By Megan Riedlinger
8:12am PST, Jan 17, 2019
The Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin, passed away at age 76 on Aug. 16, 2018. The legend died at her home in Detroit following a long battle with advanced pancreatic cancer of the neuroendocrine type.
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Swedish DJ Tim Bergling — best known by his stage name, Avicii — passed away at age 28 on April 20, 2018. He took his own life. Avicii had been struggling with depression, drug addiction and alcoholism. His body was discovered at a resort in Muscat, Oman, where he had been vacationing.
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Country legend Roy Clark died at his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from complications of pneumonia on Nov. 15, 2018. He was 85 years old.
"The Voice" Season 1 finalist Beverly McClellan passed away on Oct. 30, 2018, after a battle with cancer. The 49 year old had been diagnosed with endometrial cancer in March.
The Buzzcocks' Pete Shelley died of a suspected heart attack on Dec. 6, 2018. He was 63 years old.
Jazz legend Nancy Wilson passed away on Dec. 13, 2018, at age 81. The talented star won three Grammys throughout her lengthy career — one in 1964, one in 2005 and the most recent one in 2007. Her manager noted she'd been suffering from "a long illness" before passing.
A second member of the 2000s boy band LFO died in 2018 — Devin Lima (right). The 41-year-old singer died on Nov. 21 after losing his battle with stage 4 adrenal cancer. bandmate Rich Cronin (left) passed away from leukemia back in 2010 at age 36.
The lead singer of the band Frightened Rabbit was found dead near a marina outside Edinburgh, Scotland, on May 11, 2018. Scott Hutchison was 36 years old at the time of his passing. His bandmates had recently reported him missing. His family implied he was suffering from mental health issues, and Scott himself had previously been open about his battle with depression.
Rapper XXXtentacion, whose real name was Jahseh Onfroy, was murdered on June 18, 2018, in Deerfield Beach, Florida. He was 20 years old and had recently signed a $10 million record deal for his third album. The tragic circumstances followed a violent past dotted with feuds and allegations he'd abused his pregnant girlfriend.
Though he wasn't a musician himself, Joe Jackson certainly had an impact on music. The Jackson family patriarch, father to Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson and the rest of the Jackson crew, passed away on June 27, 2018, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was living in a Las Vegas hospice care facility at the time. Joe was 89 years old.
Oli Herbert, the guitarist of All That Remains, was found dead in a pond near his home in Connecticut on Oct. 17, 2018. The medical examiner ruled that his cause of death was "undetermined," though reports claimed he drowned and had unprescribed antidepressants in his system. He was 44 years old.
Staple Sisters singer Yvonne Staples, 80, died at her Chicago home on April 10, 2018. Yvonne was suffering from colon cancer.
Drummer Vinnie Paul, who helped found Pantera and also performed with the band Hellyeah, passed away in his sleep on June 22, 2018. The coroner ruled the cause of death was dilated cardiomyopathy and severe coronary artery disease. Vinnie was 54 years old.
Pianist Cecil Taylor passed away on April 5, 2018. The musician, 89, was responsible for launching the free jazz movement in the '50s.
Canadian rapper Jon James McMurray, best known as Jon James, tragically passed away on Oct. 20, 2018. The 34 year old was filming a music video on the wing of an airplane when the aircraft went into a downward spiral. He fell off and died on impact.
Floyd Parton, Dolly Parton's brother and songwriting partner, passed away on Dec. 6, 2018. He was 61 years old.
Saxophone player and Neville Brothers band member Charles Neville passed away on April 26, 2018. The musician, who's also played with greats like B.B. King, was 79.
Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Ed King died at his home in Nashville at age 68 on Aug. 22, 2018. He'd been suffering from lung cancer.
Jazz musician Morgana King passed away on March 22, 2018. Though she put out many albums, she was best known for her acting work — especially playing Don Corleone's wife in the first two "Godfather" films. The multitalented star was 87.
Kyle Pavone, the lead singer of We Came as Romans, died from an accidental drug overdose on Aug. 25, 2018. Kyle had previously struggled with an addiction to heroin. He was 28 years old.
Singer Vic Damone succumbed to respiratory failure on Feb. 11, 2018. The musician rose to fame in the '40s on a radio show and his career flourished throughout the '50s and '60s. He was 89 years old.
Esteemed jazz musician Roy Hargrove died at age 49 on Nov. 2, 2018. The trumpeter reportedly went into cardiac arrest following many years on dialysis.
Country star Daryle Singletary died unexpectedly at age 46 at his Tennessee home on Feb. 12, 2018.
Drummer D.J. Fontana, who played with the likes of Elvis Presley, passed away in a Nashville hospital on June 13, 2018. He was 87 years old.
Talented musician Richard Swift passed away on July 2, 2018, at age 41. He died from complications of hepatitis and distress of the liver and kidneys. He'd been a member of the Shins and the Arcs and had toured with the Black Keys.
The Original Motown Funk Brother, guitarist Eddie Willis, died on Aug. 20, 2018. The Motown Records house band member was 82 years old.
Jefferson Airplane co-founder Marty Balin died while en route to a hospital in Tampa, Florida, on Sept. 27, 2018. He was 76.
One half of British duo Chas & Dave, Chas Hodges, died on Sept. 22, 2018. He had been suffering from esophageal cancer and died from organ failure at 74 years old.
Heavy-metal band Huntress' frontwoman Jill Janus took her own life on Aug. 14, 2018. Her band's Facebook page put out a statement explaining that she had been a "long-time sufferer of mental illness." Jill was 43.
Grammy winner Dennis Edwards passed away in Chicago on Feb. 1, 2018. The Temptations member was suffering from complications from meningitis when he died at 74 years old.
The Bay City Rollers member Alan Longmuir died at a hospital in Scotland on July 2, 2018. He was 60.
Fleetwood Mac member Danny Kirwan (far right) died on June 8, 2018. The 68 year old played on five of the band's albums over the years.
Canadian band Walk Off the Earth's keyboardist, Mike "Beard Guy" Taylor, died in his sleep from natural causes on Dec. 30, 2018. He was 30 years old.
Jazz saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett passed away on Oct. 4, 2018. He was 78 years old.
French crooner Charles Aznavour passed away at 94 on Oct. 1, 2018. The musician was a legend in his native France.
Blues Brothers guitarist Matt Murphy died in Miami on June 15, 2018. The 88-year-old blues musician had also performed with the likes of Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters and Memphis Slim.
Canadian country music singer Ronnie Prophet died on March 2, 2018. He was 80 years old.
