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Died and Gone To Rock and Roll Heaven

Their Hits, Their Stories, Where Are They Now?

Here Are Some Of The Members Of
Rock and Roll Heaven
Along With When and How They Got There

This list contains major artists who had hit records
during the classic rock era of 1955 to 1980.
For those who were popular in the 80s, 90s or 2000s,
please find the appropriate website.
If there someone we missed, kindly let us know at ClassicBands@hotmail.com

The 27 Club is a phrase that alludes to Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin,
Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain, who all died 27 years old.
In fact thirty-four musicians died at the age of 27.
Learn more about this fascinating group at:
The 27 Club

Johnny Ace - accidently killed himself while on tour, backstage at the City Auditorium in Houston, Texas, on Christmas Eve 1954, while playing Russian Roulette. He was 25 years old. A month later, he had a Top 20 hit with "Pledging My Love"

Johnny Adams - who scored a US Top 30 hit with "Reconsider Me" in 1969, died of cancer on September 14^th, 1998. He was 66

Bill Albaugh - drummer for The Lemon Pipers on their 1967 US #1 single "Green Tambourine", died on January 20^th, 1999, at the age of 53

Rod Allen - lead singer of The Fortunes, who reached the US Top 10 in 1965 with "You've Got Your Troubles", died on January 11^th, 2008, at the age of 63 after a short battle with liver cancer

Duane Allman - of the Allman Brothers Band was killed in a motorcycle accident on October 29^th, 1971, one month before his 25^th birthday

Greg Arama - bassist for The Amboy Dukes on their 1968 hit, "Journey To The Center Of The Mind", was killed in a motorcycle accident on September 18^th, 1979. He was 29 years old

Louis Armstrong - led the Billboard Hot 100 with "Hello Dolly" in 1964. Died of heart failure on July 6^th, 1971, aged 69

Eddy Arnold - a Country artist who placed four songs on the Billboard Pop chart, including the 1965 #4 hit "Make The World Go Away", died of natural causes on May 8^th, 2008, one week before his 90th birthday

Chet Atkins - legendary session guitarist, died of cancer on June 30^th 2001 at the age of 77

Craig Atkinson - drummer for Count Five on their 1966, Top Ten hit "Psychotic Reaction", died on October 13^th, 1998, at the age of 50

Paul Atkinson - guitarist for The Zombies, died April 2 ^nd, 2004, after losing his battle with liver and kidney disease. He was 58. The band's biggest hits included "She's Not There", "Tell Her No" and "Time Of The Season"

Oz Bach - bassist for Spanky and Our Gang, died of cancer on September 21^st, 1998, at the age of 59. The band is most often remembered for their 1967 hit, "Sunday Will Never Be The Same"

Ross Bagdasarian - better known as David Seville, who had a hit with "Witch Doctor" and was the leader of The Chipmunks, died of a heart attack on January 16^th, 1972, just days short of his 53rd birthday

LaVern Baker - R&B singer who placed 7 songs in the US Top 40 in the mid-1950s and early 1960s, including "Tweedlee Dee" and "I Cried A Tear", died of heart failure on March 10^th, 1997, at the age of 67

"Long John" Baldry - British R&B artist died July 21^st, 2005, after battling a chest infection for four months. He was 64. Baldry was one of the founding fathers of British rock'n'roll in the '60s. Eric Clapton has stated many times that he was inspired to pick up the guitar after seeing Baldry perform

Florence Ballard - one of the original Supremes, died of a heart attack on February 22^nd, 1976 at the age of 32. After being dimissed from the group, Ballard separated from her husband and went on welfare after losing an $8.7 million suit for back royalties against Motown Records

Hank Ballard - placed seven songs in the Top 40 in 1960 and 1961 including "Finger Poppin' Time" and "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go", died of cancer on March 2^nd, 2003 at the age of 75

Carlton Barrett - drummer for Bob Marley and the Wailers, was shot and killed outside his home in Kingston, Jamaica on April 17^th, 1987. Barrett's widow, her lover and an accomplice were charged with murder two weeks later

Syd Barrett - a founding member and driving force behind Pink Floyd, passed away on July 7^th, 2006, at the age of 60. He had dropped out of the group in April of 1968 and by 1974 had turned his back on the music industry completely, choosing to retreat to the cellar of his childhood home in Cambridge where he shunned all contact with the outside world

Stiv Bators - the lead singer and driving force of the punk rock band The Dead Boys, died in his sleep as the result of a concussion on June 2^nd, 1990. He was 40 years old

Clyde "Skip" Batton - of Skip and Flip, died of Alzheimer's disease on July 6^th, 2003, at the age of 69. The duo scored a pair of Billboard number eleven hits with "It Was I" and "Cherry Pie"

Earl Beal - of the Philadelphia vocal group, The Silhouettes, died on March 22^nd, 2001, at the age of 76. The group topped the Billboard chart in 1958 with "Get A Job"

Cor van Beek - drummer for Shocking Blue on their 1969, number one hit, "Venus", died on April 2^nd, 1998. He was 49

John Belushi - died of a drug overdose on March 5^th, 1982, at the age of 33. He and his partner Dan Aykroyd placed four songs on The Billboard Top 40, including "Soul Man" in 1979, as The Blues Brothers

Jesse Belvin - who scored a 1956 hit with "Goodnight, My Love", was killed in an auto accident in Hope, Arkansas. His wife and the car's driver also died of their injuries. The three were trying to make a fast get-a-way from the first ever mixed race audience pop concert, in the town of Little Rock, after threats had been made against Belvin's life. The accident remains a contentious point, with many suspecting foul play.

Renaldo "Obie" Benson - bass vocalist for the legendary Motown singing group the Four Tops died of lung cancer on July 1^st, 2005 at the age of 69

Brook Benton - best remembered for his 1970 hit, "A Rainy Night In Georgia", died of complications from spinal meningitis on April 9^th, 1988 at the age of 56

Jan Berry - one-half of the duo of Jan & Dean, died March 26^th, 2004, after after suffering a seizure at his home. Together, the pair sold more than 10 million records and placed 14 hits in the U.S. Top Forty. Jan was a week away from his 63^rd birthday

Bill Black - backed Elvis Presley on his early hits before forming Bill Black's Combo and placing 8 hits in the US Top 40, including "White Silver Sands" in 1960, died of a brain tumor on November 21^st, 1965. He was 39

Alan Blakely - rhythm guitar player for The Tremeloes who scored a pair of 1967 hits, "Here Comes My Baby" and "Silence Is Golden", died of cancer on June 1^st, 1996 at the age of 54

Bobby Bloom - recorded the number 8 hit, "Montego Bay" died of an accidental gun shot wound on February 28^th, 1974 at age 28

Mike Bloomfield - lead guitarist for The Electric Flag died of a drug overdose on February 15^th, 1981 at the age of 38

Marc Bolan - of T. Rex was killed when the car he was riding in hit a tree on September 16^th, 1977, just weeks before his 30^th birthday

Tommy Bolin - the guitarist who took over when Ritchie Blackmore left Deep Purple in 1975, died from a drug overdose on December 4^th, 1976 at the age of 25

John Bonham - 32 year old drummer for Led Zeppelin, passed out and choked to death on his own vomit on September 25^th 1980, following an all-day drinking binge. In December of 1980, Led Zeppelin announced they were disbanding, saying they could not continue without Bonham

Sonny Bono - of the sixties duo Sonny and Cher died in a skiing accident on January 6^th, 1998 at the age of 62

Mike Botts - drummer for the soft rock band Bread, passed away in Burbank, California on December 9^th, 2005, one day after his 61st birthday, having suffered from colon cancer

Tommy Boyce - singer / songwriter who teamed up with Bobby Hart on the #8 hit "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight" in 1968, died of a self-inflicted gun shot wound on November 23^rd, 1994. He was 55

"Little Eva" Boyd - whose version of "The Loco-Motion" went all the way to #1 in the U.S. in 1962, passed away April 10^th, 2003, at the age of 59, from cervical cancer

Laura Branigan - best known for the Platinum-selling hit "Gloria", 47 year old Laura died suddenly on August 26^th, 2004, of a brain aneurysm

Erik Braunn - the lead guitarist on Iron Butterfly's 1968 classic rock anthem "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" died of cardiac arrest Friday, July 25^th, 2003. He was 52

Walter Brennan - a well known actor who reached number five on the Hot 100 in 1962 with "Old Rivers", died on September 21^st, 1974, at the age of 80

Teresa Brewer - who placed 14 songs on the Billboard Top 40, including the Top 10 hits "A Tear Fell" and "Sweet, Old Fashioned Girl", both in 1956, died of neuromuscular disease on October 17^th, 2007. She was 76

Audrey Brickley - of The Orlons, who placed 5 songs in the Billboard Top 20 in the early 1960s, died of acute respiratory distress syndrome on July 3rd, 2005, at the age 58.

Shirley Brickley - of The Orlons was shot to death on October 13^th, 1977, by an intruder in her home in Philadelphia. She was 35

Johnny Bristol - a writer and producer for Motown records during the 1960s who had a 1973 hit of his own with "Hang On In There Baby", died of natural causes on March 21^st, 2004, at the age of 65

Donnie Brooks - who sang the 1960, Billboard Top 40 hits "Mission Bell" and "Doll House", died of congestive heart failure on February 23^rd, 2007. He was 71

Danny Joe Brown - the original lead singer of Molly Hatchet, died March 10^th, 2005 from renal failure due to complications from diabetes. He was 53. Brown was the frontman for the band's self-titled album in 1978, which went platinum. In 1979, the next album, "Flirtin' With Disaster" sold over 2 million copies

James Brown - known by all as the Godfather of Soul, died of pneumonia on December 25^th, 2006, at the age of 73. He recorded more than 50 albums and had well over 100 songs that hit the US charts, including "I Got You", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", "Cold Sweat" and "Sex Machine"

Ola Brunkert - drummer for ABBA on all of their albums died on March 17^th, 2008 after he hit his head against a glass door in his dining room, shattering the glass and cutting himself in the neck. He managed to wrap himself with a towel around but collapsed before reaching help. He was 62

Tim Buckley - a popular performer and song writer during the 1960s and early 70s, died from a drug overdose on June 25^th, 1975 at the age of 28

Ronnie Bullis - drummer for The Troggs on their 1966 hit, "Wild Thing", died on November 13^th, 1992, of an undisclosed illness at the age of 49

Cornelius Bumpus - who played saxophone for Steely Dan and sang and played sax for The Doobie Brothers, died of a heart attack on February 3^rd, 2004, at the age of 58

Dorsey Burnette - reached number 23 in 1960 with "There Was A Tall Oak Tree", suffered a fatal heart attack on August 19^th, 1979. He was 46

Johnny Burnette - best remembered for the hits, "You're Sixteen" and "Dreamin'", drowned after a boating accident on August 14^th, 1964 at age 30. His son, Rocky Burnette would have a Top Ten hit in 1980 with "Tired Of Toein' The Line"

Heinz Burt - the bassist for The Tornadoes died on April 7^th, 2000, at the age of 57, after a long battle with motor neuron disease. The group's biggest hit was the 1962 instrumental, "Telstar".

