List of Famous people who died at 81

Philip Medley was an American songwriter notable for his composition "Twist & Shout", which he wrote along with Bert Russell. The song was made famous by both The Isley Brothers and The Beatles. Medley also wrote "A Million to One" and co-wrote "If I Didn't Have a Dime" for Gene Pitney with Russell. He was also a co-writer of the song "Killer Joe," recorded by many bands including the Rocky Fellers, the Rivieras and the Kingsmen. In 1994, he played guitar for The Jeffersons at the Great Oak Farm Benefit. He wrote "Styrofoam Airplane".

Allen Joseph Ellender was a U.S. senator from Houma in Terrebonne Parish in south Louisiana, who served from 1937 until 1972 when he died in office in Maryland at the age of eighty-one. He was a Democrat who was originally allied with Huey Long. As Senator he compiled a generally conservative record, voting 77% of the time with the Conservative Coalition on domestic issues. A staunch segregationist, he signed the Southern Manifesto in 1956, voted against the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and opposed anti-lynching legislation in 1938. Unlike many Democrats he was not a "hawk" in foreign policy and opposed the Vietnam War.

Adriano Zanaga was an Italian racing cyclist. He won stage 4 of the 1924 Giro d'Italia. In 1922 and 1925 he won Milano–Torino.

Pier Angelo Mazzolotti (1890–1972) was an Italian screenwriter and film director of the silent era. He directed the 1915 film Titanic which, despite its title, is not about the sinking of the RMS Titanic.

Bernard Vernier-Palliez was a French businessman, diplomat, and French Ambassador to the United States, from 1982 to 1984.

Bernard Osgood Koopman was a French-born American mathematician, known for his work in ergodic theory, the foundations of probability, statistical theory and operations research.

James Peter Fitzpatrick was an American rugby union player who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics.