2014 saw the passing of a fair share of aging musical legends, but it tragically also saw the deaths of many relatively young artists well before their time. This list honors just some of the artists who passed away this year that we covered here on Music Times. If there are any that you think we may have missed, you can post your tributes down in the comments section below.
1. Phil Everly
Best known as one half of the legendary duo the Everly Brothers, Phil Everly passed away on Jan. 3 of lung disease at age 74.
2. Pete Seeger
Legendary folk singer Pete Seeger, who was closely tied to the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and was a prominent figure in the Greenwich Village folk scene, died of natural causes at age 94 on Jan. 27.
3. Bob Casale
Devo guitarist and keyboardist Bob Casale, also known as "Bob 2" to differentiate him from bandmate Bob Mothersbaugh, passed away as the result of heart failure at age 61 on Feb. 17. Casale performed on all nine Devo studio albums, the most recent being 2010's Something for Everybody.
4. Scott Asheton
Stooges drummer Scott Asheton died of a heart attack on March 15 at age 64 in the Stooges' hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Other than singer Iggy Pop, Asheton was the only person to appear on all five Stooges studio albums.
5. Dave "Oderus Urungus" Brockie
Gwar frontman Dave Brockie, who assumed the character of Oderus Urungus on stage, died of a heroin overdose on March 23 at age 50. Though Gwar continues to perform, Brockie's death leaves no original members left in the band.
6. Frankie Knuckles
House music pioneer Frankie Knuckles, who was born Francis Nicholls, Jr., died from complications related to diabetes on March 31 at age 59. Knuckles was known as "The Godfather of House Music" for his development of the genre in Chicago during the 1980s.
7. DJ Rashad
Sadly, Frankie Knuckles wasn't the only Chicago legend to pass away this year: footwork pioneer DJ Rashad, born Rashad Harden, died of a drug overdose on April 26 at age 34.
8. Bobby Womack
Though Bobby Womack famously overcame a colon cancer diagnosis back in 2012, the soul legend's many other health issues, such as Alzheimer's, ultimately lead to his death on June 27 at age 70.
9. Tommy Ramone
Ramones drummer and producer Tommy Ramone, born Thomas Erdelyi, passed away on July 11 at age 65 after a battle with bile duct cancer. He co-wrote such classic songs as "Blitzkrieg Bop" and "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend," and was the last surviving original member of the Ramones, following the deaths of Joey Ramone in 2001, Dee Dee Ramone in 2002, and Johnny Ramone in 2004.
10. Johnny Winter
Legendary blues rock guitarist and producer Johnny Winter passed away on July 16 at age 70 in Switzerland, just two days after performing at the Cahors Blues Festival in France.
11. Tim "Rawbiz" Williams
Suicidal Tendencies bassist Tim "Rawbiz" Williams passed away on Aug. 27. He joined the band in 2011 and appeared on just one album, 2013's 13, though he also worked with Toni Braxton and Boyz II Men. His cause of death and exact age were unknown, though he was thought to have been around 30.
12. Simone Battle
X Factor finalist and G.R.L. member Simone Battle was tragically discovered dead in her West Hollywood home on Sept. 5 as the result of an apparent suicide. She was 25 years old.
13. Robert "Throb" Young
Guitarist Robert "Throb" Young of legendary Scottish alternative rock band Primal Scream was found dead in his apartment on Sept. 9 at age 49. His cause of death was not revealed.
14. Mark Bell
British electronic musician Mark Bell, best known as one half of techno duo LFO, passed away on Oct. 12 at age 43 following complications from surgery. In addition to his work his LFO, Bell was also a producer for Björk and Depeche Mode.
15. Isaiah "Ikey" Owens
On Oct. 14, keyboardist Isaiah "Ikey" Owens died of a heart attack at age 39 in Puebla, Mexico while on tour with Jack White. In addition to his work with White, Owens was also a member of The Mars Volta, and released solo material under the name Free Moral Agents.
16. Joanne Borgella
Singer Joanne Borgella passed away on Oct. 18 at age 32 from endometrial cancer. Borgella was a Top 24 finalist on season seven of American Idol.
17. Jack Bruce
Cream bassist and lead vocalist Jack Bruce passed away on Oct. 25 of liver disease at his home in Suffolk, England. He was 71 years old, and is the first member of the legendary blues rock trio to pass away.
18. Wayne Static
Heavy metal guitarist and singer Wayne Static, best known as the frontman and sole constant member of Static-X, passed away in his sleep on Nov. 1, just three days shy of his 49th birthday.
19. Henry "Big Bank Hank" Jackson
Legendary rapper Henry Jackson, better known as Big Bank Hank, passed away after a battle with cancer on Nov. 11 at age 57. Jackson was best known as a member of New Jersey hip-hop trio The Sugarhill Gang, whose 1979 single "Rapper's Delight" brought hip-hop into the public consciousness.
20. Bobby Keys
American saxophonist Bobby Keys, who was best known for his work with the Rolling Stones, passed away of cirrhosis on Dec. 2 at age 70. In addition to the Rolling Stones, Keys also collaborated with Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Who, George Harrison, and Eric Clapton.
21. Joe Cocker
British blues rock singer Joe Cocker, best known for his soulful cover of the Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends" at Woodstock, passed away on Dec. 22 of lung cancer. He was 70 years old.
