Top 10 Musicians Who Died Too Soon
John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (9 October 1940 - 8 December 1980) was an English singer and songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as a co-founder of the Beatles, the most commercially successful band in the history of popular music. He was assassinated by Mark David Chapman on December 8, 1980 at age 40. Lennon was characterised by the rebellious nature and acerbic wit in his music, writing and drawings, on film, and in interviews. His songwriting partnership with Paul McCartney remains the most successful in history. The world shared a collective heartbreak when he died...way too soon. Unbelievable!
Man... it's been almost 40 years and I still miss him. His leaves us way too soon and it's like he never died. Rip John Lennon
Unlike most of the others, John died through no fault of his own.
We lost 2 of The Beatles too soon. John Lennon and George Harrison may they Rest In Peace.
Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara, 5th September 1946 - 24th November 1991) was a Zanzibari-born British singer of Indian descent, songwriter and record producer, known as the lead vocalist and songwriter of the British rock band Queen. He also became known for his flamboyant stage persona and four-octave ...read more. He had a beautiful voice! Queen was awesome! We lost him way too soon! I wish he was still alive! May he Rest In Peace we all love you.
Gone too soon... RIP Freddie, you made music history!
He Should be on first number in list...
His legacy live on forever.
Kurt Cobain was born February 20, 1967, in Aberdeen, Washington. In 1987, he started the grunge band Nirvana, which became one of the most successful bands ever. He was a talented yet troubled grunge performer. Kurt Cobain became a rock legend in the 1990s with his band. He committed suicide at his ...read more. No doubt in my mind as to who deserves the top spot on this list.
He died so young! He made history as the lead singer of Nirvana!
I wish I could bring him back from the dead!
A legend that will never be forgotten.
Jimi Hendrix (born November 27, 1942 - September 18, 1970) was an American rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter.
Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most influential electric guitarists in the history of popular music, and one of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th century. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes him as "arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music". Hendrix is consistently ranked on lists of musicians who died too soon. Best guitarist of all time in only 4 years making music.
He was awesome! He died so young!
Buddy Holly, born Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959) was an American musician and singer-songwriter who was a central figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was a rising star when a tragic plane crash struck him down at age 22. ...read more.
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley (November 17, 1966 – May 29, 1997) raised as Scott "Scottie" Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Jeff Buckley was born in Anaheim, California, from musical lineage. His mother, Mary Guibert, was a classically trained musician, and his father, Tim Buckley, was a well-known folk singer. Buckley, however, only met his father one time; the two spent a week together when Jeff was 8. The elder Buckley died of a heroin overdose at age 28, less than a year after the pair's meeting. ...read more.
It's sad he died so soon!
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American singer, songwriter, and poet best remembered as the lead singer of the Doors. He died way too soon! The Doors will always be legendary!
Michael Jackson (Michael Joseph Jackson; August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, dancer, and songwriter. He passed away from cardiac arrest caused by a propofol and benzodiazepine overdose on June 25, 2009. He donated (at least) a remarkable 500,000,000 dollars to charity. Michael is also known as The King of Pop (a title given to him by Elizabeth Taylor) or under the initials MJ. Dubbed the King of Pop, he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. ...read more. I miss him so much because lot of people they like him when it was long time ago like when he was dating with lisa marie presley, brooke shields, Elizabeth Taylor, madonna, whitney houston, and Debbie Rowe that why everyone love him so much.
God I miss him so much, he's seriously one of the most talented people who ever lived. Love you MJ
Clifford Lee "Cliff" Burton (February 10th 1962 - September 27th 1986) was an American musician, best known as the second bass guitarist for the American thrash metal band Metallica, recording three studio albums.
He died after the driver of the bands tour bus lost control on a patch of black ice and crashed at the town Dörarp in Sweden whilst promoting Metallica's third album "Master of Puppets"
Cliff fell out through a window during the chaos and when the bus rolled over the last time it crushed him. Dimebag Darrell was a sad sad death. So was Paul Gray's. However, they both died at 38, which both left a great legacy behind and will forever be remebered. However, Cliff Burton? He is only featured on 3 albums! If he was still alive, imagine how great...An Justice or the Black album would have been! He could make bass solos sound awesome and he wrote awesome riffs, harmonies, and songs. The only classically trained musician among Metallica, if he was still alive, he probably would have created entire orchestral arrangements for Metallica songs. Too soon indeed.
