DMX 🇺🇸

18th December 1970- 9th April 2021

DMX who's real name was Earl Simmons was an American rapper, songwriter and actor. His career began back in the 1990's with his debut album titled 'It's Dark and Hell is Hot' which went on to achieve fantastic success. His most successful singles include 'Get at Me Dog', 'Ruff Ryders Anthem' and 'Party up in Here' from his most successful and best selling album named 'And Then There Was X' released in 1999. He was nominated for several awards throughout his career including Grammy Awards and Video Music Awards and he went on to win an American Music Award for Favourite Rap/Hip-hop Artist in 2000. He also went on to act in several films including 'Romeo Must Die', 'Exit Wounds' and 'Death Toll'.

DMX spent several stints in prison for various crimes including carjacking, reckless driving, drug possession and identity falsification to name a few. He also suffered from drug addiction at various points throughout his life. 

On the 2nd of April 2021 he was rushed into hospital following a heart attack that was the result of a drug overdose. He remained in a comatose state after major organ failure and died on the 9th of April 2021. He was 50 years old. 

REGGIE WARREN 🇯🇲

Unknown- 14th of March 2021

Reggie Warren was an American singer most well known for being part of the R&B group known as 'TROOP'. The band was made up of 5 childhood friends and they released their debut album in 1988 which included the song 'Mamacita' which went on to become a massive hit. Other well known music by the band include the singles 'All I Do Is Think Of You' and 'Spread My Wings' which both achieved substantial commercial success. Altogether the group released 6 albums. He also made an acting appearance in the 1991 film 'New Jack City' which starred Wesley Snipes, Ice-T and Chris Rock.

It has been widely reported that Warren had been suffering from various health issues and had been hospitalised in January and he was released shortly before he died. He died at home on the 14th of March 2021. He was 52 years old. 

BUNNY WAILER 🇺🇸

10th April 1947- 2nd March 2021

Bunny Wailer who's real name was Neville O'Riley Livingston was a Jamaican singer, songwriter and musician. He was one of the original members of the reggae group 'The Wailers' alongside Bob Marley and Peter Tosh.  After Marley left the band, Wailer went on to be a more predominant vocalist in the band and often performed his own compositions. He was critically acclaimed for his writing style. Some of his more noticeable musical productions include singles such as 'Pass it on', 'Innocent Blood', an 'Reincarnated Souls'. Wailer left the band in 1973 to pursue a solo career. During his solo career he experimented with different genres including disco and pop. Wailer won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album three times during his career and went on to receive the honour Order of Jamaica. 

in 2018 Wailer suffered a minor stroke and went on to suffer another stroke in 2020. Due to complications from the latest stroke he died on the 2nd of March 2021. He was 73 years old. 

SOPHIE XEON 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

17th December 1986- 30th January 2021

Sophie Xeon was more commonly known in the music industry as purely 'Sophie'. She was a Scottish musician, record producer, singer, songwriter and DJ. She began her career in a band named 'Motherland' but later went on to forge a solo career releasing her debut single 'Nothing More To Say' in 2013. Other notable singles include 'Lemonade/Hard' in 2014 and 'Just Like We Never Said Goodbye' in 2015. When Sophie later went on to release 'It's Okay to Cry' which included a music video that showed her voice and appearance for the first time she went on to open up about being a trans woman. She also went on to collaborate and contribute to major artists albums including Lady Gaga. Sophie was well known for producing synthesised sounds which became her signature and recognised style. She was nominated for various awards throughout her career including a Grammy Award and she went on to win an AIM Independant Music Award for innovation. 

On the 30th of January 2021, the artist is reported to have fallen from the rooftop of a three storey building whilst attempting to take a photograph of the moon. She subsequently went on to die from her injuries. She was 34 years old. 

RANDY PARTON 🇺🇸

15th December 1953- 21st January 2021

Randy Parton who's real name was Randel Huston Parton was an American singer, songwriter, businessman and actor. He is probably most well known for being the younger sibling of country singer Dolly Parton. He is notable for being the first person to record the song 'Roll on (Eighteen Wheeler) in 1982 which later went on to be recorded by the American band 'Alabama'. He is also well known for regularly playing bass for his sister. He is also well known in the theatre circle. Some of his more recognisable music work includes 'Tennessee Born', 'A stranger in her bed' and 'Shot full of love'.

Randy died of cancer on the 21st of January 2021. He was 67 years old. 

SYLVAIN SYLVAIN 🇺🇸

14th February 1951- 13th January 2021

Sylvain Sylvain who's real name was Sylvain Mizrahi was an American musician and was most famously known as being the guitarist of the glam rock band The New York Dolls. His career began over four decades ago when he joined The New York Dolls. Their work includes recognisable songs such as 'Trash' and 'Stranded in the Jungle'. After the Doll's broke up he went on to form his own band named The Criminals. Eventually he decided to forge a solo career frequently collaborating with other musicians.

Sylvain announced to the public in 2019 that he was suffering from cancer. On the 13th of January 2021 he died from cancer at home. He was 69 years old. 

ED BRUCE 🇺🇸

29th December 1939- 8th January 2021

Ed Bruce was an American singer, songwriter and actor and was most famously known for his contributions to the country music industry. He got his first record company break back in the 1960's and has been on the music scene for over five decades. His most prolific and well known work includes the singles 'Mamma's don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys' and 'You're the best break this old heart ever had' just to name a few. Bruce also tried his hand at acting later on in his career and appeared in productions such as Maverick and Fire Down Below. In 2018 he was awarded the Arkansa's Country Music Lifetime Achievement Award. 

On January the 8th 2021 it was reported that Ed Bruce had died. No cause of death has been released to the public but it is believed he died of natural causes aged 81 years old. 

ALTO REED 🇺🇸

16th of May 1948- 30th December 2020

Alto Reed was an American musician best known for being a saxophonist. He is most famously know for being a member of the band Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band. You might recognise his saxophone performances from 'Turn the Page' and 'Old time rock and roll'. He famously collaborated with many well known music artists including Otis Rush, Spencer Davis and Tico Torres just to name a few. He regularly performed with The Ventures. He went on to form his own band named The Blues Entourage and has been inducted into the Canadian Blues Hall of Fame, 

Reed died of Colon Cancer on the 30th of December 2020 ages 72 years old. 

ARMANDO MANZANERO 🇲🇽

7th December 1935- 28th December 2020

Armando Manzanero was a Mexican musician, singer, songwriter, composer and music producer and is credited as one of the most successful Latin music composers of all time. He started his career very young and began composing music when he was just a teenager and embarked on a musical career which involved playing piano. He became a music promoter early on in his career and focused his attention on the Latin music market. His work has been performed by some of the most successful and high profile artists in the world including Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Andrea Bocelli, Tony Bennett and Shirley Bassey just to name a few. During his career he composed over 400 songs. Some of his most notable and famous work includes 'Yesterday I Heard the Rain' and 'Nothing Personal'.

On the 17th of December 2020, Manzanero was hospitlised with covid-19 and eventually died from complications from the virus on the 28th of December 2020. He was 85 years old.

TONY RICE 🇺🇸

8th June 1951- 25th December 2021

Tony Rice was an American musician. He is most famously known for his work with the acoustic guitar and has been credited in the music industry as changing the way we think about acoustic instruments. He is known for his work in Bluegrass groups and played with J.D. Crowe's New South and the Bluegrass Alliance. He later joined the David Grisman quartet and eventually he formed the Tony Rice unit where he was really able to focus on the style of music he was passionate about. He also went on to embark on a solo career and was inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame in 2013.

On Christmas day 2021, Rice died at his home in North Carolina, whilst no official cause of death has been released, his lifelong friend Ricky Skaggs spoke out and said he died whilst making his coffee. He was 69 years old. 

K T OSLIN 🇺🇸

15th May 1942- 21st December 2020

K T Oslin was an American singer and songwriter. She began her career as an actress particularly acting in musicals and in television adverts. She got her first record company signing in 1981 when she was in her forties and went on to achieve massive success within the music industry, particularly as a country music artist. Oslin was a talented songwriter and this came across in her music productions. Her most notable and recognisable music includes '80's ladies', 'hold me' and 'hey bobby'. Oslin has collaborated and toured with many musical legends including George Strait and bagged herself three Grammy awards during her music career. She also eventually returned to acting and appeared in films such as 'The Thing Called Love'. 

Oslin was diagnosed with Parkingson's disease in 2015 and eventually she died on the 21st of December 2020 due to her conditions and complications with Covid-19. She was 78 years old. 

CHARLEY PRIDE 🇺🇸

18th March 1934- 12th December 2020

Charley Pride was an American singer, musician and he also had a career playing professional baseball. His career spans over six decades and his major success came as a notable country music artist. Originally Pride started his working career as a professional baseball player and played for top teams such as the Memphis Red Sox, Boise Yankees, New York Yankees C Team and an injury caused him to leave his baseball career after failing to achieve major success in the sport. He soon moved on to expanding his musical talent and achieved a record deal in 1975. His most recognisable music includes 'Just Between You and Me' which landed him a Grammy nomination and other chart successes included 'Kiss an angel good morning' and 'Is anybody going to San Antone' to name a few. In 2017 he was awarded the Grammy lifetime achievement award and he had previously won 3 other Grammy awards over his career. 

On the 12th of December 2020 Pride died and it was reported that the cause of death was complications surrounding Covid-19. He was 86 years old. 

JASON SLATER 🇺🇸

8th March 1971- 9th December 2020

Jason Slater was an American musician, songwriter and producer and was also a member of the rock band Third Eye Blind in which he was a back up vocalist and bass guitar player. He played bass guitar for various other bands including Band of Flakes, Revenge of the Triads and Brougham. He later went to on to concentrate on his producing career particularly focusing on rock and progressive rock.

On the 9th of December 2020 he passed away in hospital and the cause of death was reported as liver failure. He was 49 years old. 

HAL KETCHUM 🇺🇸

9th April 1953- 23rd November 2020

Hal Ketchum was an American singer, songwriter and musician and was most well known for his contributions to the country music industry. His career spans over 30 years signing his first recording deal back in 1991. His debut album titled 'Past the point of rescue' gave us some of his most recognisable songs such as 'Small town Saturday night' and 'past the point of rescue' which both made it into the top ten on the country music charts. All together Ketchum released 11 studio albums and forged himself as a household name on the country music circuit. He has also been recognised for his songwriting abilities. Ketchum briefly turned his hand to acting appearing in the 1988 film 'Heartbreak Hotel' and also the 1994 film 'Maverick. 

Since 1998 Ketchum has battled neurological issues and he later went on to suffer with Alzheimers disease. Eventually the latter would cause his death on the 23rd of November 2020. He was 67 years old. 

DJ SPINBAD 🇺🇸

23rd October 1974- 10th November 2020

DJ Spinbad who's real name was Chris Sullivan was an American producer and DJ. Spinbad started his DJ career at the New York City radio station WHTZ and had various slots on the station and became a household name with the listeners. He briefly left the radio station but returned to a prime saturday night slot. Along with his residential slot with WHTZ Spinbad also toured with his DJ set and had a residency in Singapore and supported comedian Russell Peter with his set. He was also notably seen alongside household names, and most famously toured with Moby.

Spinbad died on the 10th of November and his cause of death has not been publicly announced. He was 46 years old. 

MO3 🇺🇸

31st May 1993- 11th November 2020

Mo3 was an American, singer, rapper and songwriter and also had a substantial presence on social media and as an influencer. His debut album ‘Shottaz Reloaded’ was critically acclaimed by the hip hop industry and his most notable and recognisable music includes the singles ‘Hold Ya Tongue’ and ‘All the way down’ and both scored massive views and ratings on Youtube. 

On the 11th of November 2020 it was reported that Mo3 was in his vehicle when he was approached and shot by another man and he fled on foot but was shot again and died from his injuries. He was only 28 years old.

