American singer Donna Godchaux died from cancer at a Nashville hospice at the age of 78. She was best known for having been a member of Grateful Dead from 1972 until 1979. She had worked as a session singer in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, eventually singing with a group called Southern Comfort. She appeared as a backup singer on at least two No.1 hit songs: 'When a Man Loves a Woman' by Percy Sledge in 1966 and 'Suspicious Minds' by Elvis Presley in 1969. Her vocals were featured on other classic recordings by Boz Scaggs, Duane Allman, Cher, Joe Tex, Neil Diamond and many others.

Mariah Carey was no longer being sued for copyright infringement over her hit song 'All I Want for Christmas is You', after country singer Andy Stone dropped his legal action. Mr Stone, who performs under the name Vince Vance with the band the Valiants, previously filed the lawsuit in a New Orleans federal court. He was claiming at least $20m (£16m) in damages, arguing that Carey exploited his "popularity" and "style".

Irish-born American rock musician, singer and songwriter Declan Mulligan died age 83. He was best known as a guitarist of rock band The Beau Brummels that formed in San Francisco in 1964 and broke into the mainstream with their debut single, ‘Laugh, Laugh'.

American guitarist Glenn Schwartz the original guitar player of the James Gang died at the age of 78. He later joined the Los Angeles based blues band Pacific Gas & Electric and in 1970, scored a national top 20 hit with the song ‘Are You Ready?’

Taylor Swift was the highest-paid woman in music, according to Forbes' annual list, having earned more than double her nearest competitor Adele. The 26-year-old pop star had amassed earnings of $170m (£137.8m) over the past year, mainly thanks to a world tour named after her recent 1989 album.

Adele went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Hello', the lead track from her third album 25. 'Hello' became the first song to sell more than a million digital copies in a single week and the third highest weekly sales total since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991.

Acker Bilk, the clarinet player passed away at the age of 85. Bilk's 1962 instrumental tune 'Stranger on the Shore' became the UK's biggest selling single of 1962: it was in the UK charts for more than 50 weeks, peaked at No.2, and was the first No.1 single in the United States by a British artist in the era of the modern Billboard Hot 100 pop chart.

X-Factor Finalists started a three week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Hero', to raise money for Help for Heroes ‘ a charity that provides support for wounded servicemen and women, and the Poppy Appeal. The song was a Top 10 hit for Mariah Carey in 1993.

Foo Fighters released their third studio album There Is Nothing Left to Lose, the album marks the first appearance of drummer Taylor Hawkins. Early pressings of the disc included a temporary tattoo, similar to the one featured on the album cover.

American vocalist and guitarist Eva Cassidy, died of skin cancer aged 33. Two years after her death, Cassidy's music was brought to the attention of British audiences, when her versions of 'Fields of Gold' and 'Over the Rainbow' were played by Mike Harding and Terry Wogan on BBC Radio 2. She is the only artist to score three posthumous UK No.1 albums: 2001’s Songbird; 2002’s Imagine and 2003’s American Tune. In 2001 she also had a UK No.42 single with ‘Over The Rainbow’ and the 2007 UK No.1 single 'What a Wonderful World' with Katie Melua.

U2 scored their second UK No.1 single with 'The Fly', taken from their album 'Achtung Baby'. The song was also a showcase for a persona Bono had invented called "The Fly".

The Police released their debut album, Outlandos d'Amour. The working title, 'Police Brutality,' was changed to make is sound more romantic. The title loosely translates as 'Outlaws of Love' but the term 'Outlandos' is actually a mix of the words for 'Outlaws' and 'Commandos.' Elevated by the success of its lead single, 'Roxanne', Outlandos d'Amour peaked at No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart and at No. 23 in the United States. The album spawned two additional hit singles: 'Can't Stand Losing You' and 'So Lonely'.

Stevie Wonder went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'You Haven't Done Nothin', the singers fourth US No.1. The track featured The Jackson Five on backing vocals.

Creedence Clearwater Revival released Willy and the Poor Boys, the third studio album that the band released in this year. The album features the songs 'Down on the Corner', from which the album got its name, and 'Fortunate Son', which is a well known protest song and their version of the Lead Belly song 'Cotton Fields'.

Sugar Sugar by The Archies was at No.1 on the UK singles chart. The single became the longest running One Hit Wonder in the UK with eight week's at the top of the charts.

The Beatles completed recording their next single ‘Hello Goodbye’ at Abbey Road studios London with a second Paul McCartney bass line. The McCartney song had been selected for the A-side for The Beatles next single, the flip side to be Lennon’s ‘I Am The Walrus’.

Cream released their second studio album Disraeli Gears which became the group's American breakthrough, becoming a massive seller in 1968, and reaching No.4 on the American charts. The album features the two singles 'Strange Brew' and 'Sunshine of Your Love'.

Tommy Edwards was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'It's All In The Game.' Written by Charles Dawes, later Vice President of the United States under Calvin Coolidge. It is the only No.1 pop single to have been co-written by a US Vice President.

American rapper, singer, and actor Nelly, (Cornell Haynes Jr). He had the 2000 US No.1 album Country Grammar and the 2002 US & UK No. 1 single 'Dilemma'. His second album, Nellyville (2002), spawned two consecutive Billboard Hot 100 No.1 singles: 'Hot in Herre' and 'Dilemma' (featuring Kelly Rowland). Nelly has won multiple accolades throughout his career, including three Grammy Awards and nine Billboard Music Awards.

American musician, record producer, and film music composer Chris Walla, guitarist with from American rock band Death Cab for Cutie, who had the 2008 US No.1 album Narrow Stairs. He left the band in 2014. The group took the band name from the song "Death Cab for Cutie", by Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. The song is a track on the Bonzo's 1967 debut album, Gorilla, and was performed by them in The Beatles film Magical Mystery Tour.

Andy Barker, from English electronic music group 808 State who had the 1989 UK No.10 single 'Pacific State'. They took their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine.

Reginald Arvizu, bassist from American nu metal band Korn who scored the 1998 US No.1 album, Follow The Leader. Twelve of the band's official releases have peaked in the top ten of the Billboard Chart.

Bobby Dall, Poison, bassist from American rock band Poison who scored the 1988 US No.1 & 1989 UK No.13 single 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn' and have sold over 45 million records worldwide.

Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter Kathryn Dawn Lang, (k.d. Lang). She had the 1993 UK No.15 single 'Constant Craving'. Lang's career received a huge boost when Roy Orbison chose her to record a duet of his standard, 'Crying', a collaboration that won them the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals in 1989. In 2003, she won her fourth Grammy Award, for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for her collaboration with Tony Bennett on A Wonderful World. She is a vegetarian, and her "Meat Stinks" campaign in the 1990s created much controversy, particularly in her hometown, in the middle of Alberta's cattle ranching industry, where she was banned from more than 30 Alberta radio stations.

Carter Beauford, American drummer, percussionist, and founding member of Dave Matthews Band. Beauford was ranked No.10 by a Rolling Stone magazine reader's poll in 2010 for the greatest drummers of all time. Their 2018 album, Come Tomorrow, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making DMB the first band to have seven consecutive studio albums debut at the peak.

Chris Fairbrass, guitarist with English pop band Right Said Fred, who had the 1991 US No.1 & UK No.2 single ‘I’m Too Sexy’, and the 1993 UK No.1 album Up. The group was named after the novelty song "Right Said Fred", which was a hit single for singer and actor Bernard Cribbins in 1962.

British R&B and soul music singer Maxine Nightingale, who had the 1975 UK No.8 single 'Right Back Where We Started'. In 1969, Nightingale began a tenure of roughly 18 months in the West End production of Hair in London playing a supporting role and understudying the female lead role of Sheila.

American singer, and songwriter JD Souther who wrote and co-wrote songs recorded by Linda Ronstadt (Souther helped The Eagles to form as a backing band for Ronstadt) and some of the Eagles biggest hits, including 'Best of My Love', 'Victim of Love', 'Heartache Tonight' and 'New Kid in Town'. He recorded two hit songs in his solo career: 'You're Only Lonely' (1979) and 'Her Town Too' (1981), a duet with James Taylor. In 1972 he formed the Souther–Hillman–Furay Band with Chris Hillman of The Byrds and Richie Furay of Buffalo Springfield. Souther died at his home in Sandia Park, New Mexico, on 17 September 2024, at the age of 78.

English keyboardist, songwriter, composer and record producer Keith Emerson, from English progressive rock band The Nice, who had the 1968 UK hit single, an instrumental rearrangement of Leonard Bernstein's 'America'. And as Emerson, Lake and Palmer he had the 1977 UK No.2 single 'Fanfare For The Common Man'. ELP became popular immediately after their 1970 Isle of Wight Festival performance, and continued to tour regularly throughout the 1970s. Emerson died on 11 March 2016 in Santa Monica, California, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He had become "depressed, nervous and anxious" because nerve damage in his hands had hampered his playing.

English guitarist, songwriter, producer, and singer Bruce Welch, best known as a founding member of the Shadows who had the 1960 UK No.1 single 'Apache' plus 28 other UK top 40 singles. He was later a member of Marvin Welch and Farrar. Welch acted as producer for (among others) Cliff Richard and songwriter for his ex-fiancée, Olivia Newton-John. He was appointed OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2004 Birthday Honours list for services to music.

Brian Poole, British singer, the lead singer of 1960s beat band the Tremeloes (1957–1962) then Brian Poole and the Tremeloes (1962–1967). He scored the 1963 UK No.1 'Do You Love Me' and the 1967 UK No.1 & US No.11 single 'Silence Is Golden'. His daughters Karen and Shellie formed Alisha's Attic in the 90s.

American singer Jay Black, known as ‘The Voice,’ whose height of fame came in the 1960s when he was the lead singer of Jay and the Americans. The band had numerous hits including ‘Come a Little Bit Closer’, ‘Cara Mia’, and ‘This Magic Moment’. He died from pneumonia age 82 on 22 October 2021.

American singer Earl Carroll lead vocalist for the doo-wop group The Cadillacs, the group's biggest hit was 'Speedo', Carroll's subsequent nickname. He joined The Coasters in 1961. Carroll died on Nov 25th 2012.

American musician Max Crook. A pioneer of electronic music he was the featured soloist on Del Shannon’s 1961 hit 'Runaway', which he co-wrote and on which he played his own invention, the Musitron. Crook also recorded a series of instrumentals, credited as Maximilian. He died on 1 July 2020 age 83.

English singer Pearl Carr who with here husband Teddy Johnson were a English husband-and-wife team of entertainers, popular during the 1950s and early 1960s. They represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1959 and finished second with 'Sing, Little Birdie' which was a top 20 hit. Carr died on 16 February 2020 age 98.