Artist who passed away too soon
by metalrox_2000 | created - 01 Jul 2015 | updated - 20 Oct 2015 | PublicList on singers and muscians who died tragically young.
1. Randy Rhoads
Soundtrack | Ghost Rider
Randy Rhoads was born on December 6, 1956 in Santa Monica, California, USA. He was a writer, known for Ghost Rider (2007), Megamind (2010) and Tag (2018). He died on March 19, 1982 in Leesburg, Florida, USA.
Greatest guitar player of all time
2. John Lennon
Actor | A Hard Day's Night
John Winston (later Ono) Lennon was born on October 9, 1940, in Liverpool, England, to Julia Lennon (née Stanley) and Alfred Lennon, a merchant seaman. He was raised by his mother's older sister Mimi Smith. In the mid-1950s, he formed his first band, The Quarrymen (after Quarry Bank High School, ...
3. Janis Joplin
Soundtrack | Watchmen
Janis Lyn Joplin was born at St. Mary's Hospital in the oil-refining town of Port Arthur, Texas, near the border with Louisiana. Her father was a cannery worker and her mother was a registrar for a business college. As an overweight teenager, she was a folk-music devotee (especially Odetta, ...
4. Jimi Hendrix
Soundtrack | Woodstock
Widely regarded as the greatest and most influential guitarist in rock history, Jimi Hendrix was born on November 27, 1942 in Seattle, Washington, to African-American parents Lucille (Jeter) and James Allen Hendrix. His mother named him John Allen Hendrix and raised him alone while his father, Al ...
5. John Bonham
Soundtrack | The Song Remains the Same
John Bonham is still regularly voted in polls as the greatest and most influential rock drummer of all time, an opinion which has also been expressed by the likes of Roger Taylor of Queen, Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
He started playing drums at the age of five ...
6. Cliff Burton
Soundtrack | Triple Frontier
Clifford Lee Burton was born on February 10, 1962 in Castro Valley, California, to Janet (Morgen) and Ray Herbert Burton. He had two siblings. His mother was from a German Jewish family, and his father was of British Isles descent.
As a youngster, Clifford always liked music, listening to genres ...
7. Kevin DuBrow
Soundtrack | Babylon A.D.
Kevin DuBrow was born on October 29, 1955 in Hollywood, California, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Babylon A.D. (2008), Crank (2006) and Footloose (1984). He died on November 25, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
8. Wendy O. Williams
Actress | Reform School Girls
Wendy O. Williams was born on May 28, 1949 in Rochester, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Reform School Girls (1986), Pucker Up and Bark Like a Dog (1989) and The Legend of Billie Jean (1985). She died on April 6, 1998 in Storrs, Connecticut, USA.
9. Jim Morrison
Soundtrack | Army of the Dead
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American poet, singer, and songwriter from Florida. He was the lead vocalist of the rock band "The Doors" (1965-1973), and has been cited as "one of the most influential frontmen in rock history". Morrison recorded a total of six studio albums with the Doors, all...
10. Aaliyah
Soundtrack | Romeo Must Die
Talented. Beautiful. Modest. These three words described R&B singer-turned-actress Aaliyah perfectly.
Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Diane (Hankerson) and Michael Haughton. Her uncle was music manager Barry Hankerson and her brother is director Rashad Haughton. Aaliyah was ...
11. Mark St. John
Actor | Kiss: Thrills in the Night
Mark St. John was born on February 7, 1956 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Kiss: Thrills in the Night (1985), Kiss: Heaven's on Fire (1984) and Who Got the Rollers' Millions? (2004). He died on April 5, 2007 in New York City, New York, USA.
12. Ritchie Valens
Soundtrack | La Bamba
Ritchie, the 'California Kid' was from a family of poverty stricken fruit pickers and was the first rock star to originate from the West Coast and one of the innovators of 'Latino rock. In an eight month career he scored three hits with 'Come On Let's Go', 'Donna' and 'La Bamba' before being killed...
13. Buddy Holly
Soundtrack | Big Fish
Charles Hardin Holley, known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer and songwriter who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was born in Lubbock, Texas, to a musical family during the Great Depression, and learned to play guitar and sing alongside his siblings. His ...
14. A.J. Pero
Actor | Priceless
A.J. Pero was born on October 14, 1959 in Staten Island, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Priceless (2008), Have You Seen My Goat? (2015) and Twisted Sister: Come Out and Play (1986). He died on March 20, 2015 in Poughkeepsie, New York, USA.
15. Marvin Gaye
Soundtrack | High Fidelity
Marvin Pentz Gay Jr. (known professionally as Marvin Gaye; April 2, 1939 - April 1, 1984) was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo artist with a string of successes, earning him the nicknames ...
16. Randy Castillo
Soundtrack | Little Nicky
Randy Castillo was born on December 18, 1950 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Little Nicky (2000), Supernatural (2005) and Till the End of the Night (1995). He died on March 26, 2002 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
17. Dimebag Darrell
Soundtrack | Triple Frontier
Dimebag Darrell was born on August 20, 1966 in Dallas, Texas, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Triple Frontier (2019), The Big Short (2015) and Lethal Weapon (2016). He died on December 8, 2004 in Columbus, Ohio, USA.
18. Kurt Cobain
Soundtrack | The Batman
Kurt Cobain was born on February 20 1967, in Aberdeen, Washington. Kurt and his family lived in Hoquiam for the first few months of his life then later moved back to Aberdeen, where he had a happy childhood until his parents divorced. The divorce left Kurt's outlook on the world forever scarred. He...
19. Stevie Ray Vaughan
Soundtrack | Unbreakable
Stevie Ray Vaughan was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Dallas, Texas. He was the main guitarist and frontman for the musical trio "Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble" from 1978 to his death in 1990. Vaughan and his band-mates specialized in blues rock, and Vaughan was a key ...
20. Marc Bolan
Soundtrack | G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Born on September 30, 1947 in London, England, Mark Bolan was always destined to be a star. Even as a teenager, he was already seeking fame. Well known as a sharp dresser, he was employed by a modeling agency and became a "John Temple Boy", wearing John Temple suits in their catalogs as well as ...
21. Otis Redding
Soundtrack | Top Gun
Otis Redding was born on September 9, 1941 in Dawson, Georgia, USA. He was a music artist and composer, known for Top Gun (1986), Hamburger Hill (1987) and Road House (1989). He was married to Zelma Redding. He died on December 10, 1967 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
22. Selena
Soundtrack | Don Juan DeMarco
Selena was born in Lake Jackson, Texas, 50 miles southeast of Houston, to Abraham Quintanilla Jr. and Marcella Quintanilla. Abraham opened a Mexican restaurant, Papagayo, in Lake Jackson. Selena was 9 years old when her father discovered her talent for singing. He formed a band consisting of Selena...
23. Eric Carr
Music_department | Enter the Fox
Eric Carr was born on July 12, 1950 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Enter the Fox, Frehley's Comet: Breakout (1987) and Kiss: Lick It Up (1983). He died on November 24, 1991 in New York City, New York, USA.
24. Jani Lane
Soundtrack | Shazam!
Jani Lane was born on February 1, 1964 in Akron, Ohio, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Shazam! (2019), Bring It On (2000) and Rock of Ages (2012). He was married to Kimberly Nash, Rowanne Brewer and Bobbie Jean Brown. He died on August 10, 2011 in Woodland Hills, California, USA.
25. Steve Clark
Soundtrack | Bring It On
Steve Clark is known for Bring It On (2000), White Oleander (2002) and 21 & Over (2013).
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