# People who made a big splash, then either quit or died. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 27, 2012, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-made-a-big-splash-then-either-quit-or-died/620108 "2012-04-27T06:35:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-made-a-big-splash-then-either-quit-or-died/620108/21 "2012-04-27T15:32:05Z")
[This thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=522596) covered the deaths pretty well. Plus: Ayrton Senna Dan Wheldon As far as quitting, Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel walked away from the business shortly after the release/success of _In The Aeroplane Over The Sea_, and has not put out an album since then. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-made-a-big-splash-then-either-quit-or-died/620108/22 "2012-04-27T15:39:13Z")
Hank Williams’ recording career began in 1947; he died Jan. 1, 1953, at the age of 29. Marcel Duchamp’s first really important artwork, _Nude Descending a Staircase,_ was produced in 1912. By 1923, at the age of 36, he had essentially retired from art and devoted the rest of his life primarily to chess; he died in 1968. ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-made-a-big-splash-then-either-quit-or-died/620108/23 "2012-04-27T15:49:24Z")
[Remy Shand](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remy_Shand)’s recording career was one and done. His first and only album, “The Way I Feel,” was released when he was 23 and was certified platinum in Canada and sold a half million copies in the US as well, earning him a Juno award in Canada for best R&B/Soul recording and four Grammy nominations. He has basically fallen off the face of the earth since then. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-made-a-big-splash-then-either-quit-or-died/620108/24 "2012-04-27T15:51:37Z")
[Steve Prefontaine.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Prefontaine) Once held American distance records from the 2,000 to 10,000 meters. Fourth in the 1972 Olympic 5,000 meters. ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-made-a-big-splash-then-either-quit-or-died/620108/25 "2012-04-27T15:53:11Z")
6025 ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-made-a-big-splash-then-either-quit-or-died/620108/26 "2012-04-27T15:55:36Z")
River Phoenix was one of the top young stars before his drug overdose at 23 years old. ---
**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:** [April 27, 2012, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-made-a-big-splash-then-either-quit-or-died/620108/27 "2012-04-27T16:13:26Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Jesus > I’m not a fan but I think you could say he made a big slash then died young. Yeah, but it didn’t take. ---
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-made-a-big-splash-then-either-quit-or-died/620108/28 "2012-04-27T16:14:19Z")
[Jeff Buckley](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Buckley) ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-made-a-big-splash-then-either-quit-or-died/620108/29 "2012-04-27T16:18:08Z")
[J. R. Richard](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._Richard) of the Houston Astros. Well on his way to being possibly better than Nolan Ryan, he had a stroke that ended his major league career. He wound up destitute and living under a bridge and then became a minister. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-made-a-big-splash-then-either-quit-or-died/620108/30 "2012-04-27T16:21:28Z")
**Tom Lehrer** walked away from performing and recording over 40 years ago and has shown no interest in returning. ---
**Author:** ![cuberdon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/45deac/32.png) [@cuberdon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuberdon)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-made-a-big-splash-then-either-quit-or-died/620108/31 "2012-04-27T16:29:16Z")
Died: Ritchie Valens Alexander Pushkin Lou Gehrig ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-made-a-big-splash-then-either-quit-or-died/620108/32 "2012-04-27T16:31:25Z")
Ralph Ellison didn’t exactly _quit_ after _The Invisible Man_ was published - he just never quite finished his second novel. > [@hogarth](#): > > [Évariste Galois](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89variste_Galois): made some significant contributions to mathematics, then died after a duel at age 20. You are a master of understatement. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-made-a-big-splash-then-either-quit-or-died/620108/33 "2012-04-27T16:32:06Z")
[Roger Bannister](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Bannister) broke the four minute mile, then retired at the end of the season at age 26. After a long, distinguished career as a physician, he is still alive at age 83. [E.M. Forster](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._M._Forster) wrote 6 classic novels between 1905 and 1924, and never wrote another, although he lived until 1970. He did do some miscellaneous writing, criticism, a film script, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-made-a-big-splash-then-either-quit-or-died/620108/34 "2012-04-27T16:36:30Z")
[Matt Blunt](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Blunt), elected to the Missouri legislature at 27, Attorney General at 29 and Governor at age 33. Served one term, didn’t run for re-election and now works as a lobbyist for the auto industry. He’s still just 41, so it’s too early to say he’s quit politics, but he hasn’t expressed any interest in running for another office. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-made-a-big-splash-then-either-quit-or-died/620108/35 "2012-04-27T16:40:39Z")
Dying young can be a great career move. Or in case like Harper Lee, leaving on a high note instead of dying. If you do your best work early in life, continued efforts that never reach previous heights may tarnish a reputation. Just ask child actors and athletes. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-made-a-big-splash-then-either-quit-or-died/620108/36 "2012-04-27T16:45:45Z")
Bjorn Borg, tennis player, won a crapload of titles and retired at 26. ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-made-a-big-splash-then-either-quit-or-died/620108/37 "2012-04-27T16:54:00Z")
Paul Charles Morphy (1837 - 1884) was a chess prodigy, the best chess player of his time and considered to be the unofficial world champion. He retired from the game in 1861, never to play competitively again. ---
**Author:** ![andrew\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bcef8e/32.png) [@andrew\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrew_1)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-made-a-big-splash-then-either-quit-or-died/620108/38 "2012-04-27T17:29:19Z")
[Greg Moore](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Moore_%28racing_driver%29). ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-made-a-big-splash-then-either-quit-or-died/620108/39 "2012-04-27T17:40:05Z")
German biathlete Magdalena Neuner ( [Magdalena Neuner - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalena_Neuner) ) turned 25 this year and is retiring from the sport. She is a multiple Olympic gold medalist, world champion, and winner of the world cup. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-made-a-big-splash-then-either-quit-or-died/620108/40 "2012-04-27T18:34:46Z")
John Kennedy Toole committed suicide as a young man, had one novel (_A Confederacy Of Dunces_) published posthumously, and won the Pulitzer Prize. The original Charlie Bucket walked away from acting after the Chocolate Factory and became a veterinarian. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-made-a-big-splash-then-either-quit-or-died/620108.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-made-a-big-splash-then-either-quit-or-died/620108.md?page=3)