List of deaths in rock and roll

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This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy certain standards for completeness. Revisions and sourced additions are welcome.

In rock & roll history there have been many notable and tragic deaths, many quite young but still leaving their mark on music. The following is a list of the names of many such iconic figures and the date and cause of death.

Contents 1 1950s Deaths 2 1960s Deaths 3 1970s Deaths 4 1980s Deaths 5 1990s Deaths 6 2000s Deaths

[edit] 1950s Deaths

• Hank Williams - Acute rt. ventricular dilation, January 1, 1953 in Oak Hill, West Virginia
• Johnny Ace - Gun wounds occurred playing Russian roulette, December 24, 1954 in Houston, Texas
• Chuck Willis - peritonitis, April 10, 1958.
• Buddy Holly - Plane crash, February 3, 1959 near Clear Lake, Iowa
• The Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson) - Plane crash, February 3, 1959 near Clear Lake, Iowa
• Ritchie Valens - Plane crash, February 3, 1959 near Clear Lake, Iowa

[edit] 1960s Deaths

• Jessie Belvin - Car crash, February 6, 1960
• Eddie Cochran - Limo accident, April 17, 1960 in Chippenham, Wiltshire, England
• Stuart Sutcliffe (The Beatles) - Cerebral hemorrhage, April 10, 1962
• Cyril Davies - leukaemia, January 7, 1964
• Sam Cooke - Shot to death by Bertha Franklin, December 11, 1964 in Los Angeles, California
• Richard Fariña - motorcycle accident, April 30, 1966
• Bobby Fuller - suspicious, officially 'suicide', Los Angeles, July 18, 1966
• "Johnny Kidd" Frederick Heath - Car crash, October 7, 1966
• "Rockin' Robin" Roberts (of the Wailers) - Car crash, 1967
• Joe Meek - Suicide by gun shot, February 3, 1967 in London, England
• Brian Epstein (Manager of The Beatles from 1962-1967) - Accidental overdose, August 27, 1967 in London, England
• Otis Redding - Plane crash, December 10, 1967 in Madison, Wisconsin
• The Bar-Kays (Jimmy King, Ronnie Caldwell, Carl Cunningham, Phalon Jones) - Plane crash, December 10, 1967 in Madison, Wisconsin
• Frankie Lymon - heroin OD, February 27, 1968 in New York, NY
• Little Willie John - suspicious, 'heart attack' in prison (for murder), May 26, 1968 in Walla Walla, WA
• Brian Jones (The Rolling Stones) - Accidental drowning, thought to be suicide by Mick Jagger, July 3, 1969 in Cotchford Farm, Sussex, England
• Don MacAllister (of Seattle's Daily Flash) - overdose, autumn 1969, Los Angeles ^[1]
• Tommy Edwards - Brain aneurysm October 22, 1969 in Richmond, VA

