The Death of Rock: The Alphabetical Archive

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Musicians are listed individually. Search by the artist's last name. Artists commonly referred to by a stage or street name (such as "The Big Bopper," Freddie Mercury, and Jam Master Jay) are listed under those names. Musicians who performed under a single name (like Aaliyah, Nico, and Selena) will be found under those single names. There are a few instances where two or more members of the same band perished in a single incident; you will find those artists listed under the group's name. (Examples are Banda Fugaz, The Bar-Kays, Chase, Passion Fruit, and The Reba McEntire Band.) One notable exception to this rule is Lynyrd Skynyrd. Members of Skynyrd are listed individually; although three perished in the 1977 plane crash, another three have since died in unrelated incidents. (The three who died in the crash are grouped as "Lynyrd Skynyrd" on the Causes of Death and Chronology pages.)

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Some entries have special notations prior to their names. They represent induction into one of the following Halls of Fame:

* denotes induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
# indicates induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
^ symbolizes induction into the Blues Hall of Fame.

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Aaliyah: (Aaliyah Dana Haughton), plane crash in the Bahamas in 2001. Aaliyah was a rising R&B star and actress ("Romeo is Bleeding," "Queen of the Damned"); she was 22. Aaliyah and her entourage boarded a twin engine Cessna 402B (N8097W) for a flight to the US following a video shoot ("Rock the Boat") in the Bahamas. Aaliyah's entourage insisted that their equipment accompany them rather than leave it behind. The National Transportation and Safety Board report states that, "the total weight of the luggage, fuel on board at the time of the accident, plus the weight of the passengers showed that the total gross weight of the airplane was substantially exceeded...the center of gravity was significantly outside the flight envelope past the aft center of gravity." “(Dust Yourself Off and) Try Again,” “Back and Forth,” "Rock the Boat"
Johnny Ace: (John Alexander), accidentally self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 25. Ace was an extremely popular rhythm and blues singer. While taking a break during a holiday show in 1955, he decided to play Russian roulette. He was toying with a revolver, which only had one bullet in the chamber, and shot himself. "My Song," "Cross My Heart," "Please Forgive Me," "The Clock," "Yes, Baby," "Never Let Me Go," and "Pledging My Love."
Chris Acland: suicide. Acland was the drummer for Lush. He committed suicide at his parents home in 1996. He was 30. “Ladykillers,” “De-Luxe,” “Desire Lines”
Stuart Adamson: suicide by hanging. Adamson was the guitarist for late-'70s Scottish punk band, The Skids, and lead singer for '80s group, Big Country, which was the first band to play a privately-promoted concert in Moscow. Adamson sang on the 1985 "Band Aid" Christmas hit, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" He was plagued by alcoholism and was found hanging in a Honolulu hotel room in 2001. He was 43. The Skids: "Into the Valley," "Charade," "The Saints Are Coming" Big Country: "Look Away," "Wonderland," "In A Big Country," "Fields of Fire (400 Miles)"
Arthur Alexander: heart attack in 1993; he was 53. Alexander was an influential soul singer whose songs have been covered by artists as diverse as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Ry Cooder, and Huey Lewis and the News. "Anna (Go to Him)," "You Better Move On," "A Shot of Rhythm and Blues," "Soldier of Love," "Every Day I Have to Cry Some"
*Dave Michael Alexander: pulmonary edema; 1975. He was 27. "Zander" was the original bassist for The Stooges (featuring punk icon, Iggy Pop). Zander died of pulmonary edema in Ann Arbor, Michigan, after being admitted to a hospital for pancreatitis, probably caused by his excessive drinking. (Stooges guitarist, Ron Asheton, died of a heart attack in 2009.) The Stooges were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. "I Wanna Be Your Dog," "Fun House," "Dirt"
G.G. Allin: (rumored to be Jesus Christ Allin, later changed to Kevin Allin, then G.G.), heroin overose; 1993. Controversial shock rocker who often mutilated himself and defecated on stage. Allin was 36.
