The Death of Rock: The Archive

As a morbid hobby, I have archived the premature deaths of many Rock & Roll notables. I do not claim to have an all-inclusive list. But I do feel that this archive is competently comprehensive.

The criteria for a death to be included in The Archive: the musician must have died "before their time" - in the interest of preserving space, age 60 or younger. The artists must also fit into at least one of the following categories: the person must have been famous (or a member of a popular group), the person must have been influential somehow in the music business, their death must have impacted the music industry in some significant way, or the story of their life and/or death must have been unusual enough to surpass the previous criteria. This site, as the full title indicates, includes only Rock & Roll personalities (extending to some Pop artists) and those who have influenced Rock music or, in some cases, transcended genres.

Each entry includes the artist's name, birth name (if different), year and cause of death, age at time of passing, accolades awarded (such as Hall of Fame memberships), notable songs in the artist's repertoire, and any interesting facts related to the artist's life and/or death. Photos are also provided for many of the performers. Many entries are cross-referenced. Special pages are also included in The Archive. Details about those pages, and about navigating The Archive in general, are provided below, after the News and Updates. You may email me if you feel a worthy artist has been omitted. All decisions by the author (me) are final.

Several of the photos on this site were taken by me; the rest were culled from various magazines and websites. My appreciation to all.

This site is best viewed on a larger screen. Apologies for any glitches that may occur if you're accessing it via mobile phone.

Updates may include the recently deceased, new entries for those previously deceased who were missing from the Archive, and the addition of photos and/or information for existing inductees.

The Archive was first compiled on 20 March 2004.

For more updates, news, memorials, YouTube links and random music minutia, follow The Archive on Facebook.

News and Updates

22 April 2024 -

The Dave Matthews Band: Leroi Moore, Boyd Tinsley, Dave Matthews, Carter Beauford, and Stefan Lessard.

Congratulations to members of The Archive who are going to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Class of 2024:

Leroi Moore (shown above), saxophonist and founding member of the Dave Matthews Band (ATV accident, 2008, age 46);

Claydes Charles Smith, co-founder and lead guitarist of Kool & the Gang ("a long illness", 2006, age 57);

"Big Mama" Thornton, legendary Blues singer (alcoholism - liver and heart failure, 1984, age 57);

Fred "Sonic" Smith and Rob Tyner of the MC5. Smith (heart failure, 1994, age 45) was the guitarist and Tyner (heart failure, 1991, age 46) was the vocalist for the seminal punk group.

19 April 2024 -

A new musician has been added to The Archive, with ties to the Shadows of Seattle. Ben McMillan, vocalist for Skin Yard, died of diabetes in 2008. He was 46. Skin Yard was a Seattle band who were contemporaries of Soundgarden and Screaming Trees. The group contributed two songs to the Deep Six compilation, which was the first showcase of Grunge music. Released in 1986, it also featured Soundgarden, Melvins, Malfunkshun, U-Men and Green River. Skin Yard released five albums before breaking up. "Bleed," "Stranger," "Start at the Top"

25 March 2024 -

Kurt Cobain

A new page has been added: Shadows of Seattle. In the early half of the 1990s, Seattle was the epicenter of a music revolution: Grunge. But Seattle has its demons. For whatever it harbored to spark the creativity of so many musicians, the city was also a very dark place. Some artists died violently; many succumbed to heroin. Almost half died in their twenties, between 1990 - 1994. But the grasp of Seattle's darkness lingers long and far. Listed on this page are fifteen musicians, in chronological order, who fell under the shadow of Seattle.

9 March 2024 -

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Added information to the Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute. Far from a straight-forward plane crash, the event was preceded by premonitions, and accompanied by cruel coincidences and occurrences that seemed oddly prophetic. Visit the band's Tribute for the eerie tale. Lynyrd Skynyrd was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. (In the photo: back row - Artimus Pyle, Cassie Gaines, Billy Powell and Leon Wilkeson. Front row - Allen Collins, Leslie Hawkins, Gary Rossington, Ronnie Van Zant, Jo Jo Billingsley and Steve Gaines.)

Direct yourself to the 2020 - present page for the most recent inductees to The Archive.

Navigating The Archive

The Archive is divided into three main categories in addition to four special supplements. The three main categories are:

The Alphabetical Archive

The Chronology

Causes of death

The special supplements are explained below.

The Gateway/Tributes

The details surrounding the deaths of a few of Rock's luminaries deserve a more thorough explanation than a regular entry in the Archive would allow. For this reason, the Gateway was created. It is a page where you may access several Tributes which explain, in depth, the circumstances surrounding the deaths of a few of music's brighter lights. The current Tributes available for viewing are:

Hank Williams, Buddy Holly / "Big Bopper" / Ritchie Valens, Jesse Belvin, Patsy Cline / Cowboy Copas / Hawkshaw Hawkins, Sam Cooke, Eddie Sulik, Bobby Fuller, Otis Redding, Tammi Terrell, Jim Croce, Badfinger, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Harry Chapin, Marvin Gaye, Andy Gibb, Kurt Cobain, Jeff Buckley, John Denver, Michael Hutchence and Falco.

