Blues Timeline: 1980-89
1980
- [Approx. Date]: Death of Georgia White
1981
1981 March
- 07: Little Hat Jones (real name: Dennis Jones) in Naples, Texas
- 19: Death of Tampa Red (real name: Hudson Whittaker) in Chicago, Illinois
1981 September
- 09: Death of Helen Humes in Santa Monica, California
- 14: Death of Furry Lewis (real name: Walter Lewis) in Memphis, Tennessee
1982
1982 December
- 17: Death of Big Joe Williams (real name: Joseph Lee Williams; a.k.a. Po' Joe Williams) in Macon, Mississippi
1983
1983 July
- 17: Death of Roosevelt Sykes (aka Honeydripper) in New Orleans, Louisiana
1984
1984 October
- 19: Death of Buddy Moss (real name: Eugene Moss) in Atlanta, Georgia
1985
1985 November
- 24: Death of Big Joe Turner (real name: Joseph Vernon Turner Jr.) in Inglewood, California
1986
1986 September
- 06: Death of Little Brother Montgomery (real name: Eurreal Wilford Montgomery) in Chicago, Illinois
1986 November
- 01: Death of Sippie Wallace (real name: Beulah Thomas) in Detroit, Michigan
1987
1987 May
- 26: Death of Robert Wilkins (real name: Robert Timothy Wilkins) in Memphis, Tennessee
1988
1988 February
- 24: Death of Memphis Slim (full name: Peter Chatman) in Paris, France
- 28: Death of Edith North Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri
1988 October
- 19: Death of Son House (real name: Eddie James House Jr.) in Detroit, Michigan
1989
1989 January
- 20: Death of Alex Moore (real name: Alexander Herman Moore; aka Whistlin' Alex Moore) in Dallas, Texas
1989 April
- 01: Death of Lem Johnson (real name: Lemuel Charles Johnson) in New York