George Harrison, MBE (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Although John Lennon and Paul McCartney were the band's primary songwriters, most of their albums included at least one Harrison composition, including "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Here Comes the Sun" and "Something", which became the Beatles' second-most-covered song. Harrison's earliest musical influences included Big Bill Broonzy, George Formby and Django Reinhardt; Chet Atkins, Chuck Berry and Ry Cooder were significant later influences. By 1965 he had begun to lead the Beatles into folk rock through his interest in the Byrds and Bob Dylan, and towards Indian classical music through his use of the sitar on "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)". He developed an interest in the Hare Krishna movement and became an admirer of Indian culture and mysticism, introducing them to the other members of the Beatles and their Western audience by incorporating Indian instrumentation in their music. After the band's break-up in 1970, Harrison released the triple album All Things Must Pass, from which two hit singles originated. He also organized the 1971 Concert for Bangladesh with Ravi Shankar, a precursor for later benefit concerts such as Live Aid. Harrison was a music and film producer as well as a musician; he founded Dark Horse Records in 1974 and co-founded HandMade Films in 1978. Harrison released several best-selling singles and albums as a solo performer, and in 1988 co-founded the platinum-selling supergroup the Traveling Wilburys. A prolific recording artist, he was featured as a guest guitarist on tracks by Badfinger, Ronnie Wood and Billy Preston, and collaborated on songs and music with Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Tom Petty, among others. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 11 in their list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Harrison's first marriage, to Pattie Boyd, ended in divorce in 1977. The following year he married Olivia Trinidad Arias, with whom he had one son, Dhani. Harrison died in 2001, aged 58, from lung cancer. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Ganges and Yamuna rivers in India, in a private ceremony according to Hindu tradition. He left almost £100 million in his will.

Terence "Terry" Nelhams-Wright, known as Adam Faith (23 June 1940 – 8 March 2003), was a British teen idol, singer, actor, and financial journalist. He was one of the most charted acts of the 1960s.He became the first UK artist to lodge his initial seven hits in the Top 5.

Charles Michael "Chuck" Schuldiner (May 13, 1967 – December 13, 2001) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was the creator of the band Death, which he founded in 1983 under the name Mantas.

Dee Dee Ramone (born Douglas Glenn Colvin; September 18, 1951 – June 5, 2002) was a German-American songwriter and musician, best known as founding member, songwriter, and bassist for punk rock band the Ramones.

Howard Norman "Howie" Epstein (July 21, 1955 – February 23, 2003) was a musician best known for his work with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers as bassist.

Jason William Mizell (January 21, 1965 – October 30, 2002), better known by his stage name Jam Master Jay, was an American musician and rapper. He was the DJ of the influential hip hop group Run–D.M.C. During the 1980s, Run-D.M.C. became the biggest hip-hop group and are credited with breaking hip-hop into mainstream music. For working turntable magic on classic guitar records, he was ranked No. 10 on Spin's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.On October 30, 2002, while recording new music at his studio in Jamaica, Queens, New York, Mizell was shot and murdered by an unknown assailant. He was 37 years old.

Jim Cherry was an American musician, most famous for being the bassist in the punk rock band Strung Out. His other musical credits include the guitar player in the band Pulley, and bassist/vocalist in the band Zero Down.

Anthony James "Lonnie" Donegan MBE (29 April 1931 – 3 November 2002) was a British skiffle musician, with more than 20 UK Top 30 hits to his name. He is known as the "King of Skiffle" and is often cited as a major influence on the generation of British musicians who became famous in the 1960s

Maurice Ernest Gibb, (22 December 1949 – 12 January 2003) was a British musician, singer, and songwriter. He was born in the Isle of Man to English parents, the twin brother of Robin Gibb and younger brother to Barry. He is best known as a member of the singing and songwriting trio the Bee Gees, formed with his brothers. Their younger brother, Andy, was a popular solo singer. The trio had their start in England and then moved to Australia and found major success when they returned to England. The Bee Gees became one of the most successful pop groups ever.

Robbinson Lantz "Robbin" Crosby (August 4, 1959 – June 6, 2002) was an American guitarist who was a member of glam metal band Ratt, earning several platinum albums in the U.S. in the mid-to-late 1980s. Crosby was HIV positive, but died from a heroin overdose in 2002.

Stuart Adamson (11 April 1958 – 16 December 2001), born William Stuart Adamson, was an English-born Scottish guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter, described by legendary broadcaster and DJ John Peel as “Britain’s answer to Jimi Hendrix”. He founded the Scottish art-punk band The Skids and later the more mainstream rock group Big Country, as well as the 1990s alternative country rock act The Raphaels.

Waylon Arnold Jennings ( June 15, 1937–February 13, 2002) was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing guitar at 8 and began performing at 12 on KVOW radio. He formed a band, The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J. on KVOW, KDAV, KYTI, and KLLL. In 1958, Buddy Holly arranged Jennings's first recording session, of “Jole Blon” and “When Sin Stops (Love Begins).” Holly hired him to play bass. During the “Winter Dance Party Tour,” in Clear Lake, Iowa, Holly chartered a plane to arrive at the next venue. Jennings gave up his seat in the plane to J. P. Richardson, who was suffering from a cold. The flight that carried Holly, Richardson, and Ritchie Valens crashed, on the day later known as The Day the Music Died. Following the accident, Jennings worked as a D.J. in Coolidge, Arizona, and Phoenix. He formed a rockabilly club band, The Waylors. He recorded for independent label Trend Records, A&M Records before succeeding with RCA Victor after achieving creative control of his records.