*Duane Allman: (Howard Duane Allman), motorcycle accident; 1971. He was 24. Fellow band mate, Berry Oakley, would die under similar circumstances a year later, only a few blocks away. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named Allman one of the greatest guitarists of all time (ranking #2). Allman was the guitarist for the Allman Brothers Band, who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. “Ramblin’ Man,” “Midnight Rider,” “Melissa”
Carl Anderson: leukemia, 2004. He was four days shy of his 59th birthday. Anderson was a jazz musician and actor, nominated for a Golden Globe for his perfomrance as Judas Iscariot in Broadway's Jesus Christ, Superstar. His self-titled album produced a #2 pop hit, "Friends and Lovers," a duet with Gloria Loring. "How Deep Does It Go," "Pieces Of A Heart," "Hot Coffee"
Jack Anglin: car accident in 1963. He was 5 days shy of his 47th birthday. Anglin was a member of country music's Anglin Brothers, who are members of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. He later teamed up with his brother-in-law, forming Johnnie and Jack. Anglin was killed in a car crash while returning from the funeral of singer Patsy Cline (also 1963). Singer Jim Reeves (see 1964) was a pallbearer at Anglin's funeral. With the Anglin Brothers: "They Are All Going Home But One" With Johnnie and Jack: "Poison Love," "Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight, "Stop the World and Let Me Off"
*Ron Asheton: heart attack in 2009; he was 60. Asheton was guitarist for The Stooges, who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. He was ranked number 29 on Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. (Original Stooges bassist, Dave Alexander ("Zander") died of of pulmonary edema in 1975, likely caused by excessive drinking.) "I Wanna Be Your Dog," "Fun House," "Dirt"
Matthew Ashman: diabetes; 1995. He was 35. Guitarist for ‘80s new wave group, Bow Wow Wow. “I Want Candy”
Paul Atkinson: liver and kidney disease, 2004. Atkinson was a founding member of The Zombies, a '60s British Invasion band. He later became a music executive, signing (among others) ABBA, Bruce Hornsby, Judas Priest, and Patty Smyth. Atkinson was 58 at the time of his death. "She's Not There," "Time of the Season," "Tell Her No"
Chet Baker: (Chesney Henry Baker Jr.), fell from a second-story window. Baker was a respected and popular jazz trumpeter and singer. In 1988, he was found dead on the street below his second-story hotel window in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, with serious head wounds. An autopsy found heroin and cocaine in his system. He was 58. In 2005, the state of Oklahoma (where Baker was born) named July 2, "Chet Baker Day" and he was inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in 1991. "Tenderly," "There Will Never Be Another You," "All The Things You Are," "But Not For Me"
*Florence Ballard: cardiac arrest; 1976. She was 32. Ballard was one of the original Supremes, leaving the group in 1967. The proto-type for girl groups, the Supremes set a record for the most consecutive #1 hits (5) by an American group in 1965 (at the height of the “British Invasion.”) The Supremes were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Come See About Me,” “Stop! In the Name of Love,” “You Can’t Hurry Love,” “I Hear a Symphony”
Paul Baloff: stroke in 2002. Baloff was a lead vocalist for thrash-metal band, Exodus. He appeared on the album, Bonded by Blood. Baloff was 41 at the time of his death.
Banda Fugaz: shot in 2007. All four members of Mexican techno group, Banda Fugaz, were killed when gunmen opened fire with AK-47s as the band was returning from a performance. Those killed were Carlos Alberto Hurtado Lule, age 26; Noé Camargo Mendoza, 21, Cristóbal Juárez Serrano, 31; Daniel González Pimentel, 30. The band's manager, Carlos Hurtado González, age 57, suffered multiple gunshot wounds. No motives have been identified in the killings, and no arrests have been made. The murders are part of a recent string of killings of Mexican musicians.