One of the most talented musicians of his time and was showing off his talents when Metal reached its peak in 1986.
He didn't even live old enough to be in the 27 Club. Imagine what Metallica could have accomplished if Cliff was still alive. Makes me sad.
Oh, and he died in one of the worst ways imaginable: getting crushed by your OWN bus :(...
One of the best bassists of all time with only 24 year old...
Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones was an English musician, the founder and the original leader of the Rolling Stones.
Janis Joplin (1943-1970) was an American singer who rose to fame as the main singer of acid band Big Brother and the Holding Company. She was known for her eccentric hippie style and psychedelic rock music. Why did she have to die so young?!
Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott was a Scottish-born Australian rock musician, best known for being the lead singer and lyricist of Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980. He was born in Forfar and lived in Kirriemuir, Scotland, for 5 years before moving to Melbourne, Australia, ...read more.
Ian Kevin Curtis (15 July 1956 – 18 May 1980) was an English musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the post-punk band Joy Division.
Curtis, who suffered from epilepsy and depression, killed himself on 18 May 1980 (at the age of 23), on the eve of Joy Division's first North American tour, resulting in the band's dissolution and the subsequent formation of New Order.
Curtis was known for his bass-baritone voice, dance style, and songwriting filled with imagery of desolation, emptiness and alienation. The lead singer of Joy Division. He committed suicide by hanging on May 18th, 1980 before what Joy Division's first North American tour. It's sad that he hung himself before what could have been a rise to stardom
John Henry Bonham was born on May 31, 1948 in Redditch, United Kingdom. Bonham (nicknamed Bonzo) was a professional hard rock drummer who was best known for being the drummer in the band Led Zeppelin. Bonham was also one of the background singers in the band. His drumming is mainly displayed on the ...read more.
Chester Charles Bennington (March 20th, 1976 - July 20th, 2017) was an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor, best known for being the lead singer of Linkin Park. Before he was known for Linkin Park, Bennington was the lead singer of post-grunge act Grey Daze who was heavily inspired by Stone Temple Pilots they released two albums with Chester before his death. Wake Me and No Sun Today, a third album called Amends would be released in 2020 consisting of voice samples from Bennington. After Grey Daze dissolved, Bennington would join Linkin Parkin in 1999 formerly called Hybrid Theory, replacing former vocalist Mark Wakefield, who would go on to become Taproot's producer. Even with Bennington's ...read more. Missing you a lot
It still hurts...
Charles Michael "Chuck" Schuldiner (1967-2001) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, best known as the founder and vocalist, guitarist and bassist of the American heavy metal band Death. He is considered the most influential figure in Death Metal, with some publications referring to Chuck ...read more.
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer and songwriter known for her deep expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues, and jazz. She is also a well-known member of the 27 Club, as she overdosed on alcohol at age 27. I'm seeing a lot of 27s
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley was a Jamaican reggae singer, songwriter, musician, and guitarist who achieved international fame and acclaim.
Layne Thomas Staley was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-songwriter of the rock band Alice in Chains, which he founded with guitarist Jerry Cantrell in Seattle, Washington in 1987. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s. ...read more.
Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay Jr.; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo artist with a string of hits, earning him the nicknames "Prince of Motown" and ...read more.
Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born on January 16th 1979 and died August 25th 2001. She was a dancer, an actress and an R&B singer. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, raised in Detroit, Michigan and died at Marsh Harbour, Bahamas. ...read more. Aaliyah should at least be in the top 5. Not saying that the others don't deserve their ranking, but she died in one of the most tragic ways possible at the age of 22 as well.
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century. His energized interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations, led him to both great success and initial controversy. ...read more.
Richard Shannon Hoon was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He was the lead singer of the band Blind Melon until his death in 1995.
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, and talent scout.
Oliver Taylor Hawkins (February 17, 1972 - March 25, 2022) was an American musician, best known as the former drummer of the rock band Foo Fighters.