Best remembered as the original frontman of the legendary hard rock band AC/DC, singer Bon Scott was born Ronald Belford Scott in Kirriemuir, Scotland on July 9, 1946. As a child he began performing in his father's pipe band, and following the family's relocation to Australia in 1952 he quit school at age 15, later playing in a local rock outfit called the Spektors. By 1967, Scott had joined the Melbourne-based group the Valentines, making his recorded debut with the single "Everyday I Have to Cry"; the band soon emerged as one of the most popular on the Aussie circuit, in mid-1969 issuing an EP, My Old Man's a Groovy Old Man. A drug bust destroyed the Valentines' public image, however, and after cracking the national Top 30 with their 1970 single "Juliette," the band dissolved; Scott soon joined the Sydney blues-rock unit Fraternity, issuing the LP Livestock in 1971. Flaming Galah followed a year later; in 1973, however, Scott was involved in a motorcycle accident which left him comatose for several months, during which time Fraternity disbanded. After recovering, he worked a series of odd jobs before recording a demo as a member of the short-lived Mount Lofty Rangers; finally, in 1974, Scott joined AC/DC, recording the group's debut LP High Voltage a year later. AC/DC's ascent to international stardom culminated in 1979 when their LP Highway to Hell reached the U.S. Top 20; however, on February 19, 1980 Scott died in the wake of an all-night drinking binge, with the surviving members of the band tapping new vocalist Brian Johnson to record the classic Back in Black just a few months later. The 1997 AC/DC box set, Bonfire, celebrated Scott's contributions to their legacy.

Georgeanna Marie Tillman Gordon (February 6, 1943 – January 6, 1980) was an American singer and an original member of the Motown girl group The Marvelettes.

Ian Kevin Curtis (15 July 1956 — 18 May 1980) was an English musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the post-punk band Joy Division. Joy Division released their debut album, Unknown Pleasures, in 1979 and recorded their follow-up, Closer, in 1980. Curtis, who suffered from epilepsy and depression, committed suicide on 18 May 1980, on the eve of Joy Division's first North American tour, resulting in the band's dissolution and the subsequent formation of New Order.

Steve Peregrin Took (born Stephen Ross Porter; 28 July 1949 – 27 October 1980) was an English musician. He is best known for his membership of the duo Tyrannosaurus Rex with Marc Bolan. After breaking with Bolan, he concentrated on his own singer-songwriting activities, variously as a solo artist or as a frontman for several bands.

Carl Dean Radle (June 18, 1942 - May 30, 1980) was a bass guitarist who toured and recorded with many of the most influential recording artists of the late 1960s and 1970s. He was posthumously inducted to the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2006.

Darby Crash (born Jan Paul Beahm) (September 26, 1958 – December 7, 1980) was an American punk musician who, along with long-time friend Pat Smear (born Georg Ruthenberg), co-founded The Germs. He died of an intentional heroin overdose.

John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock music.Rolling Stone readers named him the "best drummer of all time" in 2011.

John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as a founder member of the Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. With Paul McCartney, he formed one of the most celebrated songwriting partnerships of the 20th century.

Keith Richard Godchaux (July 19, 1948 – July 23, 1980) was a musician best known for his tenure in the rock group the Grateful Dead.

Robert Ernest "Bob" "The Bear" Hite (February 26, 1943 – April 5, 1981) was the American lead singer of the blues-rock band, Canned Heat, from 1965 to his death in 1981.

James Timothy "Tim" Hardin (December 23, 1941 – December 29, 1980) was an American folk musician and composer. He wrote the Top 40 hits "If I Were a Carpenter", covered by, among others, Bobby Darin, Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, The Four Tops, and Robert Plant; his song "Reason to Believe" has been covered by many artists, including Rod Stewart (who had a chart hit with the song). Hardin is also known for his own recording career.

Michael Bernard "Mike" Bloomfield (July 28, 1943 – February 15, 1981) was an American musician, guitarist, and composer, born in Chicago, Illinois, who became one of the first popular music superstars of the 1960s to earn his reputation almost entirely on his instrumental prowess, since he rarely sang before 1969–70. Respected for his fluid guitar playing, Bloomfield knew and played with many of Chicago's blues legends even before he achieved his own fame, and was one of the primary influences on the mid-to-late 1960s revival of classic Chicago and other styles of blues music. In 2003 he was ranked at number 22 on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".

