List of drug-related deaths
Encyclopedia
The following is a list of notable people who have died from drug-related causes.
Criteria for inclusion are death from overdose
, death from organ-failure/illness due to or exacerbated by drug use, or death from suicide/misadventure under the influence of drugs. Deaths from lethal injection
as a form of capital punishment, as well as deaths due to drug-related crime
, are not included.
Criteria for inclusion are death from overdose
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
, death from organ-failure/illness due to or exacerbated by drug use, or death from suicide/misadventure under the influence of drugs. Deaths from lethal injection
Lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
as a form of capital punishment, as well as deaths due to drug-related crime
Drug-Related Crime
In the United States, Illegal drugs are related to crime in multiple ways. Most directly, it is a crime to use, possess, manufacture, or distribute drugs classified as having a potential for abuse...
, are not included.
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Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
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Herb Abrams Herb Abrams Herb C. Abrams was an American professional wrestling promoter from New York.-Career:Abrams founded the Universal Wrestling Federation in 1990 and remained CEO of the company until his death... |
1954–1996 | Professional wrestling promoter | Cocaine related heart attack. | |
Janet Achurch Janet Achurch Janet Achurch was an English stage actress and actor-manager. She made her London debut in 1883. She played many Shakespearean roles, but is best known as a pioneer of major roles in the works of Ibsen. Perhaps her most notable role was as Nora in A Doll's House... |
1864–1916 | Actor | Morphine Morphine Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more... overdose. |
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Brian Adams Brian Adams (wrestler) Brian Keith Adams was an American professional wrestler. Adams gained fame in the 1990s while performing for the World Wrestling Federation , under the name Crush, and for World Championship Wrestling under his given name.Trained in Japan by Antonio Inoki, Adams was a two time WCW World Tag Team... |
1963–2007 | Professional wrestler | Painkiller overdose. Accidental. | |
Nick Adams | 1931–1968 | Actor | Barbituate overdose. Death officially certified as "accidental-suicidal and undetermined". High levels of sedatives were found in his blood. | |
Stuart Adamson Stuart Adamson Stuart Adamson , born William Stuart Adamson, was an English-born Scottish guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter, described by legendary music journalist John Peel as “Britain’s answer to Jimi Hendrix”... |
1958–2001 | Musician (Big Country Big Country Big Country are a Scottish rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife in 1981. They were most popular in the early to mid-1980s, but they still release material for a cult following... ) |
Hung himself under the influence of alcohol. | |
Michael Adkisson, aka Mike Von Erich Mike Von Erich Michael Brett Adkisson was an American professional wrestler under the ring name Mike Von Erich. His four brothers, David, Kerry, Kevin and Chris, also wrestled... |
1964–1987 | Professional wrestler | Tranquilizer Tranquilizer A tranquilizer, or tranquilliser , is a drug that induces tranquility in an individual.The term "tranquilizer" is imprecise, and is usually qualified, or replaced with more precise terms:... overdose. Suicide. |
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George Albert, aka George V George V George V was king of the United Kingdom and its dominions from 1910 to 1936.George V or similar terms may also refer to:-People:* George V of Georgia * George V of Imereti * George V of Hanover... |
1865–1936 | King | Cocaine and morphine overdose. Euthanasia Euthanasia Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering.... . |
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Asa A. Allen A. A. Allen Asa A. Allen , better known as A.A. Allen, was a controversial evangelist with a Pentecostal healing and deliverance ministry. He was, for a time, associated with the "Voice of Healing" movement founded by Gordon Lindsay. He died at age 59 in San Francisco... |
1911–1970 | Evangelist | Liver failure due to acute alcoholism. | |
Dennis Allen Dennis Allen Dennis Allen was a Melbourne based drug dealer who was reported to have murdered many victims. He was the oldest son of criminal matriarch Kath Pettingill. He died of heart disease in 1987 in prison custody awaiting trial for murder.... |
1951–1987 | Drug dealer | Heart failure. "Pieces of his heart actually broke off after decades of heavy drug abuse". | |
Ryūnosuke Akutagawa Ryunosuke Akutagawa was a Japanese writer active in the Taishō period in Japan. He is regarded as the "Father of the Japanese short story". He committed suicide at age of 35 through an overdose of barbital.-Early life:... |
1892–1927 | Writer | Veronal overdose. Suicide. | |
William Barnsley Allen William Barnsley Allen Major William Barnsley Allen VC DSO MC and Bar was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.... |
1892–1933 | Army officer | Unspecified narcotic overdose. Accidental. | |
Pier Angeli Pier Angeli Pier Angeli was an Italian-born television and film actress. Her American cinematographic debut was in the starring role of the 1951 film Teresa, in which she won a Golden Globe Award... |
1932–1971 | Actress | Died of anaphylactic shock after being given a tranquilizer by her doctor. | |
Matthew Ansara Matthew Ansara Matthew Michael Ansara was an actor and bodybuilder, who was the only son of Barbara Eden and her then-husband Michael Ansara. His first acting job was when he was 15 years old, in the pilot episode of Harper Valley PTA... |
1965–2001 | Actor | Heroin overdose. Accidental. | |
Chris Antley Chris Antley Christopher Wiley Antley was a champion American jockey.He was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida but grew up in Elloree, South Carolina. He left school at sixteen to ride horses professionally at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. His first win was on a horse named Vaya Con Dinero... |
1966–2000 | Jockey | Severe blunt trauma. The coroner's report concluded that Antley had died of a multiple drug overdose and the injuries were likely related to a fall caused by the drugs. | |
Jean Améry Jean Améry Jean Améry , born Hanns Chaim Mayer, was an Austrian-born essayist whose work was often informed by his experiences during World War II... |
1912–1978 | Writer | Sleeping pill overdose. Suicide. | |
Diane Arbus Diane Arbus Diane Arbus March 14, 1923 – July 26, 1971) was an American photographer and writer noted for black-and-white square photographs of "deviant and marginal people or of people whose normality seems ugly or surreal." A friend said that Arbus said that she was "afraid..... |
1923–1971 | Photographer | Consumed a number of barbiturates and then slit her wrists. Suicide. | |
West Arkeen West Arkeen Aaron West Arkeen , better known as West Arkeen, was an American musician best-known for co-writing several Guns N' Roses songs. He died in Los Angeles as a result of a drug overdose.-Biography:... |
1960–1997 | Musician | Opiate overdose. Accidental | |
Howard Arkley Howard Arkley Howard Arkley was an Australian artist, born in Melbourne, known for his airbrushed paintings of houses, architecture and suburbia. His mothers side of the family was Jewish and his father was German... |
1951–1999 | Painter | Heroin overdose. Accidental. | |
Kevyn Aucoin Kevyn Aucoin Kevyn Aucoin was an American make-up artist and photographer.-Early life:Aucoin was born in Shreveport, Louisiana and grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana, to parents Isidore Adrian Aucoin and Thelma Suzanne Melancon, who adopted him as an infant through Catholic Charities of Alexandria, Louisiana He... |
1962–2002 | Photographer, make-up artist | Kidney and liver failure due to Tylenol Tylenol Tylenol is a North American brand of drugs advertised for reducing pain, reducing fever, and relieving the symptoms of allergies, cold, cough, and flu. The active ingredient of its original, flagship product, paracetamol , is marketed as an analgesic and antipyretic... toxicity, as a result of a prescription painkiller addiction. |
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Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
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Karen Bach, aka Karen Lancaume Karen Lancaume Karen Lancaume was a French pornographic film actress. She appeared in around 40 movies between 1996 and 2002. She is best known internationally for her starring role as Nadine in the controversial 2000 film, Baise-moi... |
1973–2005 | Pornographic actress | Temazepam overdose. Suicide. | |
Chet Baker Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker, Jr. was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and singer.Though his music earned him a large following , Baker's popularity was due in part to his "matinee idol-beauty" and "well-publicized drug habit."He died in 1988 in Amsterdam, the... |
1929–1988 | Jazz trumpeter, singer, guitarist | Fatal fall from a balcony while under the influence of cocaine and heroin. | |
Lester Bangs Lester Bangs Leslie Conway "Lester" Bangs was an American music journalist, author and musician. He wrote for Creem and Rolling Stone magazines, and was known for his leading influence in rock 'n' roll criticism.... |
1948–1982 | Music critic, musician | Overdose of Darvon, Valium and NyQuil NyQuil NyQuil is a brand of over the counter medication which is intended to relieve various symptoms of the common cold. Because all of the medications within the NyQuil imprint contain sedating antihistamines, hypnotics, and/or alcohol, they are intended to be taken before sleep... . |
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Robert Barlow | 1918–1951 | Author | Overdose of barbiturates. Suicide. | |
Sid Barnes Sid Barnes Sidney George Barnes was an Australian cricketer and cricket writer, who played 13 Test matches between 1938 and 1948. Able to open the innings or bat down the order, Barnes was regarded as one of Australia's finest batsmen in the period immediately following the Second World War... |
1916–1973 | Cricketer Cricketer A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player".... |
Barbiturate and bromide poisoning. Self-administered though intent could not be determined. | |
Jean-Michel Basquiat Jean-Michel Basquiat Jean-Michel Basquiat was an American artist. His career in art began as a graffiti artist in New York City in the late 1970s, and in the 1980s produced Neo-expressionist painting.-Early life:... |
1960–1988 | Painter | Heroin overdose. | |
Michael Carl Baze | 1987–2011 | Jockey | Cocaine and oxymorphone overdose. Accidental. | |
Jan Paul Beahm, aka Darby Crash Darby Crash Darby Crash was an American punk musician who, along with long time friend Pat Smear , co-founded The Germs... |
1958–1980 | Musician (The Germs The Germs The Germs are an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, originally active from 1977 to 1980. The band's early lineup consisted of singer Darby Crash, guitarist Pat Smear, bassist Lorna Doom, and their most consistent drummer Don Bolles. Germs have since reformed in 2005 with Shane... ) |
Heroin overdose. Suicide. | |
Scotty Beckett Scotty Beckett Scott Hastings "Scotty" Beckett was an American child actor. He starred in the Our Gang and Rocky Jones, Space Ranger series.-Early career:... |
1929–1968 | Former child actor | Suspected overdose. Pills and a note were found next to his body however the coroner's report was not released. | |
Steve Bechler Steve Bechler Steven Scott Bechler was a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles in 2002.Steve Bechler died of heatstroke at the beginning of spring training with the Orioles in 2003. An autopsy performed by Dr... |
1979–2003 | Major League Baseball Major League Baseball Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League... pitcher |
Heatstroke. The coroner indicated that "the toxicity of ephedra Ephedra Ephedra refers to the plant Ephedra sinica. E. sinica, known in Chinese as ma huang , has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for 5,000 years for the treatment of asthma and hay fever, as well as for the common cold... played a significant role" among many factors in contributing to his death. |
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Brendan Behan Brendan Behan Brendan Francis Behan was an Irish poet, short story writer, novelist, and playwright who wrote in both Irish and English. He was also an Irish republican and a volunteer in the Irish Republican Army.-Early life:... |
1923–1964 | Poet, writer | Diabetes exacerbated by his refusal to stop drinking alcohol. | |
Gertrude Bell Gertrude Bell Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell, CBE was an English writer, traveller, political officer, administrator, and archaeologist who explored, mapped, and became highly influential to British imperial policy-making due to her extensive travels in Greater Syria, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, and Arabia. Along... |