John Alec Entwistle (9 October 1944 – 27 June 2002) was an English musician, songwriter, singer, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. He was the only member of the band with formal musical training. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Who in 1990.

Layne Thomas Staley (August 22, 1967 – April 5, 2002) was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-songwriter of the rock band Alice in Chains, which he and guitarist Jerry Cantrell formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s. The band became known for his distinct vocal style, as well as the harmonized vocals between him and Cantrell. Staley was also a member of the supergroups Mad Season and Class of '99. He struggled throughout his adult life with severe drug addiction, culminating with his death on April 5th 2002.

Mickey Finn or occasionally Micky Finn (born Michael Norman Finn, 3 June 1947 – 11 January 2003) was the percussionist and sideman to Marc Bolan in his band Tyrannosaurus Rex (on one album, A Beard of Stars), and later, the 1970s glam rock group, T.Rex. Often confused with other musicians by the same name, Michael Norman Finn (apart from T. Rex) only toured as a sideman in the 1960s with Hapshash and the Coloured Coat. After Bolan and T.Rex's demise, he worked as a session musician for The Blow Monkeys and The Soup Dragons.

Peter Skiving Bardens (19 June 1945 – 22 January 2002) was a keyboardist and a founding member of the British progressive rock group Camel. He played organ, piano, synthesizers and mellotron and wrote songs with Andrew Latimer. Bardens worked alongside Rod Stewart, Mick Fleetwood and Van Morrison and recorded solo albums.

David Winston Williams (February 29, 1972 – August 14, 2002) was an American vocalist best known to be the lead singer for the band Drowning Pool. He grew up in Princeton, Texas living with his parents Charles Edward and Jo-Ann Williams. During the 1990s he was a fixture in the Dallas music scene, often playing in well-known clubs. In 1999, he joined Drowning Pool. The band released their debut album Sinner with his vocals in 2001. His nickname "Stage" came from Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell who gave it to him because of his known stage personality during performances. Williams has been ranked in Top 100 metal vocalists of all time by Hit Parader at #82.

Hank Ballard (November 18, 1927 – March 2, 2003), born John Henry Kendricks, was a rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, the lead vocalist of Hank Ballard and The Midnighters and one of the first rock 'n' roll artists to emerge in the early 1950s. He played an integral part in the development of the genre, releasing the hit singles "Work With Me, Annie" and answer songs "Annie Had a Baby" and "Annie's Aunt Fannie" with his Midnighters. He later wrote and recorded "The Twist" and invented the dance, which was notably covered by Chubby Checker. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

Michael Houser (January 6, 1962 - August 10, 2002) was a founding member and the lead guitarist of the band Widespread Panic. Michael "Mikey" Houser was born in Boone, North Carolina, graduated from Hixson High School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and became a founding member of Widespread Panic in 1986 while attending the University of Georgia with John Bell. Michael's adolescent nickname was "Panic", due to his then frequent panic attacks, and this moniker later became the inspiration for the band's name. Widespread Panic's large rhythm section, and John Bell's virtuosity as a rhythm guitarist, allowed Michael to pursue an atmospheric lead guitar style that often lingered behind the primary melodies. His predominant use of the Ernie Ball volume pedal caused him to spend most of his performance time balanced on one leg, this would eventually lead to circulation problems causing his left leg to become numb. In 1996, during an acoustic tour known as the "Sit and Ski" tour, he was reminded of how much more comfortable and accurate his playing was while he was seated. Subsequently Houser returned to playing all shows seated in 1997. Many consider him a pioneer of using a volume pedal for sonic effect, rather than just for volume control, for his skilled incorporation of its use in his solos and leads.

Joe Schermie (February 12, 1946 - March 25, 2002) was an American musician, best known as the bass player for the 1970s American rock-pop group Three Dog Night.

John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), best remembered by his stage name Joe Strummer, was a British musician who was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of the British punk rock band The Clash, from London, a band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, and rockabilly. The Clash were one of the most prominent of the emerging bands in the UK punk rock scene, their second album, Give 'Em Enough Rope (1978) reaching number 2 on the UK charts. Soon after, they began achieving success in the US, starting with London Calling (1979), and peaking with 1982's Combat Rock, reaching number 7 on the US charts and being certified 2x platinum there. The Clash's politicised lyrics, musical experimentation, and rebellious attitude had a far-reaching influence on rock, alternative rock in particular.

Marc Moreland (January 8, 1958 - March 13, 2002) was an American rock musician. He was the former guitarist for new wave band Wall of Voodoo, punk band The Skulls, and rock bands Pretty and Twisted and Department of Crooks. He also released a solo album under the name Marc Moreland Mess.

Paul Baloff (April 25, 1960 – February 2, 2002[1]) was an American singer, most notable for his time in thrash metal band Exodus.

Jonathan Henry "Jon" Lee (28 March 1968 – 7 January 2002) was the original drummer for the successful British rock band Feeder. He committed suicide in 2002.

Teemu (Somnium) Raimoranta (May 19, 1977 – March 16, 2003) was a Finnish metal musician. He was the founding guitarist of Finnish folk metal band Finntroll along with vocalist Jan "Katla" Jämsen. He was active in Finntroll as a guitarist until his death in 2003. He also played in Thy Serpent, Barathrum, and Impaled Nazarene

Zalman "Zal" Yanovsky (December 19, 1944 – December 13, 2002) was a Canadian rock musician. Born in Toronto, he was the son of political cartoonist Avrom Yanovsky. He played lead guitar and sang for the Lovin' Spoonful, a rock band which he founded with John Sebastian in 1964. According to Sebastian, "He could play like Elmore James, he could play like Floyd Cramer, he could play like Chuck Berry. He could play like all these people, yet he still had his own overpowering personality. Out of this we could, I thought, craft something with real flexibility."

