Artists We Lost in 2018

  I  

From jazz trumpeters and blues guitarists to genre-defining soul singers and avant-garde soothsayers, DownBeat presents a look back at some of the talented performers who passed away during 2018. DB

Eddie C. Campbell (1939–2018)

Ndugu Chancler (1952-2018)

Eddy Clearwater (1935-2018)

Bob Dorough (1923–2018)

Aretha Franklin (1942-2018)

Roy Hargrove (1969–2018)

Hugh Masekela (1939-2018)

Randy Weston (1926-2018)

Nancy Wilson (1937–2018)

Otis Rush (1935-2018)

Tomasz Stańko (1942-2018)

Cecil Taylor (1929-2018)



  • Jack_DeJohnette_by_Steve_Sussman.jpg

    ​Jack DeJohnette boasted a musical resume that was as long as it was fearsome.

  • 750x750_copy.jpg

    ​D’Angelo achieved commercial and critical success experimenting with a fusion of jazz, funk, soul, R&B and hip-hop.

  • 1_Kandace_Springs_by_Joey_Kennedy_2025_Pittsburgh_Jazz_Fest_copy.jpg

    Kandace Springs channeled Shirley Horn’s deliberate phrasing and sublime self-accompaniment during her set at this year’s Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival.

  • Jim_McNeely_Courtesy_jim-mcneely.com_copy.jpg

    ​Jim McNeely’s singular body of work had a profound and lasting influence on many of today’s top jazz composers in the U.S. and in Europe.

  • Ray_Drummond_-_RI_Sutherland-Cohen_-_JAN_2019_2_copy.jpeg

    Drummond was cherished by generations of mainstream jazz listeners and bandleaders for his authoritative tonal presence, a defining quality of his style most apparent when he played his instrument unamplified.

    Bassist Ray Drummond Dies at 78

    Ray Drummond, a first-call bassist who appeared on hundreds of albums as a sideman for some of the top names in jazz…


On Sale Now
November 2025
Gary Bartz
Look Inside
Subscribe
Print | Digital | iPad