The Bar-Kays: The original Bar-Kays: James Alexander (bass), Ronnie Caldwell (organ), Ben Cauley (trumpet), Phalon Jones (saxophone), Carl Cunningham (drums), and Jimmy King (guitar). Chosen by Otis Redding as his backing band, all were en route to a show when the plane crashed into a lake in Wisonsin in 1967. Ben Cauley was the only survivor; James Alexander was not on the flight. (Visit Otis Redding's Tribute for photos and detailed information about the plane crash.) “Soul Finger”
Carlton "Carly" Barrett: shot in 1987; he was 36. Barrett was a member of Bob Marley and the Wailers. As he arrived home and walked across his yard, a gunman approached behind him and shot him twice in the head. His wife, Albertine, her lover, Glenroy Carter, and another man, Junior Neil, were arrested and charged with his killing. Albertine and Carter were convicted and sentenced to seven years for conspiracy. After one year in prison, they were released on a legal technicality. Barrett was one of three Wailers to be murderded. (Peter Tosh and Junior Braithwaite were also gunned down; Tosh in 1987 and Braithwaite in 1999.) "My Cup (Runneth Over)," "Duppy Conqueror," "Soul Rebel," "Small Axe"
*Syd Barrett: (Roger Keith Barrett), complications from diabetes (2006). He was 60. Barrett was a founding member of Pink Floyd, who wrote most of Floyd's first two albums, before succumbing to drug addiction and mental collapse. (He was replaced by David Gilmour and became rock's most famous recluse.) Many of the band's later hits, such as "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and "Wish You Were Here" were tributes to Barrett. Pink Floyd (including Barrett) were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. With Floyd: "Arnold Layne," "Bike," "See Emily Play." Solo albums: The Madcap Laughs, Barrett
Stiv Bators: (Stivin Bator), struck by a car; 1990. Bators was a staple of the late ‘70s-early‘80s punk scene and leader of The Dead Boys. He was hit by a car on the way to see his girlfriend, and underestimating the extent of his injuries, refused medical attention. He died later that night in his sleep. Bators was 40. “Sonic Reducer”
Bix Beiderbecke: (Leon Beiderbecke), alcoholic seizure in 1931. The official cause of death was pneumonia and edema of the brain. He was 28. Beiderbecke was a popular coronetist with a distinct New York sound, standing apart from the New Orleans jazz that dominated the era.
Chris Bell: automobile crash in 1978; it is speculated that Bell may have been high when he drove straight into a telephone pole. Singer and guitarist for Big Star. He was 27. "Thirteen," "September Gurls," "I Am the Cosmos" (as a solo artist)
Jesse Belvin: Jesse Belvin, car accident - suspected murder - in 1960. He was 27. Belvin was a soulful crooner, marketed as "the black Elvis" to a still-segregated South. While leaving his first integrated concert, in Little Rock, Belvin's car was involved in a head-on collision. One of the first state troopers on the scene stated that both of the rear tires on the black cadillac had been "obviously tampered with." Belvin and his driver died at the scene (Hope, AR); his wife Jo Ann succumbed to her injuries at the hospital. Belvin was co-author of The Penguins' hit, "Earth Angel," and his recording of "Goodnight My Love" was the closing theme for Alan Freed's rock & roll radio show for several years. Visit Jesse Belvin's Tribute, which expands on his his career and offers other suspicious details surrounding his death.
Jay Bennett: died in his sleep in 2009, cause unknown. He was 45. Bennet founded Titanic Love Affair and, from 1994 to 2001, was a member of Wilco. After leaving Wilco, he release five more albums. Albums with Wilco: Being There, Summerteeth, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Solo releases include: Bigger Than Blue, The Beloved Enemy.
Brook Benton: (Benjamin Franklin Peay), spinal meningitis. Benton died in 1988 at the age of 56. He scored a hit in 1970 with "A Rainy Night In Georgia.”
"The Big Bopper": (Jiles Perry "J.P." Richardson, Jr.), plane crash that also killed Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens in 1959. (Visit the Archive's Tribute to Rock's Royal Trinity.) Richardson was a radio disc jockey and novelty rocker. He took the seat on the plane that was intended for Holly’s bassist, Waylon Jennings. (Read about the connection to the Curse of Buddy Holly.) Elvis Presley (see 1977) sent flowers to Richardson's funeral. Richardson was 28. He was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004 and he was also inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. “Chantilly Lace,” "Little Red Riding Hood," "That's What I'm Talking About," "White Lightnin'," "Purple People Eater Meets the Witch Doctor," wrote and sang back-up on Johnny Preston’s “Running Bear”
Bill Black: brain tumor. He was 39 (1965). Black backed Elvis Presley (see 1977) before forming Bill Black's Combo and placing eight hits in the US Top 40. "White Silver Sands," “Josephine,” “Smokie - Part 2”
Dave Blood: (David Schulthise), suicide in 2004. He was 47. Bassist for the Dead Milkmen, popular on the '80s college circuit. The band broke up in 1995, when Blood developed tendinitis in both hands, forcing him to stop playing music. "Bitchin' Camaro," "Punk Rock Girl"
Bobby Bloom: accidental gunshot wound in 1974. He was 28. "Montego Bay," “Heavy Makes You Happy”
Mike Bloomfield: drug overdose in 1981. He was 38. Bloomfield was the lead guitarist for The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (Paul Butterfield, see 1987) and founder of The Electric Flag. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named him one of the greatest guitarists of all time (ranking #22). The Paul Butterfield Blues Band recorded the album “A Long Time Comin’” and the soundtrack to the 1967 psychedelic film, “The Trip.”
Buddy Blue: (Bernard Seigal), heart attack in 2006 at the age of 48. Blue was a rock journalist and founder of country-rock band, the Beat Farmers. "Happy Boy"
Marc Bolan: (Marc Feld), car accident in 1977. T-Rex; he was 29. Bolan and his girlfriend Gloria Jones were out clubbing when she crashed their car into a tree. Jones was seriously injured; Bolan died. Four other members of T-Rex, Steve Peregrin Took (see 1980) and Steve Currie (see 1981), Mickey Finn (see 2003), and "Dino" Dines (see 2004) would also die prematurely. Read about Bolan's connection to the Curse of Buddy Holly. “Bang a Gong (Get it On),” “Hot Love,” "Telegram Sam," "Metal Guru"
Tommy Bolin: drug overdose; 1976. He was 25. Bolin replaced Ritchie Blackmore as guitarist for Deep Purple. “Smoke On the Water”
Ronnie Bond: (Ronald Bullis), lengthy illness in 1992. He was 50. Bond was a member of The Troggs, who scored a number two hit with 1966's "Wild Thing." Other hits include "A Girl Like You" and "I Can't Control Myself."
*John Bonham: aspiration of vomit after ingesting alcohol; 1980. He was 32. Bonham ("Bonzo") was the drummer for Led Zeppelin, inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. “Whole Lotta Love,” “Stairway to Heaven,” “When the Levee Breaks”
D. Boon: (Dennes Dale Boon), van accident in 1985. Boon was the guitarist for the Minutemen. On a trip to Arizona, Boon's girlfriend fell asleep behind the wheel and crashed their van. Boon was ejected form the vehicle and broke his neck, killing him instantly. He was 27. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named him one of the greatest guitarists of all time (ranking #89). Album: Double Nickels on the Dime
David Box: (Harold David Box), plane crash in 1964; he was 22. Box was one of several lead singers employed by The Crickets, Buddy Holly’s backing band, after Holly's death. Holly also died in a plane crash, and at the same age (see 1959). Read about the connection to the Curse of Buddy Holly.) “Peggy Sue Got Married”
Tommy Boyce: suicide. He was 55. Boyce suffered from depression, and in 1994 he shot himself in his home. He reportedly left two suicide notes indicating his desire to "go and be with" his dead mother, Elvis Presley (see 1977), and Del Shannon (see 1990). (He had been friends with both.) Boyce teamed with Bobby Hart on the ‘60s hits "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight" and “I’ll Blow You a Kiss in the Wind.”
Junior Braithwaite: (Franklin Delano Alexander Braithwaite), shot in 1999. He was 50. Braithwaite was one of the founders and the first lead singer of The Wailers (which also featured Bob Marley, see 1981). Braithwaite was one of three Wailers to be murderded. (Carlton Barrett and Peter Tosh were both shot in 1987.) "Simmer Down," "Stir It Up," "Get Up, Stand Up"
Laura Branigan: aneurysm, 2004. She was 47. Songstress of the '80s, scoring four Grammy nominations. "Gloria," "Self-Control," "Solitaire," "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You?"
Erik Brann: heart attack in 2003. He was 52. Brann was guitarist for the psychedelic rock group Iron Butterfly at the age of 17. The band achieved immortality with their 17 minute metal epic, “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” (1968). Brann survived fellow bandmates, bassist Philip Taylor Kramer (see 1995) and original singer Darryl DeLoach (see 2002).“Are You Happy,” “Most Anything That You Want”
Shirley Brickley: shot to death; 1977. Brickley was a member of The Orlons, who were popular in the 1960s. Brickley was shot and killed by an intruder in her home; she was 35. “The Wah Watusi,” “Don’t Hang Up,” “South Street”
Herman Brood: suicide. Brood was a well known artist and musician on the Dutch rock scene for 30 years. As the leader of Wild Romance, he enjoyed massive success with the 1978 hit, “Saturday Night.” Brood often spoke about the difficulty of stopping his famous drug habit and had been complaining of poor health and depression. He had told a close friend he didn't want to “fade away.” (See Kurt Cobain’s suicide note, 1994.) He jumped to his death from the roof of an Amsterdam hotel in 2001. He was 55.
