1985 in Music - Deaths

Deaths

• January 3 – Lucien Cailliet, clarinetist, conductor, arranger and composer, 87
• January 4 – Lovro von Matačić, Croatian conductor, 85
• January 10 – Anton Karas, Austrian zither player and composer, 78
• January 25 – Paul J. Smith, composer, 78
• February 7 – Matt Monro, English singer, 54 (liver cancer)
• February 11 – Heinz Eric Roemheld, American composer, 83
• February 12 – Leslie Sarony, English singer, comedian and songwriter, 87
• February 18
  • Willy Alberti, Dutch singer, 58 (liver cancer)
  • Gábor Darvas, composer and musicologist, 74
• February 22 – Efrem Zimbalist, violinist, 94
• February 28 – David Byron, vocalist of Uriah Heep, 38 (alcohol-related)
• March 1 – Eugene List, American classical pianist, 66
• March 16 – Roger Sessions, American composer, 88
• March 23 – Zoot Sims, jazz saxophonist, 59
• March 31 – Jeanine Deckers, known as The Singing Nun, 51 (suicide)
• May 2 – Bridget D'Oyly Carte, opera impresario, 77
• May 8 – Karl Marx, composer and conductor, 87
• May 19 – Hilding Rosenberg, composer, 92
• June – Leonard Falcone, baritone/eupohonium virtuosos and director of bands at Michigan State, 86
• July 23 – Kay Kyser, US bandleader, 80
• July 30 – Peter Knight, conductor, arranger and composer, 68
• August 11 – Nick Ceroli, jazz drummer, 45
• August 24 – Paul Creston, American composer, 78
• September 6 – Little Brother Montgomery, jazz and blues pianist and singer, 79
• September 8 – Frederick May, Irish composer, 74
• September 11 – William Alwyn, English composer, 79
• September 18 – Ed Lewis, jazz trumpeter, 76
• October 6 – Nelson Riddle, US conductor, composer and arranger
• October 11 – Tex Williams, US country singer, 68
• October 12 - Ricky Wilson, guitarist (The B-52's), 32
• October 14 – Emil Gilels, pianist, 68
• October 18 – Stefan Askenase, pianist, 94
• October 20 – Boris Lisanevich, dancer, 80
• October 22 – Viorica Ursuleac, operatic soprano, 91
• November 15 – Seán Ryan, Irish fiddler and whistler
• November 24 - Big Joe Turner, blues singer, 74
• December 12 – Ian Stewart (The Rolling Stones), 42 (heart attack)
• December 22 – D. Boon, lead singer of Minutemen, 27 (car accident)
• December 31 – Ricky Nelson, singer, former teen idol, 45 (plane crash)
• date unknown – Rodolfo Arizaga, Argentinian composer