William John Clifton "Bill" Haley ( July 6, 1925 – February 9, 1981) was one of the first American rock and roll musicians. He is credited by many with first popularizing this form of music in the early 1950s with his group Bill Haley & His Comets (inspired by Halley's Comet) and million selling hits such as, Rock Around the Clock, See You Later, Alligator, Shake, Rattle and Roll, Skinny Minnie, and Razzle Dazzle. He has sold over 25 million records worldwide.

Nesta Robert "Bob" Marley, OM (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician best known for his Reggae records. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae bands The Wailers (1963-1974) and Bob Marley & The Wailers (1974–1981). Marley remains the most widely known and the best-selling performer of reggae music, having sold more than 75 million albums worldwide

Steve Currie (19 May 1947 – 28 April 1981) was born in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, England. He was best known as the bass player and long-term member of the English glam rock band T. Rex.

Randall William "Randy" Rhoads (December 6, 1956 – March 19, 1982) was an American heavy metal guitarist who played with Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot. He died in a plane crash while on tour with Osbourne in Florida in 1982. A devoted student of classical guitar, Rhoads combined his classical music influences with his own heavy metal style. Despite his short career, Rhoads is a major influence on neo-classical metal, is cited as an influence by many guitarists, and is included in several "Greatest Guitarist" lists.

Sandra Tilley (May 6, 1943 – September 9, 1981)was an American R&B and soul singer, known for being a member of Motown girl groups the Velvelettes and Martha and the Vandellas. She was a native of Cleveland, Ohio. Her parents were both ex-Vaudeville dancers who were killed in an auto accident when she was a baby, and she was raised by her grandmother.

Rushton Moreve (born John Russell Morgan; November 6, 1948 – July 1, 1981) was an American bass guitarist best known for his work with the rock band Steppenwolf from 1967–68 and again in 1978. According to singer John Kay, Moreve was an intuitive bassist with a melodic style that brought a non-commercial sound to Steppenwolf, a technique exemplified on the hit he co-wrote with Kay, "Magic Carpet Ride".

Robert "Bob" Davis (August 11, 1956 - June 28, 1981), known by his stage name Chuck Wagon, was an American musician and original member of Los Angeles punk rock band The Dickies, with whom he released two albums. He also released a solo 7" single called "Rock n' Roll won't go away"

Harry Foster Chapin (December 7, 1942 – July 16, 1981) was an American singer-songwriter best known for his folk rock songs including "Taxi", "W*O*L*D", "Flowers Are Red" and the No. 1 hit "Cat's in the Cradle". Chapin was also a dedicated humanitarian who fought to end world hunger; he was a key participant in the creation of the Presidential Commission on World Hunger in 1977. In 1987, Chapin was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his humanitarian work.

Roy James Brown (September 10, 1925 – May 25, 1981) was an American R&B singer, songwriter and musician, who had a pivotal influence on the early development of rock and roll by changing the direction R&B was headed in. His original song and hit recording "Good Rocking Tonight" was covered by Wynonie Harris, Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, Ricky Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Pat Boone, and the rock group Montrose. Brown was the first singer in recording history to sing R&B songs with a gospel-steeped delivery, which was then considered taboo by many churches. In addition, his melismatical pleading, vocal style influenced B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Elvis Presley, Jackie Wilson, James Brown and Little Richard.

Karen Anne Carpenter (March 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983) was an American singer and drummer. She and her brother, Richard, formed the 1970s duo Carpenters, commonly called The Carpenters.

Billy Fury (17 April 1940 – 28 January 1983)[1] born Ronald Wycherley, was an internationally successful English singer from the late-1950s to the mid-1960s, and remained an active songwriter until the 1980s. Rheumatic fever, which he first contracted as a child, damaged his heart and ultimately contributed to his death.[2] An early British rock and roll (and film) star, he equalled the Beatles' record of 24 hits in the 1960s, and spent 332 weeks on the UK chart, without a chart-topping single or album. Allmusic journalist, Bruce Eder, stated, "His mix of rough-hewn good looks and unassuming masculinity, coupled with an underlying vulnerability, all presented with a good voice and some serious musical talent, helped turn Fury into a major rock and roll star in short order".Others have suggested that Fury's rapid rise to prominence was due to his "Elvis Presley-influenced, hip-swivelling, and at times highly suggestive stage act."

