Rock and Roll singers and musicians who sadly, and famously (or infamously) died young

  1. Jimi Hendrix (November 27, 1942 - September 18, 1970) drug (barbiturates) overdose, asphyxia
  2. Janis Joplin (January 19, 1943 - October 4, 1970) by a potent heroin overdose, possibly compounded by whiskey (Matthew Southern Comfort). Ruled accidental.
  3. Jim Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) found dead of heart failure, in the bathtub of his girlfriend's rented apartment in Paris. Thought to be from an accidental heroin overdose, though no autopsy was performed.
  4. Elvis Presley (January 8, 1935 - August 16, 1977) Died from cardiac arrest, being overweight and for some time having had a significant drug problem, which he kept hidden, as from an early age he said he "hated drugs" and rarely drank.
    Met Priscilla in Germany in 1959, married in 1967, Lisa born 1 Feb 1968 (nine months after wedding), both of them then having affairs, marriage soured, separated Feb 23 1972, divorced 1973.
  5. Terry Kath (January 31, 1946 - January 23, 1978) Lead and rhythm guitar with Chicago. Famous solo on "25 or 6 to 4". Drug and alcohol abuse. Shot himself in the temple accidentally, after putting an empty magazine into his gun, not realizing a round was in the chamber, and fooling around "Don't worry about it ... Look, the clip is not even in it." His last words were, "What do you think I'm gonna do? Blow my brains out?" Bang. He died instantly.
  6. Keith Moon (23 August 1946 - 7 September 1978) Drummer with the Who.
    Because the Who's early stage act relied on smashing instruments, and owing to Moon's enthusiasm for damaging hotels, the group were in debt for much of the 1960s; Entwistle estimated they lost about £150,000. Even when the group became relatively financially stable after Tommy, Moon continued to rack up debts. He bought a number of cars and gadgets, and flirted with bankruptcy. Moon's recklessness with money reduced his profit from the group's 1975 UK tour to £47.35 (equivalent to £400 in 2019).
    Started dating Kim Kerrigan in 1965, married in 1966, after Kim got pregnant with Amanda. In 1973 Kim, convinced that neither she nor anyone else could moderate Keith's behaviour, left her husband and took Amanda and then sued for divorce in 1975, taking up with Faces keyboard player Ian McLagan. The Who biographer Dave Marsh believes that Moon never truly recovered from the loss of his family, harassing, actually attacking, Kim and Ian.
    Overdosed on Heminevrin (clomethiazole, a sedative) to alleviate his alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Took far too many pills at one time, died 7 Sep 1978.
  7. John Bonham (31 May 1948 - 25 September 1980) drummer with Led Zeppelin.
    After a day of heavy drinking, he had gone to bed and died via asphyxiation from his own vomit.
  8. John Lennon (9 October 1940 - 8 December 1980)
    At approximately 5:00 p.m. on 8 December 1980, Lennon autographed a copy of Double Fantasy for fan Mark David Chapman before leaving The Dakota with Ono for a recording session at the Record Plant. After the session, Lennon and Ono returned to their Manhattan apartment in a limousine at around 10:50 p.m. EST. They exited the vehicle and walked through the archway of the building when Chapman shot Lennon twice in the back and twice in the shoulder at close range. Lennon was rushed in a police cruiser to the emergency room of Roosevelt Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival at 11:15 p.m. (EST).

    Ono issued a statement the next day, saying "There is no funeral for John", ending it with the words, "John loved and prayed for the human race. Please do the same for him."

    Click here for that background to John's "We’re more popular than Jesus now" comment early in 1966.
    “Christianity will go,” he had said. “It will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue about that; I know I’m right and I will be proved right. We’re more popular than Jesus now. I don’t know which will go first – rock & roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right, but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It’s them twisting it that ruins it for me.” Lennon himself barely remembered saying it.

Mark Chapman (born 1955) is still incarcerated today, he had been a fan of the Beatles but was incensed by Lennon's lifestyle and public statements, such as his remark about the Beatles being "more popular than Jesus" and the lyrics of his later songs "God" and "Imagine". In the years leading up to the murder, Chapman developed a series of obsessions, including artwork and the music of Todd Rundgren. The Catcher in the Rye took on great personal significance for him, to the extent that he wished to model his life after the novel's protagonist, Holden Caulfield (the teenage narrator who hates "phoneys"). Chapman also contemplated killing other public figures, including Johnny Carson, Paul McCartney, and Ronald Reagan. He had no prior criminal convictions and had just resigned from a job as a security guard in Hawaii.

The word "Phoney" is a recent word, perhaps 1899 as an alteration of fawney from the Irish word "fainne" meaning "finger-ring" referring to a gilt brass ring used by swindlers.

Quote in 1899
His most successful swindle was selling "painted" or "phony" diamonds. He had a plan of taking cheap stones, and by "doctoring" them make them have a brilliant and high class appearance. His confederates would then take the diamonds to other pawnbrokers and dispose of them. ["The Jewelers Review," New York, April 5, 1899]

The noun meaning "phony person or thing" is attested from 1902.

"Catcher in the Rye" was published as a serial 1945-46, as a book 1951.

** End of Page

Go Top