Joey Ramone

popular name: King Curtis Ousley

date_of_death: November 13, 1971

age: 37

cause_of_death: Homicide - stabbed to death

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Playing the saxophone when he was 12, King Curtis turned down college scholarships in order to join the Lionel Hampton Band and in 1952 moved to New York to become a session musician where he recorded Nat Adderley, Wynton Kelly, Buddy Holly, Andy Williams, The Coasters, The Five Keys, Aretha Franklin and many more. His saxophone virtuosity was widely admired in rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, blues, funk and soul jazz. King Curtis and his band, The Kingpins, backed Aretha Franklin. Curtis was stabbed to death by Juan Montanez, a vagrant drug addict on the front steps of his New York home on August 13, 1971. He was only 37.

popular name: Richard Berry

date_of_death: January 24, 1997

age: 61

cause_of_death: Aneurysm complications

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Richard Berry's contribution to the world of music does not include a discussion of tonality or form; he did not conduct the Boston Symphony Orchestra, he didn't invent a new form of music and he never had a #1 hit record. Rather Richard Berry wrote and recorded a simple but indelible three-chord, famously slurred song that encouraged even the most tone deaf among us to sing along. Richard Berry wrote what has become the cornerstone of rock 'n' roll. Richard Berry wrote "Louie, Louie". Richard is buried at Inglewood Memorial Park in Inglewood, California.

popular name: Manu Dibango

date_of_death: March 24, 2020

age: 86

cause_of_death: Complications related to COVID-19

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Manu Dibango (1933–2020) was a Cameroonian saxophonist, composer, and bandleader whose genre-blending style made him one of Africa’s most influential musical ambassadors. Born in Douala, he moved to Europe as a teenager and developed his craft in Belgium and France, absorbing jazz, rhythm and blues, and other Western styles. His breakthrough came in 1972 with “Soul Makossa,” a pioneering Afro-funk track built on infectious grooves and his signature saxophone riffs; the song became a global hit and helped introduce African popular music to international audiences. Throughout his long career, Dibango collaborated with artists across genres—from Fela Kuti to Herbie Hancock—while continually exploring new sounds, including jazz, funk, reggae, and traditional Cameroonian rhythms. Beyond music, he was known for his warm personality, cultural advocacy, and mentorship of younger African musicians. He remained active into his later years, performing and recording until his death in 2020.