[edit] 1970s Deaths

• Alan Wilson (Canned Heat) - Suicide or accidental heroin overdose, September 3, 1970 in Topanga Canyon, California
• Jimi Hendrix - Barbiturate overdose, September 18, 1970 in London, England
• Janis Joplin - Heroin overdose, October 4, 1970 in Los Angeles, California
• Jim Morrison (The Doors) - Heart Failure [disputed], July 3, 1971 in Paris, France
• Duane Allman (Allman Brothers Band, Derek & the Dominos) - Motorcycle accident, October 29, 1971 in Macon, Georgia
• Gene Vincent - burst stomach ulcer, October 12th 1971, California.
• Clyde McPhatter - Heart attack June 13, 1972.
• Rory Storm (Rory Storm & The Hurricanes, Alleged overdose suicide, September 28, 1972 in Liverpool, England
• Billy Murcia (New York Dolls) - Accidental suffocation, November 6, 1972
• Berry Oakley (Allman Brothers Band) - Motorcycle accident, November 11, 1972 in Macon, Georgia
• Danny Whitten (Crazy Horse) - Suicide or accidental heroin overdose, November 18, 1972, Los Angeles, U.S.A.
• Clarence White (The Kentucky Colonels, The Byrds) - Hit by drunk driver, July 14, 1973 in Palmdale, CA
• Paul Williams (Temptations) - Suicide by gunshot, August 17, 1973 in Detroit, Michigan
• Gram Parsons - Drug overdose, September 19, 1973 in Joshua Tree, California
• Jim Croce - Plane crash, September 20, 1973 in Natchitoches, LA
• Maury Muehleisen (Jim Croce's lead guitarist) - Plane crash, September 20, 1973 in Natchitoches, LA
• Bobby Darin - Died following surgery to repair a mechanical heart valve, December 20, 1973.
• Cass Elliot ("Mama" Cass, The Mamas & The Papas) - Heart failure, July 29, 1974 in London, England
• Ivory Joe Hunter - Lung cancer, November 8, 1974 in Memphis, TN
• Nick Drake - Suicide or accidental overdose, November 25, 1974 in Tanworth-in-Arden, England
• Peter Ham (Badfinger)- Suicide, April 23, 1975
• Tim Buckley - Heroin overdose, June 29, 1975
• Al Jackson Jr - (Booker T. & the MGs) - Murdered by gunshot, October 1 1975
• Gary Thain (Uriah Heep) - Drug overdose, December 8, 1975
• Paul Kossoff (Free) - Drug-related heart attack, March 19, 1976
• Keith Relf (The Yardbirds) - Electrocuted by guitar, May 14, 1976
• Tommy Bolin (Deep Purple, The James Gang, Zephyr) - heroin overdose, December 4, 1976
• Elvis Presley - Heart attack, August 16, 1977 in Memphis, Tennessee
• Marc Bolan (T. Rex) - Car accident, September 16, 1977 in London, England
• Steve Gaines (Lynyrd Skynyrd) - Plane crash, October 20, 1977 in Gillsburg, Mississippi
• Ronnie Van Zant (Lynyrd Skynyrd) - Plane crash, October 20, 1977 in Gillsburg, Mississippi
• Terry Kath (Chicago) - Accidentally shot himself in the head in proving gun was not loaded, January 23, 1978 in Los Angeles, California
• Keith Moon (The Who) - Overdose on Heminevrin, Sep 7, 1978 in London, England
• Sid Vicious (Sex Pistols) - Suicide or accidental overdose, February 2, 1979 in New York City, New York
• Lowell George (Little Feat) - Heart attack, June 29, 1979 in Arlington, Virginia
• Jimmy McCulloch (Wings) - Heroin overdose, September 27, 1979

[edit] 1980s Deaths

• Bon Scott (AC/DC) - Asphyxiation on vomit caused by alcohol, February 19, 1980 in London, England
• Ian Curtis (Joy Division) - Suicide by hanging, May 18, 1980 in Macclesfield, England
• Carl Radle (Derek and the Dominos) - Kidney Infection, May 30, 1980
• John Bonham (Led Zeppelin) - Excessive alcohol consumption, September 25, 1980 in Windsor, England
• John Lennon (The Beatles) - Murdered by Mark David Chapman, December 8, 1980 in New York City, New York
• Bob Marley (The Wailers) - Cancer, May 11, 1981 in Miami, Florida
• Randy Rhoads (Quiet Riot, Ozzy) - Plane crash, March 19, 1982 in Leesburg, Florida
• Lester Bangs - Drug overdose, April 30, 1982 in New York, NY
• Joe Tex - Heart attack, August 13, 1982 in Navasota, TX
• Marty Robbins - Surgical complications December 8, 1982 in Nashville, TN
• Billy Fury - Heart attack, January 28, 1983 in London, England
• Karen Carpenter (The Carpenters) - Anorexia, February 4, 1983 in Downey, California
• Felix Pappalardi (Mountain) - Shot by his wife, April 17, 1983 in New York, NY
• Klaus Nomi - AIDS complications, August 6, 1983
• Tommy Evans (Badfinger) - Suicide, November 19, 1983
• Dennis Wilson (The Beach Boys) - Accidental Drowning, December 28, 1983 in Marina del Rey, CA
• Jackie Wilson - Suffered an onstage heart attack leading to brain damage and decade long coma before his eventual death, January 21, 1984 in Mount Holly, New Jersey
• Marvin Gaye - Shot by father Marvin Pentz Gay, Sr., April 1, 1984 in Los Angeles, California
• Lenny Breau - Murder by strangulation - August 12, 1984, Los Angeles, U.S.A.
• David Byron (Uriah Heep) - alcohol-related complications, February 28, 1985 in Reading, Berkshire, England
• Ricky Wilson (The B-52's) - Complications of AIDS, October 12, 1985 in New York City, New York
• Ian Stewart (The Rolling Stones) - Heart attack, December 12, 1985
• D. Boon (The Minutemen) - Traffic accident, December 22, 1985 in Tucson, AZ
• Ricky Nelson - Plane crash, December 31, 1985 in De Kalb, TX
• Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy) - Accidental overdose, January 4, 1986 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England
• Richard Manuel (The Band) - Suicide by hanging, March 4, 1986 in Winter Park, Florida
• Jaco Pastorius (Weather Report) - Beaten to death by a bar bouncer, September 21, 1987 in Wilton Manors, FL
• Cliff Burton (Metallica) - Traffic accident, September 27, 1986 in Sweden
• Gary Driscoll (Rainbow) - Murdered in his home, June, 1987, in Ithaca, New York
• Peter Tosh (The Wailers) - Murdered by gun shot, September 11, 1987 in Kingston, Jamaica
• Roy Orbison - Heart attack, December 6, 1988 in Hendersonville, Tennessee
• Hillel Slovak - Accidental overdose, June 25, 1988 in Los Angeles, California
• Nico (The Velvet Underground) - Head trauma caused by bicycle accident July 18, 1988
• Roy Buchanan - Supposed suicide (found hanged in cell), August 14, 1988 in a prison in Virginia
• Pete de Freitas (Echo & the Bunnymen) - Motorcycle accident, June 14, 1989

[edit] 1990s Deaths

• Allen Collins (Lynyrd Skynyrd) - Pneumonia, January 23, 1990
• Del Shannon - Suicide by gunshot, February 8, 1990
• Johnnie Ray - Liver failure due to chronic alcoholism, February 24, 1990 in Los Angeles
• Ric Grech (Blind Faith) - Liver and Kidney failure, March 17, 1990 in Leicester, England
• Andrew Wood (Mother Love Bone) - Heroin Overdose, March 19, 1990 in Seattle, WA
• Stevie Ray Vaughan (Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble) - Helicopter Accident, Aug 27, 1990 in East Troy, WI
• Tom Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival) - Tuberculosis, September 6 1990
• Ole Beich (Guns N' Roses) - Drowned, 1991 in Copenhagen, Denmark
• Dead (Mayhem) - Suicide, April 8, 1991
• David Ruffin (Temptations, Solo) - Drug overdose, June 1, 1991 in Philadelphia, PA
• Steve Marriott (The Small Faces, Humble Pie) - House Fire, April 20, 1991
• Johnny Thunders (The New York Dolls, The Heartbreakers) - April 23, 1991 in New Orleans, LA
• Eric Carr (KISS) - November 24, 1991
• Freddie Mercury (Queen) - complications of AIDS, November 24, 1991 in London, England
• Eddie Kendricks (The Temptations) - Lung cancer, October 5, 1992 in Birmingham, AL
• Eddie Hazel (Funkadelic) - Internal bleeding and liver failure, December 23, 1992
• Geoff Mann (Twelfth Night) - Cancer, March of 1993
• Mick Ronson (David Bowie) - Cancer, April 30, 1993
• Euronymous (Mayhem) - Stabbed, August 10, 1993
• Criss Oliva (Savatage) - Car Accident, October 17, 1993
• Frank Zappa (The Mothers of Invention) - Died of prostate cancer, December 4, 1993 in Laurel Canyon, California
• Jerry Edmonton (Steppenwolf) - Car wreck, November 28, 1993
• Harry Nilsson - Heart failure hours after completing vocal tracks for his still-ureleased final album, January 15, 1994
• Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) - Suicide or murder by gun shot, April 5, 1994 in Seattle, Washington
• Derek Leckenby (Herman's Hermits) - Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, June 4, 1994
• Nicky Hopkins (The Jeff Beck Group) - Complications from surgery - September 6, 1994, Nashville, Tennessee
• Danny Gatton (Redneck Jazz Explosion) - Suicide by gunshot, in October 4, 1994, Newburg, Maryland
• Melvin Franklin (The Temptations) - Brain seizure, February 23, 1995
• Selena - Murdered by gun shot, March 31, 1995, Corpus Christi, Texas
• Sterling Morrison (The Velvet Underground) - Cancer brought on from smoking, August 30, 1995
• Jerry Garcia (Grateful Dead) - Heart Attack, August 9, 1995
• Shannon Hoon (Blind Melon) - Accidental overdose, October 21, 1995
• Brad Nowell (Sublime) - Accidental overdose, May 25, 1996
• Jonathan Melvoin (Smashing Pumpkins) - Accidental overdose, July 12, 1996
• Kenny Pickett (The Creation (band)) - January 10, 1997
• Jeff Buckley - Accidental drowning, May 29, 1997 in Memphis, Tennessee
• Ronnie Lane (The Small Faces, Faces) - Pneumonia, June 4, 1997
• Bobby Helms - Emphysema & Asthma, June 19, 1997 in Martinsville, IN
• John Denver - Plane crash - Ran out of gasoline, October 12, 1997, California
• Michael Hutchence (INXS) - Suicide or accidental strangulation, November 22, 1997
• Kurt Winter (The Guess Who) - Drug related death, December 14, 1997
• Sonny Bono (Sonny & Cher, Solo) - Skiing accident, January 5, 1998 in South Lake Tahoe, California
• Carl Wilson (The Beach Boys) - Lung cancer, February 6, 1998
• Cozy Powell (The Jeff Beck Group, Rainbow, Black Sabbath) - Car Crash, April 5, 1998
• Curtis Mayfield (The Impressions) - Complications from diabetes, December 26, 1999 in Roswell, Georgia
• Rick Danko (The Band) - December 10, 1999

