From Brian Wilson to Roberta Flack to Sly Stone and beyond, Billboard remembers the artists who left us this year.
Brian Wilson poses for a portrait in 1998 in Los Angeles.
Harry Langdon/Getty Images
2025 got off to a rough start in the music world, with two music greats passing away on the first day of the new year. Argentine artist and composer Leo Dan — known for his romantic tracks such as“Cómo Te Extraño Mi Amor,” “Mary Es Mi Amor” and “Pídeme La Luna” — died at age 82; Wayne Osmond, the second oldest of the Osmond Brothers, died at 73, his family announced the day after his passing.
Soul singer Brenton Wood, known for 1967’s “The Oogum Boogum Song,” died of natural causes on Jan. 3 at age 83. And before the first week of the new year ended, Peter Yarrow of popular folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary died in his New York City home at age 86 after a four-year battle against bladder cancer.
The losses continued with Sam Moore of the duo Sam & Dave passing away at age 89 on Jan. 10, followed by The Whites’ Buck White, who died three days later at age 94, then Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake guitarist John Sykes passing on at age 65 after a cancer battle. And on the final day of the third week of the new year, Garth Hudson — the last surviving member of Rock Hall-honored group The Band — died in his sleep at age 87.
Music fans were dealt another blow when the iconic Roberta Flack died at age 88 on Feb. 24, surrounded by her loved ones.
While the world has had to say goodbye to many musicians so far this year, they will live in the memories of not only their families, but their fans. Here, Billboard remembers the musical artists who passed away in 2025.
Douglas McCarthy
(Sept. 1, 1966 – June 11, 2025)
Sly Stone
(March 15, 1943 – June 9, 2025)
Wayne Lewis
(April 13, 1957 – June 5, 2025)
Renée Victor
(July 25, 1938 – May 30, 2025)
Alf Clausen
(March 28, 1941 – May 29, 2025)
Michael Sumler
(Nov. 1, 1953 – May 25, 2025)
Rick Derringer
(Aug. 5, 1947 – May 26, 2025)
Daniel Williams
(May 22, 2025)
Rodney Brown
(May 17, 2025)
Charles Strouse
(June 7, 1928 – May 15, 2025)
Johnny Rodriguez
(Dec. 10, 1951 – May 9, 2025)
James Baker
(1954 – May 5, 2025)
Jill Sobule
(Jan. 16, 1959 – May 1, 2025)
Mike Peters
(Feb. 25, 1959 – April 29, 2025)
David Thomas
(June 14, 1953 – April 23 2025)
Wink Martindale
(Dec. 4, 1933 – April 15, 2025)
Max Romeo
(Nov. 22, 1947 – April 11, 2025)
Rubby Perez
(March 8, 1956 – April 8, 2025)
Clem Burke
(Nov. 24, 1954 – April 6, 2025)
Larry Bastian
(Sept. 1, 1934 – April 6, 2025)
Dave Allen
(Dec. 23, 1955 – April 5, 2025)
Amadou Bagayoko
(Oct. 24, 1954 – April 4, 2025)
Johnny Tillotson
(April 20, 1938 – April 1, 2025)
Young Scooter
(March 28, 1986 – March 28, 2025)
Doug Kiker
(March 2025)
Alice Tan Ridley
(December 21, 1952 – March 25, 2025)
Huey P. Williams
(March 24, 2025)
Larry Tamblin
(Feb. 5, 1943 – March 21, 2025)
Jesse Colin Young
(Nov. 22, 1941 – March 16, 2025)
Les Binks
(Aug. 8, 1951 – March 15, 2025)
D’Wayne Wiggins
(March 7, 2025)
Brian James
(March 6, 2025)
Angie Stone
(Dec. 18, 1961 – March 1, 2025)
Joey Molland
(June 21, 1947 – March 1, 2025)
David Johansen
(Jan. 9, 1950 – Feb. 28, 2025)
Robert John
(Jan. 3, 1946 – Feb. 24, 2025)
Chris Jasper
(Dec. 30, 1951 – Feb. 23, 2025)
Roberta Flack
(Feb. 10, 1937 – Feb. 24, 2025)
Rick Buckler
(Dec. 6, 1955 – Feb. 17, 2025)
Paquita la del Barrio
(April 2, 1947 – Feb. 17, 2025)
Gene “Groove” Allen
(Feb. 26, 1964 – Feb. 12, 2025)
Irv Gotti
(June 26, 1970 – Feb. 5, 2025)
Marianne Faithfull
(Dec. 29, 1946 – Jan. 30, 2025)
Ryan Whyte Maloney
(Jan. 28, 2025)
DJ Unk
(Nov. 28, 1982 – Jan. 24, 2025)
Garth Hudson
(Aug. 2, 1937 – Jan. 21, 2025)
John Sykes
(July 29, 1959 – Jan. 20, 2025)
Buck White
(Dec. 13, 1930 – Jan. 13, 2025)
Sam Moore
(Oct. 12, 1935 – Jan. 10, 2025)
Peter Yarrow
(May 31, 1938 – Jan. 7, 2025)
Brenton Wood
(July 26, 1941 – Jan. 3, 2025)
Wayne Osmond
(Aug. 28, 1951 – Jan. 1, 2025)
Leo Dan
(March 22, 1942 – Jan. 1, 2025)