BILLY JOE SHAVER 🇺🇸

16th August 1939- 28th October 2020

Billy Joe Shaver was an American singer, musician and songwriter and he was most well known for his contributions to country music. Shaver began his music career as a songwriter and most notably has written music performed by Elvis Presley. His songwriting talent eventually led him to get a record deal and he has collaborated with well known country artists such as Willie Nelson, Chuck Leavell and Al Kooper to name a few. Some of his most recognisable work includes the single ‘Live Forever’ and ‘Tramp on your street’. Because of his incredible songwriting abilities he received the lifetime achievement award in songwriting from the Americana Music Convention. Not without his own share of controversy, he was arrested and subsequently acquitted on a firearms charge after shooting a man named Billy Bryant Coker. It was reported that Shaver acted in self defense. Shaver also turned his hand to acting during his career and appeared in various programs most notably ‘Bait Shop’ and ‘Still the king’.

On the 28th of October Shaver suffered a substantial stroke and died aged 81 years old.

JERRY JEFF WALKER 🇺🇸

16th March 1942- 23rd October 2020

Jerry Jeff Walker was an American singer, musician and songwriter and he was most well known for his country music. His career began over 50 years ago when he was in a band named Circus Maximus which gained him minor success. After deciding to embark on a solo career, Walker produced what is probably his most well known work ‘Mr Bojangles’ and has been widely covered by various other artists. Walker eventually formed his own music label named ‘Tried & True Music’ which also branched out into Goodknight Music management and Tried & True artists with the help and support from his wife. 

After a battle fighting throat cancer than spanned over the course of three years he finally succumbed to the illness on the 23rd of October 2020 aged 78 years old.

TONY LEWIS 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

21st December 1957- 19th October 2020

Tony Lewis was a singer, songwriter and musician from London, England. 

Lewis was best known in the music industry for being the lead singer and bassist in the band The Outfield. The band was originally formed when Lewis was still at school but was named Sirius B and the band also went on to be called The Baseball Boys before finally settling on The Outfield at a later date. Their debut album was named ‘Play Deep’ and it became a multi platinum selling album making it both onto the Top 10 album chart but also the singles chart in America. Their most recognised single is their 1985 top ten hit named ‘Your Love’.

Towards the end of his career and after the loss of his lifelong musical partner John Spinks, Lewis embarked on a solo career often collaborating with his wife on songs in which she wrote a lot of the lyrics for.

He died on the 19th of October 2020 at the age of 62 and no cause of death was released to the public.

19th August 1940- 6th October 2020

Johnny Nash was an American singer and songwriter.

Before gaining momentum in the music industry Nash gained small success as an actor receiving a Silver Sail Award at the Locarno International Film Festival for his part in 'Take a Giant Step'. 

Nash is best known for his hit single 'I Can See Clearly Now' which reached number one on the USA billboard top 100 and he was one of the first non Jamaican artist to experiment in the Reggae music genre. He had formed his own music label alongside a friend and after spending some time in Jamaica and becoming acquainted with the growing music scene he signed up 'Bob Marley and the Wailing Wailers' to his label. 

Later on his career he gained success covering Sam Cookes 'Wonderful World' and 'Lets go Dancing'

Nash Died at home of natural causes on 6th October 2020. He was 80 years old. 

26th January 1955- 2nd October 2020

Eddie Van Halen was an American musician and songwriter most famous for being one quarter of the rock band Van Halen which he formed alongside his brother Alex, Mark Stone and David Lee Roth. Van Halen was the main songwriter for the group as well as being the guitarist and is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. 

Van Halen got signed to Warner Records in 1977 and their debut album 'Van Halen' was well received. Their later album '1984' went platinum five times and secured them their first and only number one single with 'Jump'. 

He was involved in various musical instrument endorsements, most famous being guitars in which he teamed up with leading guitar brands including Kramer, Peavey and most notably Fender.

Van Halen struggled with alcoholism and drug abuse from a very early age which could have been reasons for his declining health later on in his life including suffering with tongue cancer which he later overcame. Eventually he was diagnosed with throat cancer and lung cancer and died on the 6th of October 2020 aged 65.

8th December 1942- 11th September 2020

Toots Hibbert, real name Frederick Nathaniel Hibbert was a Jamaican singer and songwriter and most well known for being the lead singer for the reggae and ska band 'Toots and the Maytals'. Hibberts is widely reknown for being an iconic figure in paving the way for reggae music and enjoyed a career than span over 60 years. His song 'do the reggay' helped coin the term 'reggae' music. 