Paul Butterfield - who fronted The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, died of drug-related heart failure, May 4^th 1987. He was 45

Floyd Butler - of The Friends of Distinction, died of a heart attack on April 29^th, 1990 at the age of 49. The band is most often remembered for two Top Ten hits, "Grazing In The Grass" in 1969 and "Love Or Let Me Be Lonely" in 1970

Glen Buxton - the original lead guitarist for Alice Cooper, died of natural causes on October 19^th, 1997, at the age of 49

David Byron - former lead singer of the 70's British heavy rock band Uriah Heep, was found dead in his home on February 28^th,1985. He was 38

Alan Caddy - guitarist for The Tornados on their 1962 hit "Telstar", passed away on August 16^th, 2000, at the age of 60

Steve Caldwell - sang "Double Shot Of My Baby's Love" with The Swingin' Medallions, died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 55

Tommy Caldwell - bassist for The Marshall Tucker band was killed in a car accident on April 28^th, 1980. He was just 30 years old

Toy Caldwell - guitarist for The Marshall Tucker band on their 1977 million seller, "Heard It In A Love Song", died in his sleep on February 25^th, 1993 at the age of 45

Randy California - guitarist / singer / songwriter who is best known as the leader of the rock band, Spirit, died tragically on January 2^nd, 1997, when he was gripped by an undertow while swimming on the coast of the Hawaiian island of Molokai. His body was lost at sea. Before he died, he was able to save his 12 year-old son, Quinn. His real name was Randy Wolfe, but was given his nickname by Jimi Hendrix. At the time of his death, he was six weeks shy of his 46th birthday

Stephen Canaday - of The Ozark Mountain Daredevils was killed when the vintage WW II plane he was riding in, rolled, inverted and crashed into a tree. The pilot failed to maintain speed which resulted in a stall. The band is most often remembered for the 1975 US #3 single "Jackie Blue".

Jim Capaldi - drummer for Traffic, who released eleven classic rock albums in the late sixties and early seventies, died on January 28^th, 2005, after a brief battle with stomach cancer. He was 60

Henson Cargill - who reached the top of the Country charts and #25 on the US Pop chart in 1968 with "Skip A Rope", died following complications from surgery on March 24^th, 2007 at the age of 66

Eric Carr - who replaced Peter Criss as the drummer for KISS, died November 24^th, 1991 in a New York hospital following a cerebral haemorrhage which complicated the cancer he was suffering from. He was 41

Karen Carpenter - died of heart irregularities caused by anorexia nervosa just days before her 33^rd birthday on February 4^th, 1983

Johnny Cash - died on September 12^th, 2003, due to complications from diabetes, which resulted in respiratory failure. He was 71 years old. Johnny began his career as a rock-a-billy artist at Sun Records, along with Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis. After turning his attention to Country music, he went on to win 11 Grammy Awards and was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1980 and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992

June Carter Cash - who accompanied her husband Johnny many of his records, including their 1970, Top 40 Pop hit "If I Were A Carpenter", died of complications following heart valve replacement surgery on May 15^th, 2003 at the age of 73

Danny Cedrone - the guitarist who played lead on Bill Haley's "Rock Around The Clock", died following a freak stairway fall on June 18^th, 1954, less than a month after the recording session

Chas Chandler - bassist of The Animals and Jimi Hendrix manager, died of an aortic aneurysm on July 17^th, 1996 at the age of 57

Harry Chapin - singer / songwriter who recorded "Taxi" was just 38 years old when he was killed in a car accident on July 16^th, 1981

Ray Charles - singer / pianist who won twelve Grammy awards and is remembered for hits like "Hit the Road Jack", "What'd I Say" and "Georgia on My Mind", succumbed to complications from liver disease on June 10^th, 2004, at the age of 73

Bill Chase - leader of the jazz / rock band Chase was killed in a plane crash in Jackson, Minnesota on August 9^th, 1974 at the age of 39. Three members of the band where also killed. Chase reached #34 on the Billboard chart with "Get It On" in 1971

Arlester "Dyke" Christian - 28 year old leader of Dyke and the Blazers was shot to death in a bar-room altercation on March 30th, 1971. The shooter was arrainged on murder charges but the case was delayed several times and eventually dismissed because of evidence indicating self-defence. The band reached number 35 in 1969 with "We Got More Soul"

John Cipollina - guitarist for Quicksilver Messenger Service, died May 29^th, 1989 after a lifelong battle with emphysema caught up with him at the age of 45

Gene Clark - lead vocalist of The Byrds, died of a heart attack May 24^th 1991 at the age of 49

Dee Clark - best known for his hit "Raindrops" suffered a heart attack and died on December 7^th, 1990 at age 52

Mike Clark - Owner / Manager of Atlanta's Southern Tracks Recording Studio, died February 1^st, 2007 after an 8 month illness. He was 63. For many years he played drums with such popular 1960's artists as Tommy Roe, Billy Joe Royal, Joe South, Ray Stevens and Roy Orbison and was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1999

Steve Clark - guitarist for Def Leppard, died from an accidental mixing of prescription drugs and alcohol on January 8^th, 1991, at the age of 31

Michael Clarke - drummer for The Byrds and later Firefall, died of liver failure on December 19^th, 1993. He was 47 years old

Patsy Cline - 30 year old country singer who sang "I Fall To Pieces" and "Crazy" was killed when her private plane crashed on March 5^th, 1963

Ed Cobb - of The Four Preps, died of leukemia on September 19^th, 1999, at the age of 61. The group placed seven songs on the Billboard Top 40 between 1958 and 1961, including "26 Miles (Santa Catalina)" and "Big Man"

Odia Coates - sang "You're Having My Baby" with Paul Anka, died of breast cancer on May 19^th, 1991. She was 49

Eddie Cochran - best known for his 1950's hit, "Summertime Blues", was killed in a car accident on April 17^th 1960 at the age of 21

Brian Cole - bass guitarist and vocalist with The Association, died in Los Angeles of a heroin overdose on August 2^nd, 1972. He was 28

Nat King Cole - velvet voiced singer who is most often remembered for his hits, "Ramblin' Rose" and "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer", died of lung cancer on February 15^th, 1965 at age 47. In all, he placed 28 songs on Billboard's Top 40

G.C. Coleman - drummer for the Washington D.C. based group, The Winstons, who reached #7 on the Billboard Pop chart with "Color Him Father" in 1969, died in September, 2006 at the age of 62. He is also remembered for recording what is known as the "Amen break", a drum solo from the song "Amen, Brother", which has been sampled and used in thousands of hip-hop, pop, drum and bass and jungle tracks

Alan Collins - guitarist for Lynyrd Skynyrd, died of pneumonia on January 23^rd, 1990. He was 37

Arthur Conley - who recorded the 1967 hit, "Sweet Soul Music" died on November 17^th, 2003 at his home in the town of Ruurlo, in the eastern Netherlands. The 57 year old singer had been suffering from intestinal cancer

Brian Connolly - vocalist for Sweet, who reached #3 in 1973 with "Little Willy", died of kidney failure on February 10^th, 1997 at the age of 52

Sam Cooke - shot and killed by the manager of the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles on December 11^th, 1964. The manager claimed she acted in self-defence after Cooke raped a 22-year-old woman and then turned to attack her. The shooting was ruled a justifiable homicide. Sam Cooke was one month shy of his 34^th birthday

Perry Como - who placed 31 songs in the Billboard Top 40 between 1954 and 1973, including "Catch A Falling Star" and "Hot Diggity", passed away at the age of 88, on May 12^th, 2001

Carter Cornelius - of The Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose, died of a heart attack on November 7^th, 1991. Their biggest hits were "Too Late To Turn Back Now" and "Treat Her Like a Lady"

Barbara Cowsill - vocalist for the family band The Cowsills, who scored a Billboard number two hit with "The Rain, The Park And Other Things" in 1967, died of emphysema on January 31^st, 1985, at the age of 54

Barry Cowsill - bass guitarist for The Cowsills, died on or about September 1^st, 2005 from injuries believed to be caused by Hurricane Katrina. His body was recovered December 28^th, 2005, from the Chartres Street Wharf, New Orleans. He was 51

Bill Cowsill - lead singer for The Cowsills died February 17^th, 2006 at the age of 58. He had been suffering from emphysema, osteoporosis and other ailments. News of his death came just after a memorial ceremony honoring his younger brother, Barry

Floyd Cramer - pianist who scored a Top Ten hit with "Last Date" passed away at the age of 64 on December 31^st 1997

Vincent Crane - former keyboardist for The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, died on February 14th, 1989 of an overdose of painkillers.

Papa John Creach - a fiddler who first came to the notice of rock fans when he joined Jefferson Airplane from 1970 to 1972. This veteran of jazz and blues groups was in his early 50s while his fellow bandmembers were still approaching 30. He died of heart failure on February 22^nd, 1994 at the age of 76

Jim Croce - singer / songwriter who recorded "Operator" and "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" was killed when his chartered plane snagged a pecan tree during takeoff on September 20^th, 1973. He was 30 years old

Chris Curtis - drummer and vocalist for the 1960s pop group The Searchers, passed away on February 28^th, 2005 at the age of 63. His band placed seven songs in Billboard's Top 40 including "Love Potion Number Nine" and "Needles And Pins".

King Curtis - legendary session saxophonist who appeared on many hits in the 50's and 60's, including the Coasters' "Yakety Yak", died in a senseless occurrence in front of his home in New York on August 13^th, 1971. He had been arguing with a group of men when one pulled out a six-inch dagger and stabbed Curtis in the heart. He was 37

Johnny Cymbal - had a number 16 hit with "Mr. Bass Man" in 1963, died of an apparent heart attack at the age of 48 on March 16^th, 1993. He also had a 1969 hit with "Cinnamon", when he was known as "Derek"

Rick Danko - bass player of The Band died in his sleep on December 10^th, 1999 at the age of 56

Bobby Darin - actor and singer whose hits included, "Splish Splash" and "Mack The Knife", died Dec. 20^th, 1973 after unsuccessful heart surgery at the age of 37

Clifford Davies - drummer for Ted Nugent who played on his trademark recording "Cat Scratch Fever" was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in his suburban Atlanta home on April 13^th, 2008. He was 59

Marlena Davis - of The Orlons, lost her battle with lung cancer on February 27th, 1993, at the age of 48

Paul Davis - who placed 8 songs on the Billboard Top 40 Pop chart, including "I Go Crazy" (#7 in 1977), and "65 Love Affair" (#6 in 1982), suffered a fatal heart attack on April 22^nd, 2008 at the age of 60. After his Pop career was over, Davis topped the Country chart with "You're Still New to Me", a duet with Marie Osmond in 1986 and "I Won't Take Less Than Your Love" with Paul Overstreet and Tanya Tucker in 1987

Sammy Davis Jr. - placed 8 songs on the Billboard Top 40 including the #1 hit "Candy Man" in 1972, died of throat cancer on May 16^th, 1990. He was 64 years old

Skeeter Davis - who scored two top ten hits in 1963 with "The End Of The World" and "I Can't Stay Mad At You", passed away on September 19th, 2004, after a 16 year battle with cancer. She was 73

Tyrone Davis - best known for his hits "Turn Back The Hands of Time" and "Can I Change My Mind", died February 9^th, 2005 in from complications following a stroke. He was 66

Bobby Day - known for his 1958 hit "Rockin' Robin," died of cancer on July 27^th 1990. He was 60

Bill Deal - of Bill Deal & the Rhondels died of a massive heart attack at age 59, on December 10th, 2003. Deal and his eight-member group had five chart hits in 1969 and 1970, including "May I", "I've Been Hurt" and "What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am?"

