Live fast, die young and leave a good looking corpse: it's the rock'n'roll way!

Over the years there was been countless tragic rock deaths. Some were shot, some commited suicide, most had a drug overdose. Which was the most tragic rock death of all?

When you look at that list - it's very very sad. :\'(  However, I voted Michael Hutchance because of all the speculation and controversy surrounding his death.  I really felt for his parents.

Buddy Holly (Airplane crash)

Buddy Holly (Airplane crash)


Yeah. That was another tragic rock death. There was even a song written for it, "American Pie" by Don McLean.

Yeah. That was another tragic rock death. There was even a song written for it, "American Pie" by Don McLean.


J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson and Ritchie Valens also died in that plane crash too. Check out The Buddy Holly Story with Gary Busey playing Buddy Holly or La Bamba with Lou Diamond Phillips playing Ritchie Valens.

They are both good movies.

Other

Randy Rhodes - plane crash

Other:

IAN CURTIS
Lead singer/songwrtier for Joy Division
1956-1980

He hadn't even reached his 24th birthday and was on the brink of international stardom (which he got posthumously).

His marriage was crumbling and his epilepsy was worsening, and his depression was untreated.  He hanged himself in his Mecclesfield apartment on May 10, 1980

I've lived through ever Joy Division song at least once.

The song 'She's Lost Control" is about epilepsy, which neither I nor anyone I know has, however, my ex-girlfriend used to lose control psychiatrically speaking and her pathology was much like the song's lyrics.
IIRC, the girl referred to in the song was a girl who Ian Curtis knew from his epilepsy treatment clinic.  He observed her condition getting worse and worse, until he eventually stopped seeing her at all!
:o

I'd say Kurt Cobain. A couple years ago I was really reading into his death and all that night the only thing I could do was cry. He was such a great artist too.  :(

What about Brian Jones (drowning) ? ???

What about Brian Jones (drowning) ? ???

What about Stu Sutcliffe getting his head kicked into the curb??
:P

Definitely the "Day the Music Died."


:\'(

Other.


Marc Bolan.

Died in a car crash in Sept. 77 at the age of 29. Its tragic because he left behind his 2 year old son. Bolan he had only recently gave up drugs, booze, and wild sex to raise his son with his common law wife, Gloria, who survived the accident, she was driving....the man turned his life around so he could be there for his kid and was killed in a car crash. That is tragic.

Other

Layne Stanley from Alice In Chains

Other:

IAN CURTIS
Lead singer/songwrtier for Joy Division
1956-1980

He hadn't even reached his 24th birthday and was on the brink of international stardom (which he got posthumously).

His marriage was crumbling and his epilepsy was worsening, and his depression was untreated.  He hanged himself in his Mecclesfield apartment on May 10, 1980

I've lived through ever Joy Division song at least once.

The song 'She's Lost Control" is about epilepsy, which neither I nor anyone I know has, however, my ex-girlfriend used to lose control psychiatrically speaking and her pathology was much like the song's lyrics.
IIRC, the girl referred to in the song was a girl who Ian Curtis knew from his epilepsy treatment clinic.  He observed her condition getting worse and worse, until he eventually stopped seeing her at all!
:o



Thanks for the information - I was not aware of that - and he died so young.

I voted for Keith Moon - I loved his drumming when I was a kid and I remember when I heard he died.  There is was alot of speculation to his death too.

Others:

John Bonham - Led Zeppelin - choked on vomit
Ty Longley - Great White - Fire
DimeBag Darrell - formerly of PANTERA - Shot to death while performing


I

NFNA-(no females need apply)?  Janis Joplin, Cass Elliot, Laura Nyro.  I would say that of all those listed Cass Elliot was the most tragic.  She had a heart attack.  Not drugs or suicide, a congenital problem that caused her to be overweight and her heart gave out just as she was hitting her stride.  Joplin is the one I miss the most though.

What about Stu Sutcliffe getting his head kicked into the curb??
:P

Or Ian Stewart the square-jawed "Fifth Rolling Stone" who was an original member of the Stones and played keyboards for them, as well as their road manager.  He later was bumped out of the original lineup because he was "too square looking" but nevertheless played keyboards in the background.  He's also the subject of Led Zepplin's "Boogie with Stu".

Stu died too young at 45 years old of a heart attack.

Cliff Burton, beyond a shadow of a doubt. Killed when the tour bus went over the side of a mountain.

He and Kirk Hammett had switched bunks only a couple hours before.

He was crushed and killed almost instantly.

He was only 24 when he was killed.

He was renowned as being a genuinley nice guy, his sister said, not long after his death, that even though he would never get home until 4-5 AM if people came to the house and wanted to see him, he would get up and talk to them about Music.

He was one of the best Bass Players ever, to think how much he could have accomplished.

NFNA-(no females need apply)?  Janis Joplin, Cass Elliot, Laura Nyro.  I would say that of all those listed Cass Elliot was the most tragic.  She had a heart attack.  Not drugs or suicide, a congenital problem that caused her to be overweight and her heart gave out just as she was hitting her stride.  Joplin is the one I miss the most though.


The "no drugs" part is up for debate.  Cass was a heavy user of H and other drugs, which well could have weakened her heart beyond what her overweight situation had already done.

The loss of Cass was indeed tragic.  :\'(

Ronnie Van Zant and the other members of the ORIGINAL Lynyrd Skynyrd that died in a plane crash in 1977...

Robert Palmer's death from a heart attack took me by surprise...

I think ALL deaths are tragic equally....though I believe "karma" got Sid Viscious for murdering his girlfriend. Michael Hutchence may not have committed suices, I heard it could've been accindental...some kind of kinky sex thing gone wrong :-\\ I would also add Tommy Bolin who died in 1976 from an overdose....AND.... Late Alice In Chains frontman, Layne Staley, 34, who was not found for 2 weeks, dead from a heroine overdose in his apartment :\'(

http://www.laut.de/bilder/imperia/md/images/pressefoto/a/aliceinchains/3_150x212.jpg

Thing about it is this, although it is awful when anybody dies, if any old average Joe died of an overdose, would we care?

Not unless we knew them, 'serves them right' would probably be said by some 'oh well' by others.

That's why i find Burtons death awful. Although he did use drugs somewhat (mainly Acid) Nobody could have seen it coming and there was nothing that could be done to stop it.

Now, if Layne Stanley is shooting up, well it's bound to happen one day or another.

Thing about it is this, although it is awful when anybody dies, if any old average Joe died of an overdose, would we care?

Not unless we knew them, 'serves them right' would probably be said by some 'oh well' by others.

That's why i find Burtons death awful. Although he did use drugs somewhat (mainly Acid) Nobody could have seen it coming and there was nothing that could be done to stop it.

Now, if Layne Stanley is shooting up, well it's bound to happen one day or another.


I agree with you about the guys that OD.  First of all I have no sympathy for someone who commits suicide, I say F' em.  And for the guys that OD or drown in their own vomit, well that is their fault too. 

I just picked Layne Stanley because to me he was the biggest lost.  I don't think it is tragic though.

Layne Staley was indeed a great loss for the music world and I have to say that the death of Hideto "Hide" Matsumoto was a tragic one also.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v175/Taintedchild/grave.png  :\'(

It's a bit hard to say what the most tragic was, because they're all tragic really, especially the ones who went really young, or just as their career was really taking off, like Bon Scott or Randy Rhodes. Dimebag from Pantera was pretty tragic. He was shot on stage in front of his brother.

It still hurts.  :\'(

Janis Joplin (Drug Overdose)
Karen Carpenter (Anorexia)
Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines of Skynyrd (Plane crash)
Duane Allman (Accident)

It's a bit hard to say what the most tragic was, because they're all tragic really, especially the ones who went really young, or just as their career was really taking off, like Bon Scott or Randy Rhodes. Dimebag from Pantera was pretty tragic. He was shot on stage in front of his brother.

It still hurts.  :\'(
:\'(

Thing about it is this, although it is awful when anybody dies, if any old average Joe died of an overdose, would we care?