Hibbert was a multi instrumentalist and his band became one of the most well known bands in Jamaica in the 1960s. One his most well known songs was '54-46 Thats My Number' which was inspired by his experience in prison for drug offences. International success didn't come until later on his career with him winning a grammy in 2005 for the album 'True Love'. Because of the length of his career and the pioneering reggae music he created, Hibbert is known as one of the most influential artists that Jamaica has ever created. 

The exact circumstances of Hibbert's death is unknown but it was announced via his bands social media that he had died peacefully on 12th of September 2020 following a stint in a medically induced coma. 

1st November 1951- 9th September 2020

Ronald Bell was also known as Khalis Bayyan. He was an American singer, songwriter and composer. Bell was most famous for co founding the band 'Kool & The Gang' with the band achieving nine number one singles in the 1970's and 1980s with the most well known being the single 'celebration'. Bell was a multi instrumentalist and he wrote and produced most of Kool & the gangs songs and has a place on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. 

Bell died suddenly at his home on the 9th of September 2020 aged 68 and no cause of death has been released to the public. 

18th January 1956- 19th August 2020

Jack Sherman was an American guitarist most famous for being a guitarist in the band Red Hot Chilli Peppers and contributed to their debut album and second album. In his career he also famously worked with massive names such as George Clinton, Peter Case and Bob Dylan.

Sherman died on the 18th of August 2020 of a heart attack at his home. He was 64 years old. 

7th August 1950- 14th August 2020

Pete Way was an English bass player and was most famous for being the bass player in the band UFO as well as playing alongside Ozzy Osbourne. After leaving UFO, Way formed a band named Fastway with former Motorhead guitarist Eddie Clarke achieving minor success. He later went on to rejoin UFO briefly. More recently prior to his death Way formed the Pete Way band and toured the UK in 2019. 

Way died on the 14th of August 2020 after succumbing to life threatening injuries he sustained in an accident two months prior to his dead. He was 69 years old. 

29th October 1946- 25th July 2020

Peter Green was an English singer, guitarist and songwriter. He was most famous for being the founder of Fleetwood Mac. Green is widely recognised as one of the best blues guitarists of all time. 

Some of his more recognised work include 'Albatross' which was the bands only UK number one hit, 'black magic woman' and 'man of the world' and his songs have been covered by many acclaimed music artists such as Aerosmith, Tom Petty and Santana to name a few. Green was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. 

Green died on the 25th July 2020, no further details have been issued apart from that he died peacefully in his sleep aged 73. 

12th January 1987- 8th July 2020

Naya Rivera was an American singer, actress and Model. Rivera is most famous for her role as Santana Lopez in the hit television series Glee. 

As a child she appeared in several Tv shows such as The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Family Matters and Even Stevens to name a few. Rivera managed to get a record deal as a singer in 2011 but only released one single which was named 'Sorry' in 2013 and only managing minor success but went on to received two ALMA awards, one for favourite female music artist and the other for favourite tv actress. 

in 2009 Rivera got her breakthrough role as Santana in Glee where she was able to express both her acting talents and her musical and singing ability. Rivera's representation of the lesbian cheerleader Santana Lopez has become Iconic in the LGBT communities and she received high praise for the her portrayal of the part. Her solo renditions of popular songs on the show have also recieved high praise particularly her cover of 'Valerie' by Mark Ronson and 'When I die young' by The Band Perry as a tribute to her late co star Corey Monteith. 

on the 8th of July 2020 Rivera went missing from a boat she had rented at Lake Piru in California. Rivera's four year old son was found alone on the boat asleep and he told investigators that he had been swimming with his mother and she had not gotten back on the boat. He said that Rivera had helped him climb back on to the boat but was unable to get back on herself. A search and rescue effort was launched but she was presumed dead and 5 days later on July 13th her body was found by searchers. The cause of death was stated as accidental drowning. She was 33 years old. 

15th July year unknown- 10th July 2020

Steve Sutherland was a renowned British DJ. He was also a television presenter, voiceover artist and radio presenter. Seven of his 12 studio albums have placed in the top 40 compilation charts in the UK. 

Sutherland has won four MOBO awards, twice for 'Best Club DJ' and twice for 'Best Club & Radio DJ'. He was prolific for his work in the black British music scene as well as on the club circuits all around the world. He had prime time radio shows on Choice radio Galaxy FM. 

28th October 1936- 6 July 2020

Charlie Daniels was an American singer, multi instrumentalist and songwriter. Most of his more well known music contributions were during his time in the Charlie Daniels Band. These tracks include 'Uneasy rider', 'Long Haired Country Boy' and his most successful song which was 'The Devil went down to Georgia' which won him a Grammy award for Best Country Vocal Performance and also reached number three on the billboard top 100. 

Daniels worked as an instrumentalist for other artists including Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. He has also made various acting appearances in several sitcoms and films that have used his music in the soundtracks. He was a regular on the country and southern rock touring circuit for over 40 years. 

After surviving prostate cancer in 2001, Daniel's went on to suffer from several strokes in the years afterwards. He died of an Hemorrhagic stroke on the 6th of July 2020 aged 83 years old. 

10th November 1928- 6th July 2020

Ennio Morricone was an Italian composer, Orchestrator and conductor. He is best known for being one of the most famous and well regarded film composers of all time with more than 70 award winning films under his belt. His most recognised films include The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Once Upon a Time in America and The Mission and gained international recognition most prolifically for his music composition for western films. Throughout his career he worked alongside the worlds greatest movie directors including Don Siegal, Warren Beatty and Quentin Tarantino just to name a few. He has also had his music used in various TV programs around the world.

He received the Academy Honorary Award in 2007 for his contributions to the art of film music. Other of his notable awards include three Grammy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, Six BAFTA Awards and two European film awards.

Morricone died on the 6th of July 2020  from complications that had arose after he suffered a nasty fall. He was 91 years old. 

20th March 1917- 18th June 2020

Vera Lynn was an English singer, songwriter and entertainer who rose to fame for her musical contributions during the second world war which resulted in her being dubbed the 'Forces Sweetheart'. Her most famous musical piece which became the iconic soundtrack to the second world war was her song 'we'll meet again'. Other notable pieces include '(There will be bluebirds over) The white cliffs of Dover' and 'There will always be an England'.

Lynn would often give live performances to British troops around the world and performed in a variety of countries to keep spirits high for those serving in the military at that time. She also had a radio programme which sent out messages to troops abroad. 

Lynn's music has become timeless and she achieved a UK number one hit with 'My son, My son' and has achieved continual success from compilations of her hits. She was active in the music industry for over 90 years and was the oldest person to top the UK album charts. 

She died at her home on the 18th of June 2020, no official cause of death has been released but it is suspected to be of natural causes as she was 103 years old. Dame Vera Lynn was given a full military funeral to honour her lifetime contribution to the services.

10th April 1936- 12th June 2020

Ricky Valance who's real name is David Spencer was a Welsh singer. His most successful single was a cover of Ray Peterson's 'Tell Laura I Love Her' which he got a UK number one single in 1960, making him the first welsh male singer to do so. 

Other notable pieces include 'Movin Away' and 'Jimmys Girl'. 

Valance achieved minor success compared to a lot of his musical peers at the time and went on to work as an actor and touring around the UK.

He died on the 12th of June 2020, aged 84 years old. Valance had suffered with dementia in the lead up to his death.

11th July 1950- 8th June 2020

Bonnie Pointer, who's real name was Patricia Eve Pointer was an American singer who was most famous for being part of the musical group The Pointer Sisters alongside her sisters June and Anita and eventually Ruth. Their music was a blend of rock n roll, gospel, r&b and soul. The sisters achieved success with hit singles 'Jump (for my love) and 'I'm so Excited'

She embarked on a solo career releasing several albums and her most recognisable solo single 'Heaven Must have sent You'. 

Pointer eventually reunited with her sisters and went on to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

She died on the 8th of June 2020 from a cardiac arrest aged 69 but had previously been suffering from cirrhosis of the liver for many years.

