The Day of the Dead is a Mexican celebration to honor people we’ve loved that have died. In music we’ve lost many talented and distinguished personalities and… it is not that we don’t notice the absence of Cobain, Lennon, Harrison, Morrison, Marley or even Gershwin, but in this particular Día de Muertos we celebrate:

1. Elliott Smith
1969–2003
American singer/songwriter and musician.
Notable work: Either/Or

2. Celia Cruz
1925–2003
Cuban-American salsa singer.
Notable work: ¡100% Azucar!: The Best of Celia Cruz

3. Ian Curtis
1956–1980
English, lead singer and lyricist of Joy Division.
Notable work: Substance

4. Johnny Cash
1932–2003
American country/rock and roll singer/songwriter.
Notable work: Man in Black: Greatest Hits

5. Joe Strummer
1952–2002
English, co-founder, lyricist and lead singer of The Clash.
Notable work: London Calling

6. James Brown
1933–2006
American entertainer, singer, songwriter and record producer.
Notable work: 20 All-Time Greatest Hits!

7. Mark Sandman
1952–1999
American songwriter, musical instrument inventor and multi-instrumentalist, lead singer of Morphine.
Notable work: Cure for Pain

8. Ol’ Dirty Bastard
1968–2004
American MC, co-founder of the Wu-Tang Clan.
Notable work: Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

9. Suba
1961–1999
Serbian musician and composer and one of Brazil’s most prominent producers.
Notable work: São Paulo Confessions

10. Juan García Esquivel
1918–2002
Mexican band leader, pianist, and film score composer.
Notable work: Space-Age Bachelor Pad Music

11. Barry White
1944–2003
American record producer and singer/songwriter.
Notable work: All-Time Greatest Hits

12. Miguel “Angá” Díaz
1961–2006
Cuban percussionist.
Notable work: Echu Mingua

13. Compay Segundo
1907–2003
Cuban musician and songwriter.
Notable work: Calle Salud / Buena Vista Social Club

14. Fela Kuti
1938–1997
Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer.
Notable work: Shuffering and Shmiling / Gentleman

15. Max Roach
1924–2007
American jazz, bebop/hard bop percussionist, drummer, and composer.
Notable work: Jazz at Massey Hall / Percussion Bitter Sweet

16. Ibrahim Ferrer
1927–2005
Cuban singer and musician.
Notable work: Buena Vista Social Club Presents: Ibrahim Ferrer / Buena Vista Social Club

17. And all your loved ones
The people you’ve loved that is now gone, we salute them… (happy Day of the Dead dad!)