1868–1926 | Writer | Overdose of sleeping pills. Whether it was an accident or suicide was undetermined. | |
John Belushi John Belushi John Adam Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known as one of the original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, The Star of the Films National Lampoon's Animal House and the The Blues Brothers and for fronting the American blues and soul... |
1949–1982 | Actor, comedian | Speedball Speedball (drug) Speedball is a term commonly referring to the hazardous intravenous use of heroin or morphine and cocaine together in the same syringe. The speedball can also be taken by insufflation. The original speedball used cocaine hydrochloride mixed with morphine sulfate, as opposed to heroin... . Accidental. |
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Jay Bennett Jay Bennett Jay Walter Bennett was an American guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, engineer, producer, and singer-songwriter, best known for his work with the band Wilco.-Early life and work with Wilco:... |
1963–2009 | Guitarist (Wilco) | Fentanyl overdose. Accidental | |
Wes Berggren Wes Berggren Wes Berggren was an American musician and former guitarist for the rock band Tripping Daisy.Berggren was found dead of a drug overdose in his apartment on October 27, 1999. The Dallas County Medical Examiner's office found traces of cocaine, propoxyphene, and benzodiazepine in his body... |
1971–1999 | Musician (Tripping Daisy Tripping Daisy Tripping Daisy was a neo psychedelic pop rock band that was formed in Dallas, Texas, USA by lead singer/guitarist Tim DeLaughter in 1990 along with Jeff Bouck , Wes Berggren and Mark Pirro .-History:... ) |
Overdose. Traces of cocaine, propoxyphene, and benzodiazepine were found in his body. | |
George Best George Best George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders... |
1946–2005 | Football player | Lung Lung The lung is the essential respiration organ in many air-breathing animals, including most tetrapods, a few fish and a few snails. In mammals and the more complex life forms, the two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of the heart... infection and multiple organ failure brought on by long-term alcoholism. |
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Leah Betts Leah Betts Leah Sarah Betts was a schoolgirl from Latchingdon in Essex, England, United Kingdom. She is notable for the extensive media coverage and moral panic that followed her death several days after her 18th birthday. On 11 November, she took an Ecstasy tablet, and then drank approximately 7 litres of... |
1977–1995 | Student | Excessive water consumption Water intoxication Water intoxication, also known as water poisoning, is a potentially fatal disturbance in brain functions that results when the normal balance of electrolytes in the body is pushed outside of safe limits by over-consumption of water.... exacerbated by ecstasy causing her body to release anti-diuretic hormones. |
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Len Bias Len Bias Leonard Kevin "Len" Bias was a first team All-American college basketball player at the University of Maryland. He was selected by the Boston Celtics as the second overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft on June 17, but died two days later from cardiac arrhythmia induced by a cocaine overdose... |
1963–1986 | Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... player |
Cocaine Cocaine Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic... overdose. Accidental. |
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Scott Charles Bigelow, aka Bam Bam Bigelow | 1961–2007 | Professional wrestler | Overdose. Lethal levels of cocaine and an anxiolytic Anxiolytic An anxiolytic is a drug used for the treatment of anxiety, and its related psychological and physical symptoms... drug were found in his blood. |
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Robert Bingham | 1966–1999 | Writer | Heroin overdose. | |
Ted Binion Ted Binion Lonnie Theodore "Ted" Binion was a wealthy U.S. gambling executive and one of the sons of famed Las Vegas casino magnate Lester Ben "Benny" Binion, owner of Binion's Horseshoe... |
1943–1998 | Gambling executive | Heroin and Xanax overdose. Possible suicide. | |
Count Gottfried von Bismarck | 1962–2007 | Aristocrat | Cocaine and morphine overdose. | |
Walter Patrick Bissell Patrick Bissell Walter Patrick Bissell was an American ballet dancer. He was a leading principal dancer with the American Ballet Theater... |
1957–1987 | Ballet dancer | Overdose of cocaine, codeine, methadone and other drugs. | |
Erica Blasberg Erica Blasberg Erica Paige Blasberg was an American golfer who played on the LPGA Tour.-Early life:Blasberg was born in Orange, California, and raised in Corona, California. She attended Corona High School where she played on the boys' golf team.-Amateur career:As an amateur, Blasberg was the medalist at the... |
1984–2010 | Golfer | Asphixia and toxic levels of "butalbital, temazepam, alprazolam, codeine, hydrocodone, and tramadol". Suicide. | |
Celia Ann Blaylock, aka Mattie Blaylock Mattie Blaylock Celia Ann "Mattie" Blaylock was a prostitute who became the romantic companion and common-law wife of Old West lawman and gambler Wyatt Earp for about 8 years... |
1850–1888 | Prostitute | Opiate poisoning. Suicide. | |
Mike Bloomfield Mike Bloomfield Michael Bernard "Mike" Bloomfield was an American musician, guitarist, and composer, born in Chicago, Illinois, who became one of the first popular music superstars of the 1960s to earn his reputation almost entirely on his instrumental prowess, since he rarely sang before 1969–70... |
1943–1981 | Blues guitar Guitar The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... ist |
Unspecified drug overdose. | |
Carl Böhm, aka Carl Crack Carl Crack Carl Crack was a Berlin-based techno artist best known for his membership in the digital hardcore band Atari Teenage Riot from 1992 to 2000.... |
1971–2001 | Musician (Atari Teenage Riot Atari Teenage Riot 'Atari Teenage Riot' is a German digital hardcore group formed in Berlin in 1992. The name was taken from a Portuguese Joe song 'Teenage Riot' from the 'Teen-age Riot' album, with the word 'Atari' added as an Atari ST computer was used to create compositions... ) |
Overdose. Alcohol and unspecified pills were found in his stomach. | |
Tommy Bolin Tommy Bolin Thomas Richard "Tommy" Bolin was an American-born guitarist who played with Zephyr , The James Gang , and Deep Purple , in addition to doing solo work... |
1951–1976 | Musician (Deep Purple Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre... ) |
Unspecified drug overdose. | |
John Bonham John Bonham John Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove... |
1948–1980 | Drummer (Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham... ) |
Choked on his own vomit after consuming forty shots of vodka. | |
Derek Boogaard Derek Boogaard Derek Leendert Boogaard was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played for the Minnesota Wild and the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He was of Flemish descent. Known primarily as a fighter and enforcer, his nicknames included "Boogeyman" and "The Mountie"... |
1982–2011 | Ice hockey player | Toxic mix of alcohol and oxycodone Oxycodone Oxycodone is an opioid analgesic medication synthesized from opium-derived thebaine. It was developed in 1916 in Germany, as one of several new semi-synthetic opioids in an attempt to improve on the existing opioids: morphine, diacetylmorphine , and codeine.Oxycodone oral medications are generally... . Accidental. |
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Jennie Bosschieter Jennie Bosschieter Jennie Bosschieter was murdered in Paterson, New Jersey on October 19, 1900. -Biography:Jennie was the daughter of Dina Bosschieter from The Netherlands. She lived with her parents at 155 East Fifth Street in the Riverside section, and worked at the Paterson Ribbon Company on Vreeland Avenue... |
1882–1900 | Factory worker | Overdose of drugged liquor. | |
Christopher Bowman Christopher Bowman Christopher Nicol' Bowman was an American figure skater. He was a two-time U.S. national champion and two-time World medalist. He won the 1983 World Junior Figure Skating Championships and competed in two Olympic Winter Games, placing 7th in 1988 and 4th in 1992.-Biography:Bowman was born in... |
1967–2008 | Former professional ice skater | Overdose. Traces of cocaine, Valium, alcohol and cannabis were found in his blood. Accidental. | |
Charles Boyer Charles Boyer Charles Boyer was a French actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976. After receiving an education in drama, Boyer started on the stage, but he found success in movies during the 1930s. His memorable performances were among the era's most highly praised romantic dramas,... |
1899–1978 | Actor | Seconal overdose. Suicide. | |
Duncan Gordon Boyes Duncan Gordon Boyes Duncan Gordon Boyes VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces... |
1846–1869 | Soldier | Delirium tremens Delirium tremens Delirium tremens is an acute episode of delirium that is usually caused by withdrawal from alcohol, first described in 1813... . |
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Elisa Bridges Elisa Bridges Elisa Rebeca Bridges was an American model and actress. She was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for December 1994, and Playboy's Video Playmate of the Month for September 1996. She appeared in several video productions from Playboy Home Video from 1996 to 2000. She also appeared as a... |
1973–2002 | Model | "Acute intoxication by the combined effects of heroin, methamphetamine, meperidine and alprazolam". | |
Dianne Brimble | 1960–2002 | Mother | Combination of gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid γ-Hydroxybutyric acid , also known as 4-hydroxybutanoic acid and sodium oxybate when used for medicinal purposes, is a naturally occurring substance found in the central nervous system, wine, beef, small citrus fruits, and almost all animals in small amounts. It is also categorized as an illegal... (GHB) and alcohol. |
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Erik Brødreskift Erik Brødreskift Erik Brødreskift was a Norwegian drummer, who played in several black metal bands during his career... |
1969–1999 | Musician | Overdose of unspecified pills. Suicide. | |
Lenny Bruce Lenny Bruce Leonard Alfred Schneider , better known by the stage name Lenny Bruce, was a Jewish-American comedian, social critic and satirist... |
1925–1966 | Comedian | "Acute morphine poisoning caused by an accidental overdose." | |
Julia Bruns Julia Bruns Julia Eliza Bruns was a stage andsilent film actress from St. Louis, Missouri. Once called the most beautiful girl in the world, she eventually succumbed to alcoholism and drug addiction and died at 32.... |
1895–1927 | Actress | Alcohol poisoning. | |
Tim Buckley Tim Buckley Timothy Charles Buckley III was an American vocalist, and musician. His music and style changed considerably through the years; his first album was mostly folk oriented, but over time his music incorporated jazz, psychedelia, funk, soul, avant-garde and an evolving "voice as instrument," sound... |
1947–1975 | Musician | "Acute heroin/morphine and ethanol intoxication due to inhalation and ingestion of overdose". | |
Richard Burton Richard Burton Richard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Although never trained as an actor, Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid... |
1925–1984 | Actor | Alcohol related causes. | |
Chad Butler, aka Pimp C Pimp C Chad Lamont Butler , better known by his stage name Pimp C, was an American rapper, singer, and producer... |
1973–2007 | Rapper | Respiratory depression due to an accidental overdose of promethazine and codeine mixed with a pre-existing medical condition, sleep apnea Sleep apnea Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing or instances of abnormally low breathing, during sleep. Each pause in breathing, called an apnea, can last from a few seconds to minutes, and may occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour. Similarly, each abnormally low... . |
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Paul Butterfield Paul Butterfield Paul Butterfield was an American blues vocalist and harmonica player, who founded the Paul Butterfield Blues Band in the early 1960s and performed at the original Woodstock Festival... |
1942–1987 | Musician | Drug related heart failure. |
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Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
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Andrés Caicedo Andrés Caicedo Luis Andrés Caicedo Estela was a Colombian writer born in Cali, the city where he would spend most of his life. Despite his premature death, his work is considered one of the most original in Colombian literature... |
1951–1977 | Writer | Secobarbital Secobarbital Secobarbital sodium is a barbiturate derivative drug that was first synthesized in 1928 in Germany. It possesses anaesthetic, anticonvulsant, sedative and hypnotic properties... overdose. Suicide. |
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Casey Calvert | 1