11th June 1985- 2nd June 2020

Chris Trousdale, who's real name was Christopher Pask was an American singer and actor most famous for being part of the boyband Dream Street. Trousdale enjoyed a successful Broadway career from a young age appearing in critically acclaimed musicals such as Les Miserables and The Sound of Music. He was part of the Broadway Kids where he performed in musicals such as The Wizard of Oz and Beauty and the Beast. 

Trousdale joined the boy band Dream street achieving short lived minor success before the band ultimately split up 3 years later. He went on to have a solo career where he recorded several Christmas songs and did a duet both with girl group Play and with Nikki Cleary for a rendition of the Grease track 'You're the one that I want' which achieved some success with the younger disney audiences. 

He died on 2nd June 2020 aged 34 from complications from Covid-19.

January 16th 1950- 28th May 2020

Bob Kulick was an American musician, guitarist and record producer. Kulicks most famous work was with acclaimed international musical stars such as Kiss, Alice Cooper, Meatloaf and Michael Bolton to name a few. 

Kulick played guitar on tracks by various musical artists including on three Kiss albums and for Lou Reed on one of his albums. He also played on tour with Meatloaf as well as on the albums. He also acted as a session musician for Diana Ross. 

He achieved Grammy Award winning success when he produced 'Whiplash' by Motorhead which won the award for Best Metal Performance.

Kulick died on the 28th May 2020 and the cause of death was given as heart disease. He died at home aged 70.

9th November 1944- 15th May 2020

Phil May was an English singer and musician most famous for his being the founding member of the group Pretty Things. He was the main songwriter for the band. They achieved chart success with a UK top ten single titled 'Don't Bring Me Down'.

May has stated on several occasions that his drug use had major influences over the songs and albums he produced and became someone of a cultural icon during his time with The Pretty Things. 

He died on the 15th of May 2020 aged 75. His cause of death was complications following a surgical procedure. 

5th December 1932- 9th May 2020

Little Richard, who's real name was Richard Penniman was an American singer, musician and songwriter. For over 70 years Little Richard has become a cultural icon and a pioneering figure in popular music and rock n roll.

The 1950's saw Richards success really start to soar with tracks such as 'Tutti Frutti' and 'Long Tall Sally'  becoming international hits. He has influenced generations of musicians including The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and The Everly Brothers. Not only has his musical abilities and breakthrough cultural influence been widely celebrated, so has his eccentric stage presence and flamboyant showmanship. 

Little Richard has been inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame and has also received a lifetime achievement award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation and he has been accredited to being a major figure in the diminishment of racial divide in the music industry. 

Richard died on the 9th of May 2020 at home from complications relating to bone cancer. He was 87 years old. 

17th August 1972- 7th May 2020

Ty Chijoke is better known by his rap stage name Ty. He was a British rapper and released 5 studio albums during his career. These albums achieved him minor to moderate success with the album 'upwards' being nominated for a Mercury prize in 2004. 

He is the co founder of a hip hop education foundation named Ghetto Grammar. 

Ty died on the 7th of May 2020 from complications relating to pneumonia and Covid-19. He was 47 years old. 

6th October 1947- 5th May 2020

Millie Small was a Jamaican singer and somgwriter. She achieved chart hit success both in the USA and the UK with her single 'My Boy Lollipop' reaching number two on both chart lists. She is also famous for being the Caribbeans most successful female artist and first international recording artist. She made an appearance on Top of the Pops to perform her hit single.

Small has enjoyed multiple international world tours, achieving significant success particularly in Australia and Africa. 

She died on the 5th of May 2020 aged 72 from a stroke and was living in London at the time of her death. 

12th November 1963- 30th April 2020

Sam Lloyd was an American singer, musician and actor and was best known for his his portrayal of Ted Buckland in the comedy series Scrubs as well as his musical achievements with his acappella band The Blanks. The Blanks cover of Outkasts 'Hey Ya' became increasingly successful after its appearance on the hit sitcom and the four piece made regular cameos throughout the nine seasons Scrubs was on air. 

