michael Lang, the founder and promoter of the Woodstock Music Festival died on Jan. 8 from a rare illness. Although the original Woodstock was a logistical disaster and money pit, the image of the show softened over time as its place in music and cultural history became more important.

The man who banked on Metallica also died early in 2022. Jonny Z, founder of Megaforce Records, was the man who saw potential in the thrash upstarts from a flea market demo tape. Members of the band were understandably broken when they heard the news. Metalheads owe a lot to Jonny Z.

Read on to find out some of the other significant deaths in the rock and metal world that have taken place in 2022. And may your favorite rockers continue to live long and prosper.

Rockers We’ve Lost in 2022

Rock + Metal Musicians Who Died in 2022

Stephen J. Cohen, Getty Images

Jeremiah Green

Modest Mouse drummer Jeremiah Green died on Dec. 31, 2022, at age 45. Along with frontman Isaac Brock, Green formed the band in 1993. He left the group in 2003 after suffering a nervous breakdown, just before the recording of ‘Good News for People Who Love Bad News.’ He returned to the band in 2004 and remained until his death. Green’s drumming has been celebrated for its loose, yet intricate style — combining the swing of jazz with the lock-step solidarity of traditional rock ‘n’ roll. His drumming helped define a sound now associated with modern indie music and brought Modest Mouse to its rank as a celebrated cult band before their eventual breakout in the mid-2000s.

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Vivienne Westwood

Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood died on Dec. 29, 2022. She is widely regarded as the pioneer of punk rock fashion alongside onetime Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren. Together, they operated the iconic boutique SEX, which dealt in punk clothing and other rock-related paraphernalia.

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Terry Hall

Terry Hall, an early singer in influential ska/new wave group The Specials, died on Dec, 18, 2022. He sang on the band’s first two albums, The Specials and More Specials and, after rejoining when The Specials reformed in 2008, he sang on an additional two records.

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Rick Anderson

Rick Anderson, the bass guitar player who helped found the arty, glammy San Francisco rockers The Tubes, died at the age of 75 on Dec. 16, 2022. The band was known for it’s hits “She’s a Beauty” and “White Punks On Dope.”

The Tubes, on Facebook, shared photos of Anderson and said “Rick brought a steady and kind presence to the band for 50 years. His love came through his bass.”

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Kim Simmonds

Kim Simmonds, the long-time guitarist of U.K. blues rock band Savoy Brown, passed away at the age of 75 on Dec. 13, 2022. The band confirmed the news on social media and shared the lyrics of their 1971 song “All I Can Do” to commemorate their revered co-founding member.

“You’ve gone away / I’ll get by somehow / Just right now / All I can do is cry,” the post begins, also stating, “Please note one of Kim’s last requests was to thank the fans of Savoy Brown – your support was, and shall always be, immensely appreciated.”

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Jet Black

Jet Black, the drummer for punk stalwarts The Stranglers, died at the age of 84 on Dec. 6, 2022. Born Brian John Duffy, Black died at his home in Wales following years of ill health.

The musician was a founding member of the band, starting with the group in 1974 and he continued to sit behind the kit with them until 2018 when he “semi-retired” from touring. The Stranglers were quite big in the U.K., where they had plenty of Top 10 hits.

The Stranglers shared the news on their social media accounts with a tweet that read, “It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of our dear friend and colleague Jet Black. Jet died peacefully at home surrounded by his family. Fond adieu, fly straight JB.”

Evening Standard/Hulton Archive, Getty Images

Christine McVie

Christine McVie, singer and keyboardist for classic rock icons Fleetwood Mac, died at the age of 79 on Nov. 30, 2022. Her family issued a statement saying she “passed away peacefully at hospital… following a short illness.” McVie and Steve Nicks were a powerful one-two vocal punch for the prolific hitmakers during the 70’s and 80’s.

The band had this to say about McVie’s passing: “There are no words to describe our sadness at the passing of Christine MCVie. She was truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure. She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life. We were so lucky to have a life with her. Individually and together, we cherished Christine deeply and are thankful for the amazing memories we have. She will be so very missed. – Fleetwood Mac.”

Peter Noble, Redferns

Keith Levene

Keith Levene, an English guitarist/songwriter who co-founded The Clash and Public Image Ltd, died at the age of 65 on Nov. 11, 2022. As reported by The Guardian, he’d been battling liver cancer at the time. Although he never played on any Clash albums, he did appear on the first three Public Image Ltd records: 1978’s Public Image: First Issue, 1979’s Metal Box and 1981’s The Flowers of Romance. He also helped produce demos for Red Hot Chili Peppers’ third album, 1987’s The Uplift Mofo Party Plan.

Evening Standard / Hulton Archive, Getty Images

Nik Turner

Nik Turner, who served two stints as a member of the space rock outfit Hawkwind, died at the age of 82 on Nov. 10, 2022. Turner was a multi-talented musician who was known for playing both flute and saxophone with the band, while also serving as a vocalist and composer. Turner was first a roadie to the newly formed band, but once they learned he could play saxophone he was offered a position within the group. He was let go in 1976, and invited back in 1982 until he was let go again from the band in 1984.

YouTube: Larry Wyse

Garry Roberts

Garry Roberts, the founding lead guitarist of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats, died the week of Nov. 7, 2022, at the age of 72.

The Boomtown Rats began as a pub rock act before combining power pop and new wave in their songwriting to become U.K. hit-makers with tracks such as “Like Clockwork” (1978) and “I Don’t Like Mondays” (1979). They disbanded in 1986, but reformed in 2013, with Roberts at the helm.

No cause of death was given.

Facebook: Dan Fawcett

Dan Fawcett

Dan Fawcett, who played guitar in the longtime Canadian hard rock band Helix in the early 2000s, was found murdered on Nov. 6, 2022, in Gibbons Park in London, Ontario, Canada, according to the CBC. He was 52 years old. London police had closed off a section of Gibbons Park for what they first said was a suspicious death investigation. The next day (Nov. 7), police confirmed the man found dead was Fawcett and said he was likely the victim of a homicide.

Fawcett was a member of Helix from 2002 to 2004. He doesn’t appear on any of their studio albums.

His bandmate, Helix lead singer Brian Vollmer, posted on Facebook.

“Yesterday Dan Fawcett, who played guitar for HELIX around 2000, was found murdered in a North London park,” Vollmer said. “Dan was a sweet guy, always smiling, and a great guitar player as well. No details have been released yet, so there’s little more I can say here. All I can say is that both [my wife] and I are in shock.”

Hulton Archive, Getty Images

Dan McCafferty

The original and longtime vocalist for Nazareth, Dan McCafferty, died Nov. 8, 2022 at the age of 76.

Nazareth was a prolific classic rock act, at their peak in the 70’s and early 80’s. They released 23 albums, and McCafferty was a part of every one of them. Their 1974 cover of “Love Hurts” was their biggest song. McCafferty left the band in and released a solo album in 2019.

His former bandmate and bassist for Nazareth, Pete Agnew, memorialized him on social media. “Dan died at 12:40 today (Nov. 8). This is the saddest announcement I ever had to make. Maryann and the family have lost a wonderful loving husband and father, I have lost my best friend and the world has lost one of the greatest singers who ever lived. Too upset to say anything more at this time. – Pete.”

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D.H. Peligro

Dead Kennedys drummer D.H. Peligro (real name Darren Henley,) died from head trauma after an accidental fall on Oct. 28. He was 63. Peligro drummed with the Kennedys before their split in 1986, then returned after they reunited in 2001. During that downtime, he played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nailbomb, Lock-Up, and SSI.

Sean Gowdy

Jerry Lee Lewis

50’s Rock pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis died Oct. 28 at the age of 87. With erroneous reports of his death leading up to his actual passing, his publicist said that Lewis had a variety of illnesses in recent years.

Lewis was famous for many early rock hits like “Great Balls of Fire,” “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On,” and “Breathless,” as well as his electric live piano playing where he’d stand up, pound the keys and sing.

Lewis was married seven times, once infamously. He was briefly “cancelled” after the public learned that his third wife was not only his cousin, but also 13 years old. This was seemingly forgotten about after more hit songs that poured out of him.

A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Lewis said he wanted to be remembered as a guy “(who) played the piano and sang rock ‘n’ roll.”

YouTube: EMIMusic

Paul Stoddard

Paul Stoddard, vocalist for the metalcore group Diecast, was reported to have passed on Oct. 26, 2022. The bands drummer, Dennis Pavia, posted this on his Facebook page, “I’m at a complete loss for words and absolutely crushed. You are a band mate, a friend, a brother. A thousand band/tour memories and stories just went through my head in a fraction of a second as I am writing this. From recording to traveling all over the place, arguing to laughing hysterically… I’m gonna miss you. RIP Pauly”

Stoddard joined Diecast in 2003 and sang on their last two albums.

No cause of death was given.