homer and Jethro | 51 | August 7, 1971 | Hammond, Indiana, U.S. | Heart attack |
| King Curtis | 37 | August 13, 1971 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Stabbed to death |
| Thomas Wayne | 31 | August 15, 1971 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Car crash |
| Lil Hardin Armstrong | 73 | August 27, 1971 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Tony Clarke | 31 | August 28, 1971 | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | Murdered by his wife |
| Gene Vincent | 36 | October 12, 1971 | Newhall, California, U.S. | Burst peptic ulcer |
| Duane Allman The Allman Brothers Band, Derek and the Dominos | 24 | October 29, 1971 | Macon, Georgia, U.S. | Motorcycle collison |
| Art Laibly Record producer and manager | 77 | October 30, 1971 | | Unknown |
| Junior Parker | 39 | November 18, 1971 | Blue Island, Illinois, U.S. | Following surgery for brain tumor |
| Papa Lightfoot | 47 | November 20, 1971 | Natchez, Mississippi, U.S. | Respiratory failure |
| Charlie Fuqua The Ink Spots | 61 | December 21, 1971 | New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. | Unknown |
| Ross Bagdasarian Sr. "David Seville", creator of The Chipmunks | 52 | January 16, 1972 | Beverly Hills, California, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Big Maybelle | 47 | January 23, 1972 | Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | Complications of diabetes/Coma |
| Mahalia Jackson | 60 | January 27, 1972 | Evergreen Park, Illinois, U.S. | Heart failure and diabetes |
| Lee Morgan | 33 | February 19, 1972 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Shot. |
| Linda Jones | 27 | March 14, 1972 | Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | Complications of diabetes |
| Doles Dickens | 56 | May 2, 1972 | Somewhere in New Jersey, U.S. | Unknown |
| Leslie Harvey Stone the Crows | 27 | May 3, 1972 | Swansea, Wales | Electrocuted by a live microphone on stage |
| Reverend Gary Davis | 76 | May 5, 1972 | Hammonton, New Jersey, U.S. | Heart attack |
| John Ryanes The Monotones | 32 | May 30, 1972 | Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | Unknown |
| Jimmy Rushing | 70 | June 8, 1972 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Leukemia and blood cancer |
| Clyde McPhatter Billy Ward and His Dominoes, The Drifters | 39 | June 13, 1972 | Teaneck, New Jersey, U.S. | Alcohol related complications/ Heart attack |
| Mississippi Fred McDowell | 66 | July 3, 1972 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Undisclosed |
| Lovie Austin | 84 | July 10, 1972 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Unknown |
| Brian Cole The Association | 29 | August 2, 1972 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Heroin overdose |
| Baby Tate | 56 | August 17, 1972 | Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Calvin Frazier | 57 | September 23, 1972 | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | Undisclosed |
| Rory Storm | 34 | September 28, 1972 | Stoneycroft, Liverpool, England | Suicide |
| Billy Murcia The New York Dolls | 21 | November 6, 1972 | London, England | Accidental suffocation due to alcohol abuse |
| Raymond Jackson Record producer for Stax Records | 31 | November 10, 1972 | | Burned to death in a house fire |
| Berry Oakley The Allman Brothers Band | 24 | November 11, 1972 | Macon, Georgia, U.S. | Motorcycle collison |
| Danny Whitten Crazy Horse | 29 | November 18, 1972 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Barbiturate & alcohol overdose |
| William Manuel Johnson | 100 | December 3, 1972 | New Braunfels, Texas, U.S. | Unknown |
| Kenny Dorham | 48 | December 5, 1972 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Kidney disease |
| Jeffrey Carp | 24 | January 1, 1973 | | Drowned (boating accident) |
| Kid Ory | 86 | January 23, 1973 | Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. | Pneumonia and a heart attack |
| Cornelius "Tenoo" Coleman | 44 | February 20, 1973 | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | Stroke |
| Ron "Pigpen" McKernan Grateful Dead | 27 | March 8, 1973 | Corte Madera, California, U.S. | Gastrointestinal hemorrhage associated with alcoholism |
| Duke Henderson | 48 | April 9, 1973 | Pacoima, Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Heart failure |
| Sammy Babitzin | 24 | April 29, 1973 | Jyväskylä, Finland | Visceral injuries caused by car accident |
| Mike Furber Mike Furber and the Bowery Boys | 25 | May 10, 1973 | Sydney, Australia | Suicide by hanging |
| Clarence White The Kentucky Colonels, The Byrds | 29 | July 14, 1973 | Palmdale, California, U.S. | Hit by a drunk driver |
| Jimmy Radcliffe | 36 | July 27, 1973 | The Bronx, New York, U.S. | Kidney complications |
| Roger Lee Durham Percussionist for Bloodstone | 27 | July 27, 1973 | | Injuries following falling off a horse |
| Memphis Minnie | 76 | August 6, 1973 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Stroke |
| Paul Williams The Temptations | 34 | August 17, 1973 | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | Gunshot wound (disputed suicide) |
| Gram Parsons The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers | 26 | September 19, 1973 | Joshua Tree, California, U.S. | Morphine and alcohol related heart failure |
| Jim Croce | 30 | September 20, 1973 | Natchitoches, Louisiana, U.S. | Plane crash |
| Maury Muehleisen Jim Croce's lead guitarist | 24 | September 20, 1973 | Natchitoches, Louisiana, U.S. | Plane crash |
| Sister Rosetta Tharpe | 58 | October 9, 1973 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Stroke |
| Gene Krupa | 64 | October 16, 1973 | Yonkers, New York, U.S. | Leukemia and blood cancer |
| Zeke Zettner The Stooges | 25 | November 10, 1973 | | Heroin overdose |
| Allan Sherman | 48 | November 20, 1973 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Respiratory failure |
| John Rostill The Shadows | 31 | November 26, 1973 | Radlett, Hertfordshire, England | Suicide |
| Bobby Darin | 37 | December 20, 1973 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Complications of cardiac bypass surgery |
| Lowman Pauling The Five Royales | 47 | December 26, 1973 | Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | Epileptic seizure |
| Packy Axton The Mar-Keys | 32 | January 20, 1974 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Cirrhosis or heart attack |
| Bobby Bloom | 28 | February 28, 1974 | Hollywood, California, U.S. | Accidentally shot himself |
| Bobby Timmons | 38 | March 1, 1974 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Cirrhosis of the liver |
| Harry Womack The Valentinos | 28 | March 9, 1974 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Stabbed to death |
| Roy Hawkins | 71 | March 19, 1974 | Compton, California, U.S. | Cirrhosis of the liver |
| Arthur Crudup | 68 | March 28, 1974 | Nassawadox, Virginia, U.S. | Complications of cardiovascular disease and diabetes |
| Graham Bond The Graham Bond Organisation, Ginger Baker's Air Force | 36 | May 8, 1974 | London, England | Suicide by a subway train |
| Duke Ellington | 75 | May 24, 1974 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Pneumonia and lung cancer |
| Don Rich The Buckaroos | 32 | July 17, 1974 | San Luis Obispo, California, U.S. | Motorcycle crash |
| Gene Ammons | 49 | July 23, 1974 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Undisclosed |
| Lightnin' Slim | 61 | July 27, 1974 | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | Stomach cancer |
| Cass Elliot The Mamas & the Papas | 32 | July 29, 1974 | London, England | Heart failure |
| Bill Chase Chase | 39 | August 9, 1974 | Jackson, Minnesota, U.S. | Plane crash |
| Wallace "Wally" Yohn Chase | 27 | August 12, 1974 | Jackson, Minnesota | Plane crash |
| Tina Brooks | 42 | August 13, 1974 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Liver failure |
| Robbie McIntosh Average White Band | 24 | September 23, 1974 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Drug overdose |
| Pink Anderson | 74 | October 12, 1974 | Spartanburg, South Carolina, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Victor Olof Record producer for Decca Records and His Master's Voice | 76 | November 3, 1974 | | Unknown |
| Ivory Joe Hunter | 60 | November 8, 1974 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Lung cancer |
| Nick Drake | 26 | November 25, 1974 | Tanworth-in-Arden, Warwickshire, England | Suicide by acute amitriptyline overdose |
| Ezra Carter Manager of the Carter Family | 78 | January 22, 1975 | | Unknown |
| Umm Kulthum | 76 | February 3, 1975 | Cairo, Egypt | Cerebral Hemorrhage |
