One of our saddest jobs at SoulTracks is to inform SoulTrackers about the deaths of soul music artists. And 2021 is a year in which we’ve lost some great ones.
We feel it is part of our mission to pay tribute to the legacies of these all time greats. On this page we provide a list of those artists who have died during 2021, and a link to our tributes to them. They are shown in the order of the date we reported on their deaths during the year.
Each artist’s name is a link to our written tribute to him or her.
George Buonocore of New Shades of Soul
Winfield Parker (soul and gospel singer)
Edgar “Gemini” Porter of Men at Large
James Purify (singer)
Jerry Lubbock (songwriter and arranger)
Mary Wilson of The Supremes
Danny Ray (of James Brown’s band)
Gil Saunders of Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes 
Bruce Hawes (Philadelphia soul songwriter)
Douglas Grigsby (Teena Marie’s Music Director)
James Burke of The Five Stairsteps
George Phillips, Jr. of Starpoint
Bunny Wailer (reggae legend)
Reggie Warren of Troop
Jeffrey Reeves of KC and the Sunshine Band
Patrick Juvet (disco singer)
Willie Schofield of The Falcons
Robert Bip Neal of Faze-O
Lou Wilson (soul singer)
Mark Bubba Bynum of the Bar-Kays
Lloyd Price (singer)
Wondress (singer)
Pervis Staples of the Staple Singers
Johnny Trudell (bandleader)
Al Kent (soul star)
Catherine Wilson (sister of Mary Wilson)
Walter L. Jones of Enchantment
Dean Parrish (singer)
James Dukes Jr. of Heaven and Earth
Barbara Dozier (wife of Lamont Dozier)
Sam Reed (soul and jazz singer)
Biz Markie (rapper)
Dennis Thomas of Kool and the Gang
Bruce Conte of Tower of Power
Sam Salter (singer)
Melvin Dunlap (R&B bass player)
Leonard “Doc” Gibbs (jazz and R&B drummer)
Sarah Dash of Labelle
Andrea Martin (singer and songwriter)
Dr. Lonnie Smith (blues and jazz musician)
Kuipiio Livingston (Gospel singer)
Julia Nixon (singer)
Dion Estus (singer and musician)
Regi Hargis of Brick
Tommy DeBarge of Switch
William Shelby of Lakeside and Dynasty
Ronnie Wilson of the Gap Band
Evette Benson (Philadelphia soul singer)
Marilyn McLeod (singer and noted songwriter)
Robbie Shakespeare of Sly & Robbie
Ralph Tavares of Tavares
Joe Simon (soul singer)
Wanda Young of The Marvelettes
Kangol Kid of U.T.F.O.
Paul Mitchell of The Floaters
