Remembering the Music Industry Players Who Died in 2024

There’s no way around it. The music industry, with all its boundless nooks and crannies, will say farewell to many behind-the-scenes players over the course of 2024. From corporate executives of all stripes, to agents, managers and live promoters, to deal-making lawyers and policy-influencing lobbyists, and studio producers and other knob-twisters and songwriters, they are all part of the fabric of music.

To honor those who have passed on, we’re highlighting these often-unsung individuals who’ve left a lasting impression across every aspect of the business. Over the course of 2024, we’ve lost important figures including exacting rock engineer Steve Albini, MTV pioneer Gale Sparrow, Columbia Records legend Dick Asher, The Fader co-founder Rob Stone, consequential lawyer Leon Wildes, a pair of BBC Radio icons, an inventor of one of music’s weirdest devices and the Svengali-like figure who gave the world Milli Vanilli.

Here are the industry players we’ve lost in 2024: