As well as many highlights, 2018 has also given us some sad moments too. Throughout the last 12 months, stars from music and pop culture have left this mortal plane, leaving behind great legacies for us and generations to come to enjoy and celebrate them with. As the year comes to a close, take a moment to remember those who we’ve lost in 2018.
Burt Reynolds: February 11 1936 – September 6 2018
American actor Burt Reynolds after suffering a heart attack at the age of 82. He was best known for his roles in Smokey And The Bandit and Boogie Nights, the latter of which earned him an Oscar nomination.
Chas Hodges: December 28 1943-September 22 2018
One half of Chas And Dave, Hodges died in September from pneumonia. He was the lead singer of the popular “rockney” duo, who were cited as an influence by The Libertines.
Conway Savage: July 27 1960 – September 2 2018
Conway Savage, pianist for Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, died following a battle with a brain tumour, which he had been diagnosed with in 2017. He was a member of the revered band for nearly 30 years and his bandmates paid tribute to him after his passing, calling him the “anarchic thread that ran through the band’s performances”.
Scott Hutchison: November 20 1981 – May 10 2018
Frightened Rabbits frontman Scott Hutchison’s death sparked an outpouring of tributes online and on stages across the world after his body was found in the Scottish town of South Queensferry. Death Cab For Cutie dedicated their 2018 album ‘Thank You For Today’ to his memory.
Eddie Clarke: October 5 1950 – January 10 2018
Motörhead guitarist Eddie Clarke died at the age of 67 after suffering from pneumonia. He had been the last surviving member of the band’s classic line-up and featured on some of their biggest albums, including ‘Ace Of Spades’, ‘Overkill’ and ‘No Sleep ‘Till Hammersmith’.
Josh Fauver: December 4 1978 – November 2 2018
Josh Fauver, a member of Deerhunter from 2004 to 2012, died in November at 39 years old. As playing bass for the acclaimed band, he was also deeply involved in Atlanta’s indie scene, running the label Army Of Bad Luck and featuring in bands including Electrosleep International and S.I.D.S.
Dolores O’Riordan: September 6 1971 – January 15 2018
Dolores O’Riordan died in January at the age of 46 after drowning due to alcohol intoxication. The musician led The Cranberries for seven albums and was working on new material, as well as a 25th anniversary edition of the band’s debut album, at the time of her death.
Aretha Franklin: March 25 1942 – August 16 2018
Soul queen Aretha Franklin died aged 76 from a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour. She was the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1987 and was awarded the Presidential Medal Of Freedom by George W. Bush in 2005.
Sam Mehran: August 18 1986 – July 2018
A founding member of cult dance-punk trio Test Icicles, Sam Mehran also released work under the monikers Outer Limits Recordings and Matrix Metals, and co-produced Ssion’s 2018 album ‘O’. His former Test Icicles bandmate Dev Hynes called him “a gift to the world” following his death.
Richard Swift: March 16 1977 – July 3 2018
Richard Swift died aged 41 from complications from hepatitis and liver and kidney disease. He was a former member of The Shins and The Arcs, and played as part of The Black Keys’ live band in 2014 and 2015. He also ran his own Oregon-based studio, National Freedom, and served as produced for acts including Foxygen and Damien Jurado.
Patrick Doyle
Patrick Doyle was a founding member of Veronica Falls, for whom he played drums, as well as a solo artist under the names Boys Forever and Basic Plumbing. The Scottish musician also played with acts including Sexy Kids and The Royal We before his death at 32.
Avicii: September 8 1989 – April 20 2018
EDM superstar Avicii died aged 28 in Oman after taking his own life. He released two albums – 2013’s ‘True’ and 2015’s ‘Stories’ – in his career, was nominated for two Grammy Awards, and worked with stars including David Guetta, Madonna, and Coldplay.
Yvonne Staples: 1936 – April 10 2018
A member of and manager for The Staple Singers, Yvonne Staples died after a battle with colon cancer. She first joined her siblings’ band when brother Pervis was drafted into the army, while her first album as a full-time member was 1971’s ‘The Staple Swingers’. Together, the group were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1999.
Dale Barclay
The Amazing Snakeheads’ frontman Dale Barclay died in September after he was diagnosed with grade four Glioblastoma brain cancer. An electrifying live performer, Barclay released one album, ‘Amphetamine Ballads’, on Domino with The Amazing Snakeheads, and later joined Glasgow group And Yet It Moves.
Vinnie Paul: March 11 1964 – June 22 2018
Vinnie Paul died aged 54 from dilated cardiomyopathy and coronary artery disease. He was best known as the drummer and co-founder of Pantera, but also co-founded Damageplan with brother Dimebag Darrell, and drummed with supergroup Hellyeah from their inception in 2006 until his death.
Roy Hargrove: October 16 1969 – November 2 2018
Grammy-winning trumpeter Roy Hargrove died weeks after his 49th birthday after suffering a cardiac arrest. Throughout his career, he collaborated with the likes of Erykah Badu, Common, and D’Angelo, as well as playing on The 1975’s ‘If I Believe You’ and ‘Sincerity Is Scary’. Following Hargrove’s death, the band’s Matty Healy revealed he will also feature on a track on their upcoming album ‘Notes On A Conditional Form’.
Anthony Bourdain: June 25 1956 – June 8 2018
Celebrated chef, author and TV presenter Anthony Bourdain died in June after taking his own life. Following his death, stars from across the entertainment world paid tribute to him, thanking him for changing their attitudes to food and for inspiring them with his storytelling.
Pete Shelley: April 17 1955 – December 6 2018
Pete Shelley died of a suspected heart attack in Talinn, Estonia, where he had lived since 2012. A founding member and the frontman of Buzzcocks, he was hailed as a “true original” and one of the most important figures of the punk movement.
Stan Lee: December 28 1922 – November 12 2018
Beloved Marvel Comics writer, editor, and publisher Stan Lee died in November from a cardiac arrest. He co-created many of the company’s most iconic figures, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, and The Hulk, while he made a cameo in numerous Marvel movies and other releases.
Mac Miller: January 19 1992 – September 7 2018
Rapper Mac Miller was found dead in his home in September following an accidental overdose. The 26-year-old had released his latest album ‘Swimming’ a month earlier, for which he received critical acclaim and a posthumous Grammy nomination.
Mark E Smith: March 5 1957 – January 24 2018
Mark E Smith died after a long battle with lung and kidney cancer in January. The Fall founder and frontman was prolific until his death – he released 31 studio albums with the band since forming them in 1976, as well as five solo and collaborative albums outside of the band.
Verne Troyer: January 1 1969 – April 21 2018
American actor Verne Troyer died in April at the age of 49. His death was later ruled a suicide. He was best known for playing Mini-Me in Austin Powers, but appeared in numerous big movies throughout his career, including Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, and Men In Black.
XXXTentacion: January 23 1998 – June 18 2018
Marty Balin: January 30 1942 – September 27 2018
Marty Balin, Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship co-founder, died in September at the age of 76. “Marty always reached for the stars and took us along with him,” Jefferson Airplane guitarist Jorma Kaukonen said in tribute after his death.
Ed King: September 14 1949 – August 22 2018
Ed King, guitarist and bassist for Lynyrd Skynyrd, died in August at the age of 68. He had been fighting lung cancer at the time although a cause of death was not made public. King co-wrote Skynyrd’s ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ after joining the band in 1972. He was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame alongside the surviving members of the band in 2006.