Bob "Bobby" Mayo (August 25, 1951 – February 23, 2004) was a session keyboardist and guitarist, perhaps best known for his work with Peter Frampton.

Edwin Starr (January 21, 1942 – April 2, 2003) was an American soul music singer. Starr is most famous for his Norman Whitfield produced Motown singles of the 1970s, most notably the number one hit "War".

Barry White, born Barry Eugene Carter (September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003), was an American composer and singer-songwriter. A two-time Grammy Award-winner known for his distinctive bass voice and romantic image, White's greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and with the Love Unlimited Orchestra, crafting many enduring soul, funk, and disco songs such as his two biggest hits, "You're the First, the Last, My Everything" and "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe." Along with Isaac Hayes, White is considered by Allmusic.com as a pioneer of disco music in the early 1970s.

Alfred Gregory 'Greg' Ridley (23 October 1947 in Aspatria, Cumberland, England – 19 November 2003 in Alicante, Spain) was one of the more visible rock bassists in England, and a founding member of the successful rock band Humble Pie. As a teenager he became part of British rock & roll's third wave.

John Alexander McGeoch (25 August 1955 – 4 March 2004) was a Scottish guitarist who played with a number of bands of the post-punk era, including Magazine, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Visage and Public Image Ltd.

John R. "Johnny" Cash (February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author who was considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.[3][4] Although he is primarily remembered as a country icon, his songs and sound spanned other genres including rock and roll and rockabilly —especially early in his career—and blues, folk, and gospel. This crossover appeal won Cash the rare honor of induction in the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame

Paul Burlison (February 4, 1929 - September 27, 2003) was an American pioneer rockabilly guitarist and a founding member of The Rock and Roll Trio. Burlison was born in Brownsville, Tennessee, where he was exposed to music at an early age. After a stint in the United States Military, Burlison teamed up with Johnny and Dorsey Burnette to form the The Rock and Roll Trio. The band released several singles, but failed to attain chart success. The Trio disbanded in the fall of 1957 and Burlison moved back to Tennessee to start a family. There he started his own electrical subcontracting business which he ran faithfully for twenty years, taking a break when the Trio reunited in the early 1980s. He released his only solo album in 1997, which received positive reviews. Burlison remained active in the music scene until his death in 2003.

Robert Allen Palmer (19 January 1949 – 26 September 2003), was an English singer-songwriter and musician. He was known for his distinctive voice and the eclectic mix of musical styles on his albums, combining soul, jazz, rock, pop, reggae and blues. He found success both in his solo career and in the musical act The Power Station, and had Top 10 songs in both the UK and the US.

Shawn Lane (March 21, 1963 – September 26, 2003) was an American musician who released two studio albums and collaborated with a variety of musicians including Ringo Starr, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Reggie Young, Joe Walsh and many others. After studying the piano, he rapidly mastered the guitar, which he played with exceptional speed. Guitar World magazine wrote in 2008, "Few, if any, guitarists can play faster than Lane could, and his arpeggio sweeps and precision-picked lines blasted more rapid-fire notes than the average human mind could comprehend."

Warren William Zevon ( January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician. He was known for the dark and somewhat bizarre sense of humor in his lyrics

Wesley Willis (May 31, 1963 – August 21, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter and visual artist from Chicago. He is best known for his simple but unique music that featured his humorous, bizarre, and frequently obscene lyrics

William Jan Berry (born in Los Angeles, California April 3, 1941; died March 26, 2004), was the son of aeronautical engineer William L. Berry (born December 7, 1909, in The Bronx, NY; died December 19, 2004, in Camarillo, California), who had been project manager of the "Spruce Goose" and flew on its only flight with Howard Hughes, and Clara Lorentze Mustad Berry (born September 2, 1919 in Bergen, Norway; died July 9, 2009).

Noel Redding (25 December 1945 – 11 May 2003) was an English rock bassist and guitarist best known for his work as bassist with the Jimi Hendrix Experience

Clint Warwick (25 June 1940 – 15 May 2004), born Albert Clinton Eccles, was the original bassist for the rock band, The Moody Blues.

Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, the area in which he first gained popularity. Smith's primary instrument was the guitar, but he was also proficient with piano, clarinet, bass guitar, drums and harmonica. Smith had a distinctive vocal style, characterized by his "whispery, spiderweb-thin delivery", and used multi-tracking to create vocal layers, textures and harmonies.

Erik Keith Brann, also known as Erik Braunn and Erik Braun, and born as Rick Davis (August 11, 1950 – July 25, 2003), was an American guitarist with the 1960s acid rock band Iron Butterfly. He is featured on the band's greatest hit, the 17-minute In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (1968), recorded when he was just 17

David Schulthise (September 16, 1956 – March 10, 2004), otherwise known as Dave Blood, was the bass guitarist for the punk band Dead Milkmen. He helped form the band in 1983 along with fellow pseudonymous musicians Joe Jack Talcum, Dean Clean, and Rodney Anonymous. Prior to this he was a Ph.D. candidate in economics at Purdue University.