Danny Joe Brown: complications from diabetes, including renal failure and pneumonia (2005). He was 53. Brown sang lead for the Southern rock band, Molly Hatchet, which was named after a prostitute who supposedly beheaded her clients. Hatchet's 1978 eponymous album went platinum. "Flirtin' With Disaster," "Bounty Hunter," "Whisky Man"
David Brown: liver and kidney failure; 2000. He was 53. Brown was the original bassist for Santana, playing with the band from 1966 until 1971. He rejoined the band in 1973, remaining until 1976. Brown played on classics like "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen," "Oye Como Va," "Samba Pa Ti,"and "Evil Ways"
Roy Buchanan: suicide at age 48. Buchanan was a pioneer in blues guitar who influenced other musicians such as Jeff Beck and Robbie Robertson of The Band. Buchanan struggled eith alcohol abuse; in 1988 he was arrested for public intoxication and hanged himself with his shirt in his cell. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named him one of the greatest guitarists of all time (ranking #57). Buchanan's albums include: Roy Buchanan, That's What I Am Here For, Street Called Straight, and When a Guitar Plays the Blues.
Rob Buck: liver failure (2000); he was 42. Buck was a guitarist for 10,000 Maniacs (which featured lead singer, Natalie Merchant). "My Mother the War," "Hey Jack Kerouac," MTV Unplugged cover of Patty Smith's "Because the Night"
Jeff Buckley: drowned at age 30 in the Mississippi River (1997). Once named one of People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" (#12). Son of musician Tim Buckley (see 1975). “So Real,” “Last Goodbye,” “Hallelujah”
Tim Buckley: heroin overdose in 1975. He was 28. Musician and father of Jeff Buckley.
Cornelius Bumpus: heart attack on a flight from New York City to California in 2004; age 58. Saxophonist, formerly of the Doobie Brothers; member of Steely Dan since 1993. Steely Dan (Walter Becker and Donald Fagen) were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. The Doobie Brothers were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004. Fellow Doobies Bobby LaKind (congas, see 1992) and Keith Knudsen (drummer, see 2005) are also members of the Archive. Doobies: "Takin it to the Streets," "Black Water," "China Grove"
Dorsey Burnette: heart attack in 1979. He was 46. Dorsey and his brother, Johnny (see 1964), enjoyed success as '60s teen idols. Burnette was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. "There Was A Tall Oak Tree," “Hey Little One”
Johnny Burnette: boating accident. Johnny, along with his brother, Dorsey (see 1979), enjoyed success as a teen-idol crooner during the early 1960s. In 1964, he was boating after dark when a cabin cruiser rammed his unlit fishing boat. The impact threw him from the boat and he drowned. He was 30. (Johnny’s son, Rocky, would have a hit in 1980 with "Tired Of Toein' The Line.") Burnette was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. "Dreamin'," "You're Sixteen," "Little Boy Sad," "God, Country and My Baby"
*Cliff Burton: tour bus accident in Sweden (1986); he was 25. Burton was the bassist for Metallica. He “won” his particular bunk for that night. When their tourbus skidded off the road Burton was thrown out the window. The bus then flipped over and landed on him. Burton was inducted with Metallica into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. “One,” “Fade to Black," "Enter Sandman"
Paul Butterfield: heroin overdose (1987). He was 44. Butterfield lead The Paul Butterfield Blues Band.
Glenn Buxton: pneumonia; 1997. He was 49. Buxton was guitarist for Alice Cooper. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named him one of the greatest guitarists of all time (ranking #90). “Welcome to My Nightmare, “School’s Out”
David Byron: excessive alcohol consumption. Byron was the lead singer of 70's rock band Uriah Heep, until he was dismissed from the band because of his drinking problem. He was found dead in his home in 1985; he had suffered a heart attack brought on by severe alcoholism. Byron was 38. (Heep bassist, Gary Thain, died from a heroin overdose in 1975.) “Easy Livin’,” “Sweet Lorraine,” “Stealin’”

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The Death of Rock: The Alphabetical Archive

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