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 1970s. 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | January 17, 1970 | Selma, North Carolina, U.S. | Car crash | ||
| 51 | January 19, 1970 | East Chicago, Indiana, U.S. | Natural causes | ||
| 46 | January 31, 1970 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. | Heart attack | ||
| 69-71 | February 12, 1970 | Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. | Unknown | ||
| 32 | February 24, 1970 | Battle Creek, Michigan, U.S. | Shot to death by police[1] | ||
| 24 | March 16, 1970 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Brain tumor[2] | ||
| Mary Ann Ganser The Shangri-Las | 22 | March 16, 1970 | Forest Hills, New York, U.S. | Heroin overdose | |
| 35 | April 5, 1970 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Shot to death | ||
| George Goldner | 52 | April 15, 1970 | Turtle Bay, New York, U.S. | Heart attack | |
| 41 | April 21, 1970 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Tuberculosis | ||
| 40-46 | April 24, 1970 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Liver cancer[3] | ||
| 53 | May 10, 1970 | Dallas, Texas, U.S. | Pneumonia | ||
| 62 | May 11, 1970 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Heart attack | ||
| 39 | June 10, 1970 | Interstate 10, Lordsburg, New Mexico, U.S. | Car crash[4] | ||
| Alan Wilson Canned Heat | 27 | September 3, 1970 | Topanga Canyon, California, U.S. | Suicide or accidental barbiturate overdose[5] | |
| 54 | September 18, 1970 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma | ||
| Jimi Hendrix The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 27 | September 18, 1970 | Kensington, London, England | Asphyxiation on vomit after consuming an unhealthy amount of barbiturates[6] | |
| Janis Joplin Big Brother and the Holding Company | 27 | October 4, 1970 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Heroin overdose[7] | |
| Baby Huey Baby Huey & the Babysitters | 26 | October 28, 1970 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Drug induced heart attack | |
| 34 | November 25, 1970 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Presumed suicide[8] | ||
| George "Smitty" Smith Original lead singer for The Manhattans | 30 | December 16, 1970 | Brain tumor | ||
| 77 | December 26, 1970 | Riverside County, California, U.S. | Unknown | ||
| Harold McNair Ginger Baker's Air Force | 39 | March 7, 1971 | London, England | Lung cancer | |
| 63 | March 8, 1971 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Heart attack following surgery[9] | ||
| Arlester "Dyke" Christian Dyke and the Blazers | 27 | March 13, 1971 | Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. | Shot to death | |
| 39 | April 12, 1971 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Epileptic seizure[10] | ||
| Carmen Lombardo Younger brother of Guy Lombardo | 67 | April 17, 1971 | Miami, Florida, U.S. | Undisclosed cancer | |
| Jim Morrison The Doors | 27 | July 3, 1971 | Paris, France | Heart failure brought on by heroin addiction[11] | |
| 69 | July 6, 1971 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Heart attack[12] | ||
| Henry D. "Homer" Haynes Homer and Jethro | 51 | August 7, 1971 | Hammond, Indiana, U.S. | Heart attack | |
| 37 | August 13, 1971 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Stabbed to death | ||
| 31 | August 15, 1971 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Car crash | ||
| 73 | August 27, 1971 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Heart attack | ||
| 31 | August 28, 1971 | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | Murdered by his wife | ||
| 36 | October 12, 1971 | Newhall, California, U.S. | Burst peptic ulcer | ||
| Duane Allman The Allman Brothers Band, Derek and the Dominos | 24 | October 29, 1971 | Macon, Georgia, U.S. | Motorcycle collison[13] | |
| Art Laibly Record producer and manager | 77 | October 30, 1971 | Unknown | ||
| 39 | November 18, 1971 | Blue Island, Illinois, U.S. | Following surgery for brain tumor | ||
| 47 | November 20, 1971 | Natchez, Mississippi, U.S. | Respiratory failure | ||
| Charlie Fuqua The Ink Spots | 61 | December 21, 1971 | New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. | Unknown | |
| Ross Bagdasarian Sr. "David Seville", creator of The Chipmunks | 52 | January 16, 1972 | Beverly Hills, California, U.S. | Heart attack[14] | |
