The following is a list of notable performers of rock and roll music or rock music, and others directly associated with the music as producers, songwriters or in other closely related roles, who have died in the 1960s. The list gives their date, cause and location of death, and their age.
Rock music developed from the rock and roll music that emerged during the 1950s, and includes a diverse range of subgenres. The terms "rock and roll" and "rock" each have a variety of definitions, some narrow and some wider. In determining criteria for inclusion, this list uses as its basis reliable sources listing "rock deaths" or "deaths in rock and roll", as well as such sources as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
| Name | Age | Date | Location | Cause of death | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | February 6, 1960 | Hope, Arkansas, U.S. | Car accident [1] | ||
| Gene Alford The Four Knights | 37 | April 2, 1960 | Epileptic Seizure | ||
| 33 | April 3, 1960 | Horseshoe Lake, Arkansas, U.S. | Car crash | ||
| 28 | April 13, 1960 | Greenwich Village, New York City, New York, U.S. | Suicide by alcohol and secobarbital overdose [2] | ||
| 21 | April 17, 1960 | Chippenham, Wiltshire, England | Car crash [3] | ||
| 46 | May 1, 1960 | McKinney, Texas, U.S. | Unknown cancer[4] | ||
| Eli Oberstein Record producer and music executive | 58 | June 12, 1960 | Westport, Connecticut, U.S. | Lymphatic cancer | |
| 37 | September 8, 1960 | Polio-like virus[5] | |||
| 35 | November 5, 1960 | Milano, Texas, U.S. | Car crash[6] | ||
| A. P. Carter Carter Family | 68 | November 7, 1960 | Kingsport, Tennessee, U.S. | Unknown | |
| Kelsey Pharr The Delta Rhythm Boys | 44 | April 20, 1961 | Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. | Unknown cancer/ Severe illness | |
| 42 | April 29, 1961 | San Bernardino, California, U.S. | Stomach cancer[7] | ||
| 56 | May 6, 1961 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Bronchopneumonia[8] | ||
| 25 | July 6, 1961 | Seneca, New York, U.S. | Automobile accident[9] | ||
| 43 | August 15, 1961 | The Bronx, New York, U.S. | Lung cancer[10] | ||
| 23 | October 5, 1961 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Uremia[11] | ||
| 27 | February 5, 1962 | Holbrook, Arizona, U.S. | Automobile accident[12] | ||
| 36 | February 11, 1962 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Heart attack[13] | ||
| 29 | February 28, 1962 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Heroin overdose[14] | ||
| Stuart Sutcliffe The Beatles | 21 | April 10, 1962 | Hamburg, West Germany | Cerebral paralysis due to aneurysm; [15] | |
| 31 | July 28, 1962 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Car crash[16] | ||
| 36 | August 4, 1962 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Barbiturate overdose[17] | ||
| 59 | October 7, 1962 | Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. | Shot[18] | ||
| 47 | December 2, 1962 | Murphys, California, U.S. | Cerebral hemorrhage[19] | ||
| 31 | January 13, 1963 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Heart attack[20] | ||
| 44 | January 16, 1963 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Lung cancer[21] | ||
| 37 | February 28, 1963 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Heart attack[22] | ||
| 30 | March 5, 1963 | Camden, Tennessee, U.S. | 1963 Camden PA-24 crash[23] | ||
| 49 | March 5, 1963 | Camden, Tennessee, U.S. | 1963 Camden PA-24 crash | ||
| 41 | March 5, 1963 | Camden, Tennessee, U.S. | 1963 Camden PA-24 crash | ||
| 45 | May 24, 1963 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Heart attack[24] | ||
| 52-53 | October 22, 1963 | [25] | |||
| 96 | November 1, 1963 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Bronchial pneumonia after a gallbladder operation | ||
| 39 | December 14, 1963 | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | Complications of a drug overdose[26] | ||
| 32 | January 7, 1964 | Eel Pie Island, London, England | Endocarditis and Leukaemia | ||
| Rudy Lewis The Drifters | 27 | May 20, 1964 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Died in his sleep/Asphyxiation | |
| 58 | June 7, 1964 | Minneapolla, Minnesota, U.S. | Car crash | ||
| 36 | June 29, 1964 | Berlin, Germany | Complications from diabetes[27] | ||
| 40 | July 31, 1964 | Davidson County, Tennessee, U.S. | Plane crash | ||
| Johnny Burnette The Rock and Roll Trio | 30 | August 14, 1964 | Clear Lake, California, U.S. | Drowned following a serious boating accident[28] | |
| 34 | August 16, 1964 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Brain hemorrhage | ||
| 69 | August 27, 1964 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Heart attack | ||
| David Box The Crickets | 21 | October 23, 1964 | Houston, Texas, U.S. | Plane crash[29] | |
| 27 | October 24, 1964 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | Heart attack[30] | ||
| 48 | November 24, 1964 | Houston, Texas, U.S. | Gunshot wound[31] | ||
| Sam Cooke The Soul Stirrers | 33 | December 11, 1964 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Shot by Bertha Franklin[32] | |
| 43 | January 20, 1965 | Palm Springs, California, U.S. | Uremia and cirrhosis of the liver[33] | ||
| 45 | February 15, 1965 | Santa Monica, California, U.S. | Lung cancer[34] | ||
| 52 | May 25, 1965 | Helena, Arkansas, U.S. | Heart attack[35] | ||
| 39 | October 21, 1965 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Brain tumor[36] | ||
| Mike Millward Rhythm guitarist for The Fourmost | 24 | March 7, 1966 | Leukemia/Blood cancer | ||
| 61 | March 29, 1966 | Chicago. Illinois, U.S. | Gunshot wound [37] | ||
| 29 | April 30, 1966 | Carmel Valley, California, U.S. | Motorcycle accident[38] | ||
| Bobby Fuller The Bobby Fuller Four | 23 | July 18, 1966 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Asphyxia (Suicide, murder or accident)[39] | |
| 41 | July 31, 1966 | Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. | Tuberculosis[40] | ||
| 78 | August 11, 1966 | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | Complications from diabetes | ||
| Dave Lambert Lambert, Hendricks & Ross | 49 | October 3, 1966 | Connecticut Turnpike, Connecticut, U.S. | Car crash [41] | |
| 53 | October 7, 1966 | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | Stomach cancer[42] | ||
| Johnny Kidd Johnny Kidd & The Pirates | 30 | October 8, 1966 | Breightmet, Bolton, Lancashire, England | Car accident[43] | |
| 74 | November 2, 1966 | Grenada, Mississippi, U.S. | Heart attack[44] | ||
| 35 | November 26, 1966 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Heart failure[45] | ||
| 57 | January 1, 1967 | Beaumont, Texas, U.S. | Heart attack[46] | ||
| 37 | February 3, 1967 | London, England | Suicide by gunshot[47] | ||
| 60 | February 25, 1967 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Unknown[48] | ||
| 65 | March 6, 1967 | Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. | Cerebral hemorrhage | ||
| 38 | April 29, 1967 | Urbana, Illinois, U.S. | Injuries from a car crash[49] | ||
| LaVerne Andrews The Andrew Sisters | 55 | May 8, 1967 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Unknown cancer[50] | |
| 43 | May 19, 1967 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Heart failure | ||
| 40 | July 17, 1967 | Huntington, New York, U.S. | Liver cancer and hepatitis B | ||
| 32 | August 27, 1967 | London, England | Accidental drug overdose [51] | ||
| 60 | September 7, 1967 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Brain hemorrhage | ||
| 55 | October 3, 1967 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Huntington's Disease[52] | ||
| 57 | November 5, 1967 | Helena, Arkansas, U.S. | Heart failure | ||
| 80 | December 3, 1967 | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | Unknown | ||
| Bert Lahr Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz | 72 | December 4, 1967 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Pneumonia/Unknown cancer[53] | |
| 26 | December 10, 1967 | Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. | Plane crash[54] | ||
| Ronnie Caldwell The Bar-Keys | 18 | December 10, 1967 | Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. | Plane crash | |
| Phalon Jones The Bar-Keys | 18-19 | December 10, 1967 | Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. | Plane crash | |
| Jimmy King The Bar-Keys | 18 | December 10, 1967 | Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. | Plane crash | |
| Carl Cunningham The Bar-Keys | 18-19 | December 10, 1967 | Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. | Plane crash | |
| Robin Roberts The Wailers | 27 | December 22, 1967 | San Mateo County, California, U.S. | Car crash[55] | |
| 24 | December 25, 1967 | San Francisco, California, U.S. | Hodgkin's lymphoma[56] | ||
| 38 | December 30, 1967 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Heart failure | ||
| 37 | February 15, 1968 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Coronary thrombosis due to injuries sustained when he was beaten[57] | ||
| Frankie Lymon Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers | 25 | February 27, 1968 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Complications of a heroin overdose[58] | |
| 63 | March 5, 1968 | Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. | Pneumonia[59] | ||
| 55 | April 9, 1968 | Los Angeles California, U.S. | Several health conditions | ||
| Lester Melrose Record producer | 76 | April 12, 1968 | Lake, Florida, U.S. | Unknown[60] | |
| Manuel Fernández Los Bravos | 23 | May 20, 1968 | Seville, Spain | Suicide by hanging (Debatable) | |
| 30 | May 26, 1968 | Walla Walla, Washington, U.S. | Heart attack | ||
| 63 | June 8, 1968 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Unknown | ||
| 45 | June 15, 1968 | Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. | Heart attack | ||
| 40 | August 5, 1968 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | Smoke inhalation[61] | ||
| 38 | August 13, 1968 | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | Melanoma/Skin cancer[62] | ||
| Malcolm Hale Spanky and Our Gang | 27 | October 31, 1968 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Either Bronchial Pneumonia or accidental carbon monoxide poisoning | |
| 58 | September 19, 1968 | Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S. | Died in his sleep/Respiratory failure | ||
| 67-72 | November 8, 1968 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Heart attack | ||
| 33 | January 4, 1969 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Tuberculosis[63] | ||
| 27 | March 26, 1969 | London, England | Complications from a barbiturate overdose[64] | ||
| Benny Benjamin The Funk Brothers | 43 | April 20, 1969 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Stroke/No brain activity[65] | |
| 37 | May 6, 1969 | Kingston, Jamaica | Suicide[66] | ||
| Martin Lamble Fairport Convention | 19 | May 12, 1969 | Scratchwood Services, M1 Motorway, England | Car crash[67] | |
| 64 | May 19, 1969 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Liver disease[68] | ||
| Judy Garland Dorothy Gale from The Wizard of Oz among other acting roles | 47 | June 22, 1969 | London, England | Complications of a Barbiturate Overdose[69] | |
| 29 | June 29, 1969 | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | Drowned[70] | ||
| Brian Jones The Rolling Stones | 27 | July 3, 1969 | Hartfield, East Sussex, England | Drowned due to liver disfunction and ingestion [71] | |
| 53 | July 4, 1969 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Esophageal cancer | ||
| 40 | July 20, 1969 | New Rochelle, New York, U.S. | Stroke/Massive brain hemorrhage[72] | ||
| 27 | July 31, 1969 | Tellingstedt, Germany | Road accident | ||
| 55 | September, 5, 1969 | Manhasset, New York, U.S. | Complications from surgery[73] | ||
| 67 | October 3, 1969 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Unknown cancer[74] | ||
| Leonard Chess Record producer, record company executive and co-founder of Chess Records | 52 | October 16, 1969 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Cardiac arrest[75] | |
| 47 | October 22, 1969 | Richmond, Virginia, U.S. | Bleeding ulcer linked to cirrhosis of the liver[76] | ||
| 77 | October 29, 1969 | San Francisco, California, U.S. | Unknown[77] | ||
| Ivory "Deek" Watson The 4 Tunes, The Brown Dots, The Ink Spots | 60 | November 4, 1969 | Washington, D.C., U.S. | Unknown[78] | |
| 32 | December 1, 1969 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Heart attack[79] | ||
| 67 | December 5, 1969 | St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | Esophageal cancer[80] |