2025 didn’t wait to break hearts. On New Year’s Day, Leo Dan (82) and Wayne Osmond (73) took their final bows. Within days, Brenton Wood (83), Peter Yarrow (86), and soul legend Sam Moore (89) followed. Even Ozzy Osbourne (76) couldn’t out-scream time. But the music plays on—just differently now. While the world has had to say goodbye to many musicians so far this year, they will forever live in the memories of their fans. Here, we remember the musical artists who passed away in 2025.
D’Angelo
D’Angelo, the voice that made “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” unforgettable, has died at 51 after battling cancer. The Grammy-winning neo-soul pioneer behind Brown Sugar, Voodoo, and Black Messiah changed R&B forever. DJ Premier wrote, “Sleep peacefully D’—love you KING.” The silence he leaves feels louder than ever.
Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne, the 76-year-old “Prince of Darkness,” has died in Birmingham surrounded by family. The heavy metal icon, who once said, “You couldn’t write my story; you couldn’t invent me,” left behind a $190 million charity concert, a bat, and a lifetime of glorious chaos.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, forever remembered as Theo Huxtable, has died at 54 after an accidental drowning off Costa Rica’s Limón coast. The Emmy-nominated actor, poet, and Grammy-winning musician once said, “I came out of the womb listening to Gil-Scott Heron.” He’s survived by his daughter and a generation he inspired.
Sly Stone
Sly Stone, the funk trailblazer who made the world “Dance to the Music,” has died at 82. The Family Stone frontman changed pop forever with hits like “Everyday People” and “Family Affair.” His family said, “Sly passed away peacefully… his extraordinary musical legacy will continue to resonate.”
Angie Stone
Angie Stone, the powerhouse behind “No More Rain (In This Cloud)” and one-third of pioneering rap trio The Sequence, has died at 62. Her rep confirmed the R&B icon was killed in a car crash en route to Atlanta. “My mommy is gone,” her daughter Ladi Diamond wrote.
Irv Gotti
Irv Gotti, the man who turned Murder Inc. into a 2000s hit factory, has died at 54 after a stroke. The producer behind “Foolish” and “I’m Real” once said he wanted “to make hip-hop sing.” Mission accomplished — he gave Ja Rule and Ashanti their biggest hits.
Wayne Osmond
Wayne Osmond, the 73-year-old guitarist and second-oldest of the Osmond Brothers, died peacefully surrounded by family on Jan. 1. His loved ones said he’d want everyone to know “banana splits are the best dessert.” Donny called him “the ultimate optimist.” Jay added, “My brother ‘Wings’ has earned his wings.”
Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys’ musical brain and the man who made “Good Vibrations” sound like sunshine, has died at 82. The California legend behind Pet Sounds and God Only Knows passed away surrounded by family. “We are heartbroken,” his children said. “Love & Mercy.”
John Lodge
John Lodge, bassist and voice of The Moody Blues, died suddenly at 82. His family said he “slipped away surrounded by loved ones and the sounds of The Everly Brothers and Buddy Holly.” For over 50 years, he kept faith with music, fans, and Birmingham City dreams. “Thank you for keeping the faith.”
Fede Dorcaz
Fede Dorcaz, 29, was shot and killed in Mexico City on Oct. 9 while heading home from dance rehearsal. The Argentine singer, actor, and model was set to compete on Las Estrellas Bailan en Hoy. “Fede leaves a big void,” the show wrote. His dream, like his music, stopped too soon.
JD Twitch
JD Twitch, real name Keith McIvor, died at 57 after a battle with brain cancer. His Optimo partner Jonnie Wilkes wrote, “He changed my life immeasurably.” From founding the iconic Sub Club night in ’97 to shaping global dance floors, Twitch’s energy doesn’t fade—it just found a louder frequency.
Sonny Curtis
Sonny Curtis, the man who wrote “I Fought the Law” and made Mary Tyler Moore toss her hat to “Love Is All Around,” has died at 88. “It’s my most important copyright,” he once said. From Buddy Holly jams to TV jingles, Curtis proved rock’s best rebels still had heart.
Brett James
Brett James, 57, the Grammy-winning songwriter behind Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take The Wheel,” died in a plane crash on Sept. 18. He once joked he left med school “for something less predictable.” With 300 songs and two ASCAP crowns, he didn’t just write hits—he rewrote Nashville’s heartbeat.
Hermeto Pascoal
Hermeto Pascoal, Brazil’s “Mad Genius,” has died at 89. The man who once played a pig on Slaves Mass insisted, “I was born music.” With over 10,000 compositions and a jam credit on Miles Davis’ Live-Evil, Pascoal proved anything — from beer mugs to pig squeals — could make music sing.
Bobby Hart
Bobby Hart, 86, the man who gave the Monkees their swagger with “Last Train to Clarksville” and “I’m Not Your Steppin’ Stone,” has died in Los Angeles. “We had created the perfect recipe for inspiration,” he once said. Turns out, walking down the street really can change music history.
Rick Davies
Rick Davies, 81, the voice behind Supertramp’s “Goodbye Stranger” and “Bloody Well Right,” has died after a long fight with multiple myeloma. The band said, “His soulful vocals and unmistakable touch on the Wurlitzer became the heartbeat of our sound.” Fifty years on, that rhythm still lingers.
Mark Volman
Mark Volman, 78, co-founder of The Turtles and the voice behind “Happy Together,” has died. Diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2020, he once said, “I’ll go as far as I can.” Turns out, he went pretty far — from Dylan covers to No. 1 hits and music law reform.
Brent Hinds
Brent Hinds, 51, co-founder of Mastodon, died in a motorcycle crash in Atlanta on Aug. 20. The band said, “We are in a state of unfathomable sadness.” Known for his snarling riffs and unpredictable genius, Hinds proved metal didn’t need rules—just guts, volume, and the occasional Harley.
Bobby Whitlock
Bobby Whitlock, 77, co-founder of Derek and the Dominos, has died after a short battle with cancer. “My love Bobby looked at life as an adventure,” said wife CoCo Carmel. From playing on Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs to All Things Must Pass, Whitlock’s piano never missed a soul.
Eddie Palmieri
Eddie Palmieri, the “Sun of Latin Music,” has died at 88. The Bronx-born salsa pioneer won nine Grammys, swapped trumpets for trombones, and made rhythm political with Harlem River Drive. As he once said, “Jazz is freedom.” He lived it loud, and New York still dances to his beat.
Terry Reid
Terry Reid, 75, the man Aretha Franklin once called one of “three things happening in England,” has died after battling cancer. The “Superlungs” legend famously turned down Led Zeppelin, saying, “I contributed half the band – that’s enough on my part.” Not bad for a guy who started at 13.
Jeannie Seely
Country legend Jeannie Seely, who racked up 5,397 Grand Ole Opry performances and once caused a stir by wearing a miniskirt onstage, has died at 85. The “Don’t Touch Me” singer “gave it her all with every single Opry performance,” said longtime friend Dan Rogers. What a record.
Connie Francis
Connie Francis, who became the first woman to top the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960 with Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool, has died at 87. The pop legend once joked her father “saved” her career after forcing her to record Who’s Sorry Now—the hit she originally called “too fusty.”
David Kaff
David Kaff, the man who told us to “have a good time… all the time,” has died at 79. The This Is Spinal Tap legend and Rare Bird co-founder passed away in his sleep, according to his bandmates. “He always had a kind word and a quick wit that would slay you,” they wrote.
David Johansen
David Johansen, punk’s sharpest troublemaker and the face of the New York Dolls, has died at 75. His rep said he passed “holding hands with his wife and daughter.” Once calling the Rock Hall “a racket,” Johansen preferred raw noise over polish—and left behind generations who did too.
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