Music
10 Musicians We Lost Too Soon
by Anne T. Donahue
May 18, 2011
Thirty-one years ago today, Joy Division’s Ian Curtis took his life at the young age of 23, joining that unfortunate club of musicians who’ve been taken from us in their prime. In memory of Curtis and other fallen industry heroes, here’s ten musicians we lost far too soon.
10. Jeff Buckley
After arriving in Memphis on May 29, 1997, Jeff Buckley went swimming in the Wolf Harbour River, only to disappear, drown, and be found two days later by a passing boat on the Mississippi. Ruled an accidental drowning, the Buckley estate has been adamant in maintaining that the singer was in a “good frame of mind” prior to the incident.
9. Tupac Shakur
Perhaps one of the most debated deaths in music history, Tupac Shakur was the victim of a drive-by shooting on September 13, 1996 following an altercation after the Mike Tyson/Bruce Seldon boxing match at the MGM Grand. While the circumstances surrounding his death are still the subject of mystery, Shakur’s tragic end eventually helped bring an end to the infamous East Coast/West Coast rivalry.
8. Elliott Smith
Aged 34, Elliott Smith succumbed to two stab wounds after his girlfriend found him standing in their hotel room with a knife in his chest. While it’s largely believed Smith’s death was a suicide (he had no defense wounds and left a note), no official reports have been made, and authorities haven’t chosen to pursue the case further.
7. Jimi Hendrix
After returning from a party on September 18, 1970, 27-year-old Jimi Hendrix took nine sleeping pills and asphyxiated on his own vomit, resulting in a now-contradicted testimony from lover Monika Dannemann who claimed the singer-guitarist was still responsive upon the arrival of paramedics. Dannemann went on to commit suicide in 1996 after Hendrix’s longtime girlfriend sued her for libel, but foul play has been steadily argued.
6. Ian Curtis
Early on May 18, 1980, 23-year-old Ian Curtis hanged himself in his kitchen after a long battle with depression, epilepsy, and a floundering marriage. Having only released two albums under the Joy Division moniker, critics believe that the band spearheaded the post-punk and even gothic genres, with Curtis’ potential having not yet been fully realized.
5. Freddie Mercury
Diagnosed with AIDS shortly after Easter in 1987, 45-year-old Freddie Mercury succumbed to pneumonia stemming from the disease at his home on November 24, 1991. An intensely private man, the singer only revealed that he had AIDS twenty-four hours before his death, and encouraged people to ban together and fight the disease.
4. Janis Joplin
A recovering heroin addict, the charismatic 27-year-old singer began reusing during the recording of Pearl, returning home from a studio session on October 3, 1970 to inject the fateful dose that, mixed with alcohol, proved fatal. Found by Full Tilt’s road manager, John Cooke, the next morning, it’s widely believed that the songstress was given a dose far more potent than the amount she was used to.
3. Notorious BIG
Following a party for the Soul Train Music Awards on March 9, 1997, Notorious BIG was gunned down after the driver of an Impala pulled up alongside his truck and fired four bullets into the rapper’s chest. Arguably in response to Tupac’s shooting the previous year, Biggie’s death has yet to be solved, with the case is currently being re-investigated following rumours of LAPD and mafia involvement.
2. Kurt Cobain
After nearly overdosing on champagne and Rohypnol in early March of 1994, the 27-year-old Nirvana frontman was found dead in his Lake Washington home on April 8, after succumbing to a self-inflicted shotgun wound. With heroin and Valium discovered in his system, coroners ruled that Cobain had actually passed away on April 5, and despite the suicide note found along with him, the circumstances surrounding his death remain hotly debated.
1. John Lennon
After being asked for an autograph by David Chapman while leaving his apartment, John Lennon returned later only to be killed by the unstable fan, who waited nearby and shot the musician upon arrival. Considered an assassination due to the artist’s high profile, 40-year-old Lennon was pronounced dead on arrival at Roosevelt Hospital on December 8, 1980, leaving a void that continues today.
Tags: Music, Lists, Biggie, Elliott Smith, Freddie Mercury, Ian Curtis, Janis Joplin, Jeff Buckley, John Lennon, Joy Division, Kurt Cobain, Nirvana, The Beatles, Tupac Shakur
