of our saddest jobs at SoulTracks is to inform SoulTrackers about the deaths of soul music artists. And with so many great soul artists reaching an advanced age, it seems like we’re doing this too often. On this page we provide a list of those artists who have died in 2014, in the order of the date we reported on their deaths during the year. Each artist’s name is a link to our story on him or her. Rest in Peace, friends.
| Ronny Jordan (jazz guitarist) | |
| Beloyd Taylor (singer/songwriter) | |
| Anna Gordy Gaye (Motown legend) | |
| Gwen Avery (blues and gospel singer) | |
| William “Bunny Rugs” Clarke of Third World | |
| Stevie Woods (pop and soul singer) | |
| Floyd Taylor (blues singer) | |
| Frank Reed of the Chi-Lites | |
| Charles Love of Bloodstone | |
| Wayne Henderson of the Jazz Crusaders | |
| Frankie Knuckles (House Music pioneer) | |
| Gil Askey – Motown musician and arranger | |
| Deon Jackson – 60s soul singer | |
| Alfie Davison – Singer and songwriter | |
| DJ E-Z Rock – Rap performer | |
| Jessica Cleaves – Singer (Earth Wind & Fire, The Friends of Distinction) |
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| Gabe Vigorito – Producer and De-Lite Label owner | |
| Ralph Pruitt of the Fantastic Four | |
| Jimmy Scott – Jazz vocalist | |
| Don Davis – Record producer and guitarist | |
| Casey Kasem – Broadcasting legend | |
| Bobby Womack – Singer and songwriter | |
| Tunde Ra Aleem – singer and keyboardist | |
| Jimi Jamison of Survivor | |
| Joe Sample – Legendary jazz pianist | |
| Augie Johnson of Side Effect | |
| Henry “Big Bank Hank” Jackson of the Sugar Hill Gang | |
| Jimmy Ruffin – Motown singer | |
| Frances Nero – Singer | |
| Shirley Mae Silvers, matriarch of The Sylvers family | |
| Winfred “Blue” Lovett of the Manhattans | |
| Sonny Bivins of the Manhattans | |
| Joe Cocker (rock and soul singer) | |
| Other Deaths: | Johnny Allen (Motown pianist and arranger)
Jo Jo Benson (singer) Jack Bruce of Cream Cubie Burke of the Five Stairsteps Lynsey de Paul (singer) Paul Goddard (Atlanta Rhythm Section guitarist) Gerry Goffin (songwriter) Tim Hauser of the Manhattan Transfer Teenie Hodges (guitarist) John Holt (reggae star) Charles Hearndon (guitarist for The New Birth) Linda Hornbuckle (blues singer) Herb Jeffries – (Jazz singer) Raymond Johnson – (Keyboardist for The Dramatics) Glenn LaRusso (Salsoul Records exec) Cosimo Matassa – (Recording engineer) Idris Muhammad (famed drummer) Sista Monica Parker (soul/blues singer) Larry Ramos of the Association Wendy Rene (singer) Horace Silver (jazz pianist) Vernon Slaughter (music executive) Larry Smith (Rap producer)Henry Stone (record executive) Johnny Winter |
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