# Most shocking or surprising celebrity death? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 28, 2020, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-shocking-or-surprising-celebrity-death/847132 "2020-01-28T22:54:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-shocking-or-surprising-celebrity-death/847132/41 "2020-01-29T03:19:55Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Deaths resulting from automobile or aircraft accidents aren’t shocking to me. Neither are deaths from natural causes like common infectious diseases, medical conditions, or cancer. > > Shocking deaths are suicides, drug overdoses, murders, or other misadventures or resulting from tragic decisions or very unlikely circumstances. A relatively you g age and otherwise no sign of illness also factors in. > . I don’t know what it says about me, but I feel the exact opposite. Yes, I was surprised and very upset about Anthony Bourdain, but his death shocked and surprised me less than Kobe Bryant or Princess Diana or Anton Yelchin. :shrugs: ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-shocking-or-surprising-celebrity-death/847132/42 "2020-01-29T03:26:21Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > I’d add John Lennon to that list. He tops my list. Thurman Munson, Yankee Captain Stevie Ray Vaughan, damn, just damn! Jim Henson, he had so much more to give. Still young. Not old enough for John or Robert Kennedy or Clemente for that matter. Kobe means nothing to me, Diana & Jackson mean nothing to me. Neil Peart was 67 already, so not shocking to me. No more than Bowie or Tom Petty. Anton Yelchin & John Belushi were more of a shock. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-shocking-or-surprising-celebrity-death/847132/43 "2020-01-29T03:30:29Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > John Lennon’s death was the last one that truly shocked me. And probably will continue to be, as I’m way too jaded to get shocked by such things anymore. I was never a Pantera fan, but Dimebag Darrell’s death was just was horrific. > **[Dimebag Darrell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimebag_Darrell)** > > Darrell Lance Abbott (August 20, 1966 – December 8, 2004), best known by his stage name Dimebag Darrell, was an American musician. He was the guitarist of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan, both of which he co-founded alongside his brother Vinnie Paul. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest metal guitarists of all time. > A son of country music producer Jerry Abbott, Abbott began playing guitar at age 12, and Pantera released its debut album, Metal Magic (1983), when he w... ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-shocking-or-surprising-celebrity-death/847132/44 "2020-01-29T03:32:14Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Neil Peart was 67 already, so not shocking to me. No more than Bowie or Tom Petty. > > Anton Yelchin & John Belushi were more of a shock. John Belushi’s death didn’t surprise me at all. I was 18 at the time, and upon hearing he was dead, I replied, “Was it a drug overdose?” ☹ As for Neil Peart and David Bowie, those were such big surprises because the public didn’t know they were sick, which was also the case with Ric Ocasek. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-shocking-or-surprising-celebrity-death/847132/45 "2020-01-29T03:34:32Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Rebecca Schaeffer > > I realize she’s probably been mostly forgotten by now but at the time of her death in 1989, she was a fairly well-known actress. She had starred on a successful TV series and had made a couple of movies. And then a stalker showed up at her front door and shot her. Her death was a shock because it was so unexpected and she was only 21 years old. I had largely forgotten her by now, but her death was a big shock when it happened. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-shocking-or-surprising-celebrity-death/847132/46 "2020-01-29T03:41:58Z")
John Kennedy Jr., Thurman Munson … any time I hear of a celebrity who flies in a small aircraft routinely, especially as the pilot, I figure ē is likely to end up in a fatal accident sooner or later. Harrison Ford is cheating death several times over at this point. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-shocking-or-surprising-celebrity-death/847132/47 "2020-01-29T03:42:37Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > John Lennon and Heather O’Rourke off the top of my head. There was another young child actress in some sort of murder/suicide thing (her father and the body was set on fire?) but the name escapes me. With most other famous people you almost expect some sort of drug/alcohol related death enough not to be surprised when they happen. Samantha Smith also died along with her father, in a plane crash. > **[Samantha Smith](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samantha_Smith)** > > Samantha Reed Smith (June 29, 1972 – August 25, 1985) was an American peace activist and child actress from Manchester, Maine, who became famous for her anti-war outreaches during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. In 1982, Smith wrote a letter to the newly appointed General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Yuri Andropov, and received a personal reply with an invitation to visit the Soviet Union, which she accepted. > Smith attracted extensive med... ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-shocking-or-surprising-celebrity-death/847132/48 "2020-01-29T03:47:45Z")
There’s really only one that totally bummed me out, and that was John Lennon. This is probably the fifth or sixth time I’ve mentioned it here. I was in my first year of college and am still a huge fan of the Beatles, as a group and individually. Honourable mention: George Carlin Tom Petty Ayrton Senna John Candy George Harrison ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-shocking-or-surprising-celebrity-death/847132/49 "2020-01-29T03:48:04Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > You forgot Richard Biggs(Dr. Franklin), the first to die and the healthiest looking of the bunch. He just died right out of nowhere. Andreas Katsulas is also dead. > > Anyway, Richard Biggs was probably the biggest shock, followed by Jerry Doyle Tim Choate is also dead. > [@](#): > > Zathras used to being beast of burden. Zathras have sad life, probably have sad death, but at least there is symmetry ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-shocking-or-surprising-celebrity-death/847132/50 "2020-01-29T05:32:39Z")
Chris Farley. He had almost completed recording voice work for _Shrek_ when he passed away and had to be replaced by Mike Myers. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-shocking-or-surprising-celebrity-death/847132/51 "2020-01-29T05:36:14Z")
John Lennon. I was also shocked by Jim Morrison’s death, although I soon realized I shouldn’t have been. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-shocking-or-surprising-celebrity-death/847132/52 "2020-01-29T05:51:53Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > John Lennon and Heather O’Rourke off the top of my head. There was another young child actress in some sort of murder/suicide thing (her father and the body was set on fire?) but the name escapes me. With most other famous people you almost expect some sort of drug/alcohol related death enough not to be surprised when they happen. > [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Samantha Smith also died along with her father, in a plane crash. > > [Samantha Smith - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samantha_Smith) Also actor Vic Morrow and two child actors on the set of a Twilight Zone episode. What’s worse is the kids weren’t even legally allowed to be there, and [(from the Wikipedia article):](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_Zone_accident) > [@](#): > > Associate producer George Folsey Jr. told the children’s parents not to tell any firefighters on the set that the children were part of the scene, and hid them from a fire safety officer who also worked as a welfare worker. Seems like being a child actor was dangerous in those days. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-shocking-or-surprising-celebrity-death/847132/53 "2020-01-29T06:56:21Z")
Most of the ones that came to mind have been metiond already, Here are a few that haven’t: **Sonny Bono.** Though he wasn’t terribly young, he wasn’t elderly either. And a skiing accident is such a freakish way to die that it just seemed surreal and unbelievable at the time. **Harry Chapin.** He was on his way to a concert and crashed his car. Imagine being there and anticipating the show about to begin, only to hear that announcement. **Dale Earnhardt.** Yes, of course auto racing can be dangerous. Still, fatalities are rare in NASCAR, and Earnhardt was a legend who seemed indestructible. I watched the crash on TV as it happened, and I was still in shock when I heard the news. It didn’t look that devastating. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-shocking-or-surprising-celebrity-death/847132/54 "2020-01-29T09:49:09Z")
Karen Carpenter, because it could have been prevented. Hank Williams, probably, too. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-shocking-or-surprising-celebrity-death/847132/55 "2020-01-29T11:33:34Z")
Not a death but I was shocked when I read Springsteen struggles with depression. I figured he has it all but I guess depression can impact anyone. A lot of celebs have depression and don’t talk about it. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-shocking-or-surprising-celebrity-death/847132/56 "2020-01-29T12:50:36Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Honourable mention: > George Carlin > Tom Petty > Ayrton Senna > John Candy > George Harrison I love George Carlin and his death was sad to me(boy, do we need him now!). However, his death was not super shocking. I remember his “Life is Worth Losing” recording and he sounded really bad there. He did sound healthier and stronger in his final recording(It’s Bad For Ya’), but he had had more than a couple heart attacks in his life, going back to the 1970’s. I still would have loved to see him live to watch the Trump-era come about. He so saw all this truthiness/facts-don’t-matter junk coming a mile away. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-shocking-or-surprising-celebrity-death/847132/57 "2020-01-29T14:18:37Z")
Anyone who is murdered always shocks me. And you can add Sharon Tate to the list. I cried when Jim Henson died. He was so young and it was such a shock. Jonathan Larson, who struggled for years and got his musical Rent produced in a summer workshop which led to off-Broadway. He had been suffering chest pains, and went to two different hospitals. One told him he had the flu and to take it easy, the second one took an X-ray, told him he had food poisoning and made me vomit. The day of the first full run through dress rehearsal, Larson was interviewed by the Times, went home and died alone. His autopsy showed an aortic aneurysm, which clearly showed up on hsi X-ray and could have been treated. He never got to see the fame and fortune he so richly deserved. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-shocking-or-surprising-celebrity-death/847132/58 "2020-01-29T14:48:37Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > In addition with those already mentioned… > > Chris Cornell > Robin Williams > George Michael > Anthony Bourdain > > …all suicides ☹ George Michael committed suicide? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-shocking-or-surprising-celebrity-death/847132/59 "2020-01-29T14:52:49Z")
Yes, Robin Williams was a huge shock, but upon learning about Lew Graves disease, I can understand why he did what he did. He dreaded losing control of his brain. When I consider what his brain must have been like, particularly his creative part, I’m amazed he managed to control that amazing creativity for so long. Like I said: I understand it. I certainly don’t condone it. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-shocking-or-surprising-celebrity-death/847132/60 "2020-01-29T14:55:12Z")
Carrie Fisher John Lennon But the big one for me is John Denver. It was a few weeks after I saw him in what turned out to be his last concert. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-shocking-or-surprising-celebrity-death/847132.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-shocking-or-surprising-celebrity-death/847132.md?page=4)