Joey Ramone

popular name: Michel Delpech

date_of_death: January 2, 2016

age: 69

cause_of_death: Throat cancer

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Michel Delpech (1946–2016) was a celebrated French singer-songwriter whose smooth voice and melodic pop chansons made him one of France’s most beloved artists from the late 1960s onward. He rose to fame with early successes such as Chez Laurette, before achieving major popularity in the 1970s with iconic hits like Wight Is Wight, Pour un flirt, and Que Marianne était jolie, songs that blended gentle lyricism with themes of youth, love, and idealism. Though his career later experienced quiet periods, Delpech repeatedly returned to the spotlight, releasing reflective albums that revealed a more introspective and spiritual side. His personal life was marked by both reinvention and struggle, including battles with depression and, later, throat cancer. Even as illness advanced, he continued to write—publishing books and releasing music that explored resilience and hope. Fans today can visit him at his tomb at Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise in Paris, France.

popular name: Clifford Brown

date_of_death: June 26, 1956

age: 25

cause_of_death: Automobile accident

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Clifford Brown was only 25 when he died in a car accident in 1956, yet the rich body of work he left behind sealed his reputation as one of the greatest trumpet players who ever lived. Quincy Jones even described Brown as one of the most important musicians of all time. “I believe that a hundred years from now, when people look back at the 20th century, they will look at Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Clifford Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dizzy Gillespie as our Mozarts, our Chopins, our Bachs, and Beethovens.” Clifford Brown was gifted with a fat warm tone, a bop-ish style quite reminiscent of the equally ill-fated Fats Navarro, and a mature improvising approach; he was as inventive on melodic ballads as he was on rapid jams. In June 1956, Brown and Richie Powell embarked on a drive to Chicago for their next appearance. Powell's wife Nancy was at the wheel so that Clifford and Richie could sleep. While driving at night in the rain on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, west of Bedford, she is presumed to have lost control of the car, which went off the road, killing all three in the resulting crash. After his death his compositions "Sandu", "Joy Spring", and "Daahoud" have become jazz standards. Brown won the DownBeat magazine Critics' Poll for New Star of the Year in 1954; he was inducted into the DownBeat Hall of Fame in 1972.

popular name: Illinois Jacquet

date_of_death: July 22, 2004

age: 81

cause_of_death: Heart attack

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Although Illinois Jacquet may be best remembered as the tenor saxophonist who defined the screeching style of playing the instrument, his warm and sensitive tone may also be heard on countless jazz ballads and medium groove-tempo numbers since the mid 1940s. Jacquet was widely recognized as the king of the tenor saxophone and during a career spanning more than 60 years, Jacquet played with everyone from Count Basie to Cab Calloway to Lionel Hampton, and gained notoriety for his illustrious saxophone solo in the hit "Flying Home." He also doubled on the bassoon, and was one of only a few jazz musicians to play the instrument.