Deaths on March 6

Francis Magalona, Filipino rapper, producer, and actor (b. 1964)

Francis Michael Durango Magalona (October 4, 1964 – March 6, 2009), also known by the moniker Francis M, was a Filipino rapper, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, actor, and television personality. He is widely regarded as the best and the most successful local Filipino rapper of all-time. Born in Manila, he is often credited as the pioneer of Pinoy hip-hop as he was the first Filipino rapper in the Philippines to cross over into the mainstream. He became a significant influence to artists in the Pinoy hip-hop scene and the local rap community.

Beyond music, Magalona was also a television host on MTV Asia and Channel V Philippines and on the noontime variety television show Eat Bulaga!. Magalona died on March 6, 2009, seven months after being diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia. Magalona was later awarded a posthumous Presidential Medal of Merit. The award's citation noted that it had been given "for his musical and artistic brilliance, his deep faith in the Filipino and his sense of national pride that continue to inspire us."