Tommy Dee - who reached #11 on the Billboard chart in 1959 with "Three Stars", a song dedicated to Richie Valens, Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper, died January 26^th, 2007, at the age of 70, after a long illness

Brad Delp - the lead singer for the band Boston, was found dead in his home in southern New Hampshire on March 9^th, 2007. He was 55

Sandy Denny - English contemporary folk rocker, died of a brain haemorrhage on April 21^st, 1978 at the age of 31

Desmond Dekker - Jamaican reggae pioneer, famed for his worldwide hit "The Israelites", died of a heart attack at his home in England, on May 26^th, 2006. He was 64

John Denver - starred in "Oh God" with George Burns and recorded a long string of hits that included "Rocky Mountain High", "Sunshine On My Shoulders" and "Country Roads", was killed when the handmade, experimental airplane he was flying, crashed off the coast of Monterey Bay, CA. on October 12^th, 1997. He was 53

Bo Diddley - born Ellas Bates, he was a founding father of Rock 'n' Roll whose distinctive syncopated rhythm and innovative guitar effects inspired thousands of other musicians. He died of heart failure on June 2^nd, 2008, at the age of 79

Cheryl Dilcher - a Greenwich Village Folk singer who enjoyed a cult following in the 1970s but failed to find commercial recording success, died on February 26^th, 2005 at the age of 58

Mark Dinning - whose only hit, "Teen Angel" was banned by many radio stations who called it "a death disc", died of a heart attack on March 22^nd, 1986 at the age of 52

Denny Doherty - the angelic voice that carried the '60s folk-pop group the Mamas and the Papas through such memorable hits as "California Dreamin' " and "Monday, Monday", died January 19^th, 2007, after suffering an aneurysm in his abdomen. He was 66

Lonnie Donegan - called "the king of skiffle", best known for the top ten hits, "Rock Island Line" and "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor On The Bedpost Over Night", died November 3^rd 2002, at the age of 71, midway through a UK tour

Lee Dorsey - scored a pair of Billboard Top Ten hits with "Ya Ya" (#7 in 1961) and "Working In The Coal Mine" (#8 in 1966), died of emphysema on December 1^st, 1986, three weeks shy of his 62^nd birthday

Peter Doyle - of The New Seekers, died of cancer on October 13^th, 2001, at the age of 52. The group scored two Top 20 hits, "Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma" in 1970 and "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" in 1971

Nick Drake - English singer / songwriter and musician best known for his acoustic songs. Although he failed to find a wide audience during his lifetime, Drake's work has grown steadily in stature, to the extent that he is now widely considered one of the most influential English singer-songwriters of the last 50 years. The 26 year old musician died on November 25^th, 1974, from an overdose of amitriptyline, a type of anti-depressant

Spencer Dryden - drummer for The Jefferson Airplane from 1966 to 1970, passed away on January 10^th, 2005, after a brief battle with colon cancer. He was 66

Ian Dury - English rocker who initially rose to fame during the late 1970s as founder and lead singer of the British band Ian Dury and the Blockheads, died of colorectal cancer on March 27^th, 2000, just weeks short of his 58^th birthday

Bernie Dwyer - drummer for Freddie and The Dreamers, died on December 4^th 2002 at the age of 62

Ronnie Dyson - who had a Top Ten hit in 1970 with "Why Can't I Touch You", died of heart failure and lung disease on November 10^th, 1990. He was just 40 years old

Linda Eastman - wife of Paul McCartney and member of Wings, died of breast cancer on April 17^th, 1998 at the age of 56

Jerry Edmonton - drummer for Steppenwolf during their hit making years, was killed in a car crash, not far from his Santa Barbara, California home on November 28^th, 1993. He was 47

Raymond Edwards - of the Philadelphia vocal group, The Silhouettes, died on March 4^th, 1997, at the age of 74. The group topped the Billboard chart in 1958 with "Get A Job"

Tommy Edwards - best remembered for his number one 1958 hit "It's All In The Game" passed away on October 23^rd, 1969, at the age of 47 after suffering a brain aneurysm

Duke Ellington - jazz band leader, died of cancer on May 24^th, 1974 at the age of 75

Mama Cass Elliot - of The Mamas and Papas, succumbed to a heart attack on July 29^th, 1974

John Entwistle - bassist for The Who, died of a heart attack on June 27^th, 2002 at the age of 57

Brian Epstein - the manager of The Beatles who took the band from a quartet of rough-necks to being "the most successful rock band in history" in just over two years, died of a drug overdose on August 27^th, 1967, three weeks short of his 33rd birthday

Janet Ertel - of The Chordettes, died of cancer on November 22^nd, 1988, at the age of 75. The group made the Billboard chart nine times between 1954 and 1961 with songs such as "Mr. Sandman" and "Lollipop"

Tom Evens - of Badfinger, died November 19^th, 1983 at the age of 36. Like his bandmate, Pete Ham, Evens also hanged himself

Betty Everett - best remembered for her 1964 hit, "The Shoop Shoop Song", was found dead at her home in Beloit, Wisconsin on August 19^th, 2001. She was 61

Adam Faith - was one of England's major pop stars in the early 1960s and enjoyed a run of eleven British Top 20 hits prior to the arrival of the Beatles. He suffered a fatal heart attack on March 8th, 2003 at the age of 62

Percy Faith - led his orchestra to the top of the US chart with "Theme From A Summer Place" in 1960, died of cancer on February 9^th, 1976. He was 62

Leroy Fann - of Ruby and The Romantics died in November, 1973, at the age of 37

Pete Farndon - bassist for The Pretenders on their US Top 20 hits "Brass In Pocket" (1980) and "Back On The Chain Gang" (1983), died of a drug overdose on April 14^th, 1983. He was 30 years old

Edward Farran - of The Arbors, died of kidney failure on January 2^nd, 2003, at the age of 64. The group reached number 20 on the Billboard chart in 1969 with their version of "The Letter"

Danny Federici - the longtime keyboard player for Bruce Springsteen, whose stylish work helped define the E Street Band's sound on hits from "Hungry Heart" through "The Rising", died of cancer on April 17^th, 2008. He was 58

Freddy Fender - The Tex-Mex hitmaker, known for such '70s jukebox standards as "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" and "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" died October 14^th, 2006, of complications from lung cancer, at the age of 69

Manuel Fernandez - founding member and organist for Los Bravos on their 1966 hit "Black Is Black", committed suicide on May 20^th, 1967. He was just 23 years old

Miss Toni Fisher - sang the number 3 hit "The Big Hurt" in 1959, died of a heart attck on February 12^th, 1999 at age 67

Dan Fogelberg - the singer and songwriter whose hits "Longer" and "Leader of the Band" helped define the soft-rock era, died on December 16^th, 2007, after a three year battle with prostate cancer. He was 56

Tom Fogerty - guitarist for Creedence Clearwater Revival, died on Sept 6^th, 1990 of respiratory failure at the age of 48

Melvin Franklin - singer for the Temptations died of a brain seizure on February 23^rd, 1995, at the age of 52

Alan 'Fluff' Freeman - One of the UK's most popular radio broadcasters, died after a short illness on November 27^th 2006, at the age of 79

Mickey Finn - drummer for T Rex, died of kidney and liver problems on January 11^th, 2002, at the age of 55. The band reached #10 in the US with "Bang A Gong" in 1972 and had over 20 other UK top 40 singles

Charles Fizer - of the R&B vocal group, The Olympics, who achieved a Top 10 hit in 1958 with "Western Movies", was killed during a race riot on August 14^th, 1965. He was just 25 years old

Danny Flores - who played saxophone on The Champs' 1958, number one hit, "Tequila" passed away on September 19^th, 2006 at the age of 77

Dan Fogelberg - singer / songwriter whose hits "Longer", "Leader of the Band" and "Same Old Lang Syne" helped define the Soft Rock era of the '70s and '80s, died on December 16^th, 2007 after a three year battle with prostate cancer. He was 56

Alan Freed - disc jockey who is often credited with popularizing the phrase "rock and roll" in the mid 1950s, died of cirrhosis of the liver on Jan. 20^th, 1965 at the age of 43

Billy Fury - British rock-a-billy artist who scored a major hit in Great Britain in 1961 with "Halfway To Paradise". He was a major star in his homeland, but couldn't catch the break he needed to become a part of the "British Invasion". Billy died from heart and kidney problems on January 27th, 1983 at the age of 42

Bobby Fuller - 24 year old leader of The Bobby Fuller Four who scored a huge hit with "I Fought The Law", was found on the front seat of his mother's Oldsmobile, parked outside of a Los Angeles apartment building on July 18^th, 1966. His death was ruled accidental even though gasoline was found on his body and in his lungs

Cassie Gaines - background singer for Lynyrd Skynyrd was killed on October 20^th, 1977 when a plane carrying the band crashed into the Mississippi swamp lands, the result of a tragic pilot error. She was 29

Steve Gaines - guitarist who joined Lynyrd Skynyrd when Ed King left the band, was killed on October 20^th, 1977 in the plane crash that also took the life of his sister Cassie and Ronnie Van Zandt. Steve Gaines was 28

Rory Gallagher - an Irish blues / rock guitarist best known for his tenure in Taste and his solo work, died of liver failure on June 14^th, 1995 at the age of 47

Mike Gannon - Electric Prunes guitarist on their 1967 hit, "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night", died of a gunshot wound while on R&R in Hawaii after a tour of duty in Vietnam in the early 70s.

Mary Ann Ganser - of The Shangri-Las, died of encephalitis in 1971, at the age of 23. Her twin sister and bandmate, Marge, developed breast cancer and passed away in 1996, at the age of 48. The girls sang back-up vocals on the rock rebel classic, "Leader Of The Pack"

Frankie Garcia - lead singer for Cannibal and the Headhunters on their 1965, Top 30 hit "Land Of 1000 Dances" died on January 21^st, 1996, at the age of 49

Jerry Garcia - leader of The Grateful Dead, died of a heart attack on August 9^th, 1995, at the age of 53

Freddie Garrity - the lead singer of the 1960s pop band Freddie and the Dreamers died on May 19^th, 2006, at the age of 65, after receiving treatment for what were described as "circulation problems"

Bruce Gary - drummer for The Knack on their mulit-million selling hit"My Sharona" passed away on August 22^nd, 2006. He was 54

Marvin Gaye - shot and killed by his father during a family dispute, April 1^st, 1984, one day short of age 45

Lowell George - slide guitarist who left The Mothers of Invention to form Little Feat, died of a massive heart attack, June 29, 1979, at the age of 34

Samuel George Jr. - lead singer of the Capitols, who had a 1966 hit with "Cool Jerk", died in Detroit after being stabbed with a knife during a family argument on March 17^th, 1982. He was 39 years old

Andy Gibb - solo artist and brother of The Bee Gees died at the age of 30, on March 10^th, 1988 of an inflammation of the heart muscle caused by a viral infection

Maurice Gibb - of The Bee Gees, brother of Barry Gibb and twin of Robin Gibb, died on January 12^th, 2003 of a heart attack, following an operation for the removal of an intestinal blockage. He was 53

Michael Gibbins - drummer for Badfinger on their hits "Come And Get It","Day After Day" and "No Matter What", died in his sleep on October 4^th, 2005, at the age of 56

Don Gibson - died of natural causes on November 17^th, 2003 at the age of 75. Mainly known as a Country artist, he also placed four songs on the US Pop charts, including the #7 single "Oh Lonesome Me" in 1958 and "Sea Of Heartbreak", #21 in 1961

Robert Goulet - although seldom thought of a Rock or Pop singer, he did reach the Billboard Top 20 in 1964 with a song called "My Love, Forgive Me". Goulet died on October 30^th, 2007, while awaiting a lung transplant after being diagnosed with a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis. He was 73

John Fred Gourrier - who led John Fred and his Playboy Band to Billboard's #1 spot in December 1967 with "Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)" - died April 15^th, 2005, after a long bout with kidney disease. He was 63