The Blanks released two albums, Riding the wave and worth the weight. 

Lloyd died on the 30th of April 2020 after being diagnosed previously with an inoperable brain tumour. The cancer spread to various parts of his body. He was 56 years old. 

20th July 1940- 30th April 2020

Tony Allen was a Nigerian drummer, songwriter and composer. He is credited as being one of the pioneers and founders of the Afrobeat music movement and was the drummer and director of Fela Kuti's band Africa 70. With Allen's influence Africa 70 developed a new signature sound that incorporated groove, soul and jazz all in one and together they recorded over 30 albums. 

After leaving Africa 70, Allen created his own group which had signature sounds of R&B, dub and rap creating an Afrofunk style. 

on the 30th of April 2020, Allen died of an aortic aneurysm aged 79 years old. 

31st October 1967- 1st April 2020

Adam Shlesinger is an American singer and songwriter and is probably most famous for being a founding member of the band Fountains of Wayne. He was also a member of various other bands including Tinted Windows and Ivy.

Shlesinger is well known for his songwriting capabilities and contributed material to various TV shows and films, bagging himself a Grammy award, three Emmy awards and nominations for Golden Globes, Academy awards and Tony Awards. 

Some of the higher grossing films that have portrayed his songs include Fever Pitch, Shallow Hall and Something about Mary. His TV work has been equally as successful with cover tracks and compositions on shows such as Sesame Street, Saturday Night Live, Scrubs and Gossip Girl just to name a few. 

Shlesinger died aged 52 years old of complications caused by Covid-19.

4th July 1938- 30th March 2020

Singer Bill Withers, known for singing hits like "Lean on Me" and "Ain't No Sunshine," died from heart complications on March 30th 2020

Withers first signed to a label in 1971, and his career continued into the mid-80s, by the end of which he was solidified as a cultural icon in the soul genre and the black community. His song "Lean on Me" was performed at the inaugurations of both Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, and he won 3 Grammy Awards

He was inducted into the songwriters hall of fame in 2005 and subsequently the rock and roll hall of fame in 2015.

21st August 1938- 20th March 2020

Kenny Rogers died at 10:25 PM on March 20th 2020 in Sandy Springs, GA. According to his family, who announced that night, the 81-year-old country music legend "passed away peacefully at home from natural causes under the care of hospice and surrounded by his family." 

Though Rogers career took off in the mid-1970s, he recorded his first song, "That Crazy Feeling," in 1957. In the six-decade tenure of his career, the artist cemented his status as one of country music's best, selling over 50 million albums and achieving 24 No. 1 hits. He is perhaps most widely known for his timeless classic, "The Gambler," from his 1978 album of the same name.

In 2013 Rogers was elected into the country music hall of fame but during his career he meddled in multiple genres including rock, pop, jazz, folk and country.

20th July 1999- 19th February 2019

Pop Smoke who's real name was Bashar Barakah Jackson was an up and coming rapper who was shot dead on the week of his Album Release, he got his first US top 10 album in the week of his death. He was a guest on DJ Target's show on BBC Radio 1Xtra just days earlier. 

Pop Smoke was killed during a home invasion in the hollywood hills area on February the 19th 2020 and his cause of death was said to be multiple gunshot wounds.

Four people were charged with his murder.

His album 'shoot for the stars, aim for the moon' was released posthumously and debuted at number one on the USA billboard chart.

After his death a foundation named 'shoot for the stars' was created aiming to support and aid inner city youths.

30th May 1958- 9th December 2019

On the 9th of December 2019, Roxette singer Marie Fredriksson died aged 61 following a 17-year long battle with cancer. The Swedish duo achieved their biggest success when their 1987 single was featured on the Pretty Woman soundtrack in 1990. It topped the charts in more than 10 countries and gave the band their biggest UK hit, reaching number three.

Before becoming one half of the successful rock duo Roxette, Fredriksson was part of the punk group 'Strul' which achieved a relative level of success in her home country of Sweden. 

After her brain tumour diagnosis in 2002, Fredriksson continued to make music as a solo artist which resulted in her achieving her first number one single in Sweden with 'Där du andas' in 2008.