Most Shocking Rock and Roll DeathsBy
Rachel and Douglas Share:
Sphere: Related Content
Let us start by saying that by “most shocking” deaths, we’re not referring to the typical rock star drug overdose or alcohol induced death (Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Layne Staley, Shannon Hoon, Bradley Nowell, Tim Buckley, Tim Hardin, Hank Williams, etc.). This list is strictly based on shocking, unexpected deaths that took the entire world by surprise. GUN VIOLENCE
Sam Cooke (33 yrs old)  Cooke died on December 11, 1964, in Los Angeles, California. He was shot to death by Bertha Franklin, manager of the Hacienda Motel in South Los Angeles, who claimed that he had threatened her, and that she killed him in self-defense. The shooting was ultimately ruled to be a justifiable homicide.
John Lennon (40 yrs old)  On the evening of December 8, 1980, Lennon was shot 4 times in the back outside his apartment building, the Dakota, in New York City by Mark Chapman, for whom Lennon had signed an autograph earlier that evening. Chapman was charged with 2nd degree murder and sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. To this day, after 28 years, he is still behind bars.
 On April 1, 1984, the day before his 45th birthday, Gaye’s father shot and killed him after an argument that had started after his parents argued over misplaced business documents. His father pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received 6 years of probation. Charges of first degree murder were dropped after the discovery of Marvin Sr’s brain tumor.
 On September 11, 1987, just after Tosh had returned to his home in Jamaica, a three-man gang came to his house demanding money. They stayed at his residence for several hours in an attempt to extort money from the reggae star. Upon realizing that they would not get anything from the robbery, the gangs leader put a gun to Peters head and fired twice killing him instantly.
 At the Days Inn hotel in Corpus Christi on the morning of March 31, 1995, the “queen of Tejano music” was shot in the back by her fan club president, Yolanda Saldívar, after learning that Saldivar had been embezzling money from the Latina star’s boutiques. The movie, “Selena,” starring Jennifer Lopez was made based on the story about Selena’s life and murder.
Tupac Shakur (25 yrs old)  On September 7, 1996, Shakur was shot four times in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. The murder remains unsolved. Some speculate that because of the “feud” between Tupac and Biggie, that maybe Biggie collaborated in the murder. He, as well as his family, relatives, and associates, have vehemently denied the accusation.
Notorious B.I.G. (24 yrs old)  Biggie was gunned down in Los Angeles in March 9, 1997. He was in California to promote his upcoming album, “Life After Death.” The murder remains unsolved although there are numerous theories about who was responsible, including ones that implicate the Southside Compton Crips and Marion “Suge” Knight, co-founder of Death Row Records.
Jam-Master Jay of Run DMC (37 yrs old)  On October 30, 2002, Jam-Master Jay (real name, Jason Mizell) was shot and killed in a Queens, New York, recording studio. A 2003 affidavit says: “Law enforcement agents are investigating the possibility that [Jason] Mizell was murdered for defying the blacklist of 50 Cent.”
Dimebag Darell Abbott of Pantera & Damageplan (37 yrs old)  On December 8, 2004, while performing with Damageplan at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Abbott was shot onstage by a paranoid schizophrenic former US Marine named Nathan Gale. Abbott was shot three times in the head, killing him instantly. Three others were killed in the shooting. Damageplan’s drum technician, John “Kat” Brooks, and tour manager, Chris Paluska, were injured in the attack.
FATAL FLYING MACHINES
Buddy Holly (22 years old), Richie Valens (17 years old) & the Big Bopper (28 years old)  After a show at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa on February 2, 1959, Buddy Holly chartered a Beechcraft Bonanza to take him and backing band the Crickets to Fargo, North Dakota, for the next gig. The Big Bopper asked Cricket, Waylon Jennings, for his spot on the four-seat plane, as he was recovering from the flu. Ritchie Valens was still signing autographs at the concert site when Allsup walked in and told him it was time to go. Allsup pulled a 50 cent coin out of his pocket and the two men flipped for the seat. Allsup lost. The plane took off in light snow and gusty winds at around 12:55 A.M., but crashed after only a few minutes. All aboard, including the pilot were killed. Don McLean famously referred to this tragedy as the “day the music died” in his hit single, “American Pie.”
Jim Croce (30 yrs old)  Croce died in a small commercial plane crash on September 20, 1973, one day before his third ABC album, “I Got a Name” was to be released.
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Ronnie Van Zant (29 yrs old), Steve & Cassie Gaines (28 & 29 yrs old)  On Thursday, October 20, 1977, just three days after the release of “Street Survivors,” Lynyrd Skynyrd’s chartered Convair 240 ran out of fuel and crashed in a forest near McComb, Mississippi. Singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, backing vocalist Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, and the pilot and co-pilot were all killed on impact. Other band members were injured, some seriously.
