Remembering the Musicians Who Died in 2026

1977 – September 12, 2026 (59)

Bay Area producer Tone Capone, a pivotal force behind Luniz’s “I Got 5 on It” and other memorable Bay Area records, died at 59. In addition to producing the Luniz classic, Capone produced the majority of Scarface’s 1997 album The Untouchable, including the hit “Smile” featuring 2Pac.

August 6, 2004 – September 13, 2026 (22)

Chicago rapper Bloodhound Q50 was shot and killed in the city’s Fuller Park neighborhood. He was 22. An emerging figure in Chicago’s latest generation of drill, Q50 had built a growing following with his raw, confrontational music. Just over a month before his death, he celebrated his 22nd birthday by releasing his latest project, Get Back or Die Trying.

January 19, 1946 – August 25, 2026 (80)

Dolly Parton, one of the most beloved and influential figures in American music, died at 80 after a battle with cancer. Over a career spanning more than six decades, Parton wrote some of country music’s most enduring songs, including “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” and “I Will Always Love You,” the latter of which became an even bigger global hit when Whitney Houston covered it in 1992.

April 21, 1970 – July 29, 2026 (56)

Glen Hansard, the Irish singer-songwriter who won the Best Original Song Oscar for “Falling Slowly” from the 2007 film Once, died at 56. Hansard, who also founded The Frames and co-founded The Swell Season, died in a single-vehicle motorcycle crash in Lucan, near Dublin.

December 15, 1956 – July 23, 2026 (69)

William Orbit, the Grammy-winning producer who helped Madonna reinvent her sound on Ray of Light, died at 69. Orbit’s mix of ambient music, techno, and pop became central to Madonna’s late-’90s creative rebirth, particularly on classics like “Frozen” and “Ray of Light.”

August 5, 1976 – July 14, 2026 (49)

Fantan Mojah, the reggae giant behind classics like “Hail the King” and “Rasta Got Soul,” died at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston after suffering heart-related complications. His death came just three weeks before his 50th birthday.

June 2, 1965 – July 2026 (61)

MC Sparky D (sometimes written as “Sparky Dee” or “Sparky-D”) helped break barriers for women in rap and became one of the defining voices of the legendary Roxanne Wars during hip-hop’s formative years. The Brooklyn rapper, best known for records like “Sparky’s Turn (Roxanne, You’re Through),” died at 61.

July 1, 1951 – June 30, 2026 (74)

Village People co-founder and longtime frontman Victor Willis died at the age of 74 following what the group described as “a short but aggressive illness.” The unmistakable voice behind hits like “Y.M.C.A.,” “Macho Man,” and “In the Navy,” Willis died on June 30, just one day before his 75th birthday.

September 20, 1996 – June 18, 2026 (29)

Tay Keith was a producer known for making mind-bending trunk rattlers, bringing the Memphis sound into the mainstream—syncopated, energetic, and flexible enough that rappers from Atlanta to Toronto to St. Louis could sound natural on his beats. On June 18, 2026, he was found dead in his apartment in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 29.

October 9, 1934 – June 15, 2026 (91)

Legendary South African jazz pianist and composer Abdullah Ibrahim died at 91. For years, Ibrahim performed under the name Dollar Brand before changing his name after converting to Islam in the late 1960s. One of South Africa’s most celebrated musicians, Ibrahim earned the admiration of Nelson Mandela, who famously referred to him as “our Mozart.”

June 29, 1993 – June 14, 2026 (32)

Oliver Tree died alongside five others on June 14 after two helicopters collided midair and crashed in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. Tree, who was 32, built a massive online following with his eccentric visual persona and genre-blurring music, and was best known for songs like “Miss You” and “Life Goes On.”

July 10, 1990 – June 5, 2026 (35)

Talay Riley, the British singer-songwriter and hitmaker whose credits stretched across pop, R&B, EDM, and hip-hop, died following a stabbing in London. He was just 35. Over his career, Riley contributed to records for artists including Dua Lipa, Britney Spears, Khalid, Ellie Goulding, and Tinie Tempah.

April 13, 1951 – June 2, 2026 (75)

Peabo Bryson, the Grammy-winning R&B singer whose voice helped define generations of love songs and movie soundtracks, died on June 2 at the age of 75. Bryson recorded “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love” with Roberta Flack and won back-to-back Grammys for his Disney duets “Beauty and the Beast” with Céline Dion and “A Whole New World” with Regina Belle.

September 7, 1930 – May 25, 2026 (95)

Sonny Rollins died at his home in Woodstock, New York, at the age of 95. Widely regarded as one of the defining figures of modern jazz, Rollins built a career spanning more than six decades, collaborating with legends including Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, and John Coltrane while helping reshape the possibilities of jazz improvisation.

May 18, 1967 – May 22, 2026 (59)

Rob Base, one half of the legendary hip-hop duo Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, died on May 22 after being diagnosed with cancer. Alongside E-Z Rock, Base was an instrumental figure in blending hip-hop with house music. Their 1988 hit “It Takes Two” remains an important cultural touchstone in both genres.

