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