Bill Graham - rock promoter who owned the legendary Fillmore theaters in San Francisco and New York was killed in a helicopter crash on October 26^th, 1991. He was 60 years old

Rick Grech - bassist with Blind Faith, died of drug related causes in 1990

James Griffin - a founding member of the 70s soft rock group Bread, died of lung cancer on January 11^th, 2005, at the age of sixty-one

Dave Guard - of The Kingston Trio, died of lymphoma on March 22^nd, 1991, at the age of 56. The Trio landed ten songs in the Top 40 between 1958 and 1963, including "Tom Dooley" and "Reverend Mr. Black"

Cornelius Gunter - of The Coasters ("Charlie Brown", "Yakety Yak") was shot to death on February 26^th, 1990, at the age of 51

Billy Guy - of The Coasters died of a heart attack on November 5^th, 2002. He was 66

Ed Guzman - percussionist for Rare Earth ("Get Ready" - 1970), died on July 29^th, 1993

Bill Haley - who helped start the early 50's rock and roll movement, died in his sleep of an apparent heart attack on February 9^th, 1981 at age 55

Malcolm Hale - of Spanky and Our Gang, died of liver failure on October 31^st, 1968, at the age of 27. The group placed five songs on the Billboard Top 40 between 1967 and 1968, including "Sunday Will Never Be The Same" and "Lazy Day"

Peter Ham - singer / guitarist for Badfinger, committed suicide on April 23^rd, 1975. He was reported to be deeply depressed by financial problems the group was having. He was 27 years old

Dan Hamilton - of the soft rock trio Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds, suffered a stroke and died on December 23^rd, 1994

Roy Hamilton - who took "Unchained Melody" into Billboard's Top 10 in 1955, suffered a stroke and died on July 20^th, 1969, at the age of 40. Roy also had Top 20 hits with "Don't Let Go" in 1958 and "You Can Have Her" in 1961

Tim Hardin - singer / songwriter who is best remembered for "If I Were A Carpenter" died of a drug overdose on December 29^th, 1980. He was 39

Slim Harpo - sang the 1966 hit "Baby, Scratch My Back", suffered a fatal heart attack on January 31^st, 1970 at the age of 46

Addie "Micki" Harris - of The Shirelles, died of a heart attack after a performance in Atlanta, Georgia on June 10^th, 1982. She was 42

Richard Harris - actor / singer who took "MacArthur Park" to number 2 in the US in 1968, died of cancer on October 25^th, 2002. He was 72

Thurston Harris - recorded the Top Ten hit "Litle Bitty Pretty One" in 1957, died of a heart attack on April 14^th, 1990 at the age of 58

George Harrison - The Beatles' lead guitarist lost his battle with cancer at the age of 58, on November 29^th, 2001

Wilbert Harrison - who scored a 1959 chart-topper with "Kansas City", died of a stroke on October 26^th, 1994 at the age of 65

John Hartford - the songwriter who wrote Glen Campbell's hit "Gentle On My Mind" and recorded a catalog of more than 30 albums, winning Grammy awards in three different decades, died on June 4^th 2001, after a long battle with non-hodgkin’s lymphoma. He was 63

Alex Harvey - leader of the 1970s glam rockers, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, died on the eve of his 47th birthday, February 4^th, 1982, after suffering two heart attacks

Bobby Hatfield - of The Righteous Brothers, died November 5th, 2003, at the age of 63. His was the voice that was featured on the 1965 hit, "Unchained Melody"

Donny Hathaway - who achieved his greatest commercial success as Roberta Flack's duet partner on 1972's R&B chart topper, "Where Is the Love?" He was found dead on the sidewalk below the 15th-floor window of his New York apartment, a victim of an apparent suicide at the age of 33

Screamin' Jay Hawkins - died of a haemorrhage in a Paris hospital on February 12^th, 2000, at the age of 70. He is most often remembered for his 1956, US Top 40 hit "I Put a Spell on You", which has been selected as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll

Lee Hazlewood - producer, songwriter and duet partner of Nancy Sinatra, died on August 4^th, 2007 after a three-year battle with renal cancer. He was 78. Along with writing Nancy's hit "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" Hazlewood also shared the mic with her on the US Top 40 hits "Some Velvet Morning" and "Jackson"

Bobby Helms - best known for his perennial Christmas hit, "Jingle Bell Rock", died of emphysema at his home in Martinsville, Indiana on June 19^th, 1997. He was 63

Billy Henderson - of The Spinners, who placed 18 songs on Billboard's Top 40, including 7 Top 10 hits, passed away of Feb 2^nd, 2007 from complications of diabetes. He was 67

Jimi Hendrix - died September 18^th, 1970 from what the coroner's report called 'inhalation of vomit after barbiturate intoxication'. He was 27

Jim Henson - the creator of The Muppets, scored two US Top 30 hits with "Rubber Duckie" in 1970 and "Rainbow Connection" in 1979, died of a sudden virus on May 16^th, 1990, at the age of 53

Bob "The Bear" Hite - vocalist for Canned Heat, died of a heart attack in Venice, California on April 6th, 1981. The 36 year old weighed nearly 300 pounds at the time of his death

Randy Hobbs - bassist for The McCoys on their 1965 hit, "Hang On Sloopy", passed away on August 5^th, 1993, at the age of 45

Jim Hodder - the original drummer for Steely Dan drowned in his swimming pool on June 5^th, 1990. He was 42. Jim worked on the "Can't Buy a Thrill" and "Countdown to Ecstasy" albums as well as part of "Pretzel Logic". After leaving Steely Dan in 1974, he continued working as a session musician for other acts, including Sammy Hagar and David Soul

Buddy Holly - died when his chartered plane crashed shortly after takeoff on February 3^rd, 1959. He was just 22 years old

John Lee Hooker - a legendary blues pioneer who had recorded an estimated 100 albums, died of natural causes at his Los Altos home, June 21^st, 2001 at the age of 83

Nicky Hopkins - an English session pianist who was featured on many of the most important British and American Rock recordings of the 1960s and 1970s, died on February 12^th, 1994 of complications from intestinal surgery. He was 50 years old

Johnny Horton - country singer who hit the Billboard Pop chart with "The Battle Of New Orleans" (#1), "Sink The Bismarck" (#3) and "North To Alaska" (#4) died in a car accident on November 5^th, 1960. He was just 35

William Horton - of the Philadelphia vocal group, The Silhouettes, died on January 23^rd, 1995, at the age of 65. The group topped the Billboard chart in 1958 with "Get A Job"

Alphonso Howell - of The Sensations, who reached #4 in 1962 with "Let Me In", died on May 7^th, 1998, at the age of 61

Pookie Hudson - lead singer and songwriter for the doo wop group The Spaniels, who lent his romantic tenor to hits like "Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight" and influenced generations of later artists, died of complications from cancer of the thymus on January 16^th, 2007, at the age of 72

Gene Hughes - lead singer of The Casino's on their #6, 1967 hit, "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye", passed away February 3^rd, 2004, just one week before a fundraising concert was to be held in Nashville to help pay for his medical and hospital expenses. He was 67 years old

Glen Hughes - the moustachioed, leather-clad biker of The Village People, died of lung cancer on March 4^th, 2001

Ivory Joe Hunter - died on November 8^th, 1973 of lung cancer at the age of 60. Hunter was best known for his R&B hits, "Since I Lost You Baby", "I Almost Lost My Mind" and "I Need You So"

Joe Hunter - of The Funk Brothers was found dead in his Detroit apartment on Februay 2^nd, 2007. The 79 year old pianist had just returned five days earlier from a European tour with fellow band member Jack Ashford

Marvin Inabnett - of The Four Preps, died of a heart attack on March 7^th, 1999, at the age of 60. The group placed seven songs on the Billboard Top 40 between 1958 and 1961, including "26 Miles (Santa Catalina)", a number 2 hit in 1958

Luther Ingram - the Soul singer who reached #3 on the Billboard Pop chart with his hit "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" and wrote the Staple Singers' hit "Respect Yourself", died of a heart attack on March 19^th, 2007. He was 69

O'Kelly Isley - of The Isley Brothers died of a heart attack on March 31^st, 1986, at the age of 48

Al Jackson Jr. - drummer and founding member of Booker T. & The MG'S was murdered in his home by an unknown assailant on October 1^st, 1975. He was 39

Doris Kenner-Jackson - of the Shirelles, whose soaring harmonies can be heard on "Soldier Boy" and a number of other hits in the early 1960s, died of breast cancer on Feb. 4^th, 2000 at age 58

Tony Jackson - bass player for The Searchers, a Liverpool band best known for the 1964 song "Needles and Pins", died August 18^th, 2003 of cirrhosis of the liver. He was 63

Rick James - most often remembered for the 1981, #16 hit "Super Freak", died on August 6^th, 2004, at the age of 56. An autopsy revealed that there were at least nine drugs in his system including cocaine, valium, vicodin, and methamphetamine. Because none of the substances were found in lethal quantities, his death was ruled as accidental

Waylon Jennings - a member of Buddy Holly's band who gave up his plane seat to The Big Bopper just moments before their doomed flight took off. He went on to become a major Country star and died of diabetes on February 13^th, 2002. He was 64

Little Willie John - died in prison under mysterious circumstances on March 26^th, 1968, after being convicted of manslaughter two years earlier. He had fourteen hits on the R&B charts and the same number on the Pop charts, including "Fever", "Sleep", and "Talk To Me, Talk To Me"

Claude Johnson - "Juan" of Don and Juan, who reached number 7 with "What's Your Name" in 1962, died on October 31^st, 2002, at the age of 67

Johnnie Johnson - a rock 'n' roll pioneer who teamed with Chuck Berry on "Roll Over Beethoven" and "No Particular Place to Go", died of natural causes on April 15^th, 2005 at the age of 80

Barbara Lee Jones - of the mid-60s girl group, The Chiffons, ("He's So Fine") died of a heart attack on May 15^th, 1992. She was 44

Brian Jones - the original lead guitarist of The Rolling Stones, drowned in his swimming pool on July 3^rd, 1969

Joe Jones - a musician-turned producer who sang the 1961 Billboard #3 hit "You Talk Too Much" and went on to become an independent music publisher and advocate for black artists' rights, died on November 27 ^th, 2005. He was 79

Will "Dub" Jones - of The Coasters ("Charlie Brown") died on January 16^th, 2000. He was 71

Janis Joplin - died on October 4^th, 1970 from an overdose of heroin at age 27

Terry Kath - guitarist with Chicago, accidentally shot and killed himself with a pistol on January 23^rd, 1978. He was 32

Ernie K-Doe - remembered for his 1961 novelty hit, "Mother-In-Law", died of liver failure on July 5^th, 2001 at the age of 65

Murray "The K" Kaufman - pioneer rock and roll disc jockey, died of cancer at the age of 60 on February 21^st, 1982

John "Speedy" Keene - vocalist and drummer for Thunderclap Newman, died on March 21^st, 2002, at the age of 56. The band's biggest hit came in 1969 with "Something In The Air"

Wells Kelly - drummer for Orleans on their hits "Still The One" and "Love Takes Time" died on October 29^th, 1984. He was found laying on his back, asphyxiated, in front of the front door of where he was staying while on tour with Meatloaf. He was 35

Eddie Kendricks - formerly of the Temptations before launching a solo career, died of lung cancer on October 5^th, 1992, at the age of 52

Chris Kenner - who reached number two in 1961 with "I Like It That Like", suffered a fatal heart attack on January 28^th, 1976

Terry Knight - who fronted the Michigan based Terry Knight and The Pack ("I, Who Have Nothing") before going on to manage Grand Funk Railroad, was stabbed to death at his Temple, Texas home during a domestic dispute on November 1^st, 2004. He was 61. Police charged his daughter's boyfriend with murder

Buddy Knox - best remembered for his 1957 hit, "Party Doll", died of cancer on February 14^th, 1999, at the age of 65

Keith Knudsen - longtime Doobie Brothers drummer who was part of the band during their string of hits in the 1970s, died of pneumonia on February 8^th, 2005. He was 56

Cub Koda - the leader of Brownsville Station and composer of their hit "Smokin' in the Boys Room", passed away from complications arising from kidney dialysis on July 1^st, 2000, at the age of 51

Paul Kossoff - of the rock band "Free", died of heart failure while sleeping during a flight across the U.S. on March 19^th, 1976. The 26 year old had played guitar on the group's biggest hit "All Right Now"

Phil Kramer - who took Lee Dorman's place when Iron Butterfly re-formed in 1975, was found in a canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains, on May 31^st, 1999, over four years after he called a police to say he was going to commit suicide. At the time of his death, he was 42

Frankie Laine - suffered complications after hip-replacement surgery and died February 6^th, 2007 at the age of 93. The big voiced singer sold over 100 million records and placed seven songs on Billboard's Top 40 between 1955 and 1969, including "Moonlight Gambler" and "Love Is A Golden Ring"

Major Lance - who had many hits on the R&B charts as well as placing "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um" and "Monkey Time" on the Pop charts, died of heart failure on September 3^rd, 1994 at the age of 55

Jackie Landry - of The Chantels, who placed four songs on the Billboard Top 40 between 1958 and 1961, including "Maybe", died of cancer on December 23^rd, 1997, at the age of 56

Ronnie Lane - of The Small Faces, died from multiple sclerosis on June 4^th 1997. He was 51

Nicolette Larson - most often remembered for her 1978, number 8 US hit, "Lotta Love", died on December 16^th, 1997 after suffering massive liver failure. She was 45

Arthur Lee - singer and guitarist for the psychedelic rock band Love, died of leukemia on August 3^rd, 2006, at the age of 61

Peggy Lee - jazz vocalist who reached the Pop charts with "Fever" and "Is That All There Is", died of a heart attack on January 21^st, 2002 at the age of 81

Marshall Leib - of the Teddy Bears, died of a heart attack on March 15^th, 2002, at the age of 63. Leib, along with Carol Connors and Phil Spector scored a Billboard chart topper in 1958 with "To Know Him Is To Love Him"

John Lennon - murdered by Mark David Chapman , December 8^th 1980. He was 40 years old

Derek Leckenby - lead guitarist for Herman's Hermits, died of cancer on June 4^th, 1994, at the age of 51

Rudy Lewis - lead singer of The Drifters on their hits "On Broadway" and "Up On The Roof", died under mysterious circumstances on May 20^th, 1964, the night before the group was set to record "Under the Boardwalk". He was 28 years old

Peter Lucia - the drummer for Tommy James and the Shondells, died of a heart attack while on a golf course in Los Angeles in 1987. He was 40 years old

Frankie Lymon - who led the 1950's doo-wop group 'The Teenagers' to fame with "Why Do Fools Fall In Love", was found dead of a drug overdose in a friend's apartment in Harlem on February 28^th, 1968. He was 25 years old

Phil Lynott - bassist for Thin Lizzy, lost his battle with drugs and died of heart failure and pneumonia on January 4^th, 1986 at the age of 34

Jamie Lyons - lead singer of Music Explosion died of a heart attack on September 27^th, 2006 at the age of 57. The band is most often remembered for their garage-band classic "Little Bit o' Soul", which spent 16 weeks on the Billboard Pop chart in 1967, peaking at #2

Byron MacGregor - whose spoken word rendition of "The Americans" became a Billboard number four hit in January 1974, passed away on January 3^rd, 1995, at the age of 46

Bryan MacLean - guitarist and singer-songwriter for the '60s rock act "Love" died of an apparent heart attack on Christmas Day, 1998 at the age of 52. The band is mostly remembered for their 1966 hit "My Little Red Book"

Richard Manuel - of "The Band", hanged himself in his hotel room on March 4^th, 1986, after a performance in Florida. He was 56

Bob Marley - the uncontested King of Reggae, died of melanoma, (skin cancer) that metastasized to his lungs and brain, on May 11^th, 1981, at the age of 36

Steve Marriott - formerly of The Small Faces and Humble Pie, was killed in a fire at his home in April 20^th 1991. He was 44

Fred Marsden - drummer for Gerry and The Pacemakers died of cancer on December 9^th, 2006, at the age of 66

David Martin - bass player for Sam The Sham & the Pharaohs died of a heart attack on August 2^nd, 1987, at the age of 50. Martin co-wrote the group's #1 hit "Wooly Bully".

Dean Martin - recorded such standards as "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime", died at the age of 78, on December 25^th, 1995, of acute respiratory failure

Dino Martin Jr. - of Dino, Desi and Billy, was the son of crooner Dean Martin, died when the Air National Guard jet he was piloting crashed into a mountain on March 21^st, 1987. He was 35

Nick Massi - of the Four Seasons died of cancer on December 24^th, 2000. He was 73

Curtis Mayfield - best known for his early 1970s hits, "Freddie’s Dead" and "Superfly" passed away on December 26^th, 1999 at the age of 55

Bob Mayo - who played guitar and keyboards with Peter Frampton on and off over the span of twenty-five years, died of a heart attack on February 23^rd, 2004, while on tour with Frampton. He was 52

Lenny Mays - of The Dramatics, passed away of heart failure on November 7th, 2004 at the age of 53. The group cracked the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971 with "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" and again in 1972 with "In The Rain"

Bob McBride - lead singer of Lighthouse, died February 20^th, 1998. He was 51. The Toronto band cracked the Hot 100 with "One Fine Morning" and "Sunny Days"

Van McCoy - who had a number one disco hit with "Do The Hustle", died of a heart attack at the age of 39, on July 6^th 1979

Jimmy McCulloch - guitarist for Wings and Thunderclap Newman, died of heart failure on September 28^th, 1979. He was 26

Butch McDade - drummer for The Amazing Rhythm Aces on their 1975 hit, "Third Rate Romance" died of cancer on November 29^th, 1998, at the age of 52

Gene McFadden - R&B vocalist / songwriter, best known as half of the Philly soul duo McFadden & Whitehead, died of cancer January 27^th, 2006, at the age of 56. He and John Whitehead reached number 13 on the Billboard chart in 1979 with "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"

Robbie McIntosh - drummer for The Average White Band died of a drug overdose on Sepember 23^rd, 1974

Bryan MacLean - guitarist for the Rock group Love, died on December 25^th, 1998, of a massive heart attack while having Christmas dinner with a young fan who was researching a book about the band. He was 61

Clyde McPhatter - died of a heart attack on June 13^th, 1972 at the age of 39. He had been the original lead singer with The Drifters before having solo hits like "A Lover’s Question" and "Lover Please"

Hank Medress - a singer / producer best known as the voice behind The Tokens' "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", died of lung cancer on June 25^th, 2007, at the age of 68

Tony Meehan - drummer for The Shadows on their UK number one hit, "Apache", died in hospital on November 28^th, 2005, from head injuries sustained in a fall. He was 62. "Apache" spent twenty-one weeks at the top of the British music charts in 1960

Harold Melvin - leader of the Philadelphia soul group Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, died of heart related problems on March 24^th, 1997 at age 57. The group is best remembered for the hit, "If You Don't Know Me By Now"

Freddie Mercury - lead singer of Queen died on November 24^th, 1991 at age 45 of AIDS

Ralph Middlebrooks - trumpeter / trombonist for The Ohio Players died on October 15^th, 1996 at the age of 57

Buddy Miles - who played drums for Wilson Pickett, the Delfonics and the Ink Spots before founding The Electric Flag with Mike Bloomfield and later joined Jimi Hendrix in Band Of Gypsys, died on February 26^th, 2008 from congestive heart failure. He was 60

Roger Miller - who rose to fame in the mid 1960's with hits like "King Of The Road" and "Dang Me" died of lung cancer in Los Angeles, California, on October 25^th, 1992, at the age of 56

Sal Mineo - a singer and actor who reached number nine on the Billboard chart in 1957 with "Start Movin' In My Direction", was stabbed to death on February 12^th, 1976. He was 37

Guy Mitchell - who scored two number one U.S. hits with "You Got Me Singing The Blues" in 1956 and "Heartaches By The Number" in 1959, died on July 1^st, 1999 at the age of 72, from complications following surgery

Domenico Modugno - the Italian singer whose recording of "Volare" topped the North American charts in 1958, died of a heart attack near his home on the island of Lampedusa on August 6^th, 1994. He was 66

Keith Moon - drummer for The Who, died of an overdose of the sedative Heminevrin on September 7^th, 1978, at the age of 31

Johnny Moore - lead singer for The Drifters on their 1960s hit "Under The Boardwalk" died Dec. 30^th, 1998, at the age of 64

Rushton Moreve - Steppenwolf bassist who co-wrote "Magic Carpet Ride" with John Kay, was killed in a car crash on July 1^st, 1981. He was 32

Jim Morrison - lead singer of the Doors, died July 3^rd 1971. The 27-year-old was found dead in his bathtub. Speculation abounded as to the exact cause of death, but no autopsy was performed. His 27 year old widow, Pamela, died of a heroin overdose in April, 1974

Dee Murray - bassist for Elton John during the 1970s and '80s and appeared on the albums "Tumbleweed Connection", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy". Dee battled skin cancer for a number of years and died after suffering a stroke on January 15^th, 1992. He was 45

Don Murray - drummer for The Turtles, died on March 22^nd, 1996 at the age of 50

Nate Nelson - lead vocalist for The Flamingos on their 1959 hit "I Only Have Eyes For You", passed away on April 10^th, 1984 at the age of 52

Rick Nelson - scored a string of hits in the late 1950's including "Hello Mary Lou", "Poor Little Fool" and "Travelin' Man", was killed on December 31^st, 1985, when his private plane caught fire and crashed. He was 45

Harry Nilsson - remembered for "Everybody's Talkin' At Me", died peacefully in his sleep of heart failure on January 15^th, 1994, in his 53^rd year

Bobby Nunn - vocalist for The Coasters on their 1958 hit, "Yakety Yak", died of a heart attack on November 5^th, 1986. He was 61

Nervous Norvus - whose real name was James Drake, reached #8 in 1956 with a novelty tune about bloody accidents called "Transfusion". He Died of liver failure on July 24^th, 1968 at the age of 56

Laura Nyro - best known as a composer and lyricist rather than as a performer, she wrote the Fifth Dimension's "Wedding Bell Blues", "Stoned Soul Picnic", "Sweet Blindness" and "Save The Country" as well as Blood, Sweat & Tears' "And When I Die"; Three Dog Night's "Eli's Coming"; and Barbra Streisand's "Stoney End". Nyro died of ovarian cancer on April 8^th, 1997, at the age of 49. The same disease had claimed the life of her mother at the same age

Berry Oakley - bassist for The Allman Brothers Band. A year after Duane Allman was killed, Oakley was riding his motorcycle with a member of band's road crew when they collided with a bus just three blocks from where Allman met his fate. Friends took Oakley to the same hospital Allman was treated at, but he died from head injuries and internal bleeding later that night. The 24 year old Oakley was buried next to Allman with matching tombstones, in the Civil War section of Macon's Rose Hill Cemetery

Roy Orbison - one of classic rock's greatest voices was silenced when the 52 yr old Orbison died of a heart attack the night of December 6^th, 1988