April 17, 1957 – April 9, 2026 (68)

Hip-hop and electro pioneer Afrika Bambaataa died at 68 from complications of cancer. Bambaataa was a pioneering figure in hip-hop’s early years and the founder of the Universal Zulu Nation, while his 1982 single “Planet Rock,” with the Soulsonic Force, became one of the genre’s most influential records.

In the later years of his life, Bambaataa was accused of sexual abuse by several men who said they were minors at the time of the alleged abuse. Bambaataa denied the allegations.

October 20, 1959 – April 6, 2026 (66)

Gwendolyn “Blondy” Chisolm, a member of pioneering rap group The Sequence, died at 66. Formed in the late 1970s, The Sequence—comprised of Chisolm, Cheryl “The Pearl” Cook, and Angie Stone—are often regarded as rap’s first all-female group and were among the earliest acts signed to the legendary Sugar Hill Records. Their 1979 single “Funk You Up” became one of the earliest commercially successful rap records released by a female group.

June 17, 1939 – April 2, 2026 (86)

James Gadson, the legendary drummer responsible for some of the funkiest breakbeats of all time, died at 86. The instrumentalist, who provided backing for Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, and more, played on classic soul records like Ross’ “Love Hangover,” Withers’ “Use Me,” and Gaye’s “I Want You,” the last of which was prominently sampled on Kendrick Lamar’s 2022 single “The Heart Part 5.”

July 8, 1968 – March 28, 2026 (57)

DJ Dan, an influential figure in American house music, died at 57 after suffering what his sister described as a massive heart attack. Over a career that spanned decades, Dan became a fixture of the West Coast rave scene, with a sound that stretched across house, techno, breakbeat, and electro.

November 12, 1951 – March 2, 2026 (74)

Legendary audio engineer Bob Power worked on a number of classic albums, including A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory, De La Soul’s De La Soul Is Dead, Run-DMC’s Down With the King, D’Angelo’s Brown Sugar, Erykah Badu’s Baduizm, The Roots’ Things Fall Apart, Common’s Be, and J Dilla’s The Shining. Power died at 74 after a short battle with cancer.

November 3, 1973 – February 23, 2026 (52)

Power grew up with RZA's older brother, Mitchell "Divine" Diggs. He would eventually become an instrumental figure in building the Wu-Tang brand from the bottom up, including the pivotal decision to launch a clothing line.

August 2, 2002 – February 22, 2026 (age 23)

Luci4, who got his start as a producer in Spaceghostpurrp's BMB Deathrow camp, was part of SoundCloud's niche sigilkore genre. The LA County Medical Examiner confirmed that the young rapper died at a private residence, although the cause of death has not yet been determined. His grandparents told TMZ that they suspect foul play.

April 28, 1950 – February 21, 2026 (75)

Legendary Nuyorican salsa musician Willie Colón died Saturday following reported respiratory complications. He was 75.

After his death, his family released a statement:

"It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, and renowned musician, Willie Colón. He passed away peacefully this morning, surrounded by his loving family. While we grieve his absence, we also rejoice in the timeless gift of his music and the cherished memories he created that will live on forever."

March 18, 2000-February 18, 2026 (25)

Jacksonville rapper Lil Poppa reportedly shot himself in the head while speaking with his manager in a Hilton Hotel parking lot.

The rapper, who was part of Yo Gotti's Collective Music Group, had just released a new single, "Out Of Town Bae," shortly before the incident.

June 7, 1973-January 30, 2026 (54)

Michael "5000" Watts was a legendary DJ, producer, and founder of Swishahouse Records. He died after developing Torsades de Pointes, a life-threatening abnormal heart rhythm condition.

May 10, 1952 – January 26, 2026 (73)

Sly Dunbar was one half of Sly and Robbie, alongside bassist Robbie Shakespeare; the pair were known for shaping the modern sound of reggae and dancehall. He had been struggling with health problems in the years before his death.

January 30, 1975 – January 12, 2026 (50)

In the late '90s, John Forté was one of rap's brightest prospects. A member of the Refugee Camp All-Stars collective, Forté rapped and produced on the Fugees' classic album The Score.

In 2000, Forté was arrested at Newark International Airport after accepting a briefcase containing $1.5 million worth of liquid cocaine. He was convicted of possession with intent to distribute and sentenced to a mandatory 14 years. His sentence was later commuted by President George W. Bush.

Forté was found dead at his house in Chilmark, Massachusetts. There was no signs of foul play.

July 26, 1991 – January 10, 2026 (34)

Popular Colombian singer Yeison Jiménez died in a plane crash on Saturday, Jan. 10. The crash occurred between Paipa and Duitama, killing all six people on board.

October 16, 1947 – January 10, 2026 (78)

Bob Weir, the guitarist and co-founder of the Grateful Dead passed away at the age of 78 due to underlying lung issues, according to his family. This came after receiving a cancer diagnosis in July.