Not unless we knew them, 'serves them right' would probably be said by some 'oh well' by others.

That's why i find Burtons death awful. Although he did use drugs somewhat (mainly Acid) Nobody could have seen it coming and there was nothing that could be done to stop it.

Now, if Layne Stanley is shooting up, well it's bound to happen one day or another.
My foster mother could not fathom why Randy Rhoads' death upset me "aww he's just one of those rock n' roll losers'....

I think ALL deaths are tragic equally....though I believe "karma" got Sid Viscious for murdering his girlfriend. Michael Hutchence may not have committed suices, I heard it could've been accindental...some kind of kinky sex thing gone wrong :-\\ I would also add Tommy Bolin who died in 1976 from an overdose....AND.... Late Alice In Chains frontman, Layne Staley, 34, who was not found for 2 weeks, dead from a heroine overdose in his apartment :\'(

http://www.laut.de/bilder/imperia/md/images/pressefoto/a/aliceinchains/3_150x212.jpg

Michael Hutchence is alleged to be autoerotic asphyxiation, a game he and the boys were playing.
Anyway, the Farris brothers were the talent (what of it there was) in INXS. Hutch was just a good-looking hunk who could sing.  Sorta like David Gahan.

I think Janis Joplin's death was right up their among great losses for both rock AND blues.  I would include Bob Marley's premature death of cancer at 45 as tragic for both reggae and rock.

One of the most tragic rock'n'roll deaths is Ted Nugent.  The tragedy is that it didn't happen!
::)

Johnny Ramone-cancer

I say this because they meant so much to me...so even though it wasn't due to an act of violence or anything like that....to me it was very tragic! :\'(


Erin

I agree with you about the guys that OD.  First of all I have no sympathy for someone who commits suicide, I say F' em. 
Now that is WAY too harsh, people don't just commit suicide for the hell of it you know.You are obviously very, very lucky to have never felt that desperate and lets hope you never do.

I would add Eddie Cochran who was only 21 when he died and an incredible talent, just think of the songs he left behind and how they are still covered today.

Now that is WAY too harsh, people don't just commit suicide for the hell of it you know.You are obviously very, very lucky to have never felt that desperate and lets hope you never do.


:\'(

Michael Hutchence is alleged to be autoerotic asphyxiation, a game he and the boys were playing.
Anyway, the Farris brothers were the talent (what of it there was) in INXS. Hutch was just a good-looking hunk who could sing. 

"he and the boys"? What does that mean? Anyway, in response to this, almost every one of INXS' songs were co-written by Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence: Farriss wrote the music and Hutchence the lyrics and melody.

Laura Nyro also died tragically, from breast cancer, I believe. As did Eva Cassidy.

I agree with you about the guys that OD.  First of all I have no sympathy for someone who commits suicide, I say F' em.  And for the guys that OD or drown in their own vomit, well that is their fault too. 


What an awful thing to say  :(

Just for the sheer outbreak of emotion it caused...John Lennon

Another tragic one was Jim Croce, who was just on the brink of superstardom when his plane crashed...

He did eventually acheive superstardom, but for the wrong reason...

What an awful thing to say  :(


Why? If some Heroine taking Schumk OD'd and died... would any of us really care (unless they were a friend of something).. would we just say.. 'We'll had it coming to then' Why treat a musician any different? A plumber may be a Skag junkie and OD, but he could have been the best damn Plumber for miles around..

"he and the boys"? What does that mean? Anyway, in response to this, almost every one of INXS' songs were co-written by Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence: Farriss wrote the music and Hutchence the lyrics and melody.
It must mean Max thinks little of Michael ::) I think Michael was a brilliant showman and singer, the group INXS was a very tight and talent laden band. Hutchence was the showman WITH a great voice...unlike the likes of another "Entertainer" David Lee Roth :D

Why? If some Heroine taking Schumk OD'd and died... would any of us really care (unless they were a friend of something).. would we just say.. 'We'll had it coming to then' Why treat a musician any different? A plumber may be a Skag junkie and OD, but he could have been the best darn Plumber for miles around..