Mickie Most (20 June 1938 – 30 May 2003) was an English record producer, with a string of hit singles with acts such as The Animals, Arrows, Herman's Hermits, Donovan, Lulu, Suzi Quatro, Hot Chocolate and the Jeff Beck Group, often issued on his own RAK Records label

Niki M. Sullivan (June 23, 1937 – April 6, 2004) was an American rock and roll guitar player, born in South Gate, California. He was one of the three original members of Buddy Holly's backing band, The Crickets. Though he lost interest within a year or two of his involvement, his guitar playing was an integral part of Holly's early success. He performed on 27 of the 32 songs Holly recorded over his brief career. He also co-wrote a number of his own songs. In 2012, Sullivan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Crickets by a special committee, aimed at correcting the mistake of not including the Crickets with Buddy Holly when he was first inducted in 1986.

Thomas Börje Forsberg, known by the stage name Quorthon (February 17, 1966 – c. June 7, 2004) was a Swedish musician. He was a multi-instrumentalist and the founder and songwriter of the pioneering Swedish black metal band Bathory. He is also credited with creating the Viking metal genre. He composed the music and wrote the lyrics on all of Bathory's albums.

Terje "Valfar" Bakken (born September 3, 1978, died approximately January 15, 2004) was the lead singer and founder of the Norwegian black/folk metal band Windir. Windir was started as a one-man project, but it was expanded into a full band with the release of their 3rd album, 1184. Valfar originally sang his lyrics in Sognamål, a dialect of Norwegian, but eventually switched to English in an attempt to appeal to a broader audience.

Arthur Kane (February 3, 1949 – July 13, 2004) was a musician best known as the bass guitarist for the pioneering glam rock band the New York Dolls. He stated in the 2005 documentary film New York Doll that his nickname, Arthur "Killer" Kane, was inspired by the first article written about the Dolls in which the journalist described Kane's "killer bass playing".

John William Cummings (October 8, 1948 – September 15, 2004), better known by his stage name Johnny Ramone, was an American guitarist and songwriter, best known for being the guitarist for the punk rock band the Ramones. He was a founding member of the band, and remained a member throughout the band's entire career. He died from prostate cancer on September 15, 2004.

Laura Ann Branigan (July 3, 1957 – August 26, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter and actress. She is best remembered for her 1982 Platinum-certified hit "Gloria" and for the Top Ten single "Self Control". Branigan is also remembered for the Top 10 "Solitaire" and for the number-one Adult Contemporary hit "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You", as well as several other US Top 40 hits. As well as her music, she was also known for her powerful, husky alto singing voice which spanned four octaves.

Gloria Lavern Collins, better known as Lyn Collins (12 June 1948 – 13 March 2005), was an African-American soul singer best known for working with James Brown in the 1970s and for the influential 1972 funk single "Think (About It)". Contrary to some reports, she is not related to Bootsy and Catfish Collins.

Paul Newell Hester (8 January 1959 – 26 March 2005) was an Australian musician and television personality; he was the drummer for the related bands Split Enz and Crowded House.

Rod Price (born Roderick Michael Price, 22 November 1947, Willesden, North London, United Kingdom — died 22 March 2005, Wilton, New Hampshire, United States) was an English guitarist who was best known for his work with the rock band Foghat.

Spencer Dryden (7 April 1938 – 11 January 2005) was an American musician best known as the longest-serving drummer for Jefferson Airplane. He also played with New Riders of the Purple Sage, The Dinosaurs, and The Ashes (later known as The Peanut Butter Conspiracy.)

Darrell Lance Abbott (August 20, 1966 – December 8, 2004), also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist. A founding member of the groove metal band Pantera, as well as Damageplan, Abbott also contributed to the record Rebel Meets Rebel, a collaboration between Pantera and David Allan Coe. Darrell is considered to be one of the driving forces behind groove metal. Abbott was shot and killed while on stage during a Damageplan performance on December 8, 2004, at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio. He ranked 92 in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Guitarists and #1 in the UK magazine Metal Hammer.

Alex Soria (1965–2004) was a rock and roll musician from Montreal. and founding member of the power pop/punk rock groups "The Nils" (1978–2004) and "Chino" (1999). Born in Montreal in 1965, Alex along with his older brother Carlos experienced a trying childhood which fueled both his personal demons as well as his lyric and songwriting fluency. As a salvation, the brothers used music, and soccer, as a means to build confidence and find purpose. Alex's older brother Carlos played in several punk bands during the late 1970s prior to forming The Nils with his younger brother aged only 13. Carlos would bring home punk rock records such as The Clash, Sex Pistols and Stiff Little Fingers and play them for his brother. Alex Soria was won over by this then very new sound. Carlos soon bought him an $80 guitar and taught him 3 chords. Alex quickly excelled and by 1978 The Nils had formed and began playing live.

Bruce Palmer (September 9, 1946 – October 1, 2004) was a Canadian musician notable for playing bass guitar in the folk rock band Buffalo Springfield.

Derrick William Plourde (October 17, 1971 – March 30, 2005) was a drummer who was born in Goleta, California. Active between 1989 and his death in 2005, he was a former member of Lagwagon, Bad Astronaut, Jaws, The Ataris, Mad Caddies, Rich Kids on LSD, and others. Rush's Neil Peart and RKL's Bomer Manzullo are credited as influences to his playing style. Plourde was able to play very fast and accurate. He was also able to start and stop quickly which gave his playing a progressive feel.

Eric Ronald Griffiths (31 October 1940 – 29 January 2005) was the guitarist in the original lineup of The Quarrymen until he left the group in the summer of 1958.

Keith Knudsen (February 18, 1948 – February 8, 2005) was an American rock drummer, vocalist, and songwriter.