| Louis Jordan Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five | 66 | February 4, 1975 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Dave Alexander The Stooges | 27 | February 10, 1975 | Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S. | Pulmonary edema from alcohol abuse |
| J. B. Long | 71 | February 25, 1975 | Elon, North Carolina, U.S. | Unknown |
| T-Bone Walker | 64 | March 16, 1975 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Stroke/Bronchial pneumonia |
| Walter Vinson | 74 | April 22, 1975 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| Pete Ham Badfinger | 27 | April 24, 1975 | Surrey, England | Suicide by hanging |
| Tom Donahue Rock and roll radio disc jockey | 46 | April 29, 1975 | | Heart attack |
| Bob Wills | 70 | May 13, 1975 | Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. | Pneumonia |
| Tim Buckley | 28 | June 29, 1975 | Santa Monica, California, U.S. | Heroin overdose |
| Chan Daniels The Highwaymen | 35 | July 2, 1975 | | Pneumonia |
| George Morgan | 51 | July 7, 1975 | | Heart attack |
| Don Robey Record producer | 71 | July 16, 1975 | Houston, Texas, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Lefty Frizzell | 47 | July 19, 1975 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | Stroke |
| Fran O'Toole The Miami Showband | 28 | July 31, 1975 | A1 road at Buskhill, County Down, Northern Ireland | Ambushed and murdered |
| Tony Geraghty The Miami Showband | 24 | July 31, 1975 | A1 road at Buskhill, County Down, Northern Ireland | Ambushed and murdered |
| Brian McCoy The Miami Showband | 32 | July 31, 1975 | A1 road at Buskhill, County Down, Northern Ireland | Ambushed and murdered |
| Cannonball Adderley | 46 | August 8, 1975 | Gary, Indiana, U.S. | Cerebral hemorrhage |
| Otto Jeffries The Five Royales | 63 | August 8, 1975 | Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S. | Unknown |
| Al Jackson, Jr. Booker T. & the MG's | 39 | October 1, 1975 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Murder |
| Oliver Nelson | 43 | October 28, 1975 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Fiddlin' Joe Martin | 75 | November 2, 1975 | Walls, Mississippi, U.S. | Unknown |
| Gary Thain The Keef Hartley Band, Uriah Heep | 27 | December 8, 1975 | Norwood Green, England | Heroin overdose |
| Hound Dog Taylor | 60 | December 17, 1975 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Lung cancer |
| Howlin' Wolf | 65 | January 10, 1976 | Hines, Illinois, U.S. | Congestive heart failure |
| Chris Kenner | 46 | January 25, 1976 | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Rudy Pompilli Bill Haley & His Comets | 51 | February 5, 1976 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Lung cancer |
| Percy Faith | 67 | February 9, 1976 | Encino, California, U.S | Cancer |
| Sal Mineo | 37 | February 12, 1976 | West Hollywood, California, U.S. | Stabbed to death |
| Florence Ballard The Supremes | 32 | February 22, 1976 | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | Coronary thrombosis and cardiac arrest |
| Arthur Gunter | 49 | March 16, 1976 | Port Huron, Michigan, U.S. | Pneumonia |
| Luther "Georgia Boy" Johnson | 41 | March 18, 1976 | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | Lung cancer |
| Paul Kossoff Free, Back Street Crawler | 25 | March 19, 1976 | Flight from New York to Los Angeles, U.S. | Pulmonary embolism/Lung blood clot |
| Jimmy Garrison | 42 | April 7, 1976 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Lung cancer |
| Phil Ochs | 35 | April 9, 1976 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Suicide by hanging |
| William Bobo The Dixie Hummingbirds | 54 | April 28, 1976 | | Unknown |
| Keith Relf The Yardbirds | 33 | May 12, 1976 | London, England | Electrocuted by a guitar |
| Charles Stepney Record producer and arranger | 45 | May 17, 1976 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Gwynneth Ashley Robin Rhodesian Folk and Country singer | 15 | May 21, 1976 | Phalaborwa, South Africa | Plane crash |
| Melvin Jackson | 60 | May 30, 1976 | Dallas, Texas, U.S. | Car crash |
| Cecilia | 27 | August 2, 1976 | Quiruelas de Vidriales, Castile and León, Spain | Car crash |
| Jimmy Reed | 50 | August 29, 1976 | Oakland, California, U.S. | Epileptic seizure |
| L. C. Robinson | 61 | September 26, 1976 | Berkeley, California, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Connee Boswell The Boswell Sisters | 68 | September 26, 1976 | Manhattan, U.S. | Cancer |
| Leo Mintz Record store and music promoter | 65 | November 4, 1976 | Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | Unknown |
| Tommy Bolin Deep Purple, The James Gang, Zephyr | 25 | December 4, 1976 | Miami, Florida, U.S. | Heroin and alcohol overdose |
| Freddie King | 42 | December 28, 1976 | Dallas, Texas, U.S. | Stomach ulcer and pancreatitis |
| Buddy Johnson | 62 | February 9, 1977 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Brain tumor and sickle cell anemia |
| Bukka White | 67-70 | February 26, 1977 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Undisclosed |
| Achim Kirchhoff Scorpions | 28 | April 1, 1977 | | Alcoholism |
| Annette Snell | 32 | April 4, 1977 | New Hope, Georgia, U.S. | Southern Airways Flight 242 plane crash |
| Julius Watkins | 55 | April 4, 1977 | Short Hills, New Jersey, U.S. | Diabetes |
| Helmut Köllen Triumvirat | 27 | May 3, 1977 | Cologne, Germany | Carbon monoxide poisoning |
| Lafayette Thomas | 48 | May 20, 1977 | Brisbane, California, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Paul Desmond | 52 | May 30, 1977 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Lung cancer |
| Sleepy John Estes | 77-78 | June 5, 1977 | Brownsville, Tennessee, U.S. | Stroke |
| Peter Laughner Pere Ubu | 24 | June 22, 1977 | Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | Acute pancreatitis from alcohol poisoning |
| Baby Boy Warren | 57 | July 1, 1977 | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Big John Wrencher | 54 | July 15, 1977 | Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Richie Kamuca | 46 | July 22, 1977 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Cancer |
| Milt Buckner | 62 | July 27, 1977 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Elvis Presley | 42 | August 16, 1977 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Cardiac arrhythmia |
| Tarheel Slim | 63 | August 21, 1977 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Pneumonia brought on by chemotherapy |
| Ethel Waters | 80 | September 1, 1977 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Uterine cancer |
| George Barnes | 56 | September 5, 1977 | Concord, California, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Mercy Baby | 47 | September 10, 1977 | Dallas, Texas, U.S. | Gunshot wound |
| Marc Bolan T. Rex | 29 | September 16, 1977 | London, England | Traffic accident |
| Shirley Brickley The Orlons | 33 | October 13, 1977 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Shot to death by home intruder |
| Bing Crosby | 74 | October 14, 1977 | Alcobendas, Spain | Heart attack |
| Cassie Gaines Lynyrd Skynyrd | 29 | October 20, 1977 | Gillsburg, Mississippi, U.S. | Plane accident |
| Steve Gaines Lynyrd Skynyrd | 28 | October 20, 1977 | Gillsburg, Mississippi, U.S. | Plane accident |
| Ronnie Van Zant Lynyrd Skynyrd | 29 | October 20, 1977 | Gillsburg, Mississippi, U.S. | Plane accident |
| Peg Leg Sam | 65 | October 27, 1977 | Jonesville, South Carolina, U.S. | Unknown |
| Guy Lombardo Older brother of Carmen Lombardo | 75 | November 5, 1977 | Houston, Texas, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Rahsaan Roland Kirk | 42 | December 5, 1977 | Bloomington, Indiana, U.S. | Stroke |
| Big Chief Ellis | 63 | December 20, 1977 | Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. | Heart failure |
| St. Louis Jimmy Oden | 74 | December 30, 1977 | | Bronchopneumonia |
| Leslie Sullivan Radio host for the RBC | ? | ?, 1978 | ?, Zimbabwe | Unknown |
| Terry Kath Chicago | 31 | January 23, 1978 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Accidentally shot himself |
| Vic Ames Ames Brothers | 52 | January 28, 1978 | | Car crash |
| Gregory Herbert | 30 | January 31, 1978 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Drug overdose |
| Johnny Wallace The Four Knights | 65 | March 2, 1978 | | Unknown |
| Bill Kenny The Ink Spots | 63 | March 23, 1978 | New Westminster, Canada | Respiratory illness |
| Money Johnson | 60 | March 28, 1978 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Ray Noble | 74 | April 2, 1978 | London, England | Cancer |
| Sandy Denny | 31 | April 21, 1978 | London, England | Cerebral hemorrhage after accidental fall |
| Gerry Shury | 33 | May 24, 1978 | Surrey, England | Traffic accident |
| Juke Boy Bonner | 46 | June 29, 1978 | Houston, Texas, U.S. | Cirrhosis |
