List of drug-related deaths

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The following is a list of notable people who have died from drug-related causes. Deaths caused by alcohol and caffeine are included.

Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

[edit] A

Herb Abrams (1954–1996) - American professional wrestling promoter, heart complications brought on by drug abuse.
Nick Adams (1931-1968) - actor, drug overdose.
David Allen Adkisson (1958-1984) - American professional wrestler, death speculated upon as drugs overdose.
Kerry Gene Adkisson (1960-1993) - American professional wrestler, suicide, after arrest for cocaine possession and drug problems.
Michael Brent Adkisson (1964-1987) - American professional wrestler, suicide, overdosed on tranquilizers.
Dave Alexander (1947-1975) - musician, The Stooges.
Dennis Allen (1951-1987) - Australian infamous drug dealer, drug induced heart failure.
GG Allin (1956-1993) - punk musician, heroin overdose.
Bridgette Andersen (1975-1997) former child actress, alcohol and heroin overdose.
Howard Arkley (1951-1999) - painter.

[edit] B

Chet Baker (58) - jazz trumpeter and singer.
John Balance (42) - musician, Coil, fell over a banister while drunk.
Florence Ballard (32) - musician, The Supremes, cardiac arrest strongly exacerbated by long-term drug abuse.
Honoré de Balzac (51) - caffeine poisoning from drinking over forty cups of coffee a day.
Lester Bangs (33) - musician, writer, overdose of painkillers, possibly accidental.
Jean-Michel Basquiat (27) - painter, heroin overdose.
Scotty Beckett (38) - American former child actor, suicide, barbiturate overdose.
Bix Beiderbecke (28) - jazz musician, alcoholism.
John Belushi (33) - of the Blues Brothers, actor, and comedian, heroin and cocaine overdose (speedball).
Bunny Berigan (33) - musician, trumpet, liver cirrhosis from alcoholism.
Wes Berggren - musician, Tripping Daisy.
George Best (59) - ex-footballer with Manchester United, multiple organ failure exacerbated by chronic long-standing alcoholism.
Leah Betts (18) - British schoolgirl, ecstasy related.
Len Bias (22) - basketball star; died of cocaine overdose before ever playing in the NBA.
Dave Bidwell - musician, the Pink Fairies, Chicken Shack, Savoy Brown, Mungo Jerry.
Matty Blagg (real name Matthew Roberts) - musician, Blaggers I.T.A., heroin overdose.
Mike Bloomfield (36) - blues guitarist, heroin overdose.
Tommy Bolin (25) - musician, Deep Purple, drugs overdose and/or alcohol poisoning.
John Bonham (32) - musician Led Zeppelin, alcohol related asphyxiation caused by choking on his own vomit.
James Booker (44) - musician, liver failure.
Elisa Bridges (29) - model, acute intoxication - combined effects of heroin, methamphetamine, meperidine and Alprazolam.
Erik Brødreskift (30) - musician, Borknagar,Gorgoroth,and Immortal, suicide - pill overdose.
Herman Brood (55) - musician, suicide after long-term substance abuse issues.
Dennis Brown (42) - musician, Jamacian Reggae singer, believed to be AIDS related but strong rumours of chronic drug abuse.
Lenny Bruce (40) - comedian, morphine overdose.
Robert Buck (42) - musician, 10,000 Maniacs, liver disease.
Tim Buckley (28) - rock and roll musician, heroin overdose.
Paul Butterfield (44) - musician, drug and alcohol overdose.

[edit] C

Andrés Caicedo (25) - Columbian writer, drugs overdose (suicide).
Toy Caldwell - musician, Marshall Tucker Band.
Ken Caminiti (41) - former Major League Baseball player; acute cocaine and opiates intoxication.
Skip Candelori - musician, Turning Point.
Max Cantor - journalist, actor, heroin overdose, he became an addict while researching addicts in New York.
Gia Carangi - supermodel, heroin abuse led to a death from AIDS.
Leroy Carr - blues musician, cirrhosis of the liver as a result of alcoholism.
Gene Clark (46) - musician, the Byrds, bleeding ulcer due to long term alcohol abuse.
Sonny Clark - musician, American hard bop pianist, heroin overdose.
Steve Clark - musician, Def Leppard, accidential death (anti-depressants, painkillers and alcohol).
Michael Clarke (47) - musician, the Byrds, liver failure due to long term alcoholism.
Will Clay - musician, The Toys.
Montgomery Clift - actor, heart attack due to severe alcoholism and drug abuse.
Kurt Cobain (27) - musician, frontman-Nirvana, suicide
Brian Cole - musician, the Association, heroin overdose.
Brian Connolly - musician, Sweet, liver damage caused by long-term substance abuse and chronic alcoholism.
Pamela Courson - common law wife of Jim Morrison of The Doors, heroin overdose.
Cowboy (real name Keith Wiggins) - musician, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, drug overdose.
Carl Crack - musician, Atari Teenage Riot, drug overdose.
Darby Crash (22) - punk musician, of The Germs, suicide by heroin overdose.
Robbin Crosby (42) - musician, ex-Ratt, contracted HIV as a result of long-time heroin addiction and died of a heroin overdose.

[edit] D

Dalida (54) - singer, suicide, barbiturates overdose (sleeping pills).
Nick Dachino (23) Singer, drug overdose.
Dorothy Dandridge (42) - actress, singer, anti-depressant overdose.
Jesse Ed Davis (43) - guitarist, session musician, drug overdose.
Sheik Sayed Darwish - Egyptian composer and father of Arab popular music, cocaine overdose.
Paul Demayo (38) - American professional bodybuilder, heroin overdose.
Ted Demme (38) - film director, heart attack, small amount of cocaine taken may have contributed.
Rick Dey - musician, the Vejtables, February Sunshine, the Wilde Knights and the Merry-Go-Round.
Dimwit - musician, D.O.A., drug overdose.
Teri Diver (29) - pornographic actress, cardic arrest caused by overdose of migraine medication.
Kiki Djan - Ghanian musician, Osibisa, drug addiction and AIDS.
DJ Screw (29) - musician, heart attack thought to be result of codeine overdose.
Desmond Donnelly (53) - British politician/ Businessman/ Journalist, suicide under influence of alcohol/ overdose of barbiturates.
Tommy Dorsey (51) - jazz musician and bandleader, choked to death while sleeping with the aid of drugs.
John Dougherty - musician, Flipper, heroin overdose.
Nick Drake (26) - musician, anti-depressant overdose, disputed suicide.
Michael Dransfield (24) - poet, heroin overdose.
Bobby Driscoll (31) - actor, heart failure, long term drug abuse.
Bobby Duncum, Jr. - American professional wrestler, prescription drug overdose.
Anthony Durante - American professional wrestler, drugs overdose.

[edit] E

Jeanne Eagels (39) - actress, alcohol and/or heroin abuse.
John Entwistle (57) - musician, bassist for the Who, died from heart failure brought upon by cocaine use.
Brian Epstein (32) - Manager of The Beatles, drug overdose.
Howie Epstein (47) - musician, ex-bassist with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, heroin overdose.
Rick Evers - musician, drummer and songwriter, was married to Carole King, heroin overdose.

[edit] F

Chris Farley (33) - comedian, cocaine and heroin overdose (speedball).
Pete Farndon (31) - musician, the Pretenders, drowned/ heroin overdose.
Rainer Werner Fassbinder - playwright, director, cocaine overdose (possible suicide).
Brenda Fassie - South African singer, cocaine overdose.
W.C. Fields (67) - American performer and actor, complications of alcoholism.
Keith Ferguson - musician, the Fabulous Thunderbirds.
Althea Flynt - co-publisher of Hustler magazine, drowned after passing out after drug overdose.
Zac Foley (31) - musician, EMF, heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, barbiturates and alcohol in bloodstream.
Sigmund Freud - Austrian neurologist, physician assisted morphine overdose.

[edit] G

Rory Gallagher - musician, Taste, died of pnemonia and a liver failure caused by chronic alcoholism.
Paul Gardiner - musician, Tubeway Army, drug overdose.
Judy Garland - American singer and actress, disputed drug overdose as cause of death.
Lowell George - musician, Little Feat, heart attack - habitual drug abuse probable cause.
Andy Gibb - singer, younger brother of the Bee Gees; cardiac damage strongly exacerbated by cocaine and alcohol abuse.
Simon Gipps-Kent - British actor, morphine poisoning, suspected drugs overdose.
Candy Givens - musician, Zephyr, drowned in jacuzzi after passing out from a mix of alcohol and quaaludes.
Trevor Goddard - British former professional boxer turned actor, drugs overdose.
Alexander Godunov (45) - actor, died of alcoholism.
Dwayne Goettel - musician, Skinny Puppy, heroin overdose.
Paul Gonsalves (53) - jazz tenor saxophonist, Duke Ellington, narcotics overdose
Hermann Goring - Nazi officier, Head of Luftwaffe, suicided on cyanide before his hanging
Lucy Grealy (39) - American poet, presumed accidental drug overdose.
Sean Greenway - Australian indie musician, member of GOD, heroin overdose
Gribouille - French singer, drugs overdose.
Stacy Guess - musician, the Squirrel Nut Zippers, heroin overdose.

[edit] H

Paul Hammond - musician, Atomic Rooster, drug overdose (suicide).
Bobby Hatfield - musician, The Righteous Brothers, heart attack triggered by cocaine overdose.
Tim Hardin - folk musician, heroin and morphine overdose.
Brynn Hartman - wife and killer of comedian Phil Hartman, suicide after cocaine and alcohol.
Alex Harvey - musician,The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, liver damage caused by alcohol abuse.
Phyllis Haver - actress, intentional barbiturate overdose
Joey Hawthorne - American professional poker player, drug overdose.
Eddie Hazel - musician, guitarist, of the P-funk collective, liver failure.
Mitch Hedberg - American comedian, multiple drug toxicity (cocaine and heroin).
Helno (real name Noel Rota) - musician, Les Negresses Vertes, died trying to overcome serious drug addiction.
Tim Hemensley - Australian indie musician, member of GOD, heroin overdose
Margaux Hemingway (41) - actress, disputed suicide, overdose of sedatives.
Jimi Hendrix (27) - rock and roll musician, respiratory arrest caused by alcohol and barbiturate overdose and vomit inhalation.
Curt Hennig - professional wrestler, cocaine overdose.
Gregory Herbet - musician, Blood, Sweat & Tears.
Bob Hite - musician, Canned Heat, heart attack.
Randy Jo Hobbs - musician.
El Duce Hoke - musician, drummer and singer in the Mentors, hit by train when alcohol intoxicated (disputed murder theories).
Billie Holiday (45) - jazz singer died from cirrhosis of the liver attributed to longtime alcohol and heroin abuse.
Hollywood Fats - musician, heroin overdose.
Gary Holton - actor, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, alcohol and morphine overdose.
James Honeyman-Scott - musician, the Pretenders, cocaine overdose.
Shannon Hoon (28) - musician, singer in Blind Melon, cocaine overdose.
L. Ron Hubbard (74) - Scientology founder, found with lethal amounts of Vistaril in his bloodstream, a fact covered up by Scientology
Howard Hughes (70) - aviator, an engineer, an industrialist, a movie producer, a playboy, liver failure - autopsy showed lethal amount of codeine and also valium in body (suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder).
Elizabeth Hulette (42) - professional wrestling manager, accidential drug medication/alcohol mixing.
Harold Hunter (31) - American professional skateboarder and actor, apparent cocaine overdose.
Phyllis Hyman - singer, suicide involving pills.

[edit] J

Julio Jaramillo (42) - Ecuadorian singer, liver damage caused by alcohol.
Steven Ronald "Stevo" Jensen - musician, The Vandals, prescription drug overdose.
Joëlle, American born French singer, drug overdose.
Anissa Jones - actress (played "Buffy" on American T.V series Family Affair), accidential overdose of cocaine, angel dust, Quaaludes and Seconal.
Brian Jones - musician, the Rolling Stones, drowned, very likely due to alcohol and barbiturate intoxication.
Rob Jones (a.k.a. The Bass Thing) - musician - former bassist of The Wonder Stuff, heroin overdose.
Russell Jones (a.k.a. Ol' Dirty Bastard) - hip hop musician, accidential overdose, cocaine and prescription painkiller.
Janis Joplin (27) - rock and roll and blues musician, heroin overdose.
Joachim Nielsen - musician, heroin overdose.

[edit] K

John Kahn - musician, Jerry Garcia Band, complications of heart disease, heroin, cocaine, and antidepressants found in his body.
Wells Kelly - musician, Orleans, heroin overdose.
David Kennedy - fourth child of Robert F. Kennedy, cocaine and Demerol overdose.
Jack Kerouac - writer/poet, complications due to alcoholism.
Bernard Kettlewell - British lepidopterist and medical doctor, drugs overdose.
Kenny Kirkland - musician, noted pianist, heroin overdose.
John Kordic - Canadian hockey player, died during struggle with police after cocaine overdose.
Paul Kossoff - musician, Free, drug-related heart problems.
Eddie Kurdziel - musician, Redd Kross, drug overdose.

[edit] L

Arcadia Lake - American pornographic actress, drug overdose.
Barbara La Marr - actress, drug-related death in Hollywood.
Karen Lancaume - French pornographic actress, overdose of medication (suicide).
Carole Landis - actress, overdose of barbiturates (suicide).
Peter Laughner - musician, Pere Ubu, acute pancreatitis.
Rudy Lewis - musician, the Drifters.
Mike Lockwood - American professional wrestler, choked on his own vomit after overdose of painkillers and alcohol.
Trinity Loren (real name: Joyce Evelyn McPherson) - American porn star, model, and stripper, accidental overdose of prescription painkillers.
Bela Lugosi (73) - actor, drug-related heart attack.
Zoe Tamerlis Lund - former child American musical prodigy turned model, actress, and writer, heart failure due to heroin use.
Frankie Lymon - musician, doo wop singer, heroin overdose.
Aaron Lynch - writer on memetics, opiate-based painkiller overdose (coroner ruled accidental death)
Phil Lynott - musician, Thin Lizzy, health breakdown caused by a heroin overdose.

[edit] M

Billy Mackenzie - musician, the Associates, overdosed on prescription drugs (suicide).
Steve Marriott - musician, The Small Faces and Humble Pie, drug related fire.
Billy Martin - Major League Baseball player and manager, alcohol-related auto accident.
James McCallum Bronson - stepson of actor Charles Bronson, drug overdose.
David McComb (36) - musician, The Triffids, heroin overdose.
Jimmy McCulloch musician with Wings, guitarist, heroin overdose.
Pig Pen McKernan - musician, the Grateful Dead, gastrointestinal hemorrhage linked to alcohol abuse.
Robbie McIntosh - musician, Average White Band, heroin overdose.
Clyde McPhatter - singer.
Jonathan Melvoin - touring keyboardist for the Smashing Pumpkins, heroin overdose.
Big Maceo Merriweather (47) - blues pianist, chronic alcoholism
Mighty Spoiler - calypso music singer.
Miss Christine - musician, the GTO's, heroin overdose.
Amedeo Modigliani - painter, alcohol poisoning.
Marilyn Monroe - actress, overdose of sleeping pills.
Ken Montgomery - musician, D.O.A.
Keith Moon - musician, the Who, overdosed on anti-seizure medication prescribed for alcoholism.
Chester Morris - actor, drug overdose.
Jim Morrison (27) - musician, the Doors, heroin and alcohol (cause and fact of death disputed).
Billy Murcia - musician, the New York Dolls, accidental suffocation after drugs and alcohol.
Brent Mydland - musician, keyboardist, of the Grateful Dead, cocaine/morphine overdose.
Modest Mussorgsky - classical composer, alcohol.
Daniel Christopher Murray - Died of a heroin overdose. Lead singer in a band called, Murray and the Shaggy Dogs.
Dave Murray - Porn Star. Fell from a balcony after a crack overdose.

[edit] N

Delphine Neid - musician, The Nuns, drugs overdose.
Joachim Nielsen (36) - Norwegian rock musician, drug overdose
Bradley Nowell - musician, Sublime, heroin overdose.

[edit] O

Hugh O'Connor - actor, of In the Heat of the Night TV series, suicide under influence of cocaine.
Lani O'Grady - actress, of Eight Is Enough.
Frank O'Keefe - musician, the Outlaws.
Johnny O'Keefe - musician, singer, heart attack after prescription drugs addiction.
Christina Onassis - daughter of the billionaire Aristotle Onassis, pulmonary edema, caused by constant drug abuse and dramatic weight changes.
Charlie Ondras - musician, Unsane.
Bryan Ottoson - musician, American Head Charge, accidental prescription-drug overdose.
Malcolm Owen - singer, lyricist of the Ruts, heroin overdose.

[edit] P

Marco Pantani - cyclist, Tour de France winner; acute cocaine intoxication.
Charlie Parker - jazz musician; the official cause of death was (lobar) pneumonia and a bleeding ulcer, his death was hastened by his drug and alcohol abuse
Robert Pastorelli - American television actor, heroin overdose.
Gram Parsons - country musician, of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, overdose, purportedly of morphine and tequila.
Joe Pass - jazz musician.
Jon-Jon Paulos - musician, the Buckinghams.
Chris Penn (40) - Brother of Actor Sean Penn, heart disease and prescription drugs.
Art Pepper - jazz musician.
Chris Pettiet (24) - American actor, accidential drug overdose.
Jack Pickford (36) - American actor, syphilis & alcohol and drug abuse.
Kristen Pfaff - musician, ex-member of Hole, heroin overdose.
Esther Phillips - musician, singer, liver and kidney failue due to alcohol and heroin dependency.
John Phillips - musician, of the Mamas and the Papas, heart failure due to lifetime of alcohol and narcotics abuse.
River Phoenix (23) - actor, overdose of heroin and cocaine (speedball).
Jeffrey Lee Pierce (37) - musician, the Gun Club.
Rob Pilatus (32) - musician, Milli Vanilli, drug overdose.
Dana Plato (34) - actress, of Diff'rent Strokes, suicide - overdose of Vanadom and Vicodin.
Jackson Pollock (44) - American painter; killed in a single-car accident while driving drunk.
Elvis Presley (42) - singer, heart attack brought on by overdose of barbiturates.
Freddie Prinze (22) - comic, actor (Chico and the Man), self-inflicted gunshot wound while under the influence of Quaaludes.

[edit] Q

Robert Quine - musician, guitar player, Richard Hell & the Voidoids, suicide by heroin overdose.
Glenn Quinn (32) - actor, heroin overdose.

[edit] R

Carl Radle (37) - bass guitarist, Derek and the Dominos, Eric Clapton, kidney disease due to long term narcotics and alcohol abuse
Dee Dee Ramone - musician, the Ramones, heroin overdose.
James Ray - singer, drug overdose.
Johnnie Ray - musician, liver failure caused by alcoholism.
Wallace Reid - actor, flu caused by morphine addiction.
Jimmy Reilly (17) - musician, Watertower West and Tony And The Tigers, heroin and alcohol overdose.
Elis Regina (36) - Brazilian singer, drug interaction.
Rob Graves Ritter - musician, Thelonius Monster, Gun Club, the Bags, 45 Grave.
Rachel Roberts - British actress - barbiturate overdose (suicide).
Andy Rogers - musician, bassist with Johnny Cash, heroin overdose.
Peter Rosen - musician, War.
Alma Rubens - actress, flu caused by heroin addiction.
Michael Rudetsky - musician, keyboardist, Culture Club, heroin overdose.
David Ruffin - musician, the Temptations, drug overdose.

[edit] S

George Sanders - British actor, baribituates overdose (suicide).
Joe Schermie - musician, Three Dog Night, heart attack resulting from long-term drug abuse
Bon Scott - musician, AC/DC, aspiration brought on by alcohol intoxication.
Jean Seberg - actress.
Jason Sears - musician, Rich Kids on LSD, treatment with natural drugs.
Edie Sedgwick - actress.
Nerine Shatner - wife of actor William Shatner, drowned in swimming pool while intoxicated and with traces of valium in bloodstream.
Bobby Sheehan - musician, Blues Traveler, drug overdose.
Eric Show - baseball player, cocaine and heroin overdose (speedball).
Pavlos Sidiropoulos - Greek rock musician, heroin overdose.
Judee Sill - folk musician, heroin overdose.
Don Simpson - film producer, heart attack, reports of 20 drugs in his body at time of death.
Hillel Slovak (26) - musician, Red Hot Chili Peppers, heroin overdose.
Davey Boy Smith (39) - British professional wrestler, heart attack - steroid abuse may have contributed.
Freddy Soto - comedian, writer and actor, mixture of alcohol, Xanax® and fentanyl.
Epic Soundtracks - musician, Swell Maps.
Louie Spicolli - American professional wrestler, choked on vomit after drugs and alcohol overdose.
Layne Staley (34) - musician, Alice in Chains, cocaine and heroin overdose (speedball).
Joey Stefano (26) - pornographic actor, overdose of cocaine, morphine, heroin and ketamine.
Inger Stevens - American actress, suicide - overdose of sleeping pills.
Rory Storm - musician, suicide - sleeping pills overdose.
Margaret Sullavan (48) - American actress, deliberate barbiturate overdose.
Paige Summers - American pornographic model & actress, drug overdose.
Screaming Lord Sutch - singer and politician, suicide following Prozac overdose.

[edit] T

Vinnie Taylor - musician, Sha Na Na, heroin overdose.
Gary Thain - musician, Uriah Heep, drug overdose.
Jason Thirsk (28) - musician, Pennywise, suicide after depression and alcoholism treatment.
Jotie T'Hooft - poet, drug overdose, suicide.
Johnny Thunders - musician, the New York Dolls, alcohol and methadone poisoning.
Dylan Thomas - poet, chronic alcoholism.
Georg Trakl - playwright, cocaine overdose.
D. M. Turner (34) - author/psychonaut , drowned in a bathtub while on ketamine.

[edit] U

Stu Ungar (45) - Three-time World Series of Poker Main Event winner, heart condition caused by long-term cocaine abuse.
Enrique Urquijo - Spanish singer, drug overdose.

[edit] V

Townes Van Zandt - folk musician.
Lupe Vélez, actress, secobarbital overdose (suicide).
Sid Vicious (21) - musician, the Sex Pistols, heroin overdose, disputed suicide
Gene Vincent - rock and roll musician, liver damage caused by alcohol.

[edit] W

Robert Hudson Walker, actor, died suddenly after being administered sodium amytal by his doctor.
Shelby Walker, (31) - American female boxer and Martial Arts fighter, apparent medicine overdose.
Jeremy Michael Ward, musician, The Mars Volta, apparent heroin overdose.
Dinah Washington, musician, overdose of diet pills and alcohol .
Rachel Whitear - British student, heroin overdose led to large-scale anti-drugs press campaign in Britain.
Brett Whiteley, artist, heroin overdose.
Keith Whitley, country musician, alcohol poisoning.
Danny Whitten - musician, Crazy Horse, drug overdose or drugs with alcohol (disputed).
Alan Wilson - musician, Canned Heat, drug overdose (possible suicide).
Dennis Wilson (39) - musician, The Beach Boys, alcohol-related drowning
Hank Williams, musician, drugs and probably alcohol.
Kenneth Williams (62) - actor, author and comedian of Carry On fame, overdose of barbiturates (accidental or suicide).
Linda Wong - pornographic actress, overdose on Xanax, chlorlhydrate and alcohol.
Andrew Wood - musician, Mother Love Bone, heroin overdose.
Anna Wood (15) - Australian schoolgirl, cerebral edema, caused by water intoxication and resultant hyponatremia after taking ecstasy.
Natalie Wood - actress, drowned when intoxicated.