Nicola James "Jim" Capaldi (2 August 1944 – 28 January 2005)was an English musician and songwriter. His musical career lasted more than four decades. He co-founded Traffic in Birmingham with Steve Winwood, and the band's psychedelic rock was influential in Britain and the United States. Capaldi and Winwood wrote many of Traffic's major hits and most of the tracks on the band's ten albums. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a part of Traffic's original lineup

James Arthur Griffin (August 10, 1943 – January 11, 2005) was a singer, guitarist, and songwriter, best known for his work with the 1970s rock band Bread. He won an Academy Award for Best Song in 1970 as co-writer of "For All We Know".

John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004. He was known for his eclectic taste in music and his honest and warm broadcasting style.

Pierre Moerlen (October 23, 1952, Colmar, Haut-Rhin - May 3, 2005, Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, near Strasbourg) was a French drummer and percussionist, best known for his work with Gong and Mike Oldfield.

Rick James (born James Ambrose Johnson, Jr.; February 1, 1948 – August 6, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer, best known for being the major popularizer of funk music in the late 1970s and early 1980s thanks to million-selling hits such as "You and I" (1978), "Give It to Me Baby" (1981) and "Super Freak" (1981), the latter song crossing him over to pop audiences and selling over three million copies. It later contributed to the success of rapper MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This" (1990), for which James sued him, in order to be credited. James won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song with Hammer for the song, his only Grammy win.

Domenic Michele Antonio Troiano (January 17, 1946 – May 25, 2005) was a Canadian rock guitarist, most notable for his contributions to Mandala, The James Gang, The Guess Who and as a solo artist.

David Wayne (January 1, 1958 – May 10, 2005) was an American singer for the heavy metal bands Metal Church, Reverend and Wayne.

Krzysztof Raczkowski (October 29, 1970 – August 20, 2005), also known as Docent or Doc, was a Polish drummer, best known as a member of Polish death metal bands Vader (1988–2005) and Dies Irae. He also appeared as a guest or temporary musician in Sweet Noise, Hunter, Slashing Death, Unborn, Moon, and Overdub Trio.

John William "Long John" Baldry (12 January 1941 – 21 July 2005) was an English and Canadian blues singer and a voice actor. He sang with many British musicians, with Rod Stewart and Elton John appearing in bands led by Baldry in the 1960s. He enjoyed pop success in the UK where Let the Heartaches Begin reached No. 1 in 1967 and in Australia where his duet with Kathi McDonald You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' reached number two in 1980. Baldry lived in Canada from the late 1970s until his death; there he continued to make records and do voiceover work. One of his best known roles in voice acting was as Dr Robotnik in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Michael G. Botts (December 8, 1944 – December 9, 2005) was an American drummer, best known for his work with 1970s soft rock band Bread, and as a session musician. Born in Oakland, California, Botts grew up in nearby Antioch before moving to Sacramento. While in college, he began playing with a band called The Travellers Three and working as a studio musician. Eventually, the group disbanded, but not before recording some songs with producer David Gates.

Renaldo "Obie" Benson (June 14, 1936 – July 1, 2005) was an American soul and R&B singer and songwriter. He was best known as the bass of Motown group the Four Tops, which he joined in 1953 and continued to perform with for over five decades, until April 8, 2005. He also co-wrote "What's Going On" which became a #2 hit for Marvin Gaye in 1971, and which Rolling Stone rated as #4 on their List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time released in 2004.

William McKinley Hutchison (December 6, 1944 – September 19, 2005), known professionally as Willie Hutch, was an American singer, songwriter as well as a record producer and recording artist for the Motown record label during the 1970s and 1980s.

Luther Ronzoni Vandross (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times. He won four Grammy Awards in 2004 including the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for the track "Dance with My Father", co-written with Richard Marx.

Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray Jr (May 2, 1929 – November 5, 2005) was an American rock and roll guitarist, songwriter and vocalist who first came to popularity in the late 1950s. Building on the overdriven, distorted electric guitar sound of early electric blues records, his 1958 instrumental hit "Rumble" by Link Wray and his Ray Men introduced "the power chord, the major modus operandi of modern rock guitarists," making possible "punk and heavy rock." Rolling Stone placed Wray at number 45 of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.

Keith Alexander (November 23, 1963 - July 11, 2005) born in Brooklyn, New York was a guitarist, cyclist and body modification enthusiast.

Robert Arthur "Bob" Moog ( May 23, 1934 – August 21, 2005), founder of Moog Music, was an American pioneer of electronic music, best known as the inventor of the Moog synthesizer. Moog's innovative electronic design is employed in numerous synthesizers including the Minimoog Model D, Minimoog Voyager, Little Phatty, Moog Taurus Bass Pedals, Moog Minitaur, and the Moogerfooger line of effects pedals.

Carlo Little (17 December 1938 – 6 August 2005) was a rock and roll drummer, based in the London nightclub scene in the 1960s. He played in an early version of The Rolling Stones. Little was also with Cyril Davies' All Stars and was the founding member of Screaming Lord Sutch's Savages.

John F. Loder (7 April 1946 – 12 August 2005) was an English sound engineer, record producer and founder of Southern Studios, as well as a former member of EXIT and co-founder of the Southern Records distribution company with his wife Sue. He was also the studio engineer of choice for Crass Records, and was often considered to be the band's "9th member"

Daniel Joseph Anthony "Tony" Meehan (2 March 1943 – 28 November 2005) was a founder member of the British group The Shadows with Jet Harris, Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch. He played drums on early Cliff Richard and The Shadows hits and on early Shadows instrumentals.

Martin Richard Gilks (2 March 1965 – 3 April 2006) was an English musician. He was a founder member and original drummer for The Wonder Stuff, based in Stourbridge (West Midlands, England).