Daniel Joseph "Danny" Rapp (May 10, 1941 – April 5, 1983) was an American musician and the frontman for the group Danny & the Juniors. The group is best known for their 1957 hit "At the Hop".

Peter Granville "Pete" Farndon (12 June 1952 – 14 April 1983) was an English bassist and founding member of the rock band The Pretenders. Farndon attended Hereford Cathedral School in his home town of Hereford, before embarking on his musical career with The Pretenders. In addition to playing bass with the group, Farndon sang backup vocals and co-wrote two of the group's songs ("The Wait" and "Space Invader"), before being dismissed from the group on 14 June 1982 (Uncut, 1999).

James Honeyman-Scott (4 November 1956 – 16 June 1982), commonly referred to as "Jimmy", was an English rock guitarist, songwriter and founding member of the band The Pretenders.

Martin David Robinson (September 26, 1925 – December 8, 1982), known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. One of the most popular and successful country and Western singers of his era, for most of his nearly four-decade career, Robbins was rarely far from the country music charts, and several of his songs also became pop hits.

Lamar Williams (January 14, 1949, Gulfport, Mississippi – January 21, 1983) was an American musician, most known as the bassist for The Allman Brothers Band and Sea Level. Influenced by players from James Jamerson to Stanley Clarke, by the 1960s Williams was playing bass in a soul music band known as Sounds of Soul with Jai Johanny Johanson, the future drummer Jaimoe with the Allman Brothers.

Addie Harris

Christopher Gordon Blandford 'Chris' Wood (24 June 1944—12 July 1983) was a founding member of the English rock band Traffic, along with Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, and Dave Mason.

David Byron (29 January 1947 – 28 February 1985, born as David Garrick)was a British singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist with the rock band Uriah Heep in the early 70s

Felix A. Pappalardi Jr. (December 30, 1939 – April 17, 1983) was an American music producer, songwriter, vocalist, and bass guitarist.

Klaus Sperber (January 24, 1944 – August 6, 1983), better known as Klaus Nomi, was a German countertenor noted for his wide vocal range and an unusual, otherworldly stage persona. Nomi was known for his bizarrely visionary theatrical live performances, heavy make-up, unusual costumes, and a highly stylized signature hairdo which flaunted a receding hairline. His songs were equally unusual, ranging from synthesizer-laden interpretations of classical music opera to covers of 1960s pop standards like Chubby Checker's "The Twist" and Lou Christie's "Lightnin' Strikes". He is remembered in the US as one of David Bowie's backup singers for a 1979 performance on Saturday Night Live.

Leonard Harold "Lenny" Breau (August 5, 1941 – August 12, 1984) was a musician, guitar player, and music educator. He was known for blending many styles of music including: jazz, country, classical and flamenco guitar. Breau, inspired by country guitarists like Chet Atkins, used fingerstyle techniques not often used in jazz guitar.

McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913 – April 30, 1983), known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician who is considered the "father of modern Chicago blues". He was a major inspiration for the British blues explosion in the 1960s and is ranked No. 17 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Nicholas Dingley, alias Razzle (2 December 1960 – 8 December 1984), was the drummer of Finnish glam rock band Hanoi Rocks from 1982 until his death.

Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton (December 11, 1926 – July 25, 1984) was an American rhythm and blues singer and songwriter. She was the first to record Leiber and Stoller's Hound Dog" in 1952.

Dennis Carl Wilson (December 4, 1944 – December 28, 1983) was an American rock and roll musician best known as a founding member and the drummer of The Beach Boys. He was a member of the group from its formation until his death in 1983. Dennis was the middle brother of fellow Beach Boys members Brian Wilson and Carl Wilson, and cousin of Mike Love.

Eddie "Bongo" Brown (September 13, 1932 – December 28, 1984) was an African-American musician. He was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, United States, and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. Brown played congas, bongos, the gourd and claves for Motown Records' in-house Funk Brothers band. One of his musical influences was Chano Pozo.

James Lee Jamerson (January 29, 1936 - August 2, 1983) was a US bass player. He was the uncredited bassist on most of the Motown Records hits in the 1960s and early 1970s (Motown did not list session musician credits on their releases until 1971) and he is now regarded as one of the most influential bass players in modern music history. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He performed on 30 number-one hits, more than any person or group in music history, and on more than 70 number-one R&B hits, also the most ever.

Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was considered a master showman, one of the most dynamic and influential singers and performers in R&B and rock history.[1][2] Gaining fame in his early years as a member of the R&B vocal group Billy Ward and His Dominoes, he went solo in 1957 and recorded over 50 hit singles that spanned R&B, pop, soul, doo-wop and easy listening. During a 1975 benefit concert, he collapsed on-stage from a heart attack and subsequently fell into a coma that persisted for nearly nine years until his death in 1984, aged 49. By this time, he had become one of the most influential artists of his generation.

Marvin Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr., was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Gaye helped to shape the sound of Motown Records in the 1960s with a string of hits including "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and duet recordings with Mary Wells and Tammi Terrell, later earning the titles "Prince of Motown" and "Prince of Soul". During the 1970s, Gaye recorded the concept albums What's Going On and Let's Get It On and became among the first artists in Motown to break away from the reins of its production company. Gaye's later recordings influenced several R&B subgenres such as quiet storm and neo-soul.

Thomas Evans Jr (5 June 1947 – 19 November 1983) was an English musician and songwriter, most notable for his work with the band Badfinger.

Kyu Sakamoto (坂本 九 Sakamoto Kyū?, born Hisashi Oshima (大島 九 Ōshima Hisashi?), 10 December 1941 – 12 August 1985) was a Japanese singer and actor, best known outside of Japan for his international hit song "Sukiyaki", which was sung in Japanese and sold over 13 million copies. It reached number one in the United States Billboard Hot 100 in June 1963. He is also the first and only Asian singer to have a number one song on the Billboard Hot 100.

Eric Hilliard Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985), better known as Ricky Nelson or Rick Nelson, was an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor, starring alongside his family in the long-running television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952–66) as well as co-starring alongside John Wayne and Dean Martin in Howard Hawks's western feature film Rio Bravo (1959). He placed 53 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1957 and 1973, including "Poor Little Fool," which holds the distinction of being the first number one song on Billboard magazine's then newly created Hot 100 chart. He recorded nineteen additional top-ten hits and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 21, 1987. In 1996, he was ranked #49 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.

Big Joe Turner (born Joseph Vernon Turner Jr., May 18, 1911 – November 24, 1985) was an American "blues shouter" (a blues-music singer capable of singing unamplified with a band) from Kansas City, Missouri.[2] According to the songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him." Although he had his greatest fame during the 1950s with his rock and roll recordings, particularly "Shake, Rattle and Roll", Turner's career as a performer endured from the 1920s into the 1980s. Turner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Paul Butterfield (17 December 1942 – 4 May 1987) was an American blues vocalist and harmonica player, who founded the Paul Butterfield Blues Band in the early 1960s and performed at the original Woodstock Festival. He died of drug-related heart failure. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band were nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[

Richard George Manuel (April 3, 1943 – March 4, 1986) was a Canadian composer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his contributions to and membership in The Band.

Philip Parris "Phil" Lynott ( 20 August 1949 – 4 January 1986) was an Irish singer and musician who is best known for being the founding member, principal songwriter, lead vocalist and bassist of the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy. Growing up in Dublin in the 1960s, Lynott fronted several bands as a lead vocalist, most notably Skid Row alongside Gary Moore, before learning the bass guitar and forming Thin Lizzy in 1969. After initial success with Whiskey in the Jar, the band found strong commercial success in the mid-1970s with hits such as "The Boys are Back in Town", "Jailbreak" and "Waiting for an Alibi", and became a popular live attraction due to the combination of Lynott's vocal and songwriting skills and the use of dual lead guitars. Towards the end of the 1970s, Lynott also embarked upon a solo career, published two books of poetry, and after Thin Lizzy disbanded, he assembled and fronted the band Grand Slam, of which he was the leader until it folded in 1985. He subsequently had major UK success with Moore with the song "Out in the Fields", followed by a minor hit "Nineteen", before his death on 4 January 1986. He remains a popular figure in the rock world, and in 2005, a statue was erected in his memory.

Carlton "Carly" Barrett (December 17, 1950 – April 17, 1987) was an influential reggae drummer and percussion player. His musical development in the early years were with his brother Aston "Family Man" Barrett as a member of Lee "Scratch" Perry's "house band" The Upsetters. The brothers joined Bob Marley and The Wailers around 1970. He wrote the well known Bob Marley song "War" and with his brother Aston co-wrote "Talkin' Blues". Carlton Barrett is featured on all the albums recorded by the Wailers. Barrett popularized the one drop rhythm, a percussive drumming style created by Winston Grennan. With Carly's beats and his brother Aston's bass, the Wailer rhythm section planted the seeds of today's international reggae. Barrett was murdered outside his home in Jamaica on April 17, 1987.

