Nirvana
front man and unofficial spokesman of Generation X. February 20, 1967 - April
4, 1994
Singer,
guitarist and songwriter of Nirvana. Committed suicide by shotgun, April 5,
1994.
Singer and
songwriter for Nirvana and grunge icon. Death by suicide on April 5, 1994.
Amy
Winehouse
UK-Born
R&B artist and the first British singer to win five Grammys. September 14,
1983 - July 23, 2011
Singer and
songwriter. Cause of death unknown, July 23, 2011.
Jimi
Hendrix
November
27, 1942 - September 18, 1970
Singer,
guitarist and songwriter of The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Died by asphyxiating
on his vomit after combining wine and sleeping pills, September 18, 1970.
Legendary
guitarist and songwriter for the Jimi Hendrix Experience & Band of Gypsys.
Dead from asphyxiation as a result of wine and sleeping pills on September 18,
1970.
Jim
Morrison
The Doors
front man and cult sex symbol. December 8, 1943 - July 3, 1971
Singer and
songwriter of The Doors. Died of heart failure, July 3, 1971.
Lead singer
and songwriter of The Doors. After struggling with drugs and alcohol for some
time, Morrison died of a presumed heart failure on July 3rd, 1971.
Janis
Joplin
Rock 'n
roll's first female superstar. January 19, 1943 - October 4, 1970
Singer and
songwriter of Big Brother and the Holding Company, also a solo artist. Died of
a probable heroin overdose, October 4, 1970.
Singer/Songwriter
and '60s icon. One of the first true female superstars. Died of a heroin
overdose on October 4, 1970.
Robert
Johnson
King of the
Delta blues. May 8, 1911 - August 16, 1938
Legendary
blues man who is said to have sold his soul to the devil in order to gain his
unparalleled musicianship. He is regarded as the first member of the 27 Club.
Cause of death unknown, August 16, 1938.
Pioneering
blue musician and guitarist. Most likely died from poisoning on August 16,
1938. Widely considered the first member of the '27 Club.'
Brian Jones
Founding
member of the Rolling Stones. February 28 1942 - July 3, 1969
Guitarist
of the Rolling Stones. Died by drowning in his swimming pool, July 3, 1969.
Founding
member and guitarist of the Rolling Stones. Died from drowning in a pool one
month after being kicked out of the band on July 3, 1969.
Dave
Alexander
Along with
Iggy Pop, one of the founding members of the protopunk group The Stooges. June
3, 1947 - February 10, 1975
Bassist of
Iggy and The Stooges. Died of an alcoholism related pulmonary edema, February
10, 1975.
Bassist for
legendary punk band the Stooges. Died of pulmonary edema (associated with
alcohol) on February 10, 1975.
Ron
“Pigpen” McKernan
Founding
member of The Grateful Dead. September 8, 1945 - March 8, 1973
Keyboardist
and singer of The Grateful Dead. Died of gastrointestinal hemorrhage associated
with alcoholism, March 8, 1973.
Founding
member and original keyboardist of the Grateful Dead. Died of a
gastrointestinal hemorrhage (again associated with alcohol) on March 8th, 1973.
Richey
Edwards
Lyricist
and guitarist for Manic Street Preachers. Disappeared, presumed dead, February
1995.
Founding
member and lyricist for the Manic Street Preachers. Disappeared and presumed
dead from suicide on February 1, 1995.
Kristen
Pfaff
Bassist for
Hole. May 26, 1967 - June 16, 1994
Bassist of
Hole. Died of a heroin overdose, June 16, 1994.
Bassist for
Hole. Died of an overdose on June 16, 1994.
Pete Ham
Keyboardist
and singer for Badfinger. April 27, 1947 - April 24, 1975
Singer,
guitarist and songwriter of Badfinger. Committed suicide by hanging, April 24,
1975.
Keyboardist
and guitarist of the British band Badfinger. Died from suicide by hanging on
April 24, 1975
Jean
Michel-Basquiat
Painter and
founder of Gray, an industrial noise band. Died of a heroin, morphine and
cocaine overdose, August 12, 1988.
NYC based
artist, friend of Andy Warhol, and founder of the band Gray. Died from a heroin
overdose on August 12, 1988.
D. Boon
Singer and
guitarist of The Minutemen. Died in an automobile accident, December 22, 1985.
Guitarist
and lead singer of the band Minutemen and extremely influential punk musician.
Died as a result of injuries from a car crash on December 22, 1985.
Alan “Blind
Owl” Wilson
Lead
vocalist of Canned Heat and writer of “Going Up to the Country,” the unofficial
theme for the Woodstock Music Festival, 1969. July 4, 1943 - September 3, 1970
Lead singer
and songwriter of Canned Heat. Died of an overdose on September 3, 1970.
Chris Bell
Memphis-born
Big Star singer/guitarist. January 12, 1951 - December 27, 1978
Founder and
songwriter of the extremely influential band Big Star. Died of a car crash on
December 27, 1978.
Mia Zapata
Lead vocals
for punk outfit The Gits. August 25, 1965 - July 7, 1993
Singer and
songwriter of The Gits. Zapata was raped, beaten and strangled to death, July
7, 1993.
Jesse Belvin
R&B
Artist and co-writer of “Earth Angel,” one of the biggest hits of the '50s.
December 15, 1932 - February 6, 1960
Pete de
Freitas
Former
drummer of British post-punk group Echo & The Bunnymen. August 2, 1961 -
June 14, 1989
Les Harvey
Scottish
guitarist who played in several bands, most notably with blues outfit Stone The
Crows. September 13, 1944 - May 3, 1972
Bryan
Ottoson
Guitarist
for Minneapolis
Sean
Patrick McCabe
Lead singer
of the vampire-themed punk band Ink and Dagger. 1972 - August 28, 2000
Jeremy
Michael Ward
Sound
technician and vocal operator for The Mars Volta. May 5, 1976 - May 25, 2003