| 47 | January 23, 1972 | Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | Complications of diabetes/Coma[15] | ||
| 60 | January 27, 1972 | Evergreen Park, Illinois, U.S. | Heart failure and diabetes[16] | ||
| 33 | February 19, 1972 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Shot.[17] | ||
| 27 | March 14, 1972 | Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | Complications of diabetes | ||
| 56 | May 2, 1972 | Somewhere in New Jersey, U.S. | Unknown | ||
| Leslie Harvey Stone the Crows | 27 | May 3, 1972 | Swansea, Wales | Electrocuted by a live microphone on stage | |
| 76 | May 5, 1972 | Hammonton, New Jersey, U.S. | Heart attack | ||
| John Ryanes The Monotones | 32 | May 30, 1972 | Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | Unknown | |
| 70 | June 8, 1972 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Leukemia and blood cancer | ||
| Clyde McPhatter Billy Ward and His Dominoes, The Drifters | 39 | June 13, 1972 | Teaneck, New Jersey, U.S. | Alcohol related complications/ Heart attack[18] | |
| 66 | July 3, 1972 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Undisclosed | ||
| 84 | July 10, 1972 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Unknown | ||
| Brian Cole The Association | 29 | August 2, 1972 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Heroin overdose | |
| 56 | August 17, 1972 | Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. | Heart attack | ||
| 57 | September 23, 1972 | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | Undisclosed | ||
| 34 | September 28, 1972 | Stoneycroft, Liverpool, England | Suicide | ||
| Billy Murcia The New York Dolls | 21 | November 6, 1972 | London, England | Accidental suffocation due to alcohol abuse | |
| Raymond Jackson Record producer for Stax Records | 31 | November 10, 1972 | Burned to death in a house fire | ||
| Berry Oakley The Allman Brothers Band | 24 | November 11, 1972 | Macon, Georgia, U.S. | Motorcycle collison | |
| Danny Whitten Crazy Horse | 29 | November 18, 1972 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Barbiturate & alcohol overdose | |
| 100 | December 3, 1972 | New Braunfels, Texas, U.S. | Unknown | ||
| 48 | December 5, 1972 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Kidney disease[19] | ||
| 24 | January 1, 1973 | Drowned (boating accident) | |||
| 86 | January 23, 1973 | Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. | Pneumonia and a heart attack | ||
| 44 | February 20, 1973 | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | Stroke[20] | ||
| Ron "Pigpen" McKernan Grateful Dead | 27 | March 8, 1973 | Corte Madera, California, U.S. | Gastrointestinal hemorrhage associated with alcoholism[21] | |
| 48 | April 9, 1973 | Pacoima, Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Heart failure | ||
| 24 | April 29, 1973 | Jyväskylä, Finland | Visceral injuries caused by car accident | ||
| Mike Furber Mike Furber and the Bowery Boys | 25 | May 10, 1973 | Sydney, Australia | Suicide by hanging | |
| Clarence White The Kentucky Colonels, The Byrds | 29 | July 14, 1973 | Palmdale, California, U.S. | Hit by a drunk driver | |
| 36 | July 27, 1973 | The Bronx, New York, U.S. | Kidney complications | ||
| Roger Lee Durham Percussionist for Bloodstone | 27 | July 27, 1973 | Injuries following falling off a horse | ||
| 76 | August 6, 1973 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Stroke[22] | ||
| Paul Williams The Temptations | 34 | August 17, 1973 | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | Gunshot wound (disputed suicide) | |
| 26 | September 19, 1973 | Joshua Tree, California, U.S. | Morphine and alcohol related heart failure | ||
| 30 | September 20, 1973 | Natchitoches, Louisiana, U.S. | Plane crash[23] | ||
| Maury Muehleisen Jim Croce's lead guitarist | 24 | September 20, 1973 | Natchitoches, Louisiana, U.S. | Plane crash | |
| 58 | October 9, 1973 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Stroke[24] | ||
| 64 | October 16, 1973 | Yonkers, New York, U.S. | Leukemia and blood cancer[25] | ||
| Zeke Zettner The Stooges | 25 | November 10, 1973 | Heroin overdose | ||
| John Rostill The Shadows | 31 | November 26, 1973 | Radlett, Hertfordshire, England | Suicide | |
| 37 | December 20, 1973 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Complications of cardiac bypass surgery | ||
| Lowman Pauling The Five Royales | 47 | December 26, 1973 | Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. | Epileptic seizure | |
| Packy Axton The Mar-Keys | 32 | January 20, 1974 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Cirrhosis or heart attack | |
| 28 | February 28, 1974 | Hollywood, California, U.S. | Accidentally shot himself | ||
| 38 | March 1, 1974 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Cirrhosis of the liver | ||
| Harry Womack The Valentinos | 28 | March 9, 1974 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Stabbed to death | |
| 71 | March 19, 1974 | Compton, California, U.S. | Cirrhosis of the liver | ||
| 68 | March 28, 1974 | Nassawadox, Virginia, U.S. | Complications of cardiovascular disease and diabetes | ||
| Graham Bond The Graham Bond Organisation, Ginger Baker's Air Force | 36 | May 8, 1974 | London, England | Suicide by a subway train | |
| 75 | May 24, 1974 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Pneumonia and lung cancer[26] | ||
| Don Rich The Buckaroos | 32 | July 17, 1974 | San Luis Obispo, California, U.S. | Motorcycle crash | |
| 49 | July 23, 1974 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Undisclosed | ||
| 61 | July 27, 1974 | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | Stomach cancer | ||
| Cass Elliot The Mamas & the Papas | 32 | July 29, 1974 | London, England | Heart failure[27] | |
| Bill Chase Chase | 39 | August 9, 1974 | Jackson, Minnesota, U.S. | Plane crash | |
| Wallace "Wally" Yohn Chase | 27 | August 12, 1974 | Plane crash | ||
| 42 | August 13, 1974 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Liver failure | ||
| Robbie McIntosh Average White Band | 24 | September 23, 1974 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Drug overdose | |
| 74 | October 12, 1974 | Spartanburg, South Carolina, U.S. | Heart attack | ||
| Victor Olof Record producer for Decca Records and HMV Records | 76 | November 3, 1974 | Unknown | ||
| 60 | November 8, 1974 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Lung cancer | ||
| 26 | November 25, 1974 | Tanworth-in-Arden, Warwickshire, England | Suicide by acute amitriptyline overdose[28] | ||
| Ezra Carter Manager of the Carter Family | 78 | January 22, 1975 | Unknown | ||
| Louis Jordan Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five | 66 | February 4, 1975 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Heart attack | |
| Dave Alexander The Stooges | 27 | February 10, 1975 | Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S. | Pulmonary edema from alcohol abuse | |
| 71 | February 25, 1975 | Elon, North Carolina, U.S. | Unknown | ||
| 64 | March 16, 1975 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Stroke/Bronchial pneumonia | ||
| Pete Ham Badfinger | 27 | April 24, 1975 | Surrey, England | Suicide by hanging | |
| Tom Donahue Rock and roll radio disc jockey | 46 | April 29, 1975 | Heart attack | ||
| 28 | June 29, 1975 | Santa Monica, California, U.S. | Heroin overdose[29] | ||
| Chan Daniels The Highwaymen | 35 | July 2, 1975 | Pneumonia | ||
| 51 | July 7, 1975 | Heart attack | |||
| Don Robey Record producer | 71 | July 16, 1975 | Houston, Texas, U.S. | Heart attack | |
| 47 | July 19, 1975 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | Stroke | ||
| Fran O'Toole The Miami Showband | 28 | July 31, 1975 | A1 road at Buskhill, County Down, Northern Ireland | Ambushed and murdered | |
| Tony Geraghty The Miami Showband | 24 | July 31, 1975 | A1 road at Buskhill, County Down, Northern Ireland | Ambushed and murdered | |
| Brian McCoy The Miami Showband | 32 | July 31, 1975 | A1 road at Buskhill, County Down, Northern Ireland | Ambushed and murdered | |
| 46 | August 8, 1975 | Gary, Indiana, U.S. | Cerebral hemorrhage | ||
| Otto Jeffries The Five Royales | 63 | August 8, 1975 | Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S. | Unknown | |
| Al Jackson, Jr. Booker T. & the MG's | 39 | October 1, 1975 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Murder | |
| 75 | November 2, 1975 | Walls, Mississippi, U.S. | Unknown | ||
| Gary Thain The Keef Hartley Band, Uriah Heep | 27 | December 8, 1975 | Norwood Green, England | Heroin overdose[30] | |
| 60 | December 17, 1975 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Lung cancer | ||
