The year isn’t over yet and we’ve already lost many iconic artists. Although death is the only truth in our lives, weren’t we all shocked when the King of Pop was found dead back in 2009. A couple of  days ago we got shocked when Coolio, the ’90s rapper who lit up the music charts with hits like “Gangsta’s Paradise” and “Fantastic Voyage,” died at age 59. Let’s find out who weren’t going to see performing next year!

• Coolio—9/28—Rapper best known for “Gangsta’s Paradise”
• Mickey Gilley—5/7—Country music legend who launched the “Urban Cowboy” movement
• Calvin Simon—1/6—Member of Parliament-Funkadelic; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee
• Andy Fletcher—1/13—Keyboardist and co-founder of Depeche Mode
• Jimy Sohns—7/29—Lead singer of the Shadows of Knight (“Gloria”)
• Morty Craft—1/27—Label owner, arranger, producer and songwriter
• Ernie Andrews—2/21—Jazz and R&B singer
• Rosa Lee Hawkins—1/11—Member of the Dixie Cups vocal group (“Chapel of Love”)
• Olivia Newton-John—8/8—Beloved singer and Grease star
• Carlos Barbosa-Lima—2/23—Brazilian classical and jazz guitarist
• Marilyn Bergman—1/8—Award-winning lyricist (“The Windmills of Your Mind,” “The Way We Were”)

• Bobbie Nelson—3/10—Longtime pianist with Willie Nelson’s band, and his sister
• Warren Bernhardt—8/19—Keyboardist who played with Steely Dan and many jazz artists
• Hal Bynum—6/2—Country songwriter; wrote “Lucille” by Kenny Rogers
• Jeff Carson—3/26—Country singer
• Jaimie Branch—8/22—Jazz trumpeter and composer
• Gary Brooker—2/19—Singer, pianist and primary composer for Procol Harum
• Jerry Crutchfield—1/11—Country/pop songwriter, producer and musician
• Miguel Vicens Danus—2/12—Bassist of Spanish pop group Los Bravos (“Black is Black”)
• Betty Davis—2/9—R&B and funk singer, and second wife of Miles Davis
• Joey DeFrancesco—8/25—Jazz organist
• Michael Henderson—7/19—Jazz bassist with Miles Davis and others, and solo R&B artist (“You Are My Starship”)
• Ramsey Lewis—9/12—Jazz keyboardist who scored a top 10 hit in 1964 with “The In Crowd”
• Ron Miles—3/9—Jazz cornetist
• Vangelis—5/17—Electronic music composer best known for the score of Chariots of Fire
• Charnett Moffett—4/11—Jazz bassist
• Grachan Moncur III—6/3—Jazz trombonist
• Barbara Morrison—3/16—Jazz and blues vocalist
• James Mtume—1/9—Jazz and R&B musician and songwriter
• Philip Paul—1/30—Drummer for Freddie King, Hank Ballard and other blues/R&B artists
• Kelly Joe Phelps—5/31—Singer-songwriter with blues and jazz influences
• Tim Price—7/21—Jazz woodwinds player
• Pharoah Sanders—9/24—Jazz saxophone giant
• Klaus Schulze—4/26—German electronic musician/composer

• Paul Siebel—4/5—Singer-songwriter (“Louise”)
• Fitzroy “Bunny” Simpson—4/1—Member of reggae group the Mighty Diamonds
• Meghan Stabile—6/12—Jazz impresario and promoter
• Creed Taylor—8/23—Jazz producer who founded the Impulse! and CTI labels
• Timmy Thomas—3/11—R&B singer (“Why Can’t We Live Together?”)
• Abdul Wadud—8/10—Jazz cellist
• Bernard Wright—5/19—Jazz and funk keyboardist
• Eric Mercury—3/14—Canadian R&B singer
• Sam Lay—1/29—Drummer for the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Muddy Waters, etc.
• Judy Henske—4/27—Folk singer best known for her rendition of the song “High Flying Bird”
• Norma Waterson—1/30—Member of the English folk group the Watersons
• Jimmy Johnson—1/31—Blues guitarist and singer
• Joe Messina—4/4—Guitarist with Motown house band the Funk Brothers
• Naomi Judd—4/30—Country music superstar, with the duo The Judds
• Syl Johnson—2/6—Blues and soul singer
• Roland White—4/1—Bluegrass mandolinist and singer; older brother of the Byrds’ Clarence White
• Don Wilson—1/22—Co-founding rhythm guitarist of best-selling instrumental group the Ventures (“Walk Don’t Run”)
• David Tyson—2/17—Singer with the Manhattans
• Ronnie Spector—1/12—Lead singer of the Ronettes (“Be My Baby”)
• Sonny Turner—1/13—Singer with the Platters beginning in 1959; sang the hit “With This Ring” in 1967
• Cliff Johnson—7/17—Singer with Pezband and Off Broadway
• James Johnson—4/16—Played the “chicken scratch” guitar on Slim Harpo’s “Baby Scratch My Back”
• Deborah McCrary—6/1—Member of the vocal group the McCrary Sisters
• Greg Webster—1/14—Last original member of the Ohio Untouchables/Ohio Players
• Mable John—8/26—Blues and soul vocalist
• William “Poogie” Hart—7/14—Lead singer of the R&B group the Delfonics
• Dallas Frazier—1/14—Songwriter (“Alley Oop,” “Elvira”)
• Ralph Emery—1/15—Country music disc jockey and TV host
• Inez Foxx—8/25—R&B singer, who sang the original 1963 version of “Mockingbird” with her brother Charlie
• C.W. McCall—4/1—Singer and co-writer of country hit “Convoy”
• Charles McCormick—4/12—Member of R&B group Bloodstone
• Sister Janet Mead—1/26—The Catholic nun earned an unlikely pop hit in 1974 with a rock version of “The Lord’s Prayer”
• Mick Moloney—7/27—Irish traditional musician and scholar
• Misty Morgan—1/1—Teamed with her husband Jack Blanchard to record the 1970 country crossover novelty hit “Tennessee Bird Walk”

• Badal Roy—1/22—Tabla player with Miles Davis and others
• Bobby Rydell—4/5—Pop star and actor in the late ’50s and early ’60s, considered a teen idol
• Donald “Tabby” Shaw—3/29—Lead singer of reggae group the Mighty Diamonds
• Susan Jacks—4/25—Singer with the Poppy Family (“Which Way You Goin’ Billy?”)
• Joni James—2/20—Popular vocalist of the 1950s, whose hits included “Why Don’t You Believe Me?” and a cover of Hank Williams’ “Your Cheatin’ Heart”
• Rosmarie Trapp—5/13—Last of the original von Trapp family, of The Sound of Music fame
• Bobby Weinstein—3/16—Songwriter for Little Anthony and the Imperials and others (“Goin’ Out of My Head”)
• Sonny West—9/8—Songwriter and musician; wrote “Rave On” and “Oh Boy!” by Buddy Holly
• Dick Halligan—1/18—Keyboardist, trombonist and flutist for original lineup of Blood, Sweat and Tears
• Sam Gooden—8/4—Original member of the soul group the Impressions
• Jim Post—9/14—Singer-songwriter who hit the top 10 with 1968’s “Reach Out of the Darkness” as half of Friend and Lover

Music Industry Experts

• David Dalton—7/13—Music writer and photographer for Rolling Stone and other outlets
• Mo Ostin—7/31—Music business executive who worked with Warner Bros., Verve and other labels, playing a role in the careers of artists ranging from Frank Sinatra to Jimi Hendrix.
• David Smith—6/2—Engineer and musician, founder of the synthesizer company Sequential.
• Alan Blaikley—7/4—British songwriter; wrote “Have I the Right” by the Honeycombs
• John King—8/1—Co-founder of Memphis label Ardent Records
• John Swenson—3/28—Music journalist
• Paul Vance—5/30—Songwriter (“Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini,” “Catch a Falling Star”)
• R. Dean Taylor—1/7—Singer and songwriter for Motown (the Supremes’ “Love Child”) and his own “Indiana Wants Me”
• James Rado—6/21—Co-creator of the Broadway musical Hair
• John Dean—3/8—Singer with the Reflections, of “(Just Like) Romeo & Juliet” fame
• Bob Rafelson—7/23—Co-creator of The Monkees and director, writer and producer who worked on such films as Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces
• Don K. Reed—7/16—Host of “The Doo-Wop Shop” program on New York City radio station WCBS-FM, from 1971-2002.
• Hargus “Pig” Robbins—1/30—Session keyboardist for hundreds of artists, mostly country
• Marty Roberts—1/13—Half of lounge act Marty & Elayne, featured in the film Swingers
• Lamont Dozier—8/8—The middle name in Motown’s famed songwriting and production team, Holland-Dozier-Holland
• Art Rupe—4/15—Founder/owner of Specialty Records, the label that made stars out of Little RIchard, Sam Cooke, Lloyd Price and other early R&B stars
• Beverly Ross—1/15—Songwriter (“Lollipop,” “Candy Man”) and performer

If we missed to list another artist, you can contribute at [email protected]