The Death of Rock: The Archive

As a morbid hobby, I have archived the early 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.

Criteria for a death to be included in the archive: the cause of death is not due to natural causes, and/or the musician died "before their time" - in the interest of preserving space, age 60 or younger. The people archived must fit at least one of the following criteria: 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. There are several lesser-known artists included in the archive because I thought their stories were interesting. In the interest of saving space, the Archive includes only Rock & Roll personalities and those who have influenced Rock music.

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. You may email me if you feel a worthy artist has been omitted. All decisions by the author (me) are final.

The photos on this site have been collected from various magazines and websites. My appreciation to all.

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News and Updates

I am in the process of updating the Archive, which includes revising and correcting many of the entries. Once this is done, I'll focus on creating additional artist Tributes. I received a suggestion for Bon Scott (AC/DC, died in 1980). Perhaps... Any thoughts? Email me.

19 July -

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Upgraded and expanded the Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd. Added some new information and several new photos. Incidentally, today is Allen Collins's birthday (Skynyrd's co-founder/songwriter/guitarist). Collins would have been 57.

18 July -

Upgraded the Tribute for Buddy Holly, "The Big Bopper" and Ritchie Valens. Included some new information. The trio were killed in a plane crash in 1959. Holly was 22, The Bopper was 28 and Valens was 17.

Also added a new victim of the Curse of Buddy Holly: Kurt Cobain. Cobain, lead singer of Nirvana, shot himself in 1994. He was 27.

17 July -

Upgraded the Tribute for Patsy Cline. Cline was killed in a plane crash in 1963 along with country singers Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins. The Tribute now includes photos of the graves of Copas, Hawkins, and fellow country crooner, Jim Reeves. (You'll have to visit the Tribute to understand it.)

14 July -

John Denver

Upgraded and updated the Tribute for John Denver. (Denver crashed his experimental bi-plane into the Pacific Ocean in 1997. He was 53.) The listings for his awards and his television performances have been extended.

11 July -

Kurt Cobain

Updated and expanded the Tribute for Kurt Cobain. Among other things, it now includes a list of awards won by Nirvana. Cobain shot himself in 1994; he was 27.

6 July -

Falco

Updated several Tributes, including Falco's, which I also expanded. Pay your respects to the genius behind "Rock Me Amadeus," who perished in a car crash in 1998. Falco was 40.

25 June -

The end of an era...

The King of Pop - Michael Jackson

The Archive, in a state of shock and with a heavy heart, welcomes The King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Jackson suffered a cardiac arrest today, and passed away at UCLA Medical Center. He was 50 years old. For more information about Jackson and some of his achievements, refer to his permanent Archive entry.

While Michael Jackson may not have been as relevant musically in the last few years, he defined the Eighties and rewrote the rules for pop stardom. He was the Elvis of our generation and a big part of many people's youth. Michael had always been there and, even in the last few years, we knew he was still there, somewhere. I guess I thought Michael would always be there. As I become increasingly aware of my age, and the simplicity of youth seems further and further distant, my icons are falling. Tomorrow we wake in a different world.

May he be at peace and find the contentment that seemed to elude him in life.

22 June -

Added several new entries to the Archive. Now joining us are:

Chas Chandler, bassist with The Animals, later manager for Jimi Hendrix and Slade. Chandler succumbed to an aortic aneurysm in 1996 at the age of 58. "House of the Rising Sun," "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," "We Gotta Get Out of This Place"

Michael Clarke, drummer with The Byrds, who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. Clarke died in 1993 at the age of 49 from cirrhosis of the liver (excessive alcohol consumption). "Eight Miles High," "Mr. Tambourine Man," "Turn! Turn! Turn!"

Richard Hite, brother of Canned Heat's Bob "The Bear" Hite, who performed with the group and also played with Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Hammie Nixon, Studebaker John, and Pretty Things/Yardbird Blues Band. He died at age 50 of cancer in 2001.

Charles Fizer, vocalist with the doo-wop quartet, The Olympics. He was shot by the National Guard while on his way to rehearsal during the 1965 Watts Riots. He was 24. "Western Movies," "(Baby) Hully Gully," "Big Boy Pete," "Good Lovin'"

Mack Starr. When Charles Fizer (see above) was killed, he was replaced by Melvin King. King, distraught over the death of his sister (also killed in the Watts Riots) quit the group and was replaced by Starr. Starr was killed in a motorcylce accident in 1981. He was 45.

Also updated entries for Steve Clark (Def Leppard, substance abuse in 1991; age 30) and Bob Marley (cancer in 1980; age 36) and linked the entries for Uriah Heep's David Byron (excessive alcohol consumption in 1985; age 38) and Gary Thain (heroin overdose in 1975; age 27).

18 June -

Photo I took at Eddie Sulik's grave.

The Archive (belatedly) welcomes Eddie Sulik. Sulik was a songwriter, lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the rockabilly duo The Echoes. Sulik went solo in 1961, but was killed in a car crash in 1965. He was 36. Sulik was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. (And he happens to be buried the next town over from me.)

Direct yourself to the 2006-2009 page for the most recent inductees to the Archive.

Navigating The Archive

The Archive is divided into three main categories in addition to three 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, 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, Bobby Fuller, Otis Redding, Jim Croce, Lynyrd Skynyrd, John Denver, Andy Gibb, Falco and Kurt Cobain.

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.

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. (Victory! After years of whining to anyone who would listen, Lynyrd Skynyrd were inducted in 2006.)

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.

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.)