Phil Ochs - 1960s singer/songwriter who concentrated on topical, folk and protest style songs, suffered from manic-depression and hanged himself on April 9^th, 1976, at the age of 35

Frank O'Keefe - bassist for The Outlaws on their 1975 hit "There Goes Another Love Song" died on February 26^th, 1995 at the age of 44

Oliver - singer of "Jean" and "Good Mornin' Starshine" died of cancer at the age of 54, February 13^th, 2000

Benjamin Orr - bassist / vocalist for the Cars lost his fight with pancreatic cancer on October 5^th, 2000 at the age of 53. Orr sang lead vocals on some of the band's most recognizable hits, such as "Just What I Needed", "Bye Bye Love", "Drive" and "Let's Go"

Bruce Palmer - bassist for Buffalo Springfield on their classic protest song "For What It's Worth", died on October 11^th, 2004 of an apparent heart attack. He was 58

Robert Palmer - reached number 14 in the US in 1979 with "Bad Case Of Loving You", died of a heart attack at the age of 54 on September 26^th, 2003

John Panozzo - of Styx, died of a haemorrhage brought on by alcoholism, on July 16^th, 1996, at the age of 48. The band had a string of hits that included "Grand Illusion", "Mr. Roboto", "Come Sail Away" and "Babe"

Felix Pappalardi - bassist for the group Mountain, one of America's first hard rock acts. He was shot and killed by his wife, Gail Collins on the night of April 17^th, 1983, when they argued over his long-standing affair with a younger woman. She was convicted of criminally negligent homicide and sentenced to four years in prison. Felix was 43

Gram Parsons - one time member of The Byrds & The Flying Burrito Brothers, he became a cult figure that influenced countless musicians. Parsons was found dead at Joshua Tree, Ca. Sept 19^th, 1973 of an alcohol and drug overdose at the age of 27

Jon Paulos - drummer for The Buckinghams on their string of 1967 hits, including "Kind Of A Drag" and "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy", died of a drug overdose on March 26^th, 1980. He was 32

Dennis Payton - saxophonist for The Dave Clark Five died of cancer on December 17^th, 2006, at the age of 63

Carl Perkins - writer of Elvis Presley's "Blue Suede Shoes" and a pioneer rock-a-billy guitarist, died on January 19^th, 1998 at the age of 65 after a long series of illness

Ray Peterson - who scored a pair of US Top Ten hits with "Tell Laura I Love Her" and "Corinna, Corinna" in 1960, died of cancer on January 25^th, 2005, at the age of 69

Lonesome Dave Peverett - lead singer with Savoy Brown and Foghat, suffered from cancer and died of from double-pneumonia on February 7^th, 2000, at the age of 56

John Phillips - leader of The Mamas and Papas died of heart failure on March 18^th, 2001 at the age of 65

Sam Phillips - the man who discovered Elvis Presley and owner of the legendary Sun Records, passed away July 30^th, 2003, at the age of 80. Phillips also helped launch the careers of Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Charlie Rich, Conway Twitty and Jerry Lee Lewis. He sold Elvis' contract to RCA in November, 1955, for $40,000. Sam was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986

Bobby "Boris" Pickett - whose Boris Karloff impression propelled the Halloween anthem "The Monster Mash" to the top of the Billboard Pop chart in 1962, died of leukemia on April 25^th, 2007. He was 69

Wilson Pickett - suffered a fatal heart attack on January 19^th, 2006. During his career, he placed 16 hits on Billboard's Pop chart, including "Land Of 1000 Dances" (#6) and "Funky Broadway" (#8)

Bill Pinkney - the last surviving member of the original Drifters passed away on July 4^th, 2007 from unknown causes. He was 81

Gene Pitney - who had a string of hits in the early and mid-sixties, including " The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" (#4), "Only Love Can Break A Heart" (#2) and "It Hurts To Be In Love" (#7), was found dead on April 5^th, 2006, at the Hilton Hotel in Cardiff, Wales. He was 65

June Pointer - the youngest of the four Pointer Sisters who went from teenage gospel singers to the top of the Pop charts with such hits of the 1970s and 80s as "Fire", "Slow Hand" and "I'm So Excited", died of cancer at the age of 52 on April 11^th, 2006

Jeff Porcaro - drummer for Toto suffered a heart attack and died on August 5^th, 1992. He was using a pesticide in his yard and an allergic reaction to the substance triggered the attack. An autopsy revealed a serious heart condition that had been previously undiagnosed

Jannie Pought - of The Bobbettes, who reached number six in 1957 with "Mr. Lee", was stabbed to death by a total stranger as she walked down the street in September, 1980, at the age of 36

Cozy Powell - touted as one of Britain's best session drummers, died in a car accident near Bristol, England on April 5^th, 1998. at the age of 50

William Powell - an original member of the O'Jays, died at the age of 35 on May 26^th, 1977, after a long bout with cancer

Dave Prater - of the soul duo Sam and Dave, was killed in a car accident in Georgia on April 9^th, 1988. He was 50 years of age

Elvis Presley - the King of Rock and Roll, died of heart failure at his Graceland mansion on August 16^th, 1977

Billy Preston - keyboardist who had a series of hit singles in the 1970s, including "Will It Go 'Round In Circles" and "Nothing From Nothing", passed away on June 6^th, 2006, at the age of 59

Rod Price - a founding member of Foghat died March 24^th, 2005, after suffering a heart attack. The 57 year old guitarist was with the band for three platinum and eight gold records including their highest charting US single "Slow Ride" in 1976

Barry Pritchard - vocalist and guitarist for The Fortunes, died of heart failure on January 12^th, 1999. The group reached the Billboard Top 20 with "You've Got Your Troubles" in 1965 and "Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again" in 1971

Clarence Quick - of The Dell-Vikings, suffered a heart attack and died on May 5^th, 1983 at the age of 46. The group reached number four with "Come Go With Me" and number nine with "Whispering Bells" in 1957

Eddie Rabbitt - country star whose hits included "I Love A Rainy Night" and "Drivin' My Life Away", died on May 7^th, 1998 of lung cancer at the age of 56

Carl Radle - bassist for Eric Clapton's Derek & The Dominoes, Delaney & Bonnie and many others, died on May 30^th, 1980 of kidney failure at the age of 37

Teddy Randazzo - a rock icon from the 1950s who composed classic hit songs such as "Goin' Out of My Head" and "Hurt So Bad", died November 21^st, 2003. He was 68

Boots Randolph - saxophone player best known for the 1963 hit "Yakety Sax" died from a cerebral hemorrhage on July 3^rd, 2007, at the age of 80

Dee Dee Ramone - bassist for the 70s punk rock band The Ramones died from a drug overdose on June 7^th, 2002. His real name is Douglas Colvin

Johnny Ramone - co-founder of The Ramones, passed away September 15^th, 2004 after a five year battle with prostate cancer. The 55 year old guitarist's real name is John Cummings

Joey Ramone - singer for The Ramones, died of lymphatic cancer at the age of 49 on April 15^th, 2001. His real name is Jeff Hyman

Allan Ramsay - the original bassist for Gary Lewis and The Playboys was killed in a plane crash on November 27^th 1985 at the age of 42

Danny Rapp - of Danny and The Juniors, scored two 1957 hits with "At The Hop" and "Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay", died of a self inflicted gunshot wound on April 4^th, 1983. He was 41

Lou Rawls - passed away on January 6^th, 2006, at the age of 72, after a long battle with cancer. The velvet voiced singer placed six songs on the Billboard Top 40 Pop chart, including the number two hit, "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" in 1976

Harry Ray - of the R&B trio, The Moments, died of a stroke on October 1^st, 1992, at the age of 45. The group's biggest hit was "Love On A Two Way Street", which reached number 3 in 1970

Bill Read - the bass singer who was featured during the talking portion of The Diamonds' 1957 hit "Little Darlin", passed away on October 26^th, 2004, at the age of 68

Eugene Record - the lead singer of The Chi-lites, died of cancer on July 22^nd, 2005 at the age of 65. The group is most often remembered for the 1972 US #1 single "Oh Girl" and 1972 UK #3 single "Have You Seen Her"

Noel Redding - the bass player with the Jimi Hendrix Experience, died May 11^th, 2003 of natural causes. He was 57

Otis Redding - was killed in a plane crash in December 10^th, 1967. Four members of his backup band, The Bar-Kays were also killed

Keith Relf - former lead singer for The Yardbirds, was electrocuted on May 14^th, 1976, while tuning his guitar at home. He was 33 years old

Jimmy Reed - Blues singer / guitarist who reached the Billboard Pop chart with "Honest I Do" in 1957 and "Baby What You Want Me To Do" in 1960, died following an epileptic seizure on August 29^th, 1976, just days shy of his 51^st birthday

Jim Reeves - Country artist who reached the Pop charts four times, including the #2 hit, "He'll Have To Go" in 1960, was killed in a plane crash on July 31^st, 1964. He was three weeks short of his 40th birthday

Randy Rhoads - guitarist for Quiet Riot and Ozzy Osbourne, was killed on March 19^th, 1982, when the small plane he was riding in crashed while buzzing Osbourne's tour bus. He was 25

Buddy Rich - often called the world's best drummer, died of a brain tumour on April 2^nd, 1987 at the age of 69

Charlie Rich - started out as a song writer for Sam Phillips' Sun Records before becoming a country star and later crossed over to the Pop charts with two big 1973 hits, "Behind Closed Doors" and "The Most Beautiful Girl". He developed a blood clot in his lung and died July 25^th, 1995, at the age of 62

J.P. Richardson - known as The Big Bopper on his hit "Chantilly Lace", died in a plane crash along with Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens on February 3^rd, 1959

Greg Ridley - bassist for Humble Pie, died November 19^th, 2003 of pneumonia and resulting complications. He was 56

Minnie Riperton - died of breast cancer on July 12^th, 1979 at the age of 31, four years after her number 1 hit, "Lovin’ You". She had also been a member of Stevie Wonder's backup group, Wonderlove

Marty Robbins - Country singer who put 13 songs on the Billboard Pop chart including the 1959, #1 smash "El Paso", died following a heart attack on December 8^th, 1982. He was 57

Vicki Sue Robinson - who scored the US Top 10 Disco hit "Turn The Beat Around" in 1976, died of cancer at the age of 46 on April 27^th, 2000

Ed Roberts - of Ruby and The Romantics, died of cancer on August 10^th, 1993. He was 57

Mick Ronson - guitarist for David Bowie's band Ziggy Stardust's Spiders From Mars, died of liver cancer on April 29^th, 1993 at the age of 46

Dave Rowberry - keyboardist who joined the Animals in May of 1965 and played on several major hits, including "We've Gotta Get Out of This Place", "It's My Life" and "Don't Bring Me Down", passed away of an apparent heart attack on June 6^th, 2003, one month shy of his 63rd birthday

David Ruffin - former lead singer of the Temptations died of an overdose of crack cocaine on June 1^st, 1991 at the age of 50

John Ryanes - of The Monotones, died on May 30^th, 1972. The group had one big hit, "Book Of Love", which reached number 5 in 1958

Warren Ryanes - of The Monotones, died in June, 1982

Doug Sahm - leader of the Sir Douglas Quintet, succumbed to a heart attack November 18^th, 1999, just days shy of his 58^th birthday. The band had three Billboard Top 40 hits with "She's About A Mover" (#13 in 1965), "The Rains Came" (#31 in 1966) and "Mendocino" (#27 in 1969)

Kyu Sakamoto - the first Japanese artist to have a number one hit in the United States with "Sukiyaki" (June 1963), was killed in a Tokyo airplane crash on August 12^th, 1985. He was 43

Joe Santollo - of The Duprees, suffered a fatal heart attack on June 3^rd, 1981, at the age of 37. The group is most often remembered for their 1962 hit, "You Belong To Me"

Clarence Satchell - guitarist and saxophone player for the '70s R&B group the Ohio Players, died on December 30^th, 1995 from a brain aneurysm at the age of 55. The group placed eight songs in the Billboard Top 40, including two chart toppers, "Fire" in 1974 and "Love Rollercoaster" in 1976

Bill "Little Bo" Savich - drummer for the Rock instrumental group Johnny and The Hurricanes died January 4^th, 2002 at the age of 62. The band placed four songs on the Billboard Top 40, including the #5 hit, "Red River Rock" in 1959

Bon Scott - of AC/DC, died of alcohol poisoning on February 19^th, 1980. He was 33

James Honeyman Scott - guitarist for The Pretenders on their 1980 hit "Brass In Pocket", died of a drug overdose on June 16^th, 1982, at the age of 24

Walter Scott - lead singer of Bob Kuban & the In-Men, who scored a 1966 hit with "The Cheater", was reported missing shortly after Christmas, 1983. His body however, wasn't found until 1987, floating in a cistern with a gunshot wound to the back. A neighbour named Jim Williams, who had starting dating Scott's wife Joanne shortly after the disappearance, was found guilty of murder. Joanne Scott was sentenced to five years for hindering the investigation

Joe Schermie - original bassist of Three Dog Night died of a heart attack March 26^th 2002 at the age of 55

Del Shannon - died of a self inflicted gun shot wound on February 8^th, 1990 at age 55

James "Shep" Sheppard - of Shep and The Limelites, was found murdered in his car on the Long Island Expressway on January 24^th, 1970 after being robbed and beaten. The group is best remembered for their 1961 hit, "Daddy's Home"

Allan Sherman - recorded the comedy tune, "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh", died of respiratory ailments at the age of 48 on November 21^st, 1973

John Siomos - played drums on countless albums and singles with a host of bands and in studio recordings for artists such as Peter Frampton, Todd Rundgren, Mitch Ryder and Carly Simon, died January 16^th 2004, at the age of 56

Frank Sinatra - died of natural causes May 14^th 1998 at the age of 83

The Singing Nun - whose given name was Jeanine Deckers, committed suicide on March 23^rd 1985 after the center for autistic children in Belgium that she helped to found had closed due to lack of funds. Her 1963 hit "Dominique" went to number one in the U.S. and sold over 1.5 million copies, winning a Grammy Award for the year's best gospel song. At the time of her death, she was 52 years old

Claydes Charles Smith - a co-founder and lead guitarist for Kool & the Gang died on June 20^th, 2006 after a long illness. He was 57

Fred Smith - guitarist for the MC5 on their shock rock hit "Kick Out The Jams", died of heart failure on November 4^th, 1994 at the age of 46

Frank Smith - of The Monotones, who reached number 5 in 1958 with "Book Of Love", died of cancer on November 26^th, 2000. He was 61

Jerome Smith - former rhythm guitarist and founding member of KC & the Sunshine Band, died July 28^th, 2000 after he fell off the bulldozer he was driving and was crushed by the machine. The 47 year old Smith was working in the building and construction trades as a heavy-equipment operator after leaving the music business

Mike Smith - keyboard player and lead vocalist for The Dave Clark Five died of pneumonia on February 28^th, 2008, less than two weeks before the band was to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was 64

Mike "Smitty" Smith - drummer for Paul Revere and the Raiders during their prime hit making years, died of natural causes at his home in Hawaii on March 6^th, 2001, at the age of 58

O.C. Smith - best remembered for "Little Green Apples" and "Hickory Hollar's Tramp" died in his sleep on November 24^th, 2001 at age 65

Sammi Smith - best known for the 1971, Billboard number 8 hit, "Help Me Make It Through the Night", died February 12^th, 2005 at the age of 61. She won a Grammy award for her rendition of the song written by Kris Kristofferson, establishing him as a leading Nashville songwriter.

William Smith - vocalist and keyboard player for Motherlode, died of a heart attack on December 1^st, 1997, at the age of 53. The Canadian group hit number 18 on the Billboard Pop chart in 1969 with "When I Die"

Jimmy Soul - whose real name was James McCleese, hit #1 in 1963 with the novelty tune "If You Wanna Be Happy", died of a heart attack on June 25^th, 1988. He was 45

Skip Spence - the original drummer for Jefferson Airplane who left to form Moby Grape, died of lung cancer on April 16^th, 1999 at the age of 52

Jakson Spires - drummer and founding member of Blackfoot, died March 16th, 2005, at the age of 53, after suffering a brain aneurysm. The band reached #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August, 1979 with "Highway Song"

Dusty Springfield - who scored a Top Ten U.S. hit with "I Only Want To Be With You" in 1963, died March 2^nd, 1999, at the age of 59 after a five year battle with cancer

Dick St. John - half of the singing team of Dick & DeeDee, who recorded such hits as "The Mountain's High" (1961), "Young And In Love" (1963) and "Thou Shalt Not Steal" (1965), died on December 27^th, 2003, from complications suffered in a fall from the roof of his home two weeks earlier. The 63 year old singer had continued to record and performed regularly until his death

Edwin Starr - soul singer who had hits with "War", "Agent Double-O Soul" and "Twenty-five Miles", died of a heart attack on April 1^st, 2003 at the age of 61

Terry Stafford - whose Elvis-like voice help make a hit out of "Suspicion" in 1964, died March 17^th 1996 at age 54

B.W. Stevenson - who had a 1973 hit with "My Maria", died after heart surgery on April 28^th, 1988, at the age of 38. The "B.W." reportedly stood for "Buckwheat"

Ian Stewart - played piano in the original line-up of The Rolling Stones and predates both Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts as a member of the band. Because the group's manager Andrew Loog Oldham did not think Stewart's looks were right for publicity purposes, Stewart officially "left the group", but continued to work with them as a road manager and played keyboards on most of the Stones' essential albums from the 1960s until the 1980s. While waiting to see a doctor about respiratory problems, Stewart suffered a heart attack and died in the waiting room on December 12^th, 1985

John Stewart - singer / songwriter who was a member of The Kingston Trio in the early '60s, but more often remembered for writing The Monkees' hit, "Daydream Believer", died following a brain aneurism on January 19^th, 2008. Stewart also had a successful solo career which included four dozen albums and a Billboard #9 hit single with "Gold" in 1979

Mike Stewart - guitarist for We Five on their 1965, number one hit "You Were On My Mind", died on November 13^th, 2002, at the age of 57

Rory Storm - who led The Hurricanes, the group that Ringo Starr quit to join the Beatles, died of an overdose of sleeping pills on September 27^th, 1972

Joe Strummer - lead singer for the landmark British punk band The Clash, suffered a fatal heart attack on December 22^nd, 2002, at the age of 50

Jud Strunk - comedian and singer/songwriter who appeared on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In and scored a number 14 hit with "Daisy A Day" in 1973, died in a small plane crash in Maine on October 5^th 1981. He was 45

David 'Screaming Lord' Sutch - British shock-rocker was found hanged at his London home, apparently committed suicide on June 17^th, 1999, at the age of 58

Stuart Sutcliffe - played bass guitar for The Beatles before Paul McCartney took over in 1961. After leaving the group, he died on April 10^th, 1962 of a brain haemorrhage in Hamburg, Germany. Sutcliffe was in his 22nd year

Niki Sullivan - one of Buddy Holly's original Cricketts, died on April 6^th, 2004 at the age of 66. He joined Holly in 1956 and played on most of the hit songs the band recorded. The hassel of touring forced him to drop out in 1957

Edmund Sylvers - lead singer of the Sylvers on their 1975 number one hit, "Boogie Fever", died on March 11^th, 2004, after a ten month battle with cancer. He was only 47 years old

Margo Sylvia - of The Tune Weavers, died of a heart attack on October 25^th, 1991, at the age of 55. The group topped the Billboard chart in 1957 with "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby"

Johnnie Taylor - best remembered for his 1968 hit, "Who's Makin' Love To Your Old Lady?" died of a heart attack on May 31^st, 2000, shortly after his 62nd birthday

Mel Taylor - long-time drummer for The Ventures died of cancer on August 11^th, 1996 at the age of 62. He recorded and toured with The Ventures from 1961 until his death and also worked as a session musician, playing drums on "Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Pickett and "Lonely Bull" by Herb Alpert & The Tijiuana Brass

Richard Taylor - of the R&B vocal group, The Manhattans, died on December 7^th, 1987 at the age of 47

Zola Taylor - who broke gender barriers as the first female member of the 1950s R&B group The Platters, singing on their hit "The Great Pretender", died from complications of pneumonia on April 30^th, 2007. She was 69

Tammi Terrell - sang many duets with Marvin Gaye, died of a brain tumour on the 16^th of March, 1970, at the age of 24

Peter Tetteroo - vocalist for The Tee Set, died of cancer on September 5^th, 2002, at the age of 55. The Dutch band reached number five on the Billboard Pop chart in 1970 with "Ma Belle Amie"

Joe Tex - soul singer whose hits included "I Gotcha" and "Skinny Legs and All" died of a heart attack, August 12^th, 1982 at the age of 49

Gary Thain - former bassist of the British band Uriah Heep, died December 8^th, 1975 of a heroin overdose. He was 27

Rufus Thomas - R&B singer whose biggest Pop hit was "Walkin' The Dog" in 1963, died on December 15^th, 2001, following a short illness. He was 84

Tony Thompson - drummer for Chic, passed away on November 12^th, 2003 from renal cell cancer at the age of 48. Thompson played on all the Chic hits, including "Dance, Dance, Dance", "Le Freak", "I Want Your Love" and "Good Times".

Hughie Thomasson - guitarist for The Outlaws on their 1975 hit "There Goes Another Love Song" died of a heart attack on September 9^th, 2007, at the age of 55

Billy Thorpe - who had over 20 hits in Australia and influenced many American artists with his 1979 album, "Children Of The Sun", died following a massive heart attack on February 28^th, 2007, at the age of 60

Sonny Til - lead singer of The Orioles died of a heart attack on December 9^th, 1981 at the age of 51. His group had a hit with "Crying In The Chapel" in 1959

Georgeanna Tillman - of The Marvelettes, who scored a number one hit with "Please Mr Postman" in 1961, died on Jan 6^th 1980 of sickle cell anemia at the age of 35

Tiny Tim - who reached number 17 in 1968 with "Tip-Toe Thru' The Tulips", had a heart attack while on stage and died shortly after on November 30^th, 1996 at age 63

Mel Tormé - passed away on June 5^th 1999, at the age of 73, from complications caused by a stroke

Peter Tosh - the guitarist in the original Wailing Wailers with Bob Marley was brutally murdered at his Jamaican home on September 11^th, 1987, in his 43^rd year. Though robbery was officially said to be the motivation behind Tosh's death, many believe that there were ulterior motives to the killing, citing that nothing was taken from the house

Ed Townsend - who scored a #13 hit with "For Your Love" in 1958, died of heart failure on August 13^th, 2003, at the age of 74

Ron Townson - vocalist with The Fifth Dimension, died in his home in Las Vegas on August 2^nd, 2001 at age sixty-eight. He suffered renal failure after a four-year battle with kidney disease

Roland Trone - "Don" of Don & Juan, who reached number seven with "What's Your Name" in 1962, died in May 1982, at the age of 45

Domenic Troiano - guitarist for The Guess Who and The James Gang, died of cancer on May 25^th, 2005. He was 59

Doris Troy - the big voiced singer of the 1963 hit "Just One Look", died of emphysema on February 16^th, 2004 at the age of 67

Mick Tucker - drummer for Sweet, who hit #5 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1975 with "Ballroom Blitz", died of leukemia on February 14^th 2002. He was 53

Tommy Tucker - who hit number eleven in 1964 with "Hi-Heel Sneakers", died of poisoning on January 22^nd, 1982, at the age of 42

Ike Turner - whose role as one of Rock and Roll's most inovative architects was overshadowed by his image as the man who abused former wife and singing partner Tina Turner, suffered a fatal heart attack on December 12^th, 2007. He was 76

Conway Twitty - had an early pop hit with "It's Only Make Believe", died of a heart attack after stomach surgery in Springfield, Missouri, June 5^th, 1993

Rob Tyner - lead singer of the MC5, died of heart failure at the age of 46, on September 18^th, 1991

Gary Usher - led the studio group The Hondells to the Top 10 in 1964 with "Little Honda", died of cancer on May 25^th, 1990. He was 51

Ritchie Valens - singer of "Oh Donna" and "La Bamba", died in a plane crash along with Buddy Holly and J.P. Richardson on February 3^rd, 1959

Luther Vandross - the silky smooth voiced R&B singer died on July 1^st, 2005 at the age of 54, two years after suffering a major stroke.

Joey Vann - of The Duprees, died on February 28^th, 1984 at the age of 40. The group had four Top 40 hits, including 1962's "You Belong To Me"

Randy VanWarmer - who reached #4 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1979 with "Just When I Needed You Most" died of leukemia on January 12^th, 2004, at the age of 48

Ronnie Van Zant - member of the band Lynyrd Skynyrd, whose single "Sweet Home Alabama" reached number 8 in 1974, died with several other band members in a small plane crash on October 20^th, 1977. He was just 29

Stevie Ray Vaughan - guitarist whose highly charged and expressive solos turned a new generation on to Rock / Blues in the 1980s, was killed on August 27^th, 1990, when the helicopter he was taking from a gig in East Troy, Wisconsin to a show in Chicago, crashed in dense fog, killing everyone on board. Vaughn was 35 years old

Mariska Veres - vocalist for Shocking Blue on their mega hit "Venus", died of cancer on December 2^nd, 2006, at the age of 59

Henry Vestine - guitarist for Canned Heat, died on October 20^th, 1997 at the age of 52 from heart and respiratory failure

Sid Vicious - bassist for the punk rock group the Sex Pistols, died from an accumulation of fluid on the lungs, characteristic of heroin abuse, on February 2^nd, 1979. He was just 21 years old

Gene Vincent - recorded "Be-Bop-A-Lula" in 1957, died at the age of 36 following a seizure brought on by a bleeding ulcer on October 12^th, 1971 at his parent's California home. Sadly, no one in his family had any money and the city of Los Angeles had to bury him

Janet Vogel - sang soprano for The Skyliners on their 1959, US number one hit, "Since I Don't Have You", committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning on February 21^st, 1980. She was 37

Roger Voudouris - singer / songwriter / guitarist who reached #21 on the Billboard Pop chart in 1979 with "Get Used To It", died August 3^rd, 2003, at the age of 48, after suffering from liver disease for some time. Although his success was limited in the U.S., he enjoyed a strong following in Japan and Australia

Steve Wahrer - drummer and vocalist for The Trashmen on their 1964 hit "Surfin' Bird", died of throat cancer on January 21^st 1989, at the age of 47

Junior Walker - leader of the All-Stars on "Shotgun", "What Does It Take" and "Roadrunner", died of cancer on Nov 23^rd, 1995 at the age of 64

Clint Warwick - the original bass player for The Moody Blues died from liver disease on May 18^th, 2004 at the age of 63. Clint left the band in 1966 after playing on their only number one hit, "Go Now"

Muddy Waters - blues guitarist whose real name was McKinley Morganfield, died of a heart attack at the age of 68 on April 30^th, 1983

Carl Wayne - the lead singer of influential 1960s Pop group the Move, died of oesophageal cancer on August 31^st, 2004, at the age of 61

Thomas Wayne (Perkins) - who reached #5 in the US in 1959 with "Tragedy", died on August 15^th 1971 at the age of 31 when he drove his car across four lanes of traffic, over a median and slammed into an oncoming car. Some believe he committed suicide as he had earlier confessed to a friend that he once parked his car across both lanes of an interstate highway at night and turned off his lights. Fortunately the first person on the scene was a highway patrolman who arrested him

Laura Webb - of the R&B quintet The Bobbettes, who scored a Billboard number six hit with "Mr. Lee" in 1957, died of cancer on January 8^th, 2001

Charlie Webber - of The Swingin' Medallions, died of cancer on January 17^th, 2003, at the age of 57. The group is best known for their 1966 hit, "Double Shot Of My Baby's Love"

Mary Wells - known for her hits "My Guy" and "You Beat Me To The Punch," died of cancer at age 49 on July 26^th, 1992

Clarence White - guitarist with the Byrds, died on July 14th, 1973, after being hit by a car in Lancaster, California. He was 29. White joined the Byrds in 1968, after the group had recorded their hits as "Mr. Tambourine Man," "Turn! Turn! Turn!" and "Eight Miles High"

Barry White - known for his lush baritone voice and lyrics that oozed sex appeal on the hits "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love" and "You're The First, The Last, My Everything", died following kidney failure on Thursday, July 4^th, 2003, at the age of 58

Ronnie White - of The Miracles, died of leukemia on August 26^th, 1995. He was 56

Rick "Tim Tam" Wiesend - lead singer of Tim Tam and the Turn-Ons, died of cancer on October 22^nd, 2003 at the age of 60. The band's only U.S. chart appearance was "Wait A Minute" in 1966

Leon Wilkeson - bassist for the 70's southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd was found dead on July 27^th, 2001 in a Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida hotel room. Allegedly suffering from chronic liver and lung disease, the actual cause of death was deemed "from natural causes". He was 49

Flemming Williams - lead singer for The Hues Corporation on their 1974 hit "Rock The Boat", died of drug related causes in September, 1992

Larry Williams - had hit songs with "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" and "Bony Maronie", was found dead on January 7^th, 1980 at his Los Angeles home of a gunshot wound to the head. The medical examiner called the death a suicide, but rumours persisted for years after his death that he was murdered because of his involvement in drugs and crime

Milan B. Williams - one of the founding members for the Commodores, died on July 9^th, 2006 after a long battle with cancer, at the age of 58. He wrote the band's first hit, "Machine Gun"

Paul Williams - of The Temptaions, died of a self inflicted gunshot wound on August 17th, 1973 at the age of 34. Williams had left the Temptations in 1971 because of poor health

Tony Williams - of The Platters died of emphysema at the age of 64 on August 14^th, 1992. He sang most of the group’s hits up until 1961 when he was replaced by Sonny Turner

Wendy O. Williams - lead singer of the late 70s / early 80s punk band The Plasmatics, died of a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head on April 6^th, 1998. She was 48

Al Wilson - Soul singer and songwriter who had a number of US hits, including "The Snake" in 1968 and the Billboard #1 smash "Show and Tell" in 1974, died of kidney failure on April 21^st, 2008. He was 68

Al Wilson - vocalist and harmonica player for Canned Heat on their hits "On The Road Again" and "Going Up The Country", committed suicide on September 3^rd, 1970, in Topanga Canyon, California, when it turned out that he couldn't save a redwood forest from being cut by a timber company. He was 27

Barry Wilson - drummer for Procol Harum, died on October 8^th, 1990 after months in a coma following a car accident. He was 43

Carl Wilson - lead guitar player of The Beach Boys, died of cancer, with his family at his bedside on February 7^th, 1998. He was 51

Dennis Wilson - drummer for The Beach Boys, jumped over board from his yacht at Marina Del Ray Harbour in Los Angeles and drowned, on Dec. 28^th, 1983. He was 39

J. Frank Wilson - One of rock's eeriest stories began on October 23^rd, 1964. While his teenaged death song, "Last Kiss" was in the US Top Ten, Wilson, his bandmates and the record's producer, Sonley Roush, were involved in a head-on collision that killed Roush. Wilson never recorded a hit song again and died in a nursing home on October 4th, 1991, a few months shy of his fiftieth birthday

Jackie Wilson - passed away on January 21^st, 1984, in Mount Holly, NJ, at Burlington County Memorial Hospital, at the age of 49. He had suffered a heart attack while singing "Lonely Teardrops" at the Latin Casino in New Jersey during a performance in 1975 and hit his head in the fall. Wilson suffered brain damage and required permanent care the rest of his life

Ron Wilson - The Surfaris' drummer who recorded rock and roll's most influential drum solo, "Wipe Out", died of a brain aneurysm on May 19^th, 1989, at the age of 49

Kurt Winter - guitarist who replaced Randy Bachman in The Guess Who, died after a longtime illness of complications from bleeding ulcers. He is best remembered for his contributions and writing credits on the hits "Clap For the Wolfman", "Hand Me Down World" and "Rain Dance".

Wolfman Jack - the disc jockey featured in the movie "American Graffiti", died of a heart attack on July 1st, 1995 at the age of 57. He had just completed a 20-day trip to promote his new book "Have Mercy, The Confession of the Original Party Animal", about his early career and parties with celebrities. He walked up the driveway of his home, went inside to hug his wife and collapsed. The Wolfman's real name was Bob Smith

Chris Wood - a founding member of the English rock band Traffic, along with Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi and Dave Mason. He died of pneumonia on July 12^th, 1983 at the age of 39

Sheb Wooley - best remembered for his 1958 #1 tune, "The Purple People Eater", died of leukemia on September 16^th, 2003, at the age of 82. He charted a total of nine times, with many of his hits being parodies of other popular songs. As an actor, he appeared in more than 60 films, including "High Noon" and "Giant." He also appeared as Pete Nolan in the U.S. television series "Rawhide"

Link Wray - the electric guitar innovator who is often credited as the father of the power chord, died at his home in Copenhagen on November 5^th, 2005, of natural causes. He was seventy-six. His 1959 instrumental, "Rumble" was banned by many radio stations, even thought it had no lyrics what so ever

Syreeta Wright - who teamed up with Billy Preston on the 1980, number 1 US hit "With You I'm Born Again", passed away on July 6^th, 2004 after a two-year battle with bone cancer. She was 58

Philippe Wynne - former lead singer of the Spinners, suffered a fatal heart attack while on stage in Oakland California on July 14^th, 1984. He was 43

Zal Yanovsky - guitarist for The Lovin' Spoonful, suffered a fatal heart attack on December 13^th, 2002 at his Kingston, Ontario, Canada farm. He was 58

Eldee Young - bass player with the Ramsey Lewis Trio on the instrumental smash "The In Crowd" in 1965 and who later formed Young-Holt Unlimited and reached #3 with "Soulful Strut" in 1968, died of an apparent heart attack on February 12^th, 2007, in Thailand, where he was performing. He was 71

Faron Young - who reached number 12 on the US pop chart in 1961 with the country cross-over hit "Hello Walls", died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on December 10^th, 1996, at the age of 64

Timi Yuro - was just 18 years old when she reached #4 on the US charts in 1961 with a song called "Hurt", succumbed to brain cancer March 30^th, 2004. She was 62

Frank Zappa - died of prostate cancer on December 4^th, 1993 at the age of 52

Warren Zevon - singer / songwriter best remembered for his 1978 breakthrough album "Excitable Boy", which contained his only hit single, "Werewolves Of London", died of lung cancer on September 7^th, 2003 at the age of 56

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