Top 10 Entertainers Who Died During a Performance

Musicians, actors, actresses, magicians, and other types of entertainers who died during a performance, whether live, while filming, onstage, or backstage.

1. Dimebag Darrell

   

   Darrell Lance Abbott, also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist and songwriter. He co-founded the bands Pantera and Damageplan with his brother Vinnie Paul. Abbott was tragically shot and killed during a performance in 2004 by a mentally unstable fan.

   His legacy will live on. He died doing what he loved to do, and that is play guitar.

   Rest in Peace, Brother... You Will Never Be Forgotten.

   Ex-Pantera guitarist was murdered on stage by a gunman while performing with Damageplan, his new band, on December 8, 2004.

   I have to go with Dimebag. There were very few people in history who could shred like he did. R.I.P to an all-time great.

2. Brandon Lee

   

   Brandon Bruce Lee (February 1, 1965 to March 31, 1993) was an American actor and martial artist. He was the son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee and Linda Lee Cadwell, and the grandson of Cantonese opera performer Lee Hoi-chuen. Brandon died at the age of 28 in a tragic accident involving a prop gun... read more

   That's messed up. I hope the crew got arrested for using a loaded weapon instead of blanks for a movie. A lot of movie crews use loaded guns for their film shots, but I think that should be banned because it's just way too dangerous.

   Bruce Lee's son died while filming the movie The Crow in 1993. It was a tragic accident caused by a prop gun.

3. Harry Houdini

   

   Harry Houdini was an American illusionist and stunt performer, famous for his escape acts. He gained worldwide fame in the early 20th century through performances involving handcuffs, straitjackets, and locked containers. Houdini was also a vocal skeptic of spiritualists and conducted debunking campaigns... read more

   He is the god of magic. I would do anything to meet this guy.

4. Molière

   

   Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière (January 15, 1622 - February 17, 1673), was a French playwright and actor considered one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature. He was the official playwright of court entertainments under the reign of Louis XIV. Molière's most... read more

   Molière was a French actor and playwright, who suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis. He died in 1673 after being seized by a violent coughing fit while playing the title role in his play The Hypochondriac (Le Malade imaginaire).

5. Conrad Wells

   Not only cinematographer Conrad Wells but also director Kenneth Hawks, six other crew members, and two pilots were killed in a two-plane collision while filming aerial scenes for the film Such Men Are Dangerous. This tragedy happened in 1930.

6. Nick Menza

   

   Nick Menza (1964-2016) was a professional drummer who gained fame through his work with Megadeth. He played with the band from 1989 to 1998 and briefly returned in 2004. Menza recorded drums on four of Megadeth's major albums: Rust In Peace, Countdown to Extinction, Youthanasia, and Cryptic Writings... read more

   On May 21, 2016, former Megadeth drummer collapsed and died of heart failure during a performance with his band OHM at The Baked Potato in Los Angeles.

7. Sib Hashian

   Original Boston drummer Sib Hashian died after collapsing during a performance on the Legends of Rock cruise on March 18, 2017.

8. Gareth Jones

   This UK actor died of a heart attack while portraying a character who was dying of a heart attack in a live science fiction play Underground (1958). What a strange coincidence.

9. Jack Spector

   He was a longtime radio deejay who died in 1994 during a broadcast on Long Island radio station WHLI.

10. Spade Cooley

    

    He was a country music star in the 1940s who died from a heart attack in 1969 while backstage during the intermission of a benefit concert in California.

    The best part: Cooley was serving a life term in prison for beating his wife to death in front of their daughter, and played the show on a weekend furlough. He was scheduled to be paroled three months later.

The Newcomers
11. ?

    Steve Irwin

    

    Stephen Robert "Steve" Irwin was an Australian wildlife expert, television personality, and conservationist. He was born in 1962 and gained international fame through his television series The Crocodile Hunter, which he co-hosted with his wife, Terri Irwin. Steve Irwin died in September 2006 after being... read more

12. ?

    Owen Hart

    

    Owen James Hart was a Canadian-American professional and amateur wrestler who worked for several promotions, including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, and most notably the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). In the WWF, he wrestled under his real name and the... read more

The Contenders

13. Kenneth Hawks

    Director of the film Such Men Are Dangerous, who died in the tragic accident already described in the item for Conrad Wells.

14. Mike Scaccia

    American guitarist Mike Scaccia (Rigor Mortis, Ministry) collapsed on stage during a special Rigor Mortis performance in Texas in 2012. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead from a heart attack.

15. Al Mulock

16. Tommy Cooper

    

    Had a heart attack while on stage.

17. Tiny Tim

    

    Herbert Buckingham Khaury, known professionally as Tiny Tim, was an American singer, ukulele player, and musical archivist. He rose to fame in the late 1960s with his rendition of Tiptoe Through the Tulips. Tiny Tim was known for his falsetto voice and eccentric stage persona.

18. Vic Morrow

    

    Died on the set of "The Twilight Zone: The Movie" when a helicopter crashed. Two little kids were also killed in that accident.