Jared W. Anderson (December 28, 1974 – October 14, 2006) was an American death metal musician best known as the bassist and vocalist of Morbid Angel from 2001 to 2002 and Hate Eternal from 1998 to 2003.

Raymond "Boz" Burrell (1 August 1946 – 21 September 2006) was an English musician. Originally a vocalist, Burrell is best known for his bass playing and work with the rock bands King Crimson and Bad Company.

Dave Lepard (born David Roberto Hellman, May 28, 1980 - January 20, 2006, Uppsala, Sweden) was the lead singer and guitarist in the Swedish Glam metal band Crashdïet.

Grant William McLennan (12 February 1958 – 6 May 2006) was an Australian singer-songwriter with the alternative rock band The Go-Betweens, which he co-founded with Robert Forster in Brisbane, Australia in 1977. In a career spanning almost thirty years, his work with The Go-Betweens (1977–89, and resuming 2000–06) is complemented by several solo releases and side-project collaborations with other performers. McLennan received a number of accolades recognising his achievements and contributions as songwriter and lyricist, including the naming of his 1983 composition "Cattle and Cane" by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) as one of the 30 greatest Australian songs of all time.

Jon Andreas Nödtveidt (28 June 1975 – 13 August 2006) was a Swedish lead guitarist and vocalist of the Swedish black metal band Dissection, which he co-founded in 1989, together with bassist Peter Palmdahl.

June Antoinette Pointer Whitmore (November 30, 1953 – April 11, 2006) was an American pop/R&B singer and was a founding member and lead vocalist of the vocal group The Pointer Sisters.

Yuri Vasilyevich Morozov (Russian: Юрий Морозов, March 6, 1948 – February 24, 2006), was a Russian rock Multi-instrumentalist, sound engineer and composer. He created his own style using Progressive rock, Psychedelic rock, Experimental music, Folk music, Jazz and many more. Besides having his own musical career, he also participated in the recording of albums of bands such as DDT, Aquarium, Chizh & Co, and many others.

Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006) was an English singer, songwriter, guitarist, and painter, best remembered as a founder member of the band Pink Floyd. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter during the band's psychedelic years, providing major musical and stylistic direction in their early work; he is also credited with naming the band. Barrett left the group in April 1968 amid speculations of mental illness exacerbated by drug use, and was briefly hospitalised.

William Everett "Billy" Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006)[1] was an American musician whose work included R&B, rock, soul, funk and gospel. Preston became famous first as a session musician with artists including Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and the Beatles, and was later successful as a solo artist with hit pop singles including "Outa-Space", its sequel, "Space Race", "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "Nothing from Nothing", and a string of albums and guest appearances with Eric Clapton, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and others. In addition, Preston was co-author, with The Beach Boys' Dennis Wilson, of "You Are So Beautiful," recorded by Preston and later a #5 hit for Joe Cocker.

Vince Welnick (February 21, 1951 – June 2, 2006) was an American keyboardist, best known for playing with the band The Tubes during the 1970s and 1980s and with the Grateful Dead in the 1990s.

Nikki Sudden (19 July 1956 – 26 March 2006)[2] was a prolific English singer-songwriter and guitarist. He co-founded the post-punk band Swell Maps with his brother Epic Soundtracks (born Kevin Paul Godfrey) while attending Solihull School in Solihull.

Arthur Taylor Lee (March 7, 1945 – August 3, 2006) was an American musician and singer, known as the frontman, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist of the Los Angeles rock band Love, best known for their critically acclaimed 1967 album, Forever Changes.

Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17, 1940 – April 5, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and sound engineer. Through the mid-1960s, he enjoyed success as a recording artist on both sides of the Atlantic and was among the group of early 1960s American acts who continued to enjoy hits after the British Invasion.

Jason Kemper Sears (23 January 1968 – 31 January 2006) was an American punk rock vocalist from Santa Barbara, California, best known for his work with Rich Kids on LSD (RKL), from 1982 to their first breakup in 1990 and again from 1993 to 2006. He was also a nationally ranked snowboarder at one time and sponsored by Barfoot snowboarding team.

Sandy West (July 10, 1959 – October 21, 2006) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and drummer. She was one of the founding members of The Runaways, the first teenage, all-girl hard rock band to record and achieve widespread commercial success in the 1970s

Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American R&B, soul and rock and roll singer and songwriter. A major figure in the development of American soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, and frequently crossed over to the US Billboard Hot 100. Among his best known hits are "In the Midnight Hour" (which he co-wrote), "Land of 1,000 Dances", "Mustang Sally", and "Funky Broadway".

Ellas Otha Bates (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American R&B vocalist, guitarist, songwriter (usually as Ellas McDaniel), and rock and roll pioneer. He was also known as The Originator because of his key role in the transition from the blues to rock

Daniel Paul "Danny" Federici (January 23, 1950 – April 17, 2008) was an American musician, best known as the longtime organ, glockenspiel, and accordion player for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.

Ike Wister Turner (November 5, 1931[1][2] – December 12, 2007) was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, arranger, talent scout, and record producer. In a career that lasted more than half a century, his repertoire included blues, soul, rock, and funk. He is most popularly known for his 1960s work with his then wife Tina Turner in the Ike & Tina Turner revue.

James Joseph Brown, Jr. (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American recording artist and musician. One of the founding fathers of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century popular music and dance, he is often referred to as "The Godfather of Soul". In a career that spanned six decades, Brown profoundly influenced the development of many different musical genres

Norman Jeffrey "Jeff" Healey (March 25, 1966 – March 2, 2008) was a blind Canadian jazz and blues-rock vocalist and guitarist who attained musical and personal popularity, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s.

