Music Obituaries: September 2025

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We’ve had a rough week in the world of music, with the loss of two Hall of Famers. They will be on the list next month. For now, we go back to September and look at the people in music who passed away. I do this every month to celebrate the music. You probably heard about Ace Frehley today but maybe not most of the others who died, which is why I give them their final bow every month. Here are the music individuals who sang their final song in September 2025: Graham Greene (September 1, long illness, age 73): the Dances With Wolves actor also made records, winning a Grammy in 2000 for Best Spoken Word Album for Children (for Listen to the Storyteller). Robby Turner (September 4, unknown cause, age 62): steel guitarist who worked with the likes of Waylon Jennings, Chris Stapleton, and Sturgill Simpson. Bruce Loose (ne Bruce Calderwood) (September 5, heart attack, age 66): bassist and vocalist for the punk band Flipper. Sidney Smith (September 5, pancreatic cancer, age 71): New Orleans-based photographer who chronicled the rock greats and unknowns who visited the city in the 70s. Mark Volman (September 5, blood disease, age 78): the “Flo” in “Flo and Eddie,” singer and musician best known for the Turtles. He was also a member of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention and a prolific session musician. Rick Davies (September 6, multiple myeloma, age 81): co-founder, songwriter, keyboardist, and primary lead singer of the band Supertramp. Bobby Hart (September 10, long illness, age 86): the surviving half of Boyce and Hart, the songwriting team that wrote a number of hits for the Monkees including “Last Train to Clarksville.” Nicky Ryan (September 10, unknown cause, age 79): Irish singer and musician who worked with Gary Moore and Planxty, but is best known for working with singer Enya. Viv Prince (September 11, unknown cause, age 84): British drummer who worked bands like Pretty Thing and the Jeff Beck Group. He was so outlandish that he was credited with inspiring Keith Moon’s antics (and he’s the one who coined the nickname “Moon the Loon”). Stephen Luscombe (September 13, unknown cause, age 70): keyboardist and songwriter for the British synth pop band Blancmange. Joel Moss (September 15, aneurysm, age 79): producer, engineer, and sound mixer whose credits ranged from Joe Cocker to Johnny Cash, winning seven Grammys. He was the last person Ray Charles recorded with before Charles’ death in 2004. Brett James (September 18, plane crash, age 57): songwriter who won multiple awards for his composition “Jesus Take the Wheel.” Diane Martel (September 18, breast cancer, age 63): video director whose work included Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop” and everyone’s “favorite” holiday video, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You.” *Sonny Curtis (September 19, pneumonia, age 88): ROCK AND ROLL, NASHVILLE SONGWRITERS, and MUSICIANS HALL OF FAMER. The Buddy Holly era ends with the death of the last surviving member of the Crickets. Curtis also wrote a couple of legendary songs: the theme to The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and the classic rock song “I Fought the Law.” Chris Doheny (September 19, car wreck, age 64): member of the Australian rock band Geisha and writer of their hit “More Than a Game.” Mike Wofford (September 19, hyponatremia, age 87): jazz pianist and arranger who worked with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. (Hyponatremia is clinically low sodium levels in the blood.) Danny Thompson (September 23, natural causes, age 86): British bassist who worked in all aspects of music, from rock’s Kate Bush and folk-rock’s Richard Thompson (no relation) to his own folk-jazz band Pentangle. Paul Copley (September 24, complications from strokes, age unknown): NOT the British actor; rather, the longtime keyboardist and music director for Paul Carrack. *Chris Dreja (September 25, unknown cause, age 78): ROCK AND ROLL HALLL OF FAMER.. Founding member, and the last original member, of the Yardbirds. Farewell, and thank you for the music. The late Sonny Curtis, with “Love Is All Around,” the theme to The Mary Tyler Moore Show: