![Musicians Who Died in 2024](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.billboard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Dickey-Betts-1994-a-billboard-1548.jpg?w=875&h=583&crop=1)
It’s so hard to say goodbye … especially to talented creators who have contributed beautiful works of art that have made the world a brighter place. But while no one can live forever, musicians’ compositions will go on to be enjoyed by future generations.
The world of music had a rough start when on Jan. 4, David Soul — who played the blond, blue-eyed Det. Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson on hit 1970s buddy-cop TV series Starsky and Hutch — died at age 80. But the late star wasn’t just an actor when it came to the world of entertainment — he was also an accomplished musician, landing three songs on the Billboard Hot 100 (including 1977’s No. 1 hit “Don’t Give Up on Us”) and two albums on the Billboard 200.
Then Grammy-winning artist Jo-El Sonnier died at age 77 on Jan. 14, while on tour. He suffered cardiac arrest after a show in Texas. Just days later, the world said goodbye to Mary Weiss, the lead singer of 1960s pop girl group The Shangri-Las. She was 75. And that was just the beginning of the musicians who would go on to leave us this year.
And a day after the 2024 Grammys, the music world was shaken by the news of Toby Keith’s death. The country star — who had previously shared with fans in 2022 that he was battling stomach cancer — died at age 62 on Feb. 5, a message on his website and social media accounts announced.
While friends and loved ones mourn these talented artists, they will not be forgotten by their fans around the world. Below, Billboard remembers the musicians who passed away in 2024.
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Joe Bonsall
Image Credit: Jon Mir -
Kinky Friedman
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images -
Shifty Shellshock
Image Credit: Tim Roney/Getty Images -
Julio Foolio
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo -
James Chance
Image Credit: Frans Schellekens/Redferns -
Angela Bofill
Image Credit: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images -
Johnny Canales
Image Credit: Rodrigo Varela/WireImage -
Francoise Hardy
Image Credit: Blandford/Mirrorpix/Getty Images -
Enchanting (center)
Image Credit: Prince Williams/Wireimage -
Mark James
Image Credit: Gary Gershoff/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame -
Dr. Velásquez
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo -
Brother Marquis
Image Credit: Kris Connor/Getty Images -
Doug Ingle
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images -
Richard Sherman
Image Credit: Michael Schwartz/WireImage -
Charlie Colin
Image Credit: Paul Hawthorne/WireImage (May 2024)
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Omar Geles
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo -
Jan A.P. Kaczmarek
Image Credit: Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto/Getty Images -
Jon Wysocki
Image Credit: Nigel Crane/Redferns -
Jimmy James (center)
Image Credit: Ivan Keeman/Redferns -
David Sanborn
Image Credit: Paul Natkin/Getty Images -
Dennis Thompson
Image Credit: Jim Dyson/Getty Images -
John Barbata
Image Credit: Roger Ressmeyer/CORBIS/VCG via Getty Images -
Steve Albini
Image Credit: Paul Natkin/Getty Images -
Duane Eddy
Image Credit: PoPsie Randolph/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images -
Mike Pinder
Image Credit: Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns -
Chris King
Image Credit: Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Trippie Redd/10K Projects -
Mandisa
Image Credit: Brad Barket/Getty Images -
Dickey Betts
Image Credit: Kirk West/Getty Images -
Jorge “Clorofila” Verdin (center)
Image Credit: Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic -
Park Boram
Image Credit: Han Myung-Gu/WireImage -
Mister Cee
Image Credit: Johnny Nunez/WireImage -
Clarence “Frogman” Henry
Image Credit: Skip Bolen/WireImage -
C.J. Snare
Image Credit: Gary Miller/Getty Images -
Keith LeBlanc
Image Credit: Derek Storm/Everett Collection -
Maurizio Pollini
Image Credit: Roberto Serra - Iguana Press/Redferns -
Jean-Paul Vignon
Image Credit: Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images -
Sandra Crouch
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo -
Cola Boyy
Image Credit: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for Coachella -
Steve Harley
Image Credit: Roberto Ricciuti/Redferns -
Byron Janis
Image Credit: Dario Cantatore/Getty Images -
Bo$$
Image Credit: Al Pereira/Getty Images/Michael Ochs Archives -
Anthony “Baby Gap” Walker
Image Credit: Getty Images -
Eric Carmen
Image Credit: Tom Hill/WireImage -
Karl Wallinger
Image Credit: Courtesy of World Party -
Steve Lawrence
Image Credit: Harry Langdon/Getty Images -
Debra Byrd
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images -
Brit Turner
Image Credit: Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images -
Cat Janice
Image Credit: Claire LeJeune -
Shinsadong Tiger
Image Credit: Yang Ji-ung/Yonhap/AP -
Roni Stoneman
Image Credit: Courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum -
Vitalij Kuprij
Image Credit: Kevin Nixon/Prog Magazine/Future via Getty Images -
Cynthia Strother
Image Credit: Courtesy of Rex Strother -
Damo Suzuki
Image Credit: Vincenzo Buscemi/Getty Images -
Jimmy Van Eaton
Image Credit: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum -
Henry Fambrough
Image Credit: Mike Coppola/WireImage -
Chuy Montana
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo -
Mojo Nixon
Image Credit: Paul Natkin/Getty Images -
Seiji Ozawa
Image Credit: Shintaro Shiratori -
Toby Keith
Image Credit: Christopher Polk/Getty Images -
Wayne Kramer
Image Credit: Jim Newberry -
Chita Rivera
Image Credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images -
Frank Farian
Image Credit: ARTCO-Berlin/ullstein bild via Getty Images -
Melanie
Image Credit: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images -
Marlena Shaw
Image Credit: Michael Putland/Getty Images -
Mary Weiss
Image Credit: Roberta Bayley/Redferns -
Jo-El Sonnieh
Image Credit: Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images -
David Soul
Image Credit: Jeremy Grayson/Radio Times/Getty Images