It’s still early in 2026, but we’ve already lost some amazing talent that have played their roles in furthering the legacy of rock and metal music.
One of the first deaths of the year came on Jan. 10 when Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead died at the age of 78. The guitarist and singer left behind an incredible legacy of music and helped to keep the spirit of the Dead alive after the death of singer Jerry Garcia in the ’90s.
This year also saw the heartbreaking death of 3 Doors Down frontman Brad Arnold, who died on Feb. 7 at the age of 47 after being diagnosed with stage 4 clear cell renal cell carcinoma in 2025.
READ MORE: Rockers Pay Tribute to Late 3 Doors Down Singer Brad Arnold
So far in 2026 we have also seen the deaths of Three Dog Night‘s Chuck Negron, Scorpions‘ Francis Buchholz, Cake’s Greg Brown and more.
You can scroll through the gallery to see some of the incredible musicians and industry pros that we’ve lost in 2026 and we encourage you to return as we’ll continue to update this post throughout the year as sadly more deaths are added.
And below our 2026 list of rock and metal deaths, you can check out our In Memoriam for the musicians we lost in 2025.
Rockers We’ve Lost in 2026
The year has already seen the loss of some amazing talents from the rock and metal world.
Gallery Credit: Chad Childers, Loudwire
In Memoriam: Rockers We’ve Lost in 2025
There’s some amazing talent that’s no longer with us, but what a legacy they left behind.
Gallery Credit: Chad Childers, Loudwire

