It’s so hard to say goodbye … especially to talented creators who have contributed beautiful works of art that have made the world a brighter place. But while no one can live forever, musicians’ compositions will go on to be enjoyed by future generations.
The world of music had a rough start when on Jan. 4, David Soul — who played the blond, blue-eyed Det. Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson on hit 1970s buddy-cop TV series Starsky and Hutch — died at age 80. But the late star wasn’t just an actor when it came to the world of entertainment — he was also an accomplished musician, landing three songs on the Billboard Hot 100 (including 1977’s No. 1 hit “Don’t Give Up on Us”) and two albums on the Billboard 200.
Then Grammy-winning artist Jo-El Sonnier died at age 77 on Jan. 14, while on tour. He suffered cardiac arrest after a show in Texas. Just days later, the world said goodbye to Mary Weiss, the lead singer of 1960s pop girl group The Shangri-Las. She was 75. And that was just the beginning of the musicians who would go on to leave us this year.
And a day after the 2024 Grammys, the music world was shaken by the news of Toby Keith’s death. The country star — who had previously shared with fans in 2022 that he was battling stomach cancer — died at age 62 on Feb. 5, a message on his website and social media accounts announced.
While friends and loved ones mourn these talented artists, they will not be forgotten by their fans around the world. Below, Billboard remembers the musicians who passed away in 2024.