I feel the same way about anyone who takes their own life.  If you've never suffered from depression, you really have no idea what the pain is like. :(

I feel the same way about anyone who takes their own life.  If you've never suffered from depression, you really have no idea what the pain is like. :(


Ah, now that's a different ballpark. People who OD i can't really have any sympathy for, however somebody that intentionally kills themself... well, there is obviously something wrong.

Ah, now that's a different ballpark. People who OD i can't really have any sympathy for, however somebody that intentionally kills themself... well, there is obviously something wrong.
Is it not possible to "Intentially" OD though ??? Also, alcoholics are committing a "slow" form of suicide :-\\

It must mean Max thinks little of Michael ::) I think Michael was a brilliant showman and singer, the group INXS was a very tight and talent laden band. Hutchence was the showman WITH a great voice...unlike the likes of another "Entertainer" David Lee Roth :D

I stand corrected about INXS, I don't know jack about the band.  INXS was a let-down to me.  When I first heard them in the early '80s (especially "The One Thing" and "Don't Change) I thought they were going to be a cool Aussie new wave band.  Then they start churning out songs like "I Need You Tonight" and "Suicide Blonde."  These were objectively as good as the songs on "Shaboo Shoobah" (or whatever that record was called), but I grew to hate the band's style musically and image-wise.  R'n'R fan hit the nail on the head with the David Lee Roth comparison.  I'm just not much for body shakin' male braggadocio.
Oh, and you know what I mean by "he and the boys."  I just thought it was painfully ironic for the big popstar hunk who went around with a fashion model on each arm to die indulging his homoerotic peccadillos!
:P

I just thought it was painfully ironic for the big popstar hunk who went around with a fashion model on each arm to die indulging his homoerotic peccadillos!
:P


There's a difference between autoerotic, and homoerotic ;)

The most tragic deaths for me were Layne Staley and Chuck Schuldiner (Cancer).

There's a difference between autoerotic, and homoerotic ;)


If it's an "auto" thing in a hotel room with a bunch of other guys, it's both!

Welcome Limblifter!
:)

There's a difference between autoerotic, and homoerotic ;)

The most tragic deaths for me were Layne Staley and Chuck Schuldiner (Cancer).
Welcome to the boards, limblifter :) It was especially sad that Layne died alone and nobody found his body until two weeks later :\'(

Why? If some Heroine taking Schumk OD'd and died... would any of us really care (unless they were a friend of something).. would we just say.. 'We'll had it coming to then' Why treat a musician any different? A plumber may be a Skag junkie and OD, but he could have been the best darn Plumber for miles around..

I think you mean "heroin," without the "e" at the end.
  8)

Didn't anybody mention Joe Strummer?
I associate "tragic rock 'n' roll death with a great rock musician approaching or at the zenith of his or her career.  Strummer's number was retired along with the rest of The Clash.  However, he might have had his best years ahead of him, musically speaking.  He was a very creative artist with an interest in musical styles from around the world.  He wasn't interested in trying to rehash the sound that brought him his initial fame.  If Strummer got 30 more years, who knows what he might have come up with.

A lesser-known artist died a couple of years ago.  Frank Tovey (aka Fad Gadget) was the second artist to release a single on Daniel Miller's Mute Records, the first being Miller himself as The Normal.
Fad Gadget was a blend of weird, funky synth music, pop, and performance art.  Depeche Mode opened for Fad and his band many times in 1980-81. 
Fad Gadget reverted to his real name, Frank Tovey, in 1985.  He never had much success in the U.S., although the song "Luxury" got some airplay in 1986. 
Tovey taught himself acoustic guitar and overhauled his sound from synth-pop to folk-rock.  He put out an album of labor ballads (covers and traditionals) in 1989 called "Tyranny and the Hired Hand."  Although he was self-taught his arrangements were more than competent, actually, they were superb.
He released a couple of great folk-rock albums with a few Irish musicians as Frank Tovey and the Pyros.  These contained some of his best songs.
Unfortunately, this venture was a commercial flop.  He had to go make a living, pay the mortgage, put the kids throught school and whatnot, so in 1993 he disappeared from the scene and did a lot of commissioned work.
Tovey resurrected the Fad Gadget moniker in 2001 for a few limited engagements with Depeche Mode.  He planned to do a full tour and put out a new Fad Gadget album when (like Strummer) he died of sudden heart attack at the age of 45.
I so much wanted to hear from Frank Tovey again, but it was not to be.
:\'(

Ok so I'd have to go with other on this one.  Simply because most of the deaths listed were self inflicted.  I've got no time for people who want to mess with drugs and these people knew there were foreseeable risks.  Also the same for people with weird fetishes like asphyxiation.


Mine would have to be Eva Cassidy (cancer)



As for the Marc Bolan death, strangely enough it was the tree outside my grandad's house that killed him.

I feel the same way about anyone who takes their own life.  If you've never suffered from depression, you really have no idea what the pain is like. :(


The main reason that I have no sympathy for those who commit suicide is because of the pain they leave their family and friends with.  They finally get to have peace and now their family is torn apart and brokenhearted.  It's so sad. They are left with the pain of wondering, why did they do it, why didn't they come talk to me, if I could have talked to him/her one more time, etc........  It is so unfair to do that to those who you love and who love you.  I understand at the time they commit the act, that is probably the last thing on their minds, but I know a few families that had a son who killed himself and I just feel so bad for the ones left behind.

Yeah I too would have liked to see Joe Strummer from the Clash alive today, Freddie Mercury's death from AIDS was also a real tragedy. A lesser known talent was Elliott Smith, one of the best singer-songwriters of the new-decade his death is so fascinating because it is (like many) full of mystery. Murder or suicide? Does he give us any clues in his songs?

Yeah I too would have liked to see Joe Strummer from the Clash alive today, Freddie Mercury's death from AIDS was also a real tragedy. A lesser known talent was Elliott Smith, one of the best singer-songwriters of the new-decade his death is so fascinating because it is (like many) full of mystery. Murder or suicide? Does he give us any clues in his songs?


You're right, I forgot about Freddie Mercury. 

Also, Stevie Ray Vaughan.

I'd Say that Sid and nancy deal would be one of the most tragic ones.

But in terms of tragic, i think assassination and then accident are far more tragic than most other deaths.  Becuase there is no control over what happened.  (John Lennon, and defeinitely Dimebag Darrell.)


I think another good question or poll would be what type of death idolizes the person the most. Suicide, murder, accident. ect.

Sid Vicious' entire life was a tragedy (or perhaps not, maybe he wanted it that way). You just knew (most of his friends did) from the time he was young he would live life wild and quickly burn out.

Sid Vicious' entire life was a tragedy (or perhaps not, maybe he wanted it that way). You just knew (most of his friends did) from the time he was young he would live life wild and quickly burn out.
I have no sympathey for a murderer (He "Allegedly" murdered his girlfriend) :-\\

Lest we forget Melvin Franklin, who had that awesome bass voice as part of The Temptations.  :)

John Lennon & Freddie Mercury...God rest their souls

http://www.firsttvdrama.com/illinois/rock1.jpg

Not to mention David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks of that same group. Ruffin died of an overdose of cocaine in 1991, and Kendricks succumbed of lung cancer a few months later. :\'( :\'(

Lest we forget Melvin Franklin, who had that awesome bass voice as part of The Temptations.  :)

Not to mention David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks of that same group. Ruffin died of an overdose of cocaine in 1991, and Kendricks succumbed of lung cancer a few months later. :\'( :\'(
:\'(

Warren Zevon's death from lung cancer was really sad...

Mick Ronson's death from liver cancer was also sad,ditto Steve Clark's(Def Leppard)death from addictions issues...

I can't believe I forgot about these two guys from the group "Badfinger"....Pete Ham committed suicide in 1975 and Tom Evans did the same in 1983....Badfinger had some great songs....and they also wrote and sang "Without You" then gave it to Harry Nilsson who took it to #1 in 1972....and Pariah Carey ruined it in the 90's :\'(