IQ remembers the musical talent lost in 2016
The deaths in December of George Michael and Status Quo founder Rick Parfitt have brought 2016 to a sad end. Quite simply, none of us can remember a year that claimed so many celebrities, with barely a week going by without the news of some musician who had helped to shape the lives of at least some of us.
While the likes of David Bowie, Prince and Leonard Cohen might steal most of the headlines, we thought it would be an idea to remind everyone of the breadth of artistry to which the world has said goodbye, from the young members of Viola Beach, who perished along with their manager in a car accident in February, and the murder of Christina Grimmie in June, to conductor and composer Harry Rabinowitz, who celebrated his 100th birthday just three months before his death.
25 December: George Michael, aged 53
24 December: Rick Parfitt, 68
11 December: Valerie Gell, 71
7 December, Greg Lake, 69
24 November: Colonel Abrams, 67
21 November: Jean Shepard, 82
20 November: Craig Gill, 44
18 November: Sharon Jones, 60
13 November: Leon Russell, 74
7 November, Leonard Cohen, 82
25 October: Bobby Vee, 73
23 October: Pete Burns, 57
8 October: Phil Chess, 95
5 October: Joan Marie Johnson, 72
5 October: Rod Temperton, 66
2 October: Sir Neville Marriner, 92
24 September: Stanley Dural Jr., 68
21 September, John D. Loudermilk, 82
1 September: Fred Hellerman, 89
28 August: Juan Gabriel, 66
24 August: Billy Paul, 80
20 August: Matt Roberts, 38
9 August: Padraig Duggan, 67
6 August: Pete Fountain, 86
16 July: Alan Vega, 78
28 June: Scotty Moore, 84
24 June: Bernie Worrell, 72
22 June: Harry Rabinowitz, 100
17 June: Attrell Cordes, 46
10 June: Christina Grimmie, 22
3 June: Dave Swarbrick, 75
21 May: Nick Menza, 51
17 May: Guy Clark, 74
21 April: Prince, 57
12 April: David Gest, 62
11 April: Emile Ford, 78
6 April: Merle Haggard, 79
22 March: Phife Dawg, 45
20 March: Andy ‘Thunderclap’ Newman, 73
16 March: Frank Sinatra Jr., 72
14 March: Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, 81
11 March: Keith Emerson, 71
10 March: Ernestine Anderson, 87
8 March: Sir George Martin, 90
5 March: Nikolaus Harnoncourt, 86
4 March: Joey Feek, 40
25 February: John Chilton, 83
15 February: Denise Matthews, 57
13 February: Kris Leonard, 20; River Reeves, 19; Thomas Lowe, 27; Jack Dakin, 19; Craig Tarry, 33
4 February: Maurice White, 74
28 January: Paul Kantner, 74
26 January: Colin Vearncombe, 53
18 January, Glenn Frey, 67
17 January: Dale Griffin, 67
16 January: René Angélil, 73
10 January: David Bowie, 69
7 January: Kitty Kallen, 93
5 January: Pierre Boulez, 90
4 January: Robert Stigwood, 81