Soul Music Deaths during 2015

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One 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.

For the past few years, we’ve made a special point to let SoulTrackers know about artists who have passed on and to make sure we pay tribute to their legacies. On this page we provide a list of those artists who have died during 2015, 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. 

  King Sporty (Reggae singer/songwriter)
  Andrae Crouch (Gospel legend)
  Clifford Adams (R&B trombonist)
   Cynthia Layne (soul and jazz singer)
   Victor Castarphen (songwriter and musician)
   Kenneth Kelly of the Manhattans
   James “Ajax” Baynard (R&B Trumpeter)
   Charmayne Maxwell of Brownstone
   Cheryl McClurkin (singer and writer)
   Ethan White of Tortured Soul
   Mike Porcaro of Toto
   Billy Butler (singer and guitarist)
   Miriam Bienstock (Atlantic Records co-founder)
   Linton Beckles of the group Central Line
   Percy Sledge (singer)
   Johnny Kemp (singer)
   Ben E. King (singer)
   Errol Brown of Hot Chocolate
   
 B.B. King (blues legend)
   Louis Johnson of the Brothers Johnson
   Mel Waiters (Southern Soul singer)
   Andrew Wright (songwriter)
   Suzanne “Minnie” Thomas of A Taste of Honey
   Larry Johnson of the Artistics
   Mighty Sam McClain
   Michael Masser (songwriter)
   William Brown of the Mad Lads
   Donald Haywoode of the Velours
   Danny Sembello (singer and songwriter)
   Morris Alan (singer)
   Don Griffin (guitarist and Miracles singer)
   Ben Cauley of the Bar-Kays
   Wilton Felder of The Crusaders
   Ronald Abner of the Fabulous Peps
   Allan Toussaint
   Cynthia Robinson of Sly and the Family Stone
   Wally Roker of The Heartbeats
   William Guest of Gladys Knight & The Pips

 Other Deaths

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Ortheia Barnes (singer and activist) 

 Bob Belden (Jazz saxophonist)

 Marcus Belgrave (Jazz trumpeter)

 Judy Barrow-Tate (Motown singer) 

 Lenny Cocco of The Chimes

 Ornette Coleman (jazz saxophonist)

 Tony Drake (guitarist)

 Frankie Ford (singer)

 Joe Houston (saxophonist)

 Bruce Lundvall (record company executive)

 Demis Roussos (Greek singer)

 Clark Terry (Jazz Trumpeter)

 Cory Wells of Three Dog Night

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