The first famous musician to die in 2026 was Bob Weir, on January 10, months after he had played farewell shows with the Grateful Dead’s songs at Golden Gate Park. By the end of September the list included the singer of “Jolene”, the voice of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” and an Irish songwriter killed on his motorcycle at dawn. These are the best-known musicians who have died in 2026 so far, in the order they died.
1. Bob Weir (January 10, aged 78)
A founding member of the Grateful Dead at 17, Weir sang “Sugar Magnolia” and spent thirty years on the road with Jerry Garcia. His family said underlying lung problems caused his death after he had beaten cancer.
2. Chuck Negron (February 2, aged 83)
One of Three Dog Night’s three lead singers, Negron sang “One” and “Easy to Be Hard” and survived heroin addiction to tour for decades more.
3. Brad Arnold (February 7, aged 47)
The singer of 3 Doors Down wrote “Kryptonite” as a teenager. He died of kidney cancer.
4. Country Joe McDonald (March 7, aged 84)
He led half a million people at Woodstock in the “Fish Cheer” before singing “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag”, the best-known anti-Vietnam War song of the era.
5. Phil Campbell (announced March 16, aged 64)
Motörhead’s guitarist from 1984 until Lemmy’s death in 2015 died after a long stay in intensive care following an operation.
6. Moya Brennan (announced April 14, aged 73)
The lead voice of Clannad for more than fifty years sang “Theme from Harry’s Game” and was the older sister of Enya.
7. Alan Osmond (April 20, aged 76)
The eldest of the Osmond Brothers co-wrote “Crazy Horses” and lived with multiple sclerosis for almost four decades.
8. Clarence Carter (mid-May, aged 90)
The blind soul singer recorded “Patches” in 1970 and “Strokin'” in the 1980s.
9. Rob Base (May 22, aged 59)
Half of Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock, he made “It Takes Two” in 1988. He died of cancer four days after his birthday.
10. Peabo Bryson (June 2, aged 75)
He sang “Beauty and the Beast” with Celine Dion and “A Whole New World” with Regina Belle, and won Grammys for both.
11. Glen Hansard (July 29, aged 56)
The Frames frontman and Oscar-winning co-writer of “Falling Slowly” died in a motorcycle crash on the edge of Dublin.
12. Dolly Parton (August 25, aged 80)
She wrote “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You”, built Dollywood and sent free books to millions of children through the Imagination Library. She died in Nashville.
13. Cassandra Wilson (September 1, aged 70)
The jazz singer won Grammys for New Moon Daughter and Loverly and made her last album as a tribute to Billie Holiday.
14. Angry Anderson (September 21, aged 79)
The Rose Tattoo frontman had a worldwide hit with “Suddenly” and played Ironbar in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Read our obituary.
15. Mighty Sparrow (September 27, aged 91)
The Calypso King of the World broke through with “Jean and Dinah” in 1956 and recorded for seven decades. Read our obituary.
Of the fifteen, only Arnold, Base and Hansard were under 60, and only Hansard died in an accident. Most of the others had been ill, and Weir was still playing shows in the months after his diagnosis.