| Glenn Goins Parliament-Funkadelic | 24 | July 29, 1978 | | Hodgkin's lymphoma |
| Joe Negroni Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers | 37 | September 5, 1978 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Cerebral hemorrhage |
| Al Benson Radio disc jockey, music promoter and record label owner | 70 | September 6, 1978 | Three Oaks, Michigan, U.S. | Unknown |
| Tom Wilson Record producer | 47 | September 6, 1978 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Keith Moon The Who | 32 | September 7, 1978 | London, England | Drug overdose |
| Johnny O'Keefe | 43 | October 6, 1978 | Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia | Heart attack |
| Jacques Brel | 49 | October 9, 1978 | Boubigny, France | Pulmonary embolism |
| Mel Street | 45 | October 21, 1978 | Hendersonville, Tennessee, United States | Suicide by gunshot |
| Maybelle Carter Carter Family, The Carter Sisters | 69 | October 23, 1978 | Hendersonville, Tennessee, U.S. | Respiratory disease |
| Lennie Tristano | 59 | November 18, 1978 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Blanche Calloway | 76 | December 27, 1978 | Baltimore, Maryland | Breast Cancer |
| Chris Bell Big Star | 27 | December 27, 1978 | East Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Traffic accident |
| Tuza Mthethwa Member of The Soul Brothers | ? | January ?, 1979 | ?, South Africa | Car accident |
| Mpompie Sosibo Member of The Soul Brothers | ? | January ?, 1979 | ?, South Africa | Car accident |
| Charles Mingus | 56 | January 8, 1979 | Cuernavaca, Mexico | |
| Sara Carter Carter Family | 80 | January 8, 1979 | Lodi, California, U.S. | Unknown |
| Donny Hathaway | 33 | January 13, 1979 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Suicide or accidental fall |
| Grant Green | 43 | January 31, 1979 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Sid Vicious Sex Pistols | 21 | February 2, 1979 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Drug overdose (possible suicide) |
| Mike Patto Timebox, Patto, Spooky Tooth, Boxer | 36 | March 4, 1979 | | lymphatic leukemia |
| Freddy Owens Saxophonist for Bill Deal and the Rhondels | 29 | March 4, 1979 | Richmond, Virginia, U.S. | Shot to death |
| Roy Montrell | 51 | March 16, 1979 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Drug overdose |
| Zenon De Fleur Guitarist for The Count Bishops | 27 | March 17–18, 1979 | | Car crash and subsequent medical complications |
| Joe Willie Wilkins | 56-58 | March 28, 1979 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Meningitis |
| Doug Rauch Bassist for Santana | 28 | April 23, 1979 | San Francisco, California, U.S. | Drug overdose |
| James Leroy | 32 | May 10, 1979 | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | Suicide |
| Blue Mitchell | 49 | May 21, 1979 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Cancer |
| Jack Haley The Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz | 81 | June 6, 1979 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Darla Hood Our Gang | 47 | June 13, 1979 | North Hollywood, California, U.S. | Heart failure from hepatitis |
| Lowell George | 34 | June 29, 1979 | Arlington, Virginia, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Van McCoy | 39 | July 6, 1979 | Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Minnie Riperton Rotary Connection | 31 | July 12, 1979 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Breast cancer |
| Dorsey Burnette the Rock and Roll Trio | 46 | August 19, 1979 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Coronary thrombosis |
| Jimmy McCulloch Paul McCartney & Wings | 26 | September 27, 1979 | London, England | Morphine poisoning |
| Gus Cannon | 96 | October 15, 1979 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Unknown |
| Tiki Fulwood Parliament-Funkadelic | 35 | October 29, 1979 | | Stomach cancer |
| John Glascock Carmen, Jethro Tull | 28 | November 17, 1979 | London, England | Congenital heart defect |
| Judee Sill | 35 | November 23, 1979 | North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Either suicide by speedball overdose or accidental speedball overdose |
| Jackie Brenston | 49-51 | December 15, 1979 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Voyle Gilmore Record producer from Capitol Records | 67 | December 19, 1979 | | Unknown |