January 2026 started off with a cold, hard fact: Death is inevitable.
The first major musician death to make the news this year was that of Jim McBride, the Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame artist known for penning country hits alongside Alan Jackson; he died days into the new year on Jan. 6 at age 78. Among his most known songs that he collabed with the country star on were “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow,” “Someday,” “That’s All I Need to Know,” “(Who Says) You Can’t Have It All” and “Chattahoochee,” with the last song peaking at No. 48 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1993.
Days later, on Jan. 10, Colombian singer-songwriter Yeison Jiménez passed away in a plane crash that took the lives of six people. He was 34. Deadheads were stunned the same day when a statement on Bob Weir’s Instagram account announced that the Grateful Dead founding member had died at 78 after beating lung cancer, but had “succumbed to underlying lung issues.”
Another unexpected death of a celebrated artist was announced before the new year was even two weeks old. Grammy-nominated musician John Forté, who is known for his work with the Fugees, was found dead at age 50 in his Massachusetts home on Jan. 12. Fugees singer Lauryn Hill paid tribute to her late collaborator days later, writing on Instagram, “This loss is unexpected and surreal and my heart aches… for his family, for his wife, for his children, for his friends, and for all of us who were blessed to know him.”
Then on Feb. 25, hours after the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame revealed that the Wu-Tang Clan had received its first nomination for induction, the iconic hip-hop group confirmed that co-founder Oliver “Power” Grant had died at age 52. And just two days later, legendary singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka’s family announced that the musician behind hits such as “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” had died at 86.
Though the year is still young, Billboard remembers the musicians who have passed so far in 2026.
Oliver Tree
(June 29, 1993 – June 14, 2026)
Carlos “Indio” Solari
(Jan. 17, 1949 – June 5, 2026)
Peabo Bryson
(April 13, 1951 – June 2, 2026)
Dexter Wansel
(Aug. 22, 1950 – May 31, 2026)
Ronald LaPread
(Sept. 4, 1950 – May 30, 2026)
Rob Base
(May 18, 1967 – May 22, 2026)
Ryan Porter
(May 16, 2026)
Totó La Momposina
(Aug. 1, 1940 – May 17, 2026)
Claudine Longet
(Jan. 29, 1942 – May 14, 2026)
Clarence Carter
(Jan. 14, 1936 – May 13, 2026)
Nedra Talley Ross
(Jan. 27, 1946 – April 26, 2026)
Dylan Carter
(April 25, 2026)
Alan Osmond (right)
(June 22, 1949 – April 20, 2026)
Don Schlitz
(Aug. 29, 1952 – April 16, 2026)
Lucha Moreno
(April 23, 1939 – April 15, 2026)
Afrika Bambaataa
(April 17, 1957 – April 9, 2026)
Gwendolyn Chisolm
(Oct. 20, 1959 – April 6, 2026)
James Gadson
(June 17, 1939 – April 2, 2026)
Christopher North
(Jan. 26, 1951 – March 30, 2026)
DJ Dan
(July 8, 1968 – March 28, 2026)
Dash Crofts
(Aug. 14, 1938 – March 25, 2026)
Chip Taylor
(March 21, 1940 – March 23, 2026)
Ronnie Bowman
(July 9, 1961 – March 22, 2026)
Chuck Norris
(March 10, 1940 – March 19, 2026)
Phil Campbell
(May 7, 1961 – March 13, 2026)
Lord Sear
(July 7, 1973 – March 11, 2026)
Tommy DeCarlo
(April 23, 1965 – March 9, 2026)
Country Joe McDonald
(Jan. 1, 1942 – March 7, 2026)
Neil Sedaka
(March 13, 1939 – Feb. 27, 2026)
Oliver “Power” Grant
(Nov. 3, 1973 – Feb. 23, 2026)
Willie Colon
(April 28, 1950 – Feb. 21, 2026)
Billy Steinberg (left)
(Feb. 26, 1950 – Feb. 16, 2026)
Tim Very
(Nov. 22, 1983 – Feb. 14, 2026)
Andrew Ranken
(Nov. 13, 1953 – Feb. 10, 2026)
Brad Arnold
(Sept. 27, 1978 – Feb. 7, 2026)
Greg Brown
(February 2026)
Lamonte McLemore (second from right)
(Sept. 17, 1935 – Feb. 3, 2026)
Chuck Negron
(June 8, 1942 – Feb. 2, 2026)
Billy “Bass” Nelson (second from right)
(Jan. 28, 1951 – Jan. 31, 2026)
Lowell “Sly” Dunbar
(May 10, 1952 – Jan. 26, 2026)
Francis Buchholz
(Feb. 19, 1954 – Jan. 22, 2026)
John Forté
(Jan. 30, 1975 – Jan. 12, 2026)
Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin (right)
(January 2026)
Bob Weir
(Oct. 16, 1947 – Jan. 10, 2026)
Yeison Jimenez
(1991 – Jan. 10, 2026)
Guy Moon
(Feb. 7, 1962 – Jan. 8, 2026)
Jim McBride
(April 28, 1947 – Jan. 6, 2026)
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