# What artists have died at the very height of their success? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 27, 2009, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artists-have-died-at-the-very-height-of-their-success/501201 "2009-06-27T21:53:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Mr\_Buttons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@Mr\_Buttons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Buttons)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artists-have-died-at-the-very-height-of-their-success/501201/61 "2009-06-28T17:45:32Z")
[Bradley Nowell of Sublime.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sublime_(band)) _40 oz. of Freedom_ was their launching album, then their self-titled _Sublime_ album after that went platinum five times over. Shortly thereafter, he died of a heroin overdose. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artists-have-died-at-the-very-height-of-their-success/501201/62 "2009-06-28T18:04:13Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Meanwhile, another example for the OP is Adolf Hitler. (Well, he DID paint some pictures.) What, you think his best paintings were done while he was in the bunker surrounded by the Russian army?😉 ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artists-have-died-at-the-very-height-of-their-success/501201/63 "2009-06-28T18:11:10Z")
Gentleman [Jim Reeves](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Reeves) ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artists-have-died-at-the-very-height-of-their-success/501201/64 "2009-06-28T21:54:20Z")
[Ernie Kovacs](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernie_Kovacs)–a pioneer in surrealistic visual humor who was only 42 when he was killed in a car crash in 1962. Also, has Keith Moon been mentioned yet? ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artists-have-died-at-the-very-height-of-their-success/501201/65 "2009-06-28T22:23:43Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Infomercials are art now? I would definitely put his performances in the artistic category. Advertising is definitely an artform even if it is not “fine art”. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artists-have-died-at-the-very-height-of-their-success/501201/66 "2009-06-28T22:49:28Z")
Eddy Guerrero. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artists-have-died-at-the-very-height-of-their-success/501201/67 "2009-06-28T23:41:11Z")
I will throw in Bobby Darin. His career was changing from flash Vegas to more of a contemplative style, but no less important. And no one had more talent, and then it was over. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artists-have-died-at-the-very-height-of-their-success/501201/68 "2009-06-29T00:58:34Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > A whole bunch of jazz musicians: Charlie Parker, Bix Beiderbecke, Bunny Berigan, Frank Teschemacher, Fats Waller, Charlie Christian, Chu Berry, John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, Eddie Lang, Bennie Moten, Jaco Pastorius, Bud Powell, Django Reinhardt, Dinah Washington, Chick Webb. . . . . .Chet Baker, Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, Diz, Red Norvo, Ali Farka Toure. . . ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artists-have-died-at-the-very-height-of-their-success/501201/69 "2009-06-29T01:13:21Z")
Bernie Mac ---
**Author:** ![Registered\_at\_Last](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bc79bd/32.png) [@Registered\_at\_Last](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Registered_at_Last)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artists-have-died-at-the-very-height-of-their-success/501201/70 "2009-06-29T01:16:42Z")
[Stan Rogers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Rogers) - Canadian Folk Legend died at 33 in an airplane fire. Nominated twice posthumously for Juno awards (Canadian equivalent of Grammy award). ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artists-have-died-at-the-very-height-of-their-success/501201/71 "2009-06-29T01:25:27Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > [Karl Wallenda.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Wallendas) Um, he was 73. As a circus performer, one can only assume his best days were behind him. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artists-have-died-at-the-very-height-of-their-success/501201/72 "2009-06-29T01:30:41Z")
\*\*Bradley Nowell \*\*of Sublime died of a heroin overdose just a couple of months before the release of the band’s third album, which became their huge breakout success. DARN - Took too long to type this up and Mr. Buttons beat me to the punch ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artists-have-died-at-the-very-height-of-their-success/501201/73 "2009-06-29T02:00:51Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > . . .Chet Baker, Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, Diz, Red Norvo, Ali Farka Toure. . . Chet Baker died at age 58, Miles Davis at 65, Dizzy Gillespie at 75, Red Norvo at 91 and Ali Farka Toure at 66. While some artists do great work late in life, I don’t think I’d consider these to be examples of artists who died at the height of their success. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artists-have-died-at-the-very-height-of-their-success/501201/74 "2009-06-29T02:20:20Z")
Where there is jazz, there will be nerds. I’m one. IIRC, both Bix and Bird, though young men, were in somewhat of a slump at the time of their deaths. Bix, for example, had been in the equivalent of detox at least once during 1929-30, and out of work and ill with pneumonia through much of 1931. It was the pneumonia which finally killed him. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artists-have-died-at-the-very-height-of-their-success/501201/75 "2009-06-29T02:38:17Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > Jaco Pastorius, Sadly Jaco was pretty much an outcast due to his mental health problems, and had been so for a while when he was killed. ---
**Author:** ![Tixenfleaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@Tixenfleaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tixenfleaz)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artists-have-died-at-the-very-height-of-their-success/501201/76 "2009-06-29T03:46:18Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Um, he was 73. As a circus performer, one can only assume his best days were behind him. I wonder if Karl went “whooosh” before he died. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artists-have-died-at-the-very-height-of-their-success/501201/77 "2009-06-29T04:02:52Z")
Steve Clark-Def Leppard. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artists-have-died-at-the-very-height-of-their-success/501201/78 "2009-06-29T04:04:59Z")
What about Chris Farley? ---
**Author:** ![geezermom67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@geezermom67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/geezermom67)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artists-have-died-at-the-very-height-of-their-success/501201/79 "2009-06-29T04:06:16Z")
Galois (mathematician)…he thought he might be killed in a duel the next day so spent the night writing out his ideas. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Buttons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@Mr\_Buttons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Buttons)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artists-have-died-at-the-very-height-of-their-success/501201/80 "2009-06-29T04:09:19Z")
> [@HelloNinja](#): > > \*\*Bradley Nowell \*\*of Sublime died of a heroin overdose just a couple of months before the release of the band’s third album, which became their huge breakout success. > > DARN - Took too long to type this up and Mr. Buttons beat me to the punch Well, unless it took ya 8 hours to type up a reply, I think I beat your typing by a lot more. 🙂 But thanks for clarifying he died before the album came out. I was thinking he died after he saw the album become successful. Shame to OD 2 months before you sell 17 million albums. ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artists-have-died-at-the-very-height-of-their-success/501201.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artists-have-died-at-the-very-height-of-their-success/501201.md?page=5)