Clifford Lee "Cliff" Burton (February 10, 1962 – September 27, 1986) was an American musician, best known as the bass guitarist for the American thrash metal band Metallica. Burton joined the band in 1982 and performed on its debut studio album, Kill 'Em All. He performed on two more Metallica albums, Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets, he also received a posthumous writing credit on the band's 4th studio album ...And Justice For All for writing certain Bass parts and lyrics but the original recordings were not used and were re-recorded by Metallica's then new bassist Jason Newsted. Burton was known for his "lead bass" approach, in which he allowed the bass to play a melodic and soloist role, in addition to holding down the harmonic and rhythmic foundation of the band. On September 27, 1986, Burton died when the band's tour bus over-turned in rural southern Sweden. Burton was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Metallica on April 4, 2009. In 2011, an online Rolling Stone reader poll selected him as the ninth greatest bassist of all time.

Dennes Dale "D." Boon, (April 1, 1958 – December 22, 1985) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Active between 1978, when he joined The Reactionaries, and 1985, when he was killed in a van accident, Boon was best known as the guitarist and vocalist of the Californian punk rock trio Minutemen.

Ian Andrew Robert Stewart (18 July 1938 – 12 December 1985) was a Scottish keyboardist, co-founder of the Rolling Stones and inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was dismissed from the line-up in May 1963 but he remained as road manager and pianist.

Ricky Helton Wilson (March 19, 1953 – October 12, 1985) was an American instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and musician. He was best known as the original guitarist and founding member of rock band the B-52's. Born in Athens, Georgia, Wilson was the brother of fellow member Cindy Wilson. The B-52's was founded in 1977, when Ricky, his sister Cindy, Kate Pierson, Keith Strickland and Fred Schneider shared a tropical Flaming Volcano drink at a Chinese restaurant and, after an impromptu music session at the home of their friend Owen Scott III, played for the first time at a Valentine's Day party for friends. On October 12, 1985, at the age of 32, Wilson died from AIDS/HIV-related health complications following the recording of the band's fourth studio album Bouncing off the Satellites. Devastated, the band went into seclusion and did not tour to promote the album

Nico (born Christa Päffgen; 16 October 1938 – 18 July 1988) was a German singer-songwriter, lyricist, composer, musician, fashion model, and actress, who initially rose to fame as a Warhol Superstar in the 1960s. She is known for both her vocal collaboration on The Velvet Underground's debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967), and her work as a solo artist from the late 1960s through the early 1980s. She also had roles in several films, including a cameo in Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960) and Andy Warhol's Chelsea Girls (1966), as herself. Nico died in July 1988, as a result of injuries sustained in a cycling accident while vacationing in Ibiza with her son.

Andrew Roy "Andy" Gibb (5 March 1958 – 10 March 1988) was an English/Australian singer and teen idol, and the younger brother of Bee Gees Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb.

Alexander Nickolaevich Bashlachev (May 27, 1960 – February 17, 1988) was a Russian poet, musician, guitarist, and singer-songwrite

John Francis Anthony Pastorius III (December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987), better known as Jaco Pastorius, was an influential American jazz musician, composer and electric bass player. Pastorius' playing style was noteworthy for his playing intricate solos in the higher register and for the "singing" quality he achieved on his fretless bass. Among his many innovations with the electric bass included his use of harmonics. Pastorius suffered from mental illness including a substance-related disorder, and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1982. He died in 1987 at age 35 following a violent altercation at a Wilton Manors bar. Pastorius was a member of Weather Report from 1976 to 1981. He was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1988, one of only six bassists so honored (and the only electric bass guitarist).

Roy Buchanan (September 23, 1939 – August 14, 1988) was an American guitarist and blues musician. A pioneer of the Telecaster sound, Buchanan was a sideman and solo artist, with two gold albums early in his career, and two later solo albums that made it on to the Billboard chart. Despite never having achieved stardom, he is still considered a highly influential guitar player. Although not mentioned on the Rolling Stone list "100 Greatest Guitarists of all Time," Guitar Player praised him as one of the "50 Greatest Tones of all Time."