Randy Rhoads of Ozzy Osbourne’s band (25 yrs old)  On March 19, 1982, Ozzy’s tour bus driver, Andrew Aycock, took Rhoads and hairdresser Rachel Youngblood on a flight in a Beechcraft Bonanza he had taken without permission. Apparently, during the flight, an attempt was made to “buzz” the tour bus where the other band members were sleeping. They succeeded two times but the third attempt went wrong. The right wing clipped the left side of the tour bus by accident, leading to the crash of the plane into Calhoun’s nearby mansion. Nobody in the mansion was hurt. Rhoads, age 25, was killed instantly,
Stevie Ray Vaughan (35 yrs old)  On August 26, 1990, after a concert with Eric Clapton at Alpine Valley Music Theatre, just outside of East Troy, Wisconsin, Stevie Ray Vaughan boarded a helicopter with members of Clapton’s crew for a flight to Chicago. Moments after takeoff the helicopter crashed into a ski slope and all five on board were killed.
Bill Graham (60 yrs old)  The legendary concert promoter (who ran the famous venues the Fillmore West and Winterland, both in San Francisco, and the Fillmore East, in New York City, was killed in a helicopter crash near Vallejo, California in 1991, while returning home from a Huey Lewis and the News concert at the Concord Pavilion.
John Denver (53 yrs old)  On October 12, 1997, Denver was killed when the Long-EZ aircraft he was piloting crashed just off the coast of California at Pacific Grove, shortly after taking off from the Monterey Peninsula Airport. The Long-EZ is a two-seat experimental aircraft, designed in the 1970s by Burt Rutan.
Aaliyah (22 yrs old)  On August 25, 2001, after filming the music video for her hit single “Rock the Boat,” Aaliyah and her record label staff boarded a twin engine Cessna 402B in the Bahamas to head back to Miami. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff, leaving no survivors. The accident was believed to have been caused by excess weight.
SUICIDES
Nick Drake (26 yrs old)  In the early hours of 25 November, 1974, Nick Drake died at home in Far Leys from an overdose of amitriptyline, a type of antidepressant. Officially ruled a suicide (as Drake had long suffered from sometimes debilitating depression), family members have argued that it was an accidental overdose. No suicide note was ever found.
Ian Curtis of Joy Division (23 yrs old)  On May 18, 1980, Curtis hanged himself in his kitchen after having viewed Werner Herzog’s film “Stroszek” and listening to Iggy Pop’s “The Idiot.” Curtis’s suicide took place just before Joy Division were to embark on their first U.S. tour.
Richard Manuel of The Band (42 yrs old)  The Band’s talented multi-instrumentalist, Manuel hung himself after a gig in Winter Park, Florida, on March 4, 1986
Kurt Cobain (27 yrs old) Shortly after his marriage to Hole vocalist Courtney Love and the birth of their daughter Frances Bean, Cobain was found dead in his Seattle home on April 8, 1994 from a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head. Traces of heroin and valium were found in his body and a suicide note was left, stating that he hadn’t felt the excitement of creating and writing music for the past few years. Cobain is now often remembered as one of the most iconic musicians in the history of rock.
Michael Hutchence of INXS (37 yrs old)  On the morning of November 22, 1997, Hutchence, aged 37, was found dead in his room at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Sydney. A belt found at the scene suggested that he had died by hanging. The coroner determined that Hutchence’s death was the result of suicide but some suggest that the cause of death may have resulted from autoerotic asphyxiation (strangling himself during a sex act).
Elliot Smith (34 yrs old)  There’s a lot of controversy surrounding this one. Elliott Smith died on October 21, 2003 from two stab wounds to the chest. According to girlfriend Jennifer Chiba, with whom he was living at the time, the two were arguing, and she locked herself in the bathroom. Chiba heard him scream, and upon opening the door, saw Smith standing with a kitchen knife in his chest. She pulled the knife out, after which he collapsed and she called 911. Smith died soon after in the hospital. While Smith’s death was originally reported as a suicide, the official autopsy report released in December 2003 left open the question of possible homicide. A possible suicide note, written on a Post-it, read, “I’m so sorry—love, Elliott. God forgive me.”
MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES
Duane Allman & Berry Oakley of the Allman Brothers Band (both 24 yrs old)  Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident in Macon, Georgia just after the release of “At Fillmore East.” In a bizarre coincidence, bassist Berry Oakley would die less than 13 months later in a similar motorcycle crash with a city bus, just three blocks away from the site of Allman’s fatal accident.
