Gone But Not Forgotten: Musicians We Lost in 2025
From Roberta Flack to Marianne Faithfull, Garth Hudson, Wayne Osmond and beyond, Billboard remembers the artists who left us this year.
2025 got off to a rough start in the music world, with two music greats passing away on the first day of the new year. Argentine artist and composer Leo Dan — known for his romantic tracks such as“Cómo Te Extraño Mi Amor,” “Mary Es Mi Amor” and “Pídeme La Luna” — died at age 82; Wayne Osmond, the second oldest of the Osmond Brothers, died at 73, his family announced the day after his passing.
Soul singer Brenton Wood, known for 1967’s “The Oogum Boogum Song,” died of natural causes on Jan. 3 at age 83. And before the first week of the new year ended, Peter Yarrow of popular folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary died in his New York City home at age 86 after a four-year battle against bladder cancer.
The losses continued with Sam Moore of the duo Sam & Dave passing away at age 89 on Jan. 10, followed by The Whites’ Buck White, who died three days later at age 94, then Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake guitarist John Sykes passing on at age 65 after a cancer battle. And on the final day of the third week of the new year, Garth Hudson — the last surviving member of Rock Hall-honored group The Band — died in his sleep at age 87.
Music fans were dealt another blow when the iconic Roberta Flack died at age 88 on Feb. 24, surrounded by her loved ones.
While the world has had to say goodbye to many musicians so far this year, they will live in the memories of not only their families, but their fans. Here, Billboard remembers the musical artists who passed away in 2025.
Max Romeo
Image Credit: David Corio/Redferns
(Nov. 22, 1947 – April 11, 2025)
Rubby Perez
Image Credit: Frank Franklin II/AP Images
(March 8, 1956 – April 8, 2025)
Clem Burke
Image Credit: Maureen Donaldson/Getty Images
(Nov. 24, 1954 – April 6, 2025)
Larry Bastian
Image Credit: Chieko Hara/The Porterville Recorder/AP Images
(Sept. 1, 1934 – April 6, 2025)
Dave Allen
Image Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
(Dec. 23, 1955 – April 5, 2025)
Amadou Bagayoko
Image Credit: Alessandro Bosio/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
(Oct. 24, 1954 – April 4, 2025)
Johnny Tillotson
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
(April 20, 1938 – April 1, 2025)
Young Scooter
Image Credit: Audible Treats
(March 28, 1986 – March 28, 2025)
Doug Kiker
Image Credit: Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty Images
(March 2025)
Alice Tan Ridley
Image Credit: Trae Patton/NBCU Photo Bank
(December 21, 1952 – March 25, 2025)
Huey P. Williams
Image Credit: Supplied
(March 24, 2025)
Larry Tamblin
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
(Feb. 5, 1943 – March 21, 2025)
Jesse Colin Young
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
(Nov. 22, 1941 – March 16, 2025)
D’Wayne Wiggins
Image Credit: Gary Gerard Hamilton/AP Images
(March 7, 2025)
Brian James
Image Credit: Erica Echenberg/Redferns
(March 6, 2025)
Angie Stone
Image Credit: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images
(Dec. 18, 1961 – March 1, 2025)
Joey Molland
Image Credit: Bobby Bank/Getty Images
(June 21, 1947 – March 1, 2025)
David Johansen
Image Credit: Jim Dyson/Getty Images
(Jan. 9, 1950 – Feb. 28, 2025)
Robert John
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
(Jan. 3, 1946 – Feb. 24, 2025)
Chris Jasper
Image Credit: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images
(Dec. 30, 1951 – Feb. 23, 2025)
Roberta Flack
Image Credit: Anthony Barboza/Getty Images
(Feb. 10, 1937 – Feb. 24, 2025)
Rick Buckler
Image Credit: Fin Costello/Redferns
(Dec. 6, 1955 – Feb. 17, 2025)
Paquita la del Barrio
Image Credit: John Medina/WireImage
(April 2, 1947 – Feb. 17, 2025)
Gene “Groove” Allen
Image Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
(Feb. 26, 1964 – Feb. 12, 2025)
Irv Gotti
Image Credit: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for WEtv
(June 26, 1970 – Feb. 5, 2025)
Marianne Faithfull
Image Credit: Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns
(Dec. 29, 1946 – Jan. 30, 2025)
Ryan Whyte Maloney
Image Credit: Tyler Golden/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images
(Jan. 28, 2025)
DJ Unk
Image Credit: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images
(Nov. 28, 1982 – Jan. 24, 2025)
Garth Hudson
Image Credit: Steve Eichner/Getty Images
(Aug. 2, 1937 – Jan. 21, 2025)
John Sykes
Image Credit: Paul Natkin/Getty Images
(July 29, 1959 – Jan. 20, 2025)
Buck White
Image Credit: Grand Ole Opry
(Dec. 13, 1930 – Jan. 13, 2025)
Sam Moore
Image Credit: Jeremy Westby
(Oct. 12, 1935 – Jan. 10, 2025)
Peter Yarrow
Image Credit: Brad Barket/Getty Images
(May 31, 1938 – Jan. 7, 2025)
Brenton Wood
Image Credit: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images
(July 26, 1941 – Jan. 3, 2025)
Wayne Osmond
Image Credit: Gems/Redferns
(Aug. 28, 1951 – Jan. 1, 2025)
Leo Dan
Image Credit: Courtesy of Sony Latin
(March 22, 1942 – Jan. 1, 2025)
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