| 65 | January 10, 1976 | Hines, Illinois, U.S. | Congestive heart failure | ||
| 46 | January 25, 1976 | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | Heart attack | ||
| Rudy Pompilli Bill Haley & His Comets | 51 | February 5, 1976 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Lung cancer | |
| 37 | February 12, 1976 | West Hollywood, California, U.S. | Stabbed to death | ||
| Florence Ballard The Supremes | 32 | February 22, 1976 | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | Coronary thrombosis and cardiac arrest[31] | |
| 49 | March 16, 1976 | Port Huron, Michigan, U.S. | Pneumonia | ||
| 34 | March 18, 1976 | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | Lung cancer | ||
| Paul Kossoff Free, Back Street Crawler | 25 | March 19, 1976 | Flight from New York to Los Angeles, U.S. | Pulmonary embolism/Lung blood clot [32] | |
| 35 | April 9, 1976 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Suicide by hanging[33] | ||
| William Bobo The Dixie Hummingbirds | 54 | April 28, 1976 | Unknown | ||
| Keith Relf The Yardbirds | 33 | May 12, 1976 | London, England | Electrocuted by a guitar[34] | |
| Charles Stepney Record producer and arranger | 45 | May 17, 1976 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Heart attack | |
| 60 | May 30, 1976 | Dallas, Texas, U.S. | Car crash | ||
| 27 | August 2, 1976 | Quiruelas de Vidriales, Castile and León, Spain | Car crash | ||
| 50 | August 29, 1976 | Oakland, California, U.S. | Epileptic seizure | ||
| 61 | September 26, 1976 | Berkeley, California, U.S. | Heart attack | ||
| Leo Mintz Record store and music promoter | 65 | November 4, 1976 | Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | Unknown | |
| Tommy Bolin Deep Purple, The James Gang, Zephyr | 25 | December 4, 1976 | Miami, Florida, U.S. | Heroin and alcohol overdose[35] | |
| 42 | December 28, 1976 | Dallas, Texas, U.S. | Stomach ulcer and pancreatitis | ||
| 62 | February 9, 1977 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Brain tumor and sickle cell anemia | ||
| 67-70 | February 26, 1977 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Undisclosed | ||
| Achim Kirchhoff Scorpions | 30 | April 1, 1977 | Unknown | ||
| 32 | April 4, 1977 | New Hope, Georgia, U.S. | Southern Airways Flight 242 plane crash | ||
| Helmut Köllen Triumvirat | 27 | May 3, 1977 | Cologne, Germany | Carbon monoxide poisoning | |
| 48 | May 20, 1977 | Brisbane, California, U.S. | Heart attack | ||
| 77-78 | June 5, 1977 | Brownsville, Tennessee, U.S. | Stroke | ||
| Peter Laughner Pere Ubu | 24 | June 22, 1977 | Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | Acute pancreatitis from alcohol poisoning[36] | |
| 57 | July 1, 1977 | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | Heart attack | ||
| 54 | July 15, 1977 | Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S. | Heart attack | ||
| 42 | August 16, 1977 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Drug overdose[37] | ||
| 63 | August 21, 1977 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Pneumonia brought on by chemotherapy | ||
| 56 | September 5, 1977 | Concord, California, U.S. | Heart attack | ||
| 47 | September 10, 1977 | Dallas, Texas, U.S. | Gunshot wound | ||
| Marc Bolan T. Rex | 29 | September 16, 1977 | London, England | Traffic accident[38] | |
| Shirley Brickley The Orlons | 33 | October 13, 1977 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Shot to death by home intruder | |
| 74 | October 14, 1977 | Alcobendas, Spain | Heart attack | ||
| Cassie Gaines Lynyrd Skynyrd | 29 | October 20, 1977 | Gillsburg, Mississippi, U.S. | Plane accident | |
| Steve Gaines Lynyrd Skynyrd | 28 | October 20, 1977 | Gillsburg, Mississippi, U.S. | Plane accident | |
| Ronnie Van Zant Lynyrd Skynyrd | 29 | October 20, 1977 | Gillsburg, Mississippi, U.S. | Plane accident | |
| 65 | October 27, 1977 | Jonesville, South Carolina, U.S. | Unknown | ||
| Guy Lombardo Older brother of Carmen Lombardo | 75 | November 5, 1977 | Houston, Texas, U.S. | Heart attack | |
| 42 | December 5, 1977 | Bloomington, Indiana, U.S. | Stroke | ||
| 63 | December 20, 1977 | Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. | Heart failure | ||
| 74 | December 30, 1977 | Bronchopneumonia | |||
| Terry Kath Chicago | 31 | January 23, 1978 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Accidentally shot himself[39] | |
| Vic Ames Ames Brothers | 52 | January 28, 1978 | Car crash | ||
| 30 | January 31, 1978 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Drug overdose | ||
| Johnny Wallace The Four Knights | 65 | March 2, 1978 | Unknown | ||
| Bill Kenny The Ink Spots | 63 | March 23, 1978 | New Westminster, Canada | Respiratory illness[40] | |
| 60 | March 28, 1978 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Heart attack | ||
| 31 | April 21, 1978 | London, England | Cerebral hemorrhage after accidental fall | ||
| 33 | May 24, 1978 | Surrey, England | Traffic accident | ||
| 46 | June 29, 1978 | Houston, Texas, U.S. | Cirrhosis | ||
| Glenn Goins Parliament-Funkadelic | 24 | July 29, 1978 | |||
| Joe Negroni Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers | 37 | September 5, 1978 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Cerebral hemorrhage | |
| Al Benson Radio disc jockey, music promoter and record label owner | 70 | September 6, 1978 | Three Oaks, Michigan, U.S. | Unknown | |
| Tom Wilson Record producer | 47 | September 6, 1978 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Heart attack | |
| Keith Moon The Who | 32 | September 7, 1978 | London, England | Drug overdose[41] | |
| 43 | October 6, 1978 | Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia | Heart attack | ||
| 49 | October 9, 1978 | Boubigny, France | Pulmonary embolism | ||
| Maybelle Carter Carter Family, The Carter Sisters | 69 | October 23, 1978 | Hendersonville, Tennessee, U.S. | Respiratory disease | |
| Chris Bell Big Star | 27 | December 27, 1978 | East Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Traffic accident | |
| Sara Carter Carter Family | 80 | January 8, 1979 | Lodi, California, U.S. | Unknown | |
| 33 | January 13, 1979 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Suicide or accidental fall[42] | ||
| 43 | January 31, 1979 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Heart attack | ||
| Sid Vicious Sex Pistols | 21 | February 2, 1979 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Drug overdose (possible suicide) | |
| Mike Patto Timebox, Patto, Spooky Tooth, Boxer | 36 | March 4, 1979 | lymphatic leukemia | ||
| Freddy Owens Saxophonist for Bill Deal and the Rhondels | 29 | March 4, 1979 | Richmond, Virginia, U.S. | Shot to death | |
| 51 | March 16, 1979 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Drug overdose | ||
| Zenon De Fleur Guitarist for The Count Bishops | 27 | March 17–18, 1979 | Car crash and subsequent medical complications | ||
| 56-58 | March 28, 1979 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Meningitis | ||
| 32 | May 10, 1979 | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | Suicide | ||
| 49 | May 21, 1979 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Cancer | ||
| Jack Haley The Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz | 81 | June 6, 1979 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Heart attack[43] | |
| Darla Hood Our Gang | 47 | June 13, 1979 | North Hollywood, California, U.S. | Heart failure from hepatitis | |
| 34 | June 29, 1979 | Arlington, Virginia, U.S. | Heart attack | ||
| 39 | July 6, 1979 | Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. | Heart attack | ||
| Minnie Riperton Rotary Connection | 31 | July 12, 1979 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Breast cancer[44] | |
| Dorsey Burnette the Rock and Roll Trio | 46 | August 19, 1979 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Coronary thrombosis | |
| Jimmy McCulloch Paul McCartney & Wings | 26 | September 27, 1979 | London, England | Morphine poisoning | |
| 96 | October 15, 1979 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Unknown | ||
| Tiki Fulwood Parliament-Funkadelic | 35 | October 29, 1979 | Stomach cancer | ||
| John Glascock Carmen, Jethro Tull | 28 | November 17, 1979 | London, England | Congenital heart defect | |
| 35 | November 23, 1979 | North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Either suicide by speedball overdose or accidental speedball overdose | ||
| 49-51 | December 15, 1979 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | Heart attack | ||
| Voyle Gilmore Record producer from Capitol Records | 67 | December 19, 1979 | Unknown |