Marc Bolan of T. Rex (29 yrs old)  Bolan died on September 16, 1977. He was a passenger in a purple Mini 1275GT driven by Gloria Jones as they headed home from a London pub. Jones lost control of the speeding car and it struck a tree, killing Bolan instantly.
Harry Chapin (38 yrs old)  Chapin was killed on his way to a gig on July 16, 1981, when a tractor-trailer slammed into the back of his 1975 Volkswagen Rabbit, rupturing the gas tank and causing it to burst into flames.
D Boon of The Minutemen (27 yrs old)  On December 22, 1985, Boon was killed in a van accident in the Arizona desert near the Californian border.
Cliff Burton of Metallica (24 yrs old)  On September 27, 1986, in rural southern Sweden during a European tour in support of “Master of Puppets,” Metallica’s tour bus ran over a patch of black ice, skidded off of the road, and flipped over. Burton was thrown through the window of the bus, which fell on top of him and killed him.
 Lopes had just begun working on TLC’s 4th album when she was killed in a car crash in Honduras on April 25, 2002.
DROWNING ACCIDENTS
Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones (27 yrs old)  At around midnight on 3 July 1969, Jones was discovered motionless at the bottom of his swimming pool at his home in Hartfield, Sussex, England. The coroner’s report stated “Death by misadventure.” Some felt it was suicide. Others claimed he was murdered by a builder who had been renovating the house.
Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys (39 yrs old)  Wilson died in an alcohol-related drowning at Marina Del Rey, Los Angeles, on December 28, 1983. On the day of his death, Wilson was quoted as saying “I’m lonesome. I’m lonesome all the time.” Ironic that a Beach Boy should drown.
Jeff Buckley (30 years old)  On June 4th, 1997, Buckley accidentally drowned while taking a leisurely swim in the Mississippi River. The autopsy confirmed that Buckley had taken no drugs before his fateful swim, and a drug overdose was ruled out as the cause of death.
BIZARRE ACCIDENTS
Sandy Denny of Fairport Convention (31 yrs old)  Sandy Denny died of a traumatic mid-brain hemorrhage on April 21, 1978, due to complications arising from a fall down a flight of stairs during a holiday with her parents. A month after the fall she collapsed at a friend’s home and died four days later. It has been suggested that Denny’s hemorrhage was caused by a brain tumor.
Sonny Bono (62 yrs old)  On January 5, 1998, Bono died of injuries after striking a tree while skiing in in Nevada.
Spinal Tap drummers (various ages)  Spinal Tap has had a succession of drummers, all of whom they claim have died under odd circumstances: one in a “bizarre gardening accident”; another “choked on vomit,” (although it was never determined whose vomit it was, as “you can’t really dust for vomit”), and a third from apparent spontaneous human combustion onstage, leaving only a small green “globule” on his drum throne.
Add a Comment
COMMENTS (179)
Estimates said:
It looks like you did your home work! Sort of depressing going through the list, it brings back memories of when I heard the news. I use to listen to the Beach Boys but I was not aware that one of them died. Cliff said:
If Gaye was shot the day before his 45th birthday, how exactly was he 39 years old? Chase said:
where the fuck is mac dre on here. Douglas said:
Nice catch Cliff. Duly noted RnRers never die said:
To all of these lost souls, WE SALUTE YOU! RIP. . Anonymous said:
What about Randy Rhodes? Fresh Excel said:
Rest in peace 2Pac. gm said:
If your talking about most shocking why would you put rappers gun violence deaths on here? How is that shocking? Pheak said:
Nicely done. b gross said:
cliff burton of metallica??????? crushed by a bus Bastardo Anónimo said:
You forgot Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers, who died in a motorcycle accident. And about a year later, one of his bandmates died in the exact same road in another traffic accident. JIm Jones said:
Wow, that was quite an informative article. Very nice indeed. shamrock said:
weres Bradley Nowell from sublime Anon said:
@Chase CM said:
Jimi Hendrix ?!? nerdychaz said:
How do you smoke a Dimebag? With a 9mm Glock! ThinkSoJoE said:
Could you maybe throw the word “alleged” before “self-inflicted gunshot wound” in the Kurt Cobain post. I know it was officially ruled a suicide, but with twice the lethal dose of heroin in his body, it’s not very likely. Good post though, I enjoyed it! Allen said:
What abouy Cliff Burton? Have he no rememberence? He died in a “car accident” in Europe. If Left Eye gets a mention, I think the bassist of Metallica should as well, no? Michael in LH said:
Where the hell is Joe Strummer? This list is a piece of S&%# whithout Joe. dave said:
