# Causes of death of deceased rock/rock 'n roll/pop musicians **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 22, 2002, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/causes-of-death-of-deceased-rock-rock-n-roll-pop-musicians/115495 "2002-06-22T20:42:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/causes-of-death-of-deceased-rock-rock-n-roll-pop-musicians/115495/1 "2002-06-22T20:42:56Z")
Years ago I had a conversation with a former roomate about deceased rock and pop musicians. He pointed out that for most of them the cause of death fell into one of three main categories: substance abuse (drugs/alcohol), homicide/suicide, and transportation related. At the time we could think of very few exceptions, and even now there are relatively few: **Homicide/suicide:** Sam Cooke Marvin Gaye Brian Jones (according to some) John Lennon Kurt Cobain **Substance abuse:** Jimi Hendrix Janis Joplin Jim Morrison Brian Jones (according to some) Keith Moon **Transportation:** Buddy Holly Big Bopper Richie Valens (all plane) Otis Redding (plane) Jim Croce (plane) Harry Chapin (car) Stiv Bator (Lords of the New Church, hit by car) Marc Bolan (T. Rex, car crash IIRC) Stevie Ray Vaughn (helicopter crash IIRC) **Exceptions:** Elvis (heart attack, no drugs involved?) Roy Orbison (heart. It was his death that sparked the conversation with my roomate) Karen Carpenter (anorexia) Mama Cass Elliot (heart, not ham sandwich) Freddie Mercury (AIDS) George Harrison (cancer) As it is, one could question some of the exceptions. If you consider food a substance, than Elvis and Mama Cass could be in the substance abuse category, and George Harrison late in life indicated that he thought his cancer was caused by his decades of cigarette smoking. The other amazing thing is thinking about people who are still alive but by all rights “should” be dead for any of several reasons(Keith Richards, Jerry Lee Lewis). The reasons so many fit one of these patterns I guess isn’t too mysterious. Rock is still a relatively young art form, so many of its founders are naturally still with us. The rock 'n roll lifestyle tends to encourage fast living (drugs, booze, fast cars), and maybe also tends to attract people of the tortured artist stripe. It is sad, though, that so many of these people have died in aviation accidents, usually on their way to or from a gig. So, who have I forgotten? I am especially interested in any exceptions to the three main categories I have above. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/causes-of-death-of-deceased-rock-rock-n-roll-pop-musicians/115495/2 "2002-06-22T20:46:30Z")
Who was the guy who was electrocuted by his guitar? ---
**Author:** ![grendel72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/91b2a8/32.png) [@grendel72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grendel72)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/causes-of-death-of-deceased-rock-rock-n-roll-pop-musicians/115495/3 "2002-06-22T20:49:48Z")
Of course, Ricky Nelson had the ultimate rock death. A plane crash caused by setting the plane on fire while free-basing. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/causes-of-death-of-deceased-rock-rock-n-roll-pop-musicians/115495/4 "2002-06-22T20:55:01Z")
I realized I forgot the “Bizzare Gardening Accident-Spontaneous Human Combustion” category. Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes: car crash. ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Kahuna_Burger)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/causes-of-death-of-deceased-rock-rock-n-roll-pop-musicians/115495/5 "2002-06-22T20:55:21Z")
A few more: Ricky Nelson: Transporation (plane) Shannon Hoon (Blind Melon): Substance Abuse John Bonham: Substance Abuse Paul Williams (The Temptations): Suicide David Ruffin (The Temptations): Substance Abuse Aaliyah: Transportation (plane) If you include rap then: Notorious B.I.G.: Homicide Tupak Shakur: Homicide ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/causes-of-death-of-deceased-rock-rock-n-roll-pop-musicians/115495/6 "2002-06-22T20:58:12Z")
John Denver: plane crash ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Kahuna_Burger)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/causes-of-death-of-deceased-rock-rock-n-roll-pop-musicians/115495/7 "2002-06-22T20:59:34Z")
Oh, and the general consensus on Brian Jones’s death was either that he died of an asthma attack in the pool or was murdered. I haven’t heard the drug overdose version. He had done a good deal of them during his short life, but IIRC he was clean at that point. ---
**Author:** ![CptHowdy65](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/73ab20/32.png) [@CptHowdy65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CptHowdy65)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/causes-of-death-of-deceased-rock-rock-n-roll-pop-musicians/115495/8 "2002-06-22T21:11:34Z")
Steve Gaines - Lynyrd Skynyrd - Plane Ronnie Van Zant - Lynyrd Skynyrd - Plane Duane Allman - Motorcycle Crash Marc Bolen - T Rex - Car Crash Johnny Ace - Playing Russian Roulette backstage - he lost !! Les Harvey - Stone The Crows - electrocuted by touching live mike Keith Relf - lead singer Yardbirds - dead in bathtub from electric shock from guitar Rory Storm - English group leader (Ringo was the drummer prior to the Beatles) - suicide with head in the oven along with his mother ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/causes-of-death-of-deceased-rock-rock-n-roll-pop-musicians/115495/9 "2002-06-22T21:11:37Z")
