Top 10 People Who Became Famous After Their Death

This is a list about people who were unknown or little known to the world in their lifetime, and suddenly became famous after their death, usually because of their literature or other work.

Wow, this is probably one of the lists I've written the most. I've worked on this for a few hours, and I hope you'll enjoy it.

Make sure this is about lesser-known or ordinary people, so yeah, not to be confused with Top 10 Musicians Who Became More Famous After They Died. And now, here we go...

The Top Ten

Vincent van Gogh

Vincent Willem van Gogh (March 30, 1853 to July 29, 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter and is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, including around 860 oil paintings. Most of these were completed... read more

Ah yes, Vincent van Gogh. Such a wonderful painter. Perhaps even some of the AI art I made on Midjourney was in the style of Van Gogh, which I created for fun. So, let's get to the story.
Van Gogh was born into an upper-middle-class family and was usually introverted as a child. He began drawing at a young age and worked as an art dealer, often traveling to places like Japan, which inspired his art.
However, Van Gogh suffered from depression, psychosis, and delusions during his lifetime. You probably heard the story that he cut his ear during an argument. It was also claimed that he sold only one painting: The Red Vineyard.
In 1890, he shot himself in the head and died two days later. But Van Gogh's paintings rose to fame with critical and commercial success, especially in the late 20th century. During his lifetime, he painted over 2,100 works, nearly half of which are oil paintings, all in the public domain.
His most famous paintings today are Wheatfields with Crows, his self-portrait, Café Terrace at Night, Sunflowers, The Potato Eaters, and especially the iconic Starry Night. Van Gogh remains one of the most famous and influential artists of all time.
Anne Frank

Annelies Marie Frank was a German-born Jewish diarist. One of the most discussed victims of the Holocaust, she gained fame posthumously with the publication of The Diary of a Young Girl, in which she documents her life in hiding from 1942 to 1944 during the German occupation of the Netherlands. She was... read more

Since her death, Anne Frank became one of the most notable Jewish victims during the Holocaust, if not the most notable.
Anne was born in 1929 and lived in Germany until she was five years old. Her family then moved to Amsterdam, Netherlands, when Adolf Hitler gained control over Germany. Life was fine until the German occupation of the Netherlands in 1940.
In 1941, Anne and her family lost their German citizenship and officially became stateless. In 1942, they started hiding in concealed rooms (now known as the Anne Frank House) behind a bookcase in the building where Otto Frank, Anne's father, worked.
During their isolation, Anne began writing in a diary she received on her 13th birthday. In 1944, they were caught by German officials and sent to concentration camps. Anne and her sister, Margot, died in early 1945 from typhus at the age of 16.
When WWII ended, Otto was the only survivor of the family. He found that Anne's diary had been kept by Miep Gies, their secretary. On her father's wishes, Anne's diary was released in 1947 as "The Diary of a Young Girl". It received critical acclaim, was translated into 70 languages (including English in 1952), and produced in various forms.
Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe (January 19, 1809 - October 7, 1849) was an American writer, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He's widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism in the United States and American literature... read more

Ah yes, Edgar Allan Poe... a writer and poet, and I have studied some of his works in English class at school. He is credited with inventing the detective fiction genre, as well as being a significant contributor to science fiction. He had to earn a living by writing alone, which resulted in a difficult life and career.
When he published The Raven in 1845, it was featured in the New York Evening Mirror with instant success, but not enough financial success. Soon after Poe's wife died, he died under mysterious circumstances in 1849. There have been claims that his death was linked to diseases, alcoholism, substance abuse, and suicide.
Many of Poe's works have gone on to influence literature around the world, with countless remakes and acclaim. Poe became one of the most important writers and poets, period.
Robert Johnson

Robert Leroy Johnson was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a powerful combination of expressive singing, skilled guitar work, and original songwriting that has deeply influenced later generations of musicians. Johnson died in 1938 at the... read more

Robert Johnson was an American blues musician and songwriter who made a series of recordings in 1936 and 1937. His songwriting talent, guitar licks, and singing inspired many artists.
He was a traveling performer who played on street corners and in juke joints. He had very little commercial success and recognition during his lifetime and participated in only two recording sessions. In one of his songs, he claimed to have sold his soul to the devil to achieve musical success.
Johnson died at the age of 27 of unknown causes, with no autopsy performed, and his death was not widely reported. He remained unknown until 1961 when musicologist Alan Lomax, who owned the masters recorded in Mississippi in 1941, released a series called King of the Delta Blues. This exposed Johnson to a public audience. The sequel in 1970 and the Complete Recordings in 1990 further increased his posthumous fame, showing that Johnson made 41 songs in his lifetime.
Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, and Robert Plant have cited Johnson as one of their influences. Clapton, in particular, wrote "Crossroads" with his former band Cream, based on Johnson's "Cross Road Blues".
Outside his recordings, very little was known about his life, with only three verified pictures and three tombstones (because his grave location is unknown), making him one of the most mysterious people to emerge. His life has been reorganized and documented several times. He remains a mystery, so we'll never know everything about him.
Nick Drake

Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake (June 19, 1948 - November 25, 1974) was an English singer-songwriter and musician known for his acoustic guitar-based songs. He released three studio albums during his lifetime, but they sold poorly and received little attention. His work gained significant recognition posthumously... read more

Nick Drake was an English songwriter known for his acoustic guitar folk songs. Signed to Island Records as a University of Cambridge student in 1969, he recorded three albums: Five Leaves Left (1969), Bryter Layter (1971), and Pink Moon (1972). However, none of them sold more than 5,000 copies during his lifetime.
His reluctance to give interviews and perform live made him lack commercial success. There is no footage of Drake, only photographs and a home movie from his childhood. In 1974, he died from a drug overdose, which remains unclear whether it was an accident or suicide.
He would go on to reach posthumous fame, with artists like Kate Bush, Robert Walker, Peter Buck of R.E.M., and Robert Smith of The Cure citing his influence in their music, achieving both critical and commercial success.
Chris McCandless

Chris McCandless was an American explorer who had a nomadic lifestyle growing up. After graduating from Emory University in 1990, he traveled across North America and hitchhiked to Alaska in 1992. He documented the trip and took photographs, including self-portraits on undeveloped film, during this journey. However, due to his hitchhiking, he needed a few jobs to support himself with food and necessities.
In September 1992, a group of hunters found McCandless' body, who had died two weeks previously. Near the time of his death, he took a self-portrait while holding a written note that said, "I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may God bless all!" Since his death, the abandoned Bus 142, where McCandless found shelter, became a popular location for hikers.
His documents developed into a non-fiction book titled "Into the Wild," which spawned a 2005 movie. You can check it out on Paramount+.
Israel Kamakawiwoʻole

Israel "Iz" Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole, also called Bruddah Iz, was an American musician, entertainer, and Hawaiian sovereignty activist. He was born on May 20, 1959, and passed away on June 26, 1997. He is best known internationally for his medley of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World,... read more

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole was a Hawaiian musician, singer, songwriter, and activist. Although not well-known outside Hawaii during his lifetime, he lived a happy life. Israel is known for his ukulele playing and song medleys, especially "Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World."
In 1997, he died from respiratory failure at the Queen's Medical Center. After his death, he became more famous due to his legacy, with a bronze statue of him at Waianae Neighborhood Community Center on Oʻahu, where hundreds have paid respects to the singer. His signature song has been played in countless movies and TV shows, its YouTube video has over a billion views, and it has spent 185 weeks at the top of the Billboard World Digital Songs Chart, making it the longest-leading number-one hit.
Pay tribute to this man and his beautiful music.
George Floyd

When he was alive, he was only known by residents of Minneapolis, but after his murder...
Ed Wood

Some of you may have heard of this guy. His name is Ed Wood, and he was an American filmmaker, actor, and novelist. People credit him as "the worst movie director of all time".
In the 1950s, he directed science fiction, crime, and horror films, including Glen or Glenda, Jail Bait, Bride of the Monster, Plan 9 from Outer Space, Night of the Ghouls, and The Sinister Urge. The most infamous one among them is Plan 9 from Outer Space.
His work is known for its campy style, technical errors, bad directing, poor stock footage, strange stories, and messy dialogue. In later years, he started working on material that we won't discuss here.
Wood died at the age of 54 in 1978 after a history of alcoholism. His work remained obscure until a film critic's book, The Golden Turkey Awards, posthumously "awarded" Wood the title of "The Worst Director of All Time," which revived public interest in him and his work.
He wrote over 80 novels in his lifetime, and many of his movies are in the public domain due to copyright renewal failure. His legacy includes a Tim Burton movie starring Johnny Depp based on Ed Wood. Though he remains known as the worst director, his movies have an appealing campiness.
Canserbero

The Newcomers

?
Kristen French

Kristen French was a young Catholic girl growing up in the Niagara Region of Southern Ontario. In April 1992, she was abducted in broad daylight by Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka while walking home from school. By that time, the duo had already committed multiple rapes and had killed at least two young... read more
?
Amber Hagerman

The Contenders

Emily Dickinson

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 - May 15, 1886) was an American poet born in Amherst, Massachusetts. She came from a prominent New England family but spent most of her life in quiet reclusion, writing poetry largely in private. Her reclusive lifestyle and personal letters have intrigued... read more
Olivia Penpraze
Amanda Todd
H.P. Lovecraft

Howard Phillips Lovecraft was an American author born on August 20, 1890, and he died on March 15, 1937. He achieved posthumous fame through his influential works of horror fiction. Virtually unknown and published only in pulp magazines before he died in poverty, he is now regarded as one of the most... read more
MohBad