The Curse of Buddy Holly

The Rock & Roll legend died in a plane crash in 1959, along with "The Big Bopper" and Ritchie Valens. But those two performers weren't the only artists associated with Holly who would die cruel and early deaths. Visit this page for a list of over a dozen others, including Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, Bobby Fuller, Ricky Nelson, Del Shannon, and John Lennon.

The Curse of Harry Nilsson

Nilsson's hits include "Coconut," "Everybody's Talkin'," and a cover of Badfinger's "Without You." He died in 1994 at the age of 52 from heart failure. Several prominent artists associated with Nilsson would meet violent and/or untimely deaths, including John Lennon, Keith Moon, Mama Cass, and Badfinger.

The Curse of 27

After Blues legend Robert Johnson's death at the age of 27, it has been speculated that a curse was unleashed, striking down talented young musicians at the pinnacle of their creativity. Read about the origins of the "curse" with a detailed listing of those performers who have succumb to it, including Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain.

Shadows of Seattle

In the early half of the 1990s, Seattle was the epicenter of a music revolution: Grunge. But Seattle had its demons. For whatever it harbored to spark the creativity of so many musicians, the city was also a very dark place. Some artists died violently; many succumbed to heroin. Almost half died in their twenties, between 1990 - 1994. But the grasp of Seattle's darkness lingers long and far. Listed on this page are sixteen musicians, in chronological order, who fell under the shadow of Seattle.

Strange Thought-Patterns at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

In my humble, yet educated, opinion: the following artists deserve induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of fame. Yet year after year, all go unmentioned and unnoticed. (Two small victories: after years of whining to anyone who would listen, Lynyrd Skynyrd were inducted in 2006 and Stevie Ray Vaughan in 2015.)

J. P. Richardson - "The Big Bopper"

"The Big Bopper"

(Jiles Perry "J.P." Richardson) was killed in the same plane crash that claimed Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens (both inductees; 1986 and 2001, respectively). Richardson was a disc jockey, performer, and arguably the inventor of the novelty song. His hits include "Little Red Riding Hood," "That's What I'm Talking About," "White Lightnin'," "Purple People Eater Meets the Witch Doctor," and the wildly popular "Chantilly Lace." Big Bopper also wrote and sang back-up on Johnny Preston's "Running Bear." I nominate J.P. under the category of "Early Influence." He has already been inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004 and he was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Visit the Tribute to Rock's Royal Trinity.

Jan and Dean

Jan & Dean

Jan Berry (d. 2004) and Dean Torrence were the originators of the '60s California surf sound. They pre-dated the Beach Boys, who would cover several Jan & Dean songs. Incidentally, the Beach Boys, who owe their careers to Jan & Dean, are R&R Hall of Fame inductees (1988). I nominate J&D under the category of "Early Influence." Hits include "Little Old Lady From Pasadena", "Surf City", and "Dead Man's Curve." (Yes, those are originally Jan & Dean. The Beach Boys covered them.)

Jim Croce

Jim Croce

No explanation should be necessary. Croce's music was memorable - either for the touching and bittersweet feelings it evoked, or for the humorous and catchy anecdotes he related. He sang about topics that the average person could relate to, and he told his stories with, depending on the song, either sharp wit or raw emotion. The tragedy of his death is compounded by his omission from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He was, however, inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1990. Visit The Archive's Tribute to Jim Croce. "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown", "Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)", "Time in a Bottle", "I Got a Name", "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song", and "You Don't Mess Around With Jim."

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Stevie Ray Vaughan could play a guitar like nobody's business. Fusing blues and rock & roll, Vaughan gave us a new standard by which all ax-men should be judged. (In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named him the #7 greatest guitarist of all time.) SRV had the technical skills and the artistic sensibility to make some of the most passionate and memorable music, classics such as "The Sky is Crying", "Pride and Joy", "Cold Shot", "The House is Rockin'", "Couldn't Stand the Weather", "Crossfire", "Change It", and "Tightrope". The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame needs to catch up - The Blues Hall of Fame inducted Stevie Ray in 2000.

They took their own sweet time, but, as of 2015, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble were accepted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Soundgarden

Soundgarden

Soundgarden transcended the Grunge label. With their earlier albums, culminating with Badmotorfinger, their music was unapologetic about being loud, heavy, and frenetic, while still retaining melody and meaning. Their next albums, Superunknown and Down on the Upside, were more polished and mainstream, but they never sacrificed the gravity, message and power that was the band's hallmark. Within the confines of Grunge, Soundgarden were the disaffected philosophers while other groups cultivated anger, angst and alienation. In a wider sense, Soundgarden was metal for the self-aware; rage for the introverted. Their music was elevated by the virtuosity of each musician, coupled with Chris Cornell's vocal range and power. (From a high-pitched primal scream to a frightening dark lullaby, Cornell's versatility was unusual in any genre). "Rusty Cage", "Outshined", "Jesus Christ Pose", "Fell on Black Days", "Spoonman", "Black Hole Sun", "The Day I Tried to Live", "Pretty Noose", "Burden in My Hand", "Blow Up the Outside World"

For My Father

12 February 1949 - 31 October 2005

This site is dedicated to my father, who always loved good stories, good music, and good stories about music.

"Our captain and leader has not left us -

Today, tomorrow, this year, next...

Our endeavors will reflect our love and admiration for him."

(Inscription on New York Yankee Thurman Munson's memorial.)