speaking of Cliff…Where the fuck is he on this list! Kevin said:
What about Cliff Burton? kyle said:
where the hell is randy rhoads!!!!! Dank said:
No Cliff Burton?? wtf mate? jim said:
They forgot randy rhodes and cliff burton Nick said:
I’d suggest Brad Delp, lead singer for several Boston albums. Killed himself by carbon monoxide asphyxiation from burning BBQ coals in his home. JohnnyO said:
Cliff your dumb , it doesn’t say anywhere that he was 39, it says 44….tard T said:
Jimi Hendrix was murdered. He drowned in red wine. He did not drink it. Paulo said:
No Randy Rhoads under Fatal Flying Machines? For shame! Jeffers said:
How about Richard Manuel from The Band? Sakky said:
What about Dave Williams??? bob said:
You forgot in “fatal flying machines” Randy Rhoads died in 1982. His pilot tried to buzz ozzy’s tour bus and ended up crashing. petong said:
you forgot randy rhodes and duane allman Dave said:
I feel you missed one extremely important artist in your lineup. Metallica’s Music hasn’t been the same since. Rhawk187 said:
What about Harry Chapin in the car crashes section? As soon as I read the heading, I expected to see him on here as soon as I saw the title. Charlie said:
Lots of gaps… Elvis, Big Mama Cass, Janis, Jim Morrison, Bonham, Razzle from Hanoi Rocks…LOL etc etc Ookadoo said:
Left off: * Randy Rhoads anonymous said:
You forgot the airplane crash of Jim Croce (Don’t mess with Jim, Bad Bad LeRoy Brown, Time in a Bottle) back in September(?) of 1973. Also, the car crash of Harry Chapin (Cat’s in the Cradle, 30,000 pounds of Bananas) back in the summer of 1980. Keep up the good work! tydydgrll said:
What about Peter Tosh? andrew said:
what about asphyxiation on their own vomit. i.e. hendrix and joplin John said:
As have been mentioned numerous times in previous comments, both Cliff Burton and Randy Rhodes should be added to the list. Another, whom I did not see mentioned, is Led Zeppelin’s drummer, John Bonham. He died in 1980 by asphyxiation of his own vomit due to excessive alcohol use. vj said:
The most shocking of all was left off - Bob Marley getting Cancer Cancer of the toe that spread to his brain? very suspicious asdf said:
what about joey ramone? Marc Savoy said:
Kudos for an incredibly thorough, meticulously researched, very well done article. tom said:
Lynn Strait! macdaddy357 said:
A rapper getting shot down in gang violence is just as cliche as an overdose. george said:
Terry Kath - Chicago TA guitarist died “acidentally”= russian roulette - JJ47 said:
How about Elvis? Died while on the stool. The last thing he ever said was “Corn?” chris said:
think sojoe - you mention that kurt cobain had twice the lethal amount of heroin in his system, but if your a junkie your tolerance goes up and what would kill a normal person is barely enough to get high on. the man shot himself, end of story jkelly said:
Did you guys not read the opening paragraph that says “we’re not referring to the typical rock star drug overdose or alcohol induced death (Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Layne Staley, Shannon Hoon, Bradley Nowell, Tim Buckley, Tim Hardin, Hank Williams, etc.)” So to you guys that are asking why Jim Morrison, Hendrix and Bradley Nowell aren’t on the list, there’s your answer. And that includes Elvis too. matt said:
wouldve liked to see brad delp of boston up there… Lokus said:
Del Shannon Jeff said:
How about Syd Barrett? His death came long before he died. I would love to see Madonna’s name on the list. Not that she died, but I would still like to see her name on here as having died at a young ago, or at least before she got the Betty White arms. Sierra said:
The recently released Legacy Edition of Dennis Wilson’s Pacific Ocean Blue/Bambu is friggin incredible. Run, dont’ walk to the record shop. shook_1 said:
Where’s Big L, Scott La Rock Bill Brasky said:
The lack of GG Allin disturbs me. csrster said:
I guess this list could be five times its current length, but the one name I’d add is drummer-for-hire (Rainbow, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath) Cozy Powell, under car crashes. Of course the guy lived to drive fast so it wasn’t that much of a shock. wherethefuckisdonnyhathaway said:
where the fuck is donny hathaway rip Muller said:
Curtis mayfield trumps all of those. Can’t believe you missed him. Sad Morten said:
Thanks for an interesting - if a bit chilling - read! Very nice article! kevin said:
mary hansen? no stereolab fans here? kevin said:
D. Boon bonediggy said:
what about otis redding in the plane crashes section? Nat said:
Elvis, Clarence White, Gram Parsons, Bobby Fuller, Brian Cole (The Association), Otis Redding, James Jamerson, Jerry Garcia, Bryan Maclean, Carl Wilson, George Harrison, Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, Jared said:
Where is Ricky Nelson on the plane crashes? He’s not really rock and roll, but if John Denver is there he has to be. hm said:
What about otis redding? Fatal Fying Machines aj said:
Idiots … they do mention Randy Rhoades and Duane Allman … learn to read. Craigly said:
Criss Oliva, guitarist and co-founder of Savatage who went on to become Trans-Siberian Orchestra. He died by being hit by a drunk driver. Hieronymus Murphy said:
It’s interesting to me that a list built around morbid titillation turns prudish about the sex act in which Michael Hutchence was allegedly engaging at the time of his death. It’s called auto-erotic asphyxia, which, if the name doesn’t tell you enough, you can read about here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erotic_asphyxia Max said:
Hieronymus Murphy - The authors do not shy away from Michael Hutchence’s unorthodox sexual tendencies, his death is mentioned under the suicides category because that is what coroner determined it to be. I agree Otis Redding would have been a good one for the plane crash section, his death at 26 while he was just emerging on the scene was a huge shocker. [...] Here is a list of the most tragic rock n’ roll deaths. [...] Matt Silb said:
Jeff Buckley, but not Tim? Eric said:
How about the guy from Sublime…. happyharryhardon said:
NO jim Morrison ????????????????????????????????????????????? Vince Neil said:
What about when I smashed up my car and killed Razzle from Hanoi Rocks? Surely that should be a part of this list. Desiree said:
Very well done. But I am confused as to why Jeff Buckley is listed under motor vehicle crashes and not bizarre accidents. DrBanxon said:
What about hide? JT said:
actually jeff buckley is listed under the drowning section, which is correct Ozymandias said:
Spinal Tap is not a real band. It was created for the mockumentary “This is Spinal Tap”. I thought it was obvious that Spinal Tap was a fake band. I guess i was wrong. Anyway the several deaths of their drummers are just references to many rock star deaths over the years, see the movie again and take a look at this list and you will see that. Douglas said:
Writer of the post here: Of course I realize that Spinal Tap is not a real band. It was listed to add a little levity to the rather morbid subject matter. Didn’t think I had to qualify that I knew Spinal Tap wasn’t real. Joe | A New Band A Day said:
Spinal Tap aren’t a real band??????? You have shattered my dreams! *Tears up ‘Smell The Glove’, becomes Haberdasher* John Smith said:
Good list, but where is rock’s first casualty? That would be Johnny Ace, born John Marshall Alexander, Jr., who shot himself on Christmas Day, 1954. Stephanie said:
Bob Marley 36 years Chris said:
Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, one of the original members of the Grateful Dead and the first in a long line of keyboard players. Does a gastrointestinal hemorrhage as shocking? I had to look it up in a medical dictionary. Chris said:
You forgot Del Shannon (suicide). Good list, tho. BZ said:
You forgot both Donny *and* Marie. Shameful, just shameful. Joker67 said:
The Great Kirsty MacColl. Amazing voice. Killed by a boat while diving in Mexico in 2000. 41. RIP. meghan said:
Some people might find this a little unfunny, but I LOVE this comedian (his whole routine for this show is based around a serious love of music). I couldn’t help but think of this clip while I read this post. [...] Most Shocking Rock and Roll Deaths | JamsBio Biolog [...] Demy said:
I third Del Shannon, kind of surprised not to see him up there. He shot himself, I believe, in his Californian home. He grew up in Coopersville, Michigan (about 20 minutes from me). ChrisW said:
Ahem, Freddie Mercury. Dan said:
CM said: Jimi Hendrix ?!? AGREED! TaMmY said:
Umm ok this isn’t a bad list but what about Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Keith Moon?!?! PLEASELEARNTOREAD said:
PLEASE READ ABOVE before posting a damn comment! If you happen to be literate, you will be able to understand they haven’t included typical rock star burn outs I.E. drug overdose! (or asphyxiation by own vomit!) also a side note, a death by cancer isn’t exactly SHOCKING! it’s a rather slow onset death, which means it is the exact OPPOSITE of shocking! add to the fact that cancer is actually quite common, and you will all realize why George Harrison and others weren’t included on the list! Rachel said:
Haha thank you, well said! That is precisely why I included those artists on the introductory paragrah, so people wouldn’t wonder why we didn’t include them, but obviously a lot of people didn’t read the intro. Jesseca said:
Seriously…. All these comments and no one noticed that Spinal Tap IS NOT A REAL BAND? And no mention of the Scandinavian black metal deaths? Those were fairly shocking, you know, considering one of the suicide victim’s band mates MADE A NECKLACE OUT OF HIS SKULL afterward. quinn said:
terry kath? John Williams said:
Pretty nice site, wants to see much more on it! buzzkill007 said:
You missed Brad Delp from the band Boston. Committed suicide. hugs said:
I guess many of you have short term memory problems or skim-read and miss data. A number of your “misses are actually posted. Read the article again! Johnny.B said:
you should make a special choked on vomit section … Hendrix, John Bonham, Bon Scott [...] Rock and Roll Deaths: Some of the most shocking deaths in Rock and Roll. [...] jm said:
I think the fascinating part of Curtis’ death is the speculation surrounding his epilepsy - when he performed on stage, he often had a seizure. Can you imagine getting sick every time you do the thing that drives you…or being driven to do it by bandmates, managers, and the fans? Also, for Jeff Buckley, what a talent, and his dad too, that made it all the weirder, that Jeff lived longer than his father, but not long enough. blueeyes said:
some of you all did not read the list because cliff burton and randy rhodes is on the list. at the top Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Layne Staley, Shannon Hoon, Bradley Nowell, Tim Buckley, Tim Hardin, Hank Williams are all mentioned a drug overdoeses. the list was for something out of the ordinary not the typical rock n roll overdose. Jacqueline S said:
Cool Tribute….But c’mon…Lost Souls? As it looks they’re better of than all of US alive… Eric said:
Jeff Porcaro of Toto ACTUALLY died of a freak gardening accident and the Spinal Tap joke was in his memory. Ulysses said:
Keith Moon - OD sick rad potato said:
R.I.P what about Jim Morrison fucktards echo said:
what about jeff porcaro from toto? he had an allergic reaction to pesticides while gardening which caused a heart attack which he died of susie said:
who the hell cares how ANYONE of them died!! they are all (were) all talented people…geez! give em a break..think of their famalies!!!! susie said:
families! inan said:
good list…RIP josh said:
what about brian ottoson of american head charge who died on his tour bus before playing a show with mudvayne (my very first concert i ever went to) and dave williams of drowning pool who died from cardiomyopathy exumer said:
Where the hell is Euronymous from Mayhem? lucky said:
you also left out Gramm Parsons, the father of southern rock ROYCE said:
Great list!! What a lot of work you must of put into it. Dave said:
A tragic list of great, influential people. Obviously missing a few people as mentioned in all the above posts, and I would like to add one to those: v said:
if this is supposed to be a list of rock and roll deaths, then why are there all those shot rappers? that makes less sense than including deaths by alcohol or over doses. Ozpete said:
Would like to know why if you talking bout rock, where is Bon Scott? That was a rock and roll death worth hearing about lovestospouge said:
it says rock and roll stars so why have you got rappers in the list? Philip said:
A very interesting list, and yes there will always be others that people think should be added. Kirsty McColl’s death for one - that was really odd! What spoils the page for me is th list below it with comments (of which I am about to be added I guess) where rather that suggest you add certain other people critisise you for not including them in the first place. One for the “car crash” section is Fairport Convention. Ryan said:
Two things…. You really have to add Morphine’s Mark Sandman - to not include him borders on the criminal. You should also mention Chuck Klosterman’s book on the topic of rock deaths, “Killing Yourself to Live” - it is a study in the culture of pop music, rock n roll and proximity. A very good read. Tor said:
mark sandman should be mentioned, as mentioned above good read thou! Tor said:
sorry. i see dimebag is mentioned now… Pace said:
Where are Jimi, Jim, and Janis? dan said:
You forgot Bon Scott from AC/DC!!!!!! Luke said:
You guys need to learn to read, get some hooked on phonics or something.First, He stated clearly at the beginning that drug related deaths (Joplin, Hendrix, Morrison) were excluded. Second, Randy Rhodes was mentioned!! Third, What about OTIS REDDING!!!! Tyagi said:
Boy how could you forget to mention the legendary Lead Vocalist of ACDC Bon Scott !! Bill Barrera said:
where is John Bohnam? v said:
Razzle (Nicholas Dingley, drummer) of influential 80’s Glam Rock band Hanoi rocks was killed as a passenger in a car crash in 1984, driven by Vince Neil of Motley Crue. Vince was charged with vehicular manslaughter and spent 1 month in a minimum security prison and ordered to pay $2.6 million in damages to Dingley’s family. Sean ONeall said:
Hey, what about Roy Buchanan? The man Jeff Beck said could make a guitar cry? Blue said:
Nice read. bil said:
Eddie Cochran died in car accident Ryan G said:
Interesting read. Cheers. Gerald Weber said:
Wow It’s amazing looking back how many of my favorite rockers have passed. This was a good post. The one about spinal tap? wtf? Spontaneous human combustion? Crazy! Satish Suggala said:
Well researched, but I think Cliff Burton needs to be mentioned here as well. John Shnollinksy said:
What about Jason Thirsk from pennywise? E5150 said:
Unexpexted death’s You have to get it right. Kurt Cobain we all new was going to happen. And If Layne Stanley’s death was a surprise then you never read and article about is habbits. Get it right how ever wrote this page. Dr.Thrash said:
What the hell…? Those Hip Hop Guys like “Tupac” aren’t Rock’n'Roll… So they shouldn’t be on this website… KB said:
buddy holly and ritchie valens’ plane goin down in a blizzard? Molly said:
Interesting list. There have been a couple comments about Kurt Cobain and I would like to note that he had 73 times the lethal dose in his system that would kill a non-user, and three times the amount that would kill an addict with a high tolerance. This amount would incapacitate him so quickly that he would not have time to pull a trigger, and not at all enought time to put away all the drug paraphnelia, roll down his sleeves, and then pull the trigger. Read the book Love & Death: the Murder of Kurt Cobain. [...] Most Shocking Rock and Roll Deaths . [...] Tim said:
SID VICIOUS? FamousDeadDB said:
Very nice list, if anyone is interested in reading more about dead celebrities I invite you to visit http://www.famousdeaddb.com J said:
what about James Dean, He was an actor, but he was a singer too, died in a car accident. [...] Rock and Roll Deaths: Some of the most shocking deaths in Rock and Roll. [...] patty said:
Someone said you forgot Duane Allman, you did not. Someone also said you forgot Randy Roads,you did not. You did however forget Brad Delp, lead singer for Boston who committed suicide by lighting a charcoal grill inside his closet, and closing himself inside to breathe the fumes. I also want to say kudo’s for including the drummers of Spinal Tap, since after reading such a gruesome article some humor was clearly needed. mj said:
@gm Kelly said:
Umm…Brad Delp? friedlinx said:
2Pac was gay Adam said:
Brian Epstein keyss420 said:
Jaco Pastorius one of the greatest bassists of all time for the band Weather Report. Stabbed to death outside a nightclub. minor fiat said:
the mysterious, prophetic nature of some of these ‘artistic deaths’ is intersting, but not exclusive to rock. if jim croce and john denver are part of ‘rock’ then the rap-dogs are too. rock evolved out of several substance-ridden, down-home, rebel-music predecessors - blues, country, jazz. these realms are also loaded with violent legend as wild as my man keith moon. the timing of hank williams death along with his prophetic chart-topper at the moment are fine example of the lords mysterious ways. brockstar said:
What about Tim Kelly? He was the guitarist for hair metal band, Slaughter. He died in a car crash. Other than this and a few other notable omissions, nice site. Budder said:
You forgot one of the finest guitarists of all time, Randy California of Spirit. Randy drowned while trying to save his son while surfing in Hawaii in January of 1997. You also neglected Minnie Riperton who died of breast cancer in 1979. Also, Phil Ochs, who committed suicide in 1976. Oh, one of the strangest deaths in 1966 was that of Bobby Fuller. L.A. police called it a suicide, but no one believes that because he had a gas rag stuffed in his mouth and was found burned to death in his car outside of his apartment. Tommy Bolin died of drugs in 1976 at age 26. Ruby Starr of Black Oak Arkansas died of cancer about 10 years ago. John Panozzo, drummer for Styx, died in 1996 from alcohol complications. Man, I could go on and on. You need to do more research. carla florez said:
They were never too old to rock-n-roll, but they were too young…to die… Jethro Tull George Shea said:
Where the fuck is John Bonham of LED ZEPPELIN aidan said:
great list.. RIP.. Jack said:
How about Otis Redding? He was in a plane that crashed into a lake. Two categories, one incident. Metal Fan said:
What about Chuck Schuldiner from Death? He died of brain cancer at 34. If you are going to have Dimebag on this list leaving Chuck off is a travesty. In many peoples eyes he was better than Dimebag at guitar playing and also was one of the reasons the genre “Death Metal” was spawned. Beyond amazing guitar work he wrote all the songs, played lead guitar, and did the vocals. His band Death is revered in the metal community and he is a legend. Nick said:
no Bon Scott, who really died of choking on his vomit? hubcodude said:
What about Jeff Porcaro of the greatest studio band ever . . . Toto? are you kidding said:
did you seriously leave out layne? baby jesus said:
awesome post. it makes baby jesus happy. just like http://www.thedrunkcanuc.com ThingsFatPeopleHate said:
2pac is not dead. Idiots thejackyl said:
I thought this was about ROCK stars? So what’s with all the pop and rap stars? Adam said:
Great article. I’m glad to read an interesting list like this that doesn’t just include Hendrix, Joplin, or Bonham. By the way, isn’t it interesting that the more profanity someone uses in their post, the more likely they’re angry that you didn’t include one of the drug/alcohol-related deaths? You know, the ones you said this list wasn’t about? Anyway, thanks again for a great article incomplete said:
Bob Marley, Keith Moon, Janis Joplin, Hendrix, John Bonham, Brad Nowell… NerdRage said:
For the love of GOD! I view JamsBio quite a bit after discovering it through StumbleUpon, it’s pretty interesting. BUT FOR THE LOVE OF GOD stop posting CRAP like “YO NIEC LIST BRO BUT YOU FORGOT THIS FAMOUS INDIAN SINGER CALLED “AMAD BUDHAL” WHO HAD THAT ONE HIT “MAJAN A KALA”! I THINK MY OBSCURE TASTE SHOULD BE MENTIONED ON YOUR BLOG, WHETHER YOU’VE HEARD IT OR NOT” If you think the list is incomplete, make your own god-damned list. Or at least stop acting like you’re doing him a favour by pointing out what he missed. Maybe just write “I thought the death of Jim Morrison was quite shocking, actually” instead of “OMG YOU MISSED ONE”. nick said:
90% of you assholes should read the artical first . dave the jew said:
what about the exploding hearts? TrixRabbi said:
Kurt Cobain was murdered, the case was just quickly written off as suicide but there is substantial evidence for murder. 1) By traces of heroin you mean 3 times the lethal amount. This was most likely used as a sedative as it would’ve been close to impossible for him to have managed to pull the trigger with that much heroin in his body. 2) Where the shot gun was positioned when he was found would have required him to pull the trigger with his toes. Add that to the heroin in his system and that’s nearly impossible. 3) Handwriting experts have noted that in his suicide note, the last part, the only part that really sounds like a suicide note, has significantly different handwriting than the rest which just sounds like a message saying he was divorcing Courtney and leaving the music business. There’s much more including plenty of evidence implying Courtney was involved in the murder. (Such as Kurt has just turned down a $9.5 million deal to headline Lollapalooza. And that due to a prenup, if there was a divorce she would get hardly any money where as she could get all his money and the Nirvana estate if he died.) At least put the word “alleged” in there somewhere. There’s just too much evidence against suicide. The case is still open, just inactive and unlikely to make any progress. Andy said:
On August 25, 2001, after filming the music video for her hit single “Rock the Boat,” Aaliyah and her record label staff boarded a twin engine Cessna 402B in the Bahamas to head back to Miami. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff, leaving no survivors. The accident was believed to have been caused by excess weight. Don’t forget Scotty Galin. elyzah said:
let’s not forget Mia Zapata of The Gits, who was brutally raped and murdered after a show. smsg said:
since when is tupac, and other rap artists considered rock and roll? dan said:
surprised no one has mentioned freddie mercury jsl said:
Freddie Mercury, Joey Ramone, Bob Marley, and JIMI HENDRIX ALL MISSING!?!?!?!? Axels said:
How are rappers an such “rock and roll”-esque at all… Should a put “in the music world” instead or something, but they are not rock and roll. LynchMob said:
WTF?! Kurt Cobain Didn’t kill himself. ~Reasons Why~ -Kurt had 3x the lethal dose of heroin in his system, this made it nearly impossible for him to shoot himself, especially with a gun which he would have to shoot with his feet. -Suicide note was not about suicide at all. But that he was giving up on music MORE: |
Share a memory, write a review, post a recommendation 
Buffers, Bridges & Bubbles
Love is Strange
The Birds, the Bees & Me
Recent EntriesDateTitle01 | 07Jazz Legend Lost: 01 | 07Dearly Departed Stooge: 01 | 06Little Feat "Spanish Moon (Live)" 01 | 05Playing The Beatles Backwards: The Ultimate Countdown 01 | 04The End of Selling Out 01 | 04Far Reaching Funk: Sampling the Skull Snaps 12 | 24Playing the Beatles Backwards: Songs 2 & 1 12 | 23Chooglin' With CCR's Bayou Country & Green River 12 | 23Late To The Math Rock Party: My Impressions of Battles' Mirrored |
