"J", 39, American songwriter, music producer and rapper October 4 Levi Kereama, 27, Australian musician Alfred Gallodoro, 95, American jazz musician October 9 – Gidget Gein, 39, American bassist (Marilyn Manson) October 10 Alton Ellis, 70, Jamaican rocksteady musician Dave Wright, 64 (The Troggs) October 11 Russ Hamilton, 78, British singer Neal Hefti, 85, American jazz trumpeter and composer October 13 – Gus Chambers, 52, British vocalist October 15 – Frankie Venom, 51, Canadian vocalist (Teenage Head) October 17 – Levi Stubbs, 72, American vocalist (The Four Tops) October 18 Peter Gordeno, 69, Burmese singer Dave McKenna, 78, American jazz pianist Dee Dee Warwick, 63, American soul singer October 24 – Merl Saunders, 74, American musician October 27 – Ray Ellis, 85, American musician October 29 – Mike Baker, 45, American singer (Shadow Gallery) October 31 – Frank Navetta, 46, American punk rock guitarist (Descendents) November November 1 Jack Reno, 72, American country singer Jimmy Carl Black, 70, American drummer (The Mothers of Invention) Nathaniel Mayer, 64, American R&B singer November 4 Alan Hazeldine, 60, Scottish conductor and pianist Byron Lee, 73, Jamaican musician November 7 – Jody Reynolds, 75, American singer November 10 Miriam Makeba, 76, South African singer Wannes Van de Velde, 71, Belgian folk singer. November 12 – Mitch Mitchell, 61, British drummer (The Jimi Hendrix Experience) November 22 – MC Breed, 37, American rapper November 23 – Richard Hickox, 60, British conductor November 24 Michael Lee, 39, British drummer (The Cult) Kenny MacLean, 52, Canadian bassist (Platinum Blonde) November 26 – Pekka Pohjola, 56, Finnish composer November 30 – Munetaka Higuchi, 49, Japanese drummer (Loudness) December December 2 – Odetta, 77, American folk musician December 9 Steve Isham, 56, American keyboardist (Autograph) Dennis Yost, 65, American vocalist (Classics IV) December 14 – Jay E. Welch, American music teacher and chorus director December 15 Davey Graham, 68, British guitarist Sandeé, 46, American freestyle singer (Exposé) (Seizure) December 17 John Sean Byrne, 61, Irish guitarist (Count Five) Feliciano Vierra Tavares, 88, American musician December 25 Eartha Kitt, 81, American singer and actress Robert Ward, 70, American blues musician December 27 – Roque Cordero, 91, Panamanian composer December 28 – Vincent Ford, 68, Jamaican reggae songwriter December 29 – Freddie Hubbard, 70, American jazz trumpeter See also List of 2008 albums Timeline of musical events References 2008-related lists Music-related lists Music by year