Philip Charles Lithman (17 June 1949 – 1 July 1987), who performed under the stage name Snakefinger, was an English musician, singer and songwriter. A multi-instrumentalist, he was best known for his guitar and violin work and his collaborations with The Residents.

Peter Tosh (born Winston Hubert McIntosh, 19 October 1944 – 11 September 1987), was a Jamaican reggae musician who was a core member of the band The Wailers (1963–1974), and who afterwards had a successful solo career as well as being a promoter of Rastafari.

Timothy L. "Tim" Davis (November 29, 1943 – September 20, 1988) was a drummer, singer and songwriter, most notable as a co-founder of the Steve Miller Band.

Dave Prater (May 9, 1937 – April 9, 1988) was an American Southern Soul and Rhythm & Blues (R&B) singer who was the deeper, baritone and second tenor vocalist of the soul vocal duo Sam & Dave from 1961 until his death in 1988. Dave Prater is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (1992), the Grammy Hall of Fame (1999, for the song "Soul Man"), the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the Georgia Music Hall Of Fame (1997), and was a Grammy Award-winning (1967) and multi-Gold Record award-winning recording artist.

Hillel Slovak ‏( April 13, 1962 – June 25, 1988) was an Israeli-American musician best known as the original guitarist and founding member of the Los Angeles rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Prior to his death of a heroin overdose in 1988, Slovak recorded two albums with the band, Freaky Styley (1985) and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987). His guitar work was primarily rooted in funk and hard rock, although he often experimented with other genres including reggae and speed metal. He is considered to have been a major influence on the Red Hot Chili Peppers' early sound.

John Curulewski (October 3, 1950 in Chicago, Illinois – February 13, 1988), nicknamed "JC," was one of the original members of Styx. He joined Dennis DeYoung, the Panozzo brothers, and James Young to form TW4 in 1968, which was renamed to Styx in 1970. He played acoustic and electric guitar on the band's first five studio albums: Styx, Styx II, The Serpent Is Rising, Man of Miracles, and Equinox. He left just before the Equinox promotional tour and was replaced by Tommy Shaw.

Robert Calvert (9 March 1945 – 14 August 1988) was a writer, poet and musician.

John Cipollina (August 24, 1943 – May 29, 1989) was a guitarist best known for his role as a founder and the lead guitarist of the prominent San Francisco rock band Quicksilver Messenger Service. After leaving Quicksilver he formed the band Copperhead and then later played with numerous other bands.

Paul Avron Jeffreys (13 February 1952 – 21 December 1988) was an English rock musician and bassist. Jeffreys played bass on the first two albums of Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, and later worked with a number of British bands, including Be-Bop Deluxe, Warm Jets (1977-1980) and Electric Eels (1980-1981). He died at age 36 in the Lockerbie bombing along with his wife Rachel Jeffreys the couple were celebrating their honeymoon.

Peter Louis Vincent de Freitas (2 August 1961 -14 June 1989) was a musician and producer, best known as a drummer with Echo & the Bunnymen. De Freitas was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago and educated by the Benedictines at Downside School. He joined the Bunnymen in 1979. He died in a motorcycle accident in 1989 at the age of 27, on his way to Liverpool from London. He was riding a 900cc Ducati motorcycle on the A51 road in Longdon Green, Staffordshire and was in collision with a motor vehicle at approximately 16:00 hrs. Peter is survived by his only daughter Lucie-Marie de Freitas. His ashes are buried in Goring-on-Thames.

Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988), also known by the nickname The Big O, was an American singer-songwriter, best known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country and western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis. His greatest success came with Monument Records between 1960 and 1964, when 22 of his songs placed on the Billboard Top Forty, including "Only the Lonely", "Crying", and "Oh, Pretty Woman". His career stagnated through the 1970s, but several covers of his songs and the use of "In Dreams" in David Lynch's Blue Velvet revived his career in the 1980s. In 1988, he joined the supergroup Traveling Wilburys with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne and also released a new solo album. He died of a heart attack in December that year, at the zenith of his resurgence. His life was marred by tragedy, including the death of his first wife and his two eldest sons in separate accidents.

Ron Wilson (June 1944 – May 12, 1989) was an American musician and recording artist, best known as an original member and drummer of The Surfaris, an early surf rock group of the 1960s. Wilson's energetic drum solo on "Wipe Out" (a #2 US/#5 UK hit) made it the best-remembered instrumental song of the period.