The music world said farewell to some very important and much loved artists in 2006.
Fans of Pink Floyd, Bad Company, the Runaways, Love, the Tubes and the Pointer Sisters all found themselves mourning the loss of founding members of their favorite bands.
The world of soul music was particularly hard hit, as the genre lost several of its most distinctive voices. That included none other the Godfather of Soul (and the hardest working man in show business, Mr. Dynamite himself!), James Brown, who died on Christmas Day.
As a singer, songwriter, bandleader, label owner and dancer, Brown spent decades establishing, breaking and re-writing the rules of music several times over with a remarkable wave of hit singles that spanned from 1956’s “Please, Please, Please” to 1985’s “Living in America.”
Read More: 15 Music Legends Who Died in 2016
Another major loss came with the death of Syd Barrett, who helped establish Pink Floyd’s early psychedelic sound as the principal songwriter on their first album, only to leave the band the following year and eventually retreat into isolation. The band would later celebrae him on 1975’s Wish You Were Here.
And sadly, those are just two of the music legends we lost in 2006, along with the only person ever to be credited alongside the Beatles on a single, one-third of one of the most popular pop groups of the ’80s, and the man whose death finally brought Led Zeppelin back together for a full concert.
You can see our list of 12 music legends who died in 2006 in the gallery below.
20 Years Gone: 12 Music Legends Who Died in 2006
A look at 12 music legends who died in 2006.
Gallery Credit: Matthew Wilkening
