Rest in Peace: Rock Stars Who We’ve Lost in 2025 - Page 2

As we’ve come to understand year after year, death is unfortunately an inevitable part of life. Still, as much of a fact as that may be, the blow of experiencing loss never gets any easier, nor does reporting on the subject when it comes to the rock icons and legendary musicians.

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Here are Some of the Other Rock Stars Who We’ve Lost in 2025

Rick Davies

Richard “Rick” Davies was the founder, vocalist, keyboardist, and often sole constant member of the rock band Supertramp. He co-wrote classics like Bloody Well Right, Goodbye Stranger and Take the Long Way Home. After Roger Hodgson’s 1983 departure, Davies led the band through further albums and intermittent reunions. In 2015, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, which forced him to cancel tours. He died on Sep. 6, at age 81, at his home in East Hampton, New York, succumbing to complications of the disease.

Brent Hinds

Brent Hinds was a pioneering American guitarist and singer, best known as co-founder of the heavy metal band Mastodon, whose genre-blending sound helped define modern metal. On Aug. 20, he died in Atlanta following a motorcycle crash after his Harley collided with a SUV; he was 51. Hinds had been playing with Mastodon from its founding, until March of 2025.

Bobby Whitlock

Bobby Whitlock was born March 18, 1948, in Memphis, Tennessee, and first made his mark playing with Stax Records–affiliated soul acts. He went on to join Delaney & Bonnie and then co-found Derek & the Dominos with Eric Clapton, contributing to Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs and co-writing classics such as Bell Bottom Blues. After years in semi-retirement and occasional returns to music and painting, Whitlock died Aug. 10, at his home in Texas following a brief battle with cancer.

Terry Reid

Terry Reid, nicknamed “Superlungs” for his powerful voice, was born Nov. 13, 1949, in Cambridgeshire, England. He emerged in the 1960s with folk and rock blends, famously rejecting Jimmy Page’s offer to front Led Zeppelin and instead suggesting Robert Plant. With a sparse but passionate discography and respected session work, Reid maintained a cult following. He was diagnosed with cancer in mid-2025 and died Aug. 4, at age 75, in Rancho Mirage, California. 

Paul Mario Day

Paul Mario Day was born April 19, 1956, in Whitechapel, London. He became the first lead vocalist for Iron Maiden in 1975, though his tenure lasted only about ten months. After leaving, he fronted bands like More, Wildfire and Sweet. He died from cancer on July 29, in Newcastle, New South Wales, at age 69.

Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne, born Dec. 3, 1948, shaped heavy metal as the frontman of Black Sabbath and later, with a storied solo career boasting hits like Crazy Train. In July 2025, he performed his final show with Sabbath at Villa Park, “Back to the Beginning,” seated on a throne due to Parkinson’s disease. Seventeen days later, on July 22, he died at 76 of cardiac arrest tied to coronary artery disease and Parkinson’s with autonomic dysfunction. 

Brian Wilson

Brian Wilson, born June 20, 1942, in Inglewood, California, co-founded The Beach Boys and became renowned for his visionary songwriting and production. He steered landmark works like Pet Sounds and Good Vibrations, even as he battled mental illness, periods of seclusion and dependence on his creative therapy team. In later years, Wilson was placed under a conservatorship amid dementia after the 2024 death of his wife, Melinda. He died June 11, in his Beverly Hills home at age 82, reportedly from respiratory arrest in the setting of sepsis and related complications.

James Baker

James Baker, born on March 7, 1954, was a driving force in Australian rock and punk. He cut his teeth with The Victims in Perth, later drumming with The Scientists, Hoodoo Gurus, Beasts of Bourbon and The Dubrovniks. Baker’s fierce, propulsive style helped define the country’s underground music scene. After battling liver cancer since 2015, he died on may 5 at his home in Perth.

Mike Peters

Mike Peters, born Feb. 25, 1959, in Prestatyn, Wales, was the impassioned frontman of the rock band The Alarm. Across the 1980s he earned acclaim for anthems like Sixty Eight Guns and Strength, and later revived The Alarm in the 2000s. After decades battling lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, his illness evolved into Richter’s syndrome in 2024. Peters died April 29, at age 66.

Clem Burke

Clem Burke, born on Nov. 24, 1954, was the longtime drummer for Blondie, joining shortly after its formation and appearing on all 11 of its studio albums. His energetic, versatile drumming helped define the band’s sound, bridging punk, new wave and pop. Outside Blondie, Burke played with icons like Iggy Pop, Bob Dylan, Joan Jett and the Ramones. He died on April 6, after a private battle with cancer at age 70. 

Les Binks

Les Binks, born Aug. 8, 1951, in Portadown, Northern Ireland, rose to fame as Judas Priest’s drummer from 1977 to 1979, playing on Stained Class, Killing Machine and Unleashed in the East. Prior to that he played with acts like Roger Glover’s Butterfly Ball, Fancy, and more. His exit from Priest stemmed from disputes over compensation. Binks died on March 15, in a London hospital at age 73; the cause was not disclosed publicly.

David Johansen

David Johansen, born Jan. 9, 1950, became a defining voice in rock as the lead singer of the New York Dolls and later as lounge-persona Buster Poindexter. His musical reinventions spanned punk, glam and blues, and he also acted in films like Scrooged. After years battling cancer and suffering a back injury, he died on Feb. 28, at age 75, at his Staten Island home.

Snowy Fleet

Gordon “Snowy” Fleet, born Aug. 16, 1939, was the English-born Australian drummer best known for his time with The Easybeats from 1964 to 1967. He helped anchor the band’s early hits like Friday on My Mind and reportedly came up with its name. After leaving music to stay close to family, he ran a construction business and rehearsal studio in Perth. Fleet died on Feb. 19, at his home in Perth at 85.

Rick Buckler

Rick Buckler, born Dec. 6, 1955, in Woking, England, was the drummer for the mod-punk trio The Jam. His steady, inventive beat underpinned six studio albums and 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the UK. After The Jam’s 1982 split, he worked in production, ran a furniture and carpentry business, and later rejoined music with From the Jam. Buckler died Feb. 17, at age 69 after a brief illness in his hometown of Woking.

Sal Maida

Sal Maida, born July 29, 1948, was an American bassist known for his eclectic career across rock, glam and power pop. Raised in Little Italy, New York, he relocated to London after college and played with Roxy Music, Sparks, Milk ’N’ Cookies and more. He also authored a memoir, Four Strings, Phony Proof (2014), and co-wrote The White Label Promo Preservation Society Vol. 2 (2023). Maida died in New York on Feb. 1, after complications from a fall in December.

Bruce Howe

Bruce Howe, born March 17, 1947, was a pioneering Australian bassist best known for anchoring the rock band Fraternity, where he helped mentor voices like Bon Scott and Jimmy Barnes. With Fraternity, he co-wrote charting hits such as Seasons of Change and If You Got It. For years, he worked alongside Barnes, contributing to solo works including Bodyswerve and For the Working Class Man. After a prolonged illness, Howe died on Jan. 29, in Semaphore, South Australia, at age 77. 

Garth Hudson

Garth Hudson, born Aug. 2, 1937, was a Canadian multi-instrumentalist renowned as the keyboardist and saxophonist for The Band, and the last surviving original member. With his jazz-inflected playing, especially on the Lowrey organ, Hudson helped define the group’s sound. He died peacefully in his sleep at a nursing home in Woodstock, New York, on Jan. 21, at age 87.