[edit] 2000s Deaths

• Heinz Burt (The Tornados) - Motor neurone disease, April 7, 2000 in Southampton, England
• Allen Woody (The Allman Brothers,Gov't Mule) - Unknown causes, August 26, 2000
• Robert Buck (10,000 Maniacs) - Liver Failure, December 19, 2000, Pittsburgh, PA
• Joey Ramone (The Ramones) - Lymphoma, April 15, 2001 in New York.
• George Harrison (The Beatles, Solo) - Lung cancer, November 29, 2001
• Chuck Schuldiner (Death) - Cancer, December 13, 2001
• Jon Lee (Feeder) - Suicide, January 7, 2002
• Peter Bardens (Camel, solo) - Lung cancer, January 22, 2002
• Waylon Jennings - Diabetic complications, February 13, 2002 in Chandler, Arizona
• Layne Staley (Alice in Chains) - Drug overdose, April 5 2002
• Dee Dee Ramone (The Ramones) - Heroin overdose, June 5, 2002
• John Entwistle (The Who, solo) - Cocaine-induced heart attack, June 27, 2002
• Lonnie Donegan - Heart Attack, November 2, 2002 in Peterborough, England
• Joe Strummer (The Clash, The Mescaleros) - Congenital heart defect, December 22, 2002
• Mickey Finn (T. Rex) - Liver problems, January 11, 2003
• Maurice Gibb (Bee Gees) - Complications of a twisted intestine, January 12, 2003 in Miami Beach, Florida
• Adam Faith - Heart Attack, March 8, 2003 in Stoke on Trent, England
• Mickie Most (English record producer) - mesothelioma, May 30, 2003
• Erik Brann (Iron Butterfly) - Heart attack, July 31, 2003
• Warren Zevon - Mesothelioma, September 7, 2003
• Johnny Cash - Complications from diabetes, September 12, 2003 in Nashville, Tennessee
• Shawn Lane (Black Oak Arkansas, HLS, solo) - Lung Disease, September 26, 2003
• Elliott Smith - Knife wound, October 21, 2003 in Los Angeles, California
• Bobby Hatfield (Righteous Brothers) - Cocaine induced heart attack, November 4, 2003
• Greg Ridley (Spooky Tooth, Humble Pie) - Pneumonia and resulting complications, November 19, 2003
• Clint Warwick (Original Moody Blues bassist) - Liver failure, May 15, 2004
• Quorthon (Bathory) - Heart Failure, June 7, 2004
• Johnny Ramone (The Ramones) - Prostate Cancer, September 15, 2004 in Los Angeles, California
• Dimebag Darrell (Pantera, Damageplan) - Murdered by gun shot on stage, December 8, 2004
• Eric Griffiths (The Quarrymen) - Pancreatic cancer, January 29, 2005
• Pierre Moerlen (Gong) - Natural Causes, May 3, 2005
• Domenic Troiano (The James Gang, The Guess Who) - Prostate cancer, May 25, 2005
• Long John Baldry - severe chest infection, July 21, 2005
• Carlo Little (The Rolling Stones) - lung cancer, August 6, 2005
• Krzysztof "Doc" Raczkowski (Vader) - Cause of death unknown, August 20, 2005
• Robert Moog (Inventor of the Moog Synthesizer) - Brain Tumor, August 21, 2005
• Wilson Pickett (The Falcons) - Heart Attack, Ashburn, Virginia, U.S.A., January 19, 2006
• Grant McLennan (The Go-Betweens) - Heart attack, May 6, 2006
• Freddie Garrity (Freddie & The Dreamers) - Emphysema, May 19, 2006, in Bangor, North Wales
• Billy Preston - Kidney failure, June 6, 2006 in Scottsdale, Arizona
• Syd Barrett (Pink Floyd) - Complications with Diabetes, July 7, 2006
• Arthur Lee (Love) - Died of Leukemia, August 3, 2006 in Memphis
• Pip Pyle (Hatfield and the North, National Health, Gong) - Natural Causes, August 28, 2006
• James Brown - Pneumonia, December 25, 2006
• Denny Doherty (The Mamas & The Papas) - kidney failure, January 19, 2007
• Brad Delp (Boston) - March 9, 2007