Ronnie Van Zandt, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines: plane crash Lowell George (Little Feat): Drug-induced heart attack Duane Allman: Motorcycle wreck (he ate a peach) Tommy Caldwell (Marshall Tucker): Jeep accident Toy Caldwell (Marshall Tucker): Heart attack in his sleep While searching for the above, I found [this](http://michael.woodall.home.mindspring.com/deathrock/index2.html) website. ---
**Author:** ![Sylkyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sylkyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylkyn)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/causes-of-death-of-deceased-rock-rock-n-roll-pop-musicians/115495/10 "2002-06-22T21:17:41Z")
Ronny Van Zant (lead singer of the original Lynyrd Skynyrd Band): plane crash. Bon Scott (original lead singer for AC/DC): overdose from narcotics plus alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/causes-of-death-of-deceased-rock-rock-n-roll-pop-musicians/115495/11 "2002-06-22T23:16:01Z")
I forgot to put Sid Viscious (drugs) and Michael Hutchence (INXS, drugs). **Strainger** , that site takes all the fun out of it! What did Jerry Garcia die of? That site indicates it was drug-related, but I don’t remember hearing that. ---
**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/causes-of-death-of-deceased-rock-rock-n-roll-pop-musicians/115495/12 "2002-06-22T23:25:57Z")
Brad Nowell–Sublime heroin overdose Layne Staley–Alice In Chains heroin overdose As far as Garcia is concerned, I think that it was a heart attack, with drugs being a primary factor in causing the attack. ---
**Author:** ![Ripple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@Ripple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ripple)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/causes-of-death-of-deceased-rock-rock-n-roll-pop-musicians/115495/13 "2002-06-22T23:31:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Laughing Lagomorph \* > \*\*What did Jerry Garcia die of? That site indicates it was drug-related, but I don’t remember hearing that. \*\* Jerry died of a heart attack in a detox center the night he checked in. Certainly years & years of abusing heroin played a major part in this. He was in extremely poor health for a long time, and his continuing drug use didn’t help. [this](http://www.addict.com/issues/1.09/Features/Garcia/Uhelszki.html) site has a decent summary. As for the list…The Dead lost 3 keyboard players over the years. The first, Pigpen, died of liver failure as a direct result of a serious drinking problem. Keith Godchaux died in a car accident, and Brent Mydland died of an overdose. ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/causes-of-death-of-deceased-rock-rock-n-roll-pop-musicians/115495/14 "2002-06-22T23:42:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Laughing Lagomorph \* > **Strainger** , that site takes all the fun out of it! D’oh! Sorry. If a moderator wishes to delete the link, feel free to do so. I don’t want to screw up the game here. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@Jello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jello)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/causes-of-death-of-deceased-rock-rock-n-roll-pop-musicians/115495/15 "2002-06-23T00:57:06Z")
All these guys were Grateful Dead keyboardists: Pigpen (Ron McKernan): long illness and death caused by alcohol and the such, he was 27 Keith Godchaux: car crash in Marin County Brent Mydland: drug overdose, his last show played was exactly ten years after Keith’s death. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/causes-of-death-of-deceased-rock-rock-n-roll-pop-musicians/115495/16 "2002-06-23T01:25:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Strainger \* > \*\*D’oh! Sorry. If a moderator wishes to delete the link, feel free to do so. I don’t want to screw up the game here. 😃 \*\* No, no. I didn’t mean it like that. It was a good find, and makes for interesting reading. Someone obviously did a lot of research. It just makes this little mental exercise of mine too easy! ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/causes-of-death-of-deceased-rock-rock-n-roll-pop-musicians/115495/17 "2002-06-23T01:32:40Z")
Michael Hutchence was suicide, not drugs. My mistake. I was trying to remember the guy in the band Chicago who apparently accidentally shot himself. It was Terry Kath ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/causes-of-death-of-deceased-rock-rock-n-roll-pop-musicians/115495/18 "2002-06-23T01:34:35Z")
Has anyone mentioned Andy Gibb yet. ---
**Author:** ![grendel72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/91b2a8/32.png) [@grendel72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grendel72)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/causes-of-death-of-deceased-rock-rock-n-roll-pop-musicians/115495/19 "2002-06-23T01:35:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Laughing Lagomorph \* > **Michael Hutchence was suicide, not drugs.** I don’t think he was _trying_ to kill himself. It was autoerotic asphyxiation, which I would list as “death by misadventure”. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/causes-of-death-of-deceased-rock-rock-n-roll-pop-musicians/115495/20 "2002-06-23T01:42:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by grendel72 \* > \*\*I don’t think he was _trying_ to kill himself. It was autoerotic asphyxiation, which I would list as “death by misadventure”. \*\* [The coroner](http://www.thei.aust.com/music98/hutchcor.html) didn’t seem to think so. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/causes-of-death-of-deceased-rock-rock-n-roll-pop-musicians/115495.md?page=2)