Music Obituaries: July 2026

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As you know, about 95% of what I post here is about music. That’s because it’s been my primary passion my entire life. As such, I pause every month and give tribute to the music-based individuals who passed away in the previous month. Most of these people never got a headline at their death, but so many of them deserved it. Even the lesser-known individuals have enriched lives. Here are the musicians who sang their final song in July 2026: *Joe Melson (July 1, natural causes, age 91): Nashville Songwriters and Rockabilly Hall of Famer. Songwriter who gained his greatest fame as co-writer, with Roy Orbison, of songs like “Crying,” “Only the Lonely,” and “Blue Bayou.” *Tommy Hunter, OC (July 2, natural causes, age 89): Canadian Country Music Hall of Famer. “Canada’s Country Gentleman” was a major star in country music in his homeland, both in records and as the longtime host of Country Hoedown and The Tommy Hunter Show. Kevin Chown (July 6, bladder cancer, age 56): bassist for bands as diverse as metal band Artension and jazz/funk fusion act Chad Smith’s Bombastic Meatbats. Paul Wheatbread (July 7, Alzheimer’s disease, age 80): the drummer in Gary Puckett and the Union Gap. Rodney Franklin (July 8, illness, age 67): jazz/funk fusion keyboardist whose 1980 song “The Groove” sparked a dance phenomenon in the UK (“the freeze”). Bonnie Tyler (July 8, complications from intestinal surgery, age 75): Welsh singer who had international success with songs like “It’s a Heartache” and “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” Calvin Hayes (July 9, unknown cause, age 63): keyboardist and co-founder of the band Johnny Hates Jazz, best known for their late 80s hit “Shattered Dreams.” Dave Kendall (July 10, unknown cause, age 63): British music journalist who helped the world discover underground and alternative acts as the host of MTV’s 120 Minutes in the 80s and 90s. Jimmy Nichols (July 10, unknown cause, age 64): longtime keyboardist for Reba McEntire and session musician for a host of other country and rock musicians. Vernon Taylor (July 12, dementia, age 88): rockabilly singer who had a short but influential career on the Dot and Sun record labels. Little Gerhard (né Karl Gerhard-Lundkvist) (July 14, natural causes, age 92): Swedish rockabilly singer, popular in the late 50s and early 60s. Fantan Mojah (July 14, heart issues, age 49): popular Jamaican reggae singer, known for songs like “Reggae Got Soul” and “Hail the King.” Charlie Rich Jr. (July 14, unknown cause, age 71): the son of Charlie and Margaret Ann Rich performed for years as a tribute act to his late father’s long career. Lee Underwood (July 14, natural causes, age 88): guitarist who worked extensively with Tim Buckley throughout Buckley’s life, then recorded with others and released his own material. Plas Johnson (July 15, natural causes, age 94): jazz saxophonist who has probably been heard by most people as the man who played sax on Henry Mancini’s “The Pink Panther Theme.” Alan Walden (July 16, illness, age 83): the founder of the label Capricorn Records and manager and promoter who worked with acts as diverse as Joe Tex, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Boz Scaggs, and Etta James. Freddy Cannon (July 17, cancer, age 89): early rock singer with well-remembered hits like “Tallahassee Lassie” and “Palisades Park.” Jennifer Finch (July 18, brain cancer, age 59): member of the rock band L7 and writer of their hit “Everglade.” Jim Gilstrap (July 18, natural causes, age 78): R&B singer and musician whose best known songs were his 1975 hit “Swing Your Daddy” and as co-singer of the theme to the TV series Good Times. Tony Thorpe (July 18, long illness, age 80): guitarist and singer in the British glam rock band the Rubettes, known for their hit “Sugar Baby Love.” Bill Carter (July 19, natural causes, age 96): one of those millions of country and rockabilly singers from the 50s who fell through the cracks, nevertheless his music was the subject of a 2023 Bear Family retrospective. He also worked with countless country acts including Lefty Frizzell, Buck Owens, and Slim Whitman. Brian Doerksen (July 21, cancer, age 60): Canadian contemporary Christian singer and songwriter, winning multiple Dove Awards with songs like “Come, Now Is the Time to Worship” and “Refiner’s Fire.” Bill McGlaughlin (July 21, cardiac arrest, age 82): Peabody Award-winning classical radio host for Exploring Music on National Public Radio. He was also a conductor, composer, and educator. Anne Russell (July 21, natural causes, age 103): Broadway musical actress who had roles in plays such as Mame and Hello, Dolly! She also had a full life, skydiving at the age of 88. William Orbit (né William Wainwright) (July 23, unknown cause, age 69): electronic musician, producer, and songwriter who worked with the likes of Kraftwerk, Prince, Robbie Williams, and Madonna, and wrote P!nk’s “Feel Good Time.” Lou Koller (July 24, esophageal cancer, age 59): lead singer and co-founder of the punk band Sick of It All. Bill Oddie (July 25, natural causes, age 85): although later known as a devoted wildlife enthusiast, his career began as principle writer and songwriter for the British comedy trio the Goodies. Geraldine Bay (July 28, natural causes, age 91): “Chicago’s First Lady of jazz” was also one of the primary organizers of the Chicago Jazz Festival. Glen Hansard (July 29, motorcycle crash, age 56): Oscar-winning Irish singer (winning for “Falling Slowly” in the film Once) who was deeply involved in folk, country, and rock as well as his own bands The Swell Season and The Flames. Arlene Smith (July 29, natural causes, age 84): lead vocalist in the 60s girl group The Chantels, a group with hits like “Maybe” and “Well, I Told You.” Glenn A. Baker (July 31, stroke, age 74): Australian journalist who covered music for Billboard magazine. Jeff “Monoman” Conolly (July 31, bladder cancer, age 69): influential Boston-based musician in the garage bands the Lyres and DMZ. Vicki Wickham (July 31, Lewy body dementia, age 87): British television producer best known for her work on the 60s music series Ready Steady Go! Farewell, and thank you for the music. Roy Orbison’s classic song “Running Scared,” co-written with the late Joe Melson.