Mariska Veres (1 October 1947 – 2 December 2006) was a Dutch singer who was best known as the lead singer of the rock group Shocking Blue. Her appearance was striking, featuring kohl cosmetic-lined eyes, high cheekbones, and long jet black hair.

Ahmet Ertegün /ˈɑːmɛtˈɛrtəɡən/, Turkish pronunciation: [ahˈmet eɾteˈɟyn]; July 31 [O.S. 18 July] 1923 – December 14, 2006) was a Turkish American musician and businessman, best known as the founder and president of Atlantic Records, as a leader of the 1950s Rhythm & Blues revolution, and for discovering or championing artists like Eric Clapton; Phil Collins; Genesis; The Rolling Stones; Led Zeppelin; Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young; Aretha Franklin; Ray Charles; Yes; Frank Zappa; and more. He also wrote classic blues and pop songs and served as Chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and museum. Ertegun has been described as "one of the most significant figures in the modern recording industry."

Ruth Brown (January 12, 1928 – November 17, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and actress also known as "Queen of R&B" noted for bringing a pop music style to R&B music in a series of hit songs for Atlantic Records in the 1950s, such as "So Long", "Teardrops from My Eyes" and "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean".

Kevin Mark DuBrow (October 29, 1955 – November 19, 2007) was an American rock singer best known as the lead vocalist of the Heavy Metal band Quiet Riot from 1975 until 1987, and again from 1990 until his death in 2007.

Josef Erich "Joe" Zawinul (July 7, 1932 – September 11, 2007) was an Austrian-American jazz keyboardist and composer.

Bradley Edward Delp (June 12, 1951 – March 9, 2007) was an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Boston. Delp was known for his high vocal range.

George Allen Miles, Jr. (September 5, 1947 – February 26, 2008), known as Buddy Miles, was an American rock and funk drummer, most known as a founding member of The Electric Flag in 1967, then as a member of Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys from 1969 through to January 1970.

Hilly Kristal (September 23, 1931 – August 28, 2007) was an American club owner and musician who was the owner of the iconic New York City club, CBGB, which opened in 1973 and closed in 2006 over a rent dispute.

Allen LaMar "Al" Wilson (June 19, 1939 – April 21, 2008) was an American soul singer known for the million-selling #1 hit, "Show and Tell". He is also remembered for his Northern soul anthem, "The Snake"

Daniel Grayling "Dan" Fogelberg (August 13, 1951 – December 16, 2007) was an American singer-songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist whose music was inspired by sources as diverse as folk, pop, rock, classical, jazz, and bluegrass. He is best known for his early 1980 hit "Longer" and his late 1981 hit "Leader of the Band."

Denis Archibald West Payton (11 August 1943 - 17 December 2006) was an English saxophonist. He was a member of the Dave Clark Five, where he played both tenor and baritone saxophone.

Richard Edward "Eddy" Arnold (May 15, 1918 – May 8, 2008) was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a so-called Nashville sound (country/popular music) innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts, second only to George Jones. He sold more than 85 million records. A member of the Grand Ole Opry (beginning 1943) and the Country Music Hall of Fame (beginning 1966), Arnold ranked 22nd on Country Music Television's 2003 list of "The 40 Greatest Men of Country Music." He co-wrote the country and pop standard "You Don't Know Me"

Michael George Smith (6 December 1943 – 28 February 2008) was an English singer, songwriter and music producer. In the 1960s, Smith was the lead vocalist and keyboard player for the Dave Clark Five. The band was a leading unit in the British Invasion of the United States, and were the Beatles' main British rivals before the emergence of the Rolling Stones.

Michael Joseph Jackson(August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer-songwriter, dancer, businessman and philanthropist. Often referred to as the "King of Pop", or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades.

Brendan Mullen (October 9, 1949 – October 12, 2009) was a British-American nightclub owner, music promoter and writer, best known for founding the seminal Los Angeles punk rock club The Masque. Through Mullen's support at various nightclubs in California, the scene gave birth to such bands as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Go-Go's, X, The Weirdos and the Germs

Richard Allan "Dickie" Peterson (September 12, 1946 – October 12, 2009) was the bassist and lead singer for Blue Cheer. He also recorded two solo albums: Child of the Darkness and Tramp.

Kelly Groucutt (8 September 1945 – 19 February 2009), born Michael William Groucutt, was an English musician who was best known for being the bassist for the English rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), between 1974 and 1983. He was born in Coseley, West Midlands.

Gidget Gein (September 11, 1969 – October 8, 2008), born Bradley Stewart, was an American musician and artist. He was the second bassist and co-founder of the alternative metal band Marilyn Manson. His stage name references and dichotomises serial killer Ed Gein and the fictional 1960s surfer girl Gidget

Gordon Trueman Riviere Waller (4 June 1945 – 17 July 2009) was a British singer–songwriter–guitarist, best known as Gordon of the international 1960s Pop music duo Peter and Gordon, whose biggest hit was the #1 million-selling classic "A World Without Love".

James Dennis "Jim" Carroll (August 1, 1949 – September 11, 2009) was an American author, poet, autobiographer, and punk musician. Carroll was best known for his 1978 autobiographical work The Basketball Diaries, which was made into the 1995 film of the same name, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Carroll.

Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 13, 2009)—known as Les Paul—was an American jazz, country and blues guitarist, songwriter, luthier and inventor. He was one of the pioneers of the solid-body electric guitar, which made the sound of rock and roll possible. He is credited with many recording innovations. Although he was not the first to use the technique, his early experiments with overdubbing (also known as sound on sound), delay effects such as tape delay, phasing effects and multitrack recording were among the first to attract widespread attention His innovative talents extended into his playing style, including licks, trills, chording sequences, fretting techniques and timing, which set him apart from his contemporaries and inspired many guitarists of the present day.

Levi Stubbles (June 6, 1936 – October 17, 2008), better known by the stage name Levi Stubbs, was an American baritone singer, best known as the lead vocalist of the Motown R&B group Four Tops. He was also a voice artist in film and animated television series, most famously having provided the voice of the alien plant Audrey II in the musical horror film Little Shop of Horrors, and Mother Brain in Captain N: The Game Master. Stubbs was admired by his peers for his impressive vocal range.

Erick Lee Purkhiser (October 21, 1946 – February 4, 2009), better known as Lux Interior, was an American singer and a founding member of the garage punk band The Cramps from 1976 until his death in 2009 at age 62.

John Ronald "Mitch" Mitchell (9 July 1947 – 12 November 2008) was an English drummer, best known for his work in The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

Nicholas Wells "Nick" Reynolds (July 27, 1933 – October 1, 2008) was an American folk musician and recording artist. Reynolds was one of the founding members of The Kingston Trio, whose largely folk-based material captured international attention during the late fifties and early sixties.

Phillip Jackson (September 28, 1951 – October 30, 2009)was an American singer-songwriter, country and blues harmonica player, record producer, bandleader and recording artist best known as Norton Buffalo

Richard William "Rick" Wright (28 July 1943 – 15 September 2008) was an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known for his career with Pink Floyd.[1] Wright's richly textured keyboard layers were a vital ingredient and a distinctive characteristic of Pink Floyd's sound. Wright frequently sang harmony and occasionally lead vocals on stage and in the studio with Pink Floyd (most notably on the songs "Time", "Echoes", "Wearing the Inside Out", "Astronomy Domine" and "Matilda Mother").

Sky "Sunlight" Saxon (August 20, 1937 – June 25, 2009) was an American rock and roll musician who was best known as the leader and singer of the 1960s Los Angeles psychedelic garage rock band The Seeds.

James Victor "Vic" Chesnutt (November 12, 1964 – December 25, 2009) was an American singer-songwriter from Athens, Georgia

Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American songwriter, musician, singer, actor, and voice actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the mid-1960s. Hayes, Porter, Bill Withers, the Sherman Brothers, Steve Cropper, and John Fogerty were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 in recognition of writing scores of notable songs for themselves, the duo Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, and others.

Munetaka Higuchi (樋口 宗孝 Higuchi Munetaka?) (December 24, 1958 – November 30, 2008) was a Japanese musician and record producer, best known for being the original drummer of the heavy metal band, Loudness.

Danny Wayland "Dan" Seals (February 8, 1948 – March 25, 2009) was an American musician. The younger brother of Seals & Crofts member Jim Seals, he first gained fame as the "England Dan" half of the soft rock duo England Dan & John Ford Coley, which charted nine pop and adult contemporary singles between 1976 and 1980, including the No. 2 Billboard Hot 100 hit "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight".

Dewey Martin (September 30, 1940 – January 31, 2009[1]) was a Canadian rock drummer, best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield.

Eric Norman Woolfson (18 March 1945 – 2 December 2009[1]) was a Scottish songwriter, lyricist, vocalist, executive producer, pianist, and creator of The Alan Parsons Project. He has sold over 50 million albums world-wide. Following the 10 successful APP albums he made with Alan Parsons, Woolfson pursued his career in musical theatre. He wrote five musicals which won many awards and have been seen by over a million people. They have performed in Germany, Austria, Korea and Japan

Jack Rose (February 16, 1971 – December 5, 2009)[1] was an American guitarist originally from Virginia and later based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rose is best known for his solo acoustic guitar work. He was also a member of the noise/drone band Pelt.

Marcel Karl Jacob (January 30, 1964 – July 21, 2009) was a Swedish musician, best known as the bassist in the hard rock bands Talisman and Yngwie Malmsteen. For a short period Marcel also played together with the band Europe.

Mary Allin Travers (November 9, 1936 – September 16, 2009) was an American singer-songwriter and member of the folk music group Peter, Paul and Mary, along with Peter Yarrow and Noel (Paul) Stookey. Peter, Paul and Mary were one of the most successful folk-singing groups of the 1960s

Richard James Edwards (born 22 December 1967, disappeared c. 1 February 1995, officially presumed dead 23 November 2008) was a Welsh musician who was lyricist and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers.

Rowland Stuart Howard (24 October 1959 – 30 December 2009) was an Australian rock musician, guitarist and songwriter, best known for his work with the post-punk group The Birthday Party and his subsequent solo career.

Jump to: navigation, search Page semi-protected James 'The Rev' Sullivan The Rev of Avenged Sevenfold.JPG James "The Rev" Sullivan in 2007 Background information Birth name James Owen Sullivan Also known as The Rev, Rathead, The Reverend Tholomew Plague, Jimmy Born February 9, 1981 Huntington Beach, California, U.S. Died December 28, 2009 (aged 28) Huntington Beach, California, U.S. Genres Hard rock, heavy metal, metalcore, avant-garde metal Occupations Musician Instruments Drums, guitar, bass, piano, vocals, keyboards Years active 1998-2009 Labels Warner Bros., Good Life, Hopeless, Bucktan Associated acts Avenged Sevenfold, Pinkly Smooth, Suburban Legends James Owen Sullivan (February 9, 1981 – December 28, 2009),[1] more commonly known by his stage name The Rev (shortened version of The Reverend Tholomew Plague), was an American musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer for the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold.