List of deaths in rock and roll

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

1950s Deaths

• Buddy Holly - Plane crash, February 3, 1959
• Ritchie Valens - Plane crash, February 3, 1959

1960s Deaths

• Eddie Cochran - Taxi accident, April 17, 1960
• Sam Cooke - Shot to death by Bertha Franklin, December 11, 1964 in Los Angeles, California
• Joe Meek - Suicide by gun shot, February 3, 1967
• Brian Epstein (Manager of The Beatles from 1962-1967) - Accidental overdose, August 27, 1967
• Otis Redding - plane crash, December 10, 1967 in Madison, Wisconsin
• Brian Jones (The Rolling Stones) - Accidental drowning, July 3, 1969 in Cotchford Farm, Sussex, England

1970s Deaths

• 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 attack, July 3, 1971 in Paris, France
• Duane Allman (Allman Brothers Band, Derek & the Dominos) - Motorcycle accident, October 29, 1971 in Macon, Georgia
• Gram Parsons - Drug overdose, September 19, 1973
• Cass Elliot ("Mama" Cass, The Mamas & The Papas) - Heart failure, July 29, 1974 in London, England
• Nick Drake - Suicide or accidental overdose, November 25, 1974 in Tanworth-in-Arden, England
• Paul Kossoff (Free) - Drug-related heart attack, March 19, 1976
• Tommy Bolin (Deep Purple, The James Gang, Zephyr)- barbiturate overdose, December 4, 1976
• Elvis Presley - Heart attack, August 16, 1977 in Memphis, Tennessee
• Marc Bolan (T. Rex) - Car accdent, September 30, 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, California
• Keith Moon - (The Who) Overdose on Heminevrin, Sep 7, 1978 in London, England
• Sid Vicious - (Sex Pistols) Accidental overdose, February 2, 1979 in New York City, New York
• Lowell George - (Little Feat) Heart attack, June 29, 1979 in Arlington, Virginia

1980s Deaths

• Bon Scott (AC/DC) - Acute alcoholic poisoning, February 19th, 1980 in London, England
• Ian Curtis (Joy Division) - Suicide, May 18, 1980
• John Bonham (Led Zeppelin) - Drug Overdose, Sep 25, 1980 in Windsor, England
• John Lennon (The Beatles) - Assassinated by Mark David Chapman, Dec 8, 1980 in New York City, New York
• Bob Marley - (The Wailers) - Cancer, May 11, 1981
• Randy Rhoads (Quiet Riot, Ozzy) - Plane Crash, March 19, 1982
• Karen Carpenter - (The Carpenters) - Anorexia, February 4, 1983 in Downey, California
• Dennis Wilson - (The Beach Boys) - Accidental Drowning, December 28, 1983
• Marvin Gaye - Murdered by father Marvin Pentz Gay, Sr., April 1, 1984 in Los Angeles, California
• Ricky Wilson (The B-52's) - Complications of AIDS, October 12, 1985 in New York City, New York
• Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy) - System Failure, January 4, 1986
• Cliff Burton (Metallica) - Traffic accident, September 27, 1987 in Sweden
• Peter Tosh (The Wailers) - Murdered by gun shot, September 11, 1987 in Kingston, Jamaica
• Roy Orbison - Heart attack, December 6, 1988 in Hendersonville, Tennessee
• HillelSlovak-Drug Overdose ,June 25th, 1988, California R.I.P

1990s Deaths

• Stevie Ray Vaughan (Solo) - Helicopter Accident, Aug 27, 1990 in East Troy, WI
• Dead (Mayhem) - Suicide, April 8, 1991
• Freddie Mercury (Queen) - complications of AIDS, November 24, 1991 in London, England
• Geoff Mann (Twelfth Night) - Cancer, March of 1993
• Mick Ronson (David Bowie) - Cancer, April 30, 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
• Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) - Suicide by gun shot, Apr 5, 1994 in Seattle, WA
• Jerry Garcia (Grateful Dead) - Heart Attack, August 9, 1995
• Shannon Hoon (Blind Melon) - Death due to drugs, October 21, 1995
• Brad Nowell (Sublime) - Accidental overdose, May 25, 1996
• 2Pac- shot four times died of respiratory failure and cardiac arrest, September 13, 1996 in Las Vegas
• Notorious B.I.G. - shot four times, March 10, 1997 in Los Angeles
• Jeff Buckley - Accidental drowning, May 29 1997
• John Denver - Plane crash, October 12, 1997, California
• Michael Hutchence (INXS) - Suicide or accidental strangulation, November 22, 1997
• Carl Wilson (The Beach Boys) - lung cancer, February 6, 1998
• Cozy Powell (Rainbow, Black Sabbath) - Car Crash, April 5, 1998
• Curtis Mayfield (The Impressions) - Complications to diabetes, December 26, 1999 in Roswell, Georgia

2000s Deaths

• 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
• Layne Staley (Alice In Chains) - Drug overdose, April 5 2002
• John Entwistle (The Who, solo) - Cocaine-induced heart attack, June 27, 2002
• Shawn Lane (Black Oak Arkansas, HLS, solo) - Lung Disease, September 26, 2003
• Johnny Cash - Complications related to diabetes, September 22, 2003 in Nashville, Tennessee
• Elliott Smith - Suicide by self-inflicted knife wound, October 21, 2003 in Los Angeles, California
• Quorthon (Bathory) - Heart Failure, June 7, 2004
• Ray Charles - Liver failure, June 10, 2004 in Beverly Hills, California
• Dimebag Darrell Abbott (Pantera, Damageplan) - Murdered by gun shot on stage, December 8, 2004
• Krzysztof "Doc" Raczkowski (Vader) - Cause of death unknown, August 20, 2005
• Billy Preston - Kidney failure, June 6, 2006 in Scotsdale, Arizona
• Syd Barret (Pink Floyd) - complications related to diabetes, July 7, 2006
• Arthur Lee (Love) - Died of leukemia, August 3, 2006 in Memphis