The Cruelest and Saddest Deaths in Music History

Gotta echo this one.

I can hardly listen to Badfinger album without weeping.

Many sad and tragic stories here, but this one always gets me as does the sad fate of Kirsty McColl.

 

My boy wrote him a wonderful and worthy song, in my eyes.
It's a great source of pride that Costello could do him justice.

 

Not sure about this - he certainly had hits in Britain. Thank You For Being A Friend was used to sinister purpose by a hoaxer in 1979: Wearside Jack - Wikipedia

 

15 pages and I didn't see a mention of the wonderful Patsy Cline.
Died in a plane crash as her career was starting to peak for her.
A forward thinking female for the day, and a bad ass.
Known for being a chick that could really hang and keep up with 'the boys' too!
Legend.
My favourite picture of her:

 

Trish Keenan of Broadcast, died of swine flu in 2011, aged 42.

 

One mention earlier of the great Eddie Cochran.
Died in a car crash who had a huge impact on the English rock n roll/rockabilly movement.
In the States, he doesn't get put up there with Buddy Holly or Elvis, but he certainly deserves it.
An innovator and pioneer of guitar playing, recording and overdubbing before it was the normal.
Obviously had a huge effect of Brian Setzer where his memory is alive and well to this day.
He, like Holly, probably would have gone down the producer route, because both had creative ideas for
making records. Probably like so many, may have fallen into the 70's country rock scene like
his colleagues, Conway Twitty, Dorsey Burnette, Billy Crash Craddock, Rick Nelson, Jerry Lee etc etc
One of my all time favourite guys who needed more time:

 

Bobby Darin:
What's there to say about Bobby that isn't already said and written about this talented entertainer.
He had a heart condition all his life, which he battled with since birth.
He died at 37 years of age after heart surgery, but he lived longer than he was expected.
No doubt, he'd be giving Wayne Newton a run for his money in Vegas had he lived.

 

Lefty Frizzell.
Not nearly as known as Hank Williams or a Johnny Cash, but Lefty was a vocal stylist that influenced many
of the likes of Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, George Strait etc etc.
He was a singer's singer!
His vocal styling's are heard in people Vern Gosdin, Gene Watson, George Jones, Johnny Paycheck etc etc.
There is a little Lefty in all of them.
Lefty died in 1975. His decline in record sales in the late 60's into the 70's began to get him down, and took
up to drinking to compensate and it escalated. He began losing interest in recording and performing
and was headed down the dark road. He pretty well died penniless and lived a paupers life before dying of a stroke.
Had he survived another 10 - 20 years, his status would have earned him a legend in his field, but he never
got to see the 80's resurgence in traditional country music with the likes of Randy Travis and Alan Jackson in the 90's
where they acknowledged their heroes. A shame he never got to see his influence on modern traditional country music.

 

Elvis Presley.
It was sad because of what he had become and we like to think he could have pulled through it and have a fresh start again as he did in both 60 post army and 68/69 post Hollywood.

 

Bon Scott. Still miss him.

 

A very very obscure one but is a completely tragic one.

James Darroch from a band from Sydney Australia called the Eastern Dark, killed in a car accident travelling from sydney to Melbourne for gigs.

A band with incredible promise and ahead of their time in someways.

Only 1 single released before the accident and debut EP just finished.

The EP came out posthumously.

I have a copy of that EP.

The Eastern Dark - Wikipedia

 

Chris Cornell, Andy Wood, and Scott Weiland.

 

Looking at videos old & new, I recently thought that the Sly Stone story is sadder than just about any premature death you can think of.

 

A lot of you guys probably won't know 'Stringbean' who was a Grand Ol' Opry star in the
1940's and 50's and a popular country music/comedian.
He and his wife were known to be exceptionally 'down home' and humble and certainly
not rich folk by any means.
They were both murdered by burglars in 1973 after a concert performance.
Sad end to genuine people.
David "Stringbean" Akeman - Wikipedia

 

Many ....first one I think of is Randy Rhoads. Such an avoidable, stupid disaster....

 

The singer and television friendly face of Annette Funicello.
Known for being a Mouseketeer on the original Micky Mouse Club.

She was a real cutie and a next door neighbour kind of kid that everybody loved about her.
She had some pop hits in the late 50's and did a bunch of 'Beach' movies with
Frankie Avalon and was eye candy for the big screen in the early 60's.
Unfortunately in the early 90's, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis that she
succumbed to in 2013. She deteriorated into a being hardly recognizable of her former self.
She eventually couldn't talk, communicate with her then husband that stuck by her to the end.

 

In the midst of a career resurgence, rock legend Del Shannon died prematurely at age 55 in 1990 due to suicide many believe was caused by a depression drug. Even today, we still feel the pain and grieve for what might've been.


Del Shannon with The Beatles

Del Shannon with Tom Petty

Del Shannon with Jeff Lynne in 1974

 

Very sad. Since their youth, Annette and Dick Dale were friends. Their families wanted them both to date, but it didn't happen and they remained friends.
Here's a photo of Dick and Annette at her 1965 wedding of course when she married Jack Gilardi

Dick Dale with Annette Funicello

 

Many American artists are far more popular in other countries, like for instance, another of my favorites Dean Friedman, who is a star in the UK, but here in the States, few barely remember him outside of his one Top 40 hit "Ariel". Another old U.S. group that I love "Swan Dive", who reside in Nashville, are so popular in Japan, that they can't walk the streets, but here in America ..., zilch! With that said, Andrew Gold clearly had one Top 20 hit "Thank You For Being A Friend" and "Lonely Boy", which made it to #7. The sad fact is that he should have had more hits and be better known, than the guy who wrote the theme from "The Golden Girls" and the guy who sang the theme from "Mad About You", here in the U.S. I'm unaware of that Wearside Jack thing and I'm not sure that I want to know about it, but thanks all the same!

 

I think Andrew Gold had a significant behind the scenes career, which began before he became a 'name' in his own right, and continued after his recording career had ended. I think he was a working musician throughout his life, which is no small achievement for anyone (OK, so he got a head-start because he was born into the business).

 

Didn't know about that. I first heard of her when she was name-checked in the Dean Friedman song Ariel (oddly enough, mentioned above). Very sad, but glad she had support right up to the end.

 

YES and I forgot to add, that even though Andrew ended up in a band with the great Graham Gouldman ("Bus Stop", "Look Through Any Window", "For Your Love", "No Milk Today" and on and on) in WAX UK (which was fun, but was far too '80's leaning for me) and that he was almost a member of 10cc, when they really could have used his talents! To this day, Graham Gouldman still claims that writing with Andrew Gold was the most satisfying experience of his long career and I feel that says a LOT! Graham also recorded a great tribute to Andrew called "Daylight", if you are unaware?

 

You're still trying to justify this ludicrous statement?

I was not a fan of Dimebag Darrel, therefore he was not loved by "everyone". Doesn't make it any more or less tragic, though. IT'S NOT A CONTEST.

Please get off your high horse and stop trying to marginalize one of the most significant losses the music world has ever experienced.

 

I really shouldn't...but...

 

Gershwin - brain tumor I think?