Music Obituaries: September 2026

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Thank you for your patience while my hand has recovered. This is late, but I’ll not abandon my job to salute the people in music who passed away. Many are forgotten, many are barely known, but all made someone smile with their music, so I’ll let them have a final bow. Here are the music and music-related individuals for whom the final curtain fell in September 2026: Cassandra Wilson (September 2, unknown cause, age 70): Grammy winning jazz singer and songwriter. Craig Douglas (September 4, short illness, age 85): British pop singer, who had a 1959 cover of Sam Cooke’s “Only Sixteen” that outsold Cook’s version in England. Chris Nicks (September 4, cancer, age 72): the younger brother of Stevie Nicks. Jon Small (September 4, cancer, age 79): drummer, who worked with Billy Joel very early in his career and directed the Run DMC/Aerosmith video of “Walk This Way.” Andy Williams (September 5, medical emergency during wrestling match, age 48): no, not “that“ Andy Williams (who died in 2012). This was a guitar player in the metalcore band Every Time I Die as well as a professional wrestler. He collapsed during a wrestling match and could not be revived. Pat Senatore (September 8, natural causes, age 91): jazz double bassist who first came to prominence as the bass player in the original Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. Cheetah Chrome (né Eugene Richard O’Connor) (September 13, unknown cause, age 71): the guitarist for the seminal punk band the Dead Boys. Pete Byrne (September 14, acute hemorrhagic, stroke, age 74): the lead singer and songwriter for the band, Naked Eyes, known for their 80s cover of “Always Something There to Remind Me.” Bob Mackie (September 14, pneumonia/hemorrhage, age 87): the “Sultan of Sequins” won seven Emmy Awards for his costumes on The Carol Burnett Show and designed clothes for music greats such as Tina Turner, Cher, Elton John, and Dolly Parton. *Rosalind Ashford (September 15, unknown cause, age 83): ROCK AND ROLL and VOCAL GROUP HALL OF FAMER. One of the original members of the legendary Martha and the Vandellas. Ronnie Dove (September 15, natural causes, age 91): American singer who had a string of hit pop songs in the early 60s, such as “One Kiss for Old Time’s Sake” and “A Little Bit of Heaven” before transitioning to country music in the 70s. *Pye Dubois (né Paul Woods) (September 15, unknown calls, age 77): CANADIAN SONGWRITER HALL OF FAMER. Canadian poet and songwriter who wrote songs for the Canadian band Max Webster, as well as being co-lyricist for the Rush classic “Tom Sawyer.” Gary McCracken (September 17, unknown cause, age 75): drummer, vocalist, and songwriter in the Canadian band Max Webster. His death came two days after songwriter and “unofficial fifth member” Pye Dubois died. Duncan Sheik (September 17, organ failure, age 56): Tony award-winning (for Spring Awakening in 2007) singer, composer, and songwriter whose song “Barely Breathing“ was a hit in 1996. Chad Gilbert (September 20, neuroendocrine cancer, age 45): guitarist for the punk band New Found Glory and writer of their modern rock chart hit “All Downhill From Here.” Neil Henderson (September 20, complications of a stroke, age 73): original guitarist for the Bay City Rollers from 1970-1972. *Gary “Angry” Anderson (September 21, heart attack, age 79): AUSTRALIAN MUSIC HALL OF FAMER. the front man and songwriter for the Australian band, Rose Tattoo. He also branched out into acting, appearing in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Clifton “Jackie” Jackson (September 23, unknown cause, age 79): bass player for the legendary reggae/rocksteady band Toots and the Maytals. Chuck Varga (September 25, cancer, age 68): co-founder and original vocalist for the metal band GWAR. Ronnie Gordon (September 26, heart attack, age 78): singer for the British fun band the Fabulous Poodles. Russell Scott (September 26, illness, age 59): longtime roots rock and rockabilly singer, songwriter, and bassist. He was on tour with his band Russell Scott and the Red Hots, opening for Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys, when he was stricken. The Mighty Sparrow, O.B.E. (né Slinger Francisco) (September 27, natural causes, age 91): the “Calypso King of the World” was one of the major names in calypso music from his first recordings in 1955. Manuel Seal (September 27, unknown cause, age 66): Grammy-winning producer and songwriter for Mariah Carey and the band Destiny’s Child. He died the day after his 66th birthday. Conrad “Cronos” Lant (September 29, unknown cause, age 63): bassist for the English heavy metal band Venom. Farewell, and thank you for the music. “Nowhere to Run,” from Martha and the Vandellas, featuring the late Rosalind. Ashford: