Brian Wilson, Ozzy Osbourne, Sly Stone & Roberta Flack All Died This Year: How Can the 2026 Grammys Properly Honor All of Them?

The 2026 Grammy telecast is much than 4 months away, but the In Memoriam spot is already filling up. In fact, astatine slightest 4 euphony legends person died this twelvemonth who could easy warrant a abstracted spot connected the show: Brian Wilson, Ozzy Osbourne, Sly Stone and Roberta Flack. (All 4 received beingness accomplishment awards from the Recording Academy – Wilson arsenic portion of The Beach Boys; Osbourne arsenic portion of Black Sabbath.)

In caller years, the Grammys person enactment an other spotlight connected 1 oregon much precocious deceased artists per year, sometimes arsenic portion of the In Memoriam spot and sometimes isolated from it. Last year, Quincy Jones got a six-song tribute. In 2024, the In Memoriam conception included extended tributes to Tony Bennett, Sinéad O’Connor, Clarence Avant and Tina Turner.

In 2023, Loretta Lynn, Takeoff from Migos and Christine McVie from Fleetwood Mac got other radiance successful the In Memoriam spot, arsenic did Broadway fable Stephen Sondheim the twelvemonth before. In 2021, Little Richard, Kenny Rogers, John Prine and Gerry Marsden of Gerry & the Pacemakers got other attraction successful the In Memoriam spot. (The second radical had a deed successful 1965 with Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” which was a earthy for the spot.)

In 2020, Boyz II Men sang “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” successful tribute to hoops fable Kobe Bryant, who had died successful a chopper clang the greeting of the Grammy ceremony. The In Memoriam spot that twelvemonth enactment other absorption connected Nipsey Hussle and Dr. John.

In summation to the 4 euphony legends named astatine the apical of this article, the database of euphony greats who person died since the Grammy telecast connected Feb. 2, 2024 includes songwriter Alan Bergman, who received a trustees grant from the Recording Academy (the equivalent of a beingness accomplishment grant for behind-the-scenes talent) successful 2013, on with his precocious wife, Marilyn Bergman.

Eddie Palmieri and Lalo Schifrin were some honored by the Latin Recording Academy. Palmieri received a beingness accomplishment grant successful 2013; Schifrin was voted a trustees grant successful 2017.

Other noteworthy artists and behind-the-scenes endowment who person died since the past Grammy telecast see Brett James, Bobby Hart, Jeannie Seely, Flaco Jimenez, Tom Lehrer, Cleo Laine, Chuck Mangione, Connie Francis, Bobby Sherman, Lou Christie, Rick Derringer, Charles Strouse, Johnny Rodriguez, Johnny Tillotson, Angie Stone, Alf Clausen and Robert John.

The roster besides includes galore radical champion known for their enactment arsenic portion of groups, including Rick Davies of Supertramp, Mark Volman of The Turtles, Clem Burke of Blondie, Jesse Colin Young of The Youngbloods, David Johansen of New York Dolls, Chris Jasper of The Isley Brothers, Brent Hinds of Mastodon, Bobby Whitlock of Derek and the Dominos, Walter Scott Jr. of The Whispers, Mick Ralphs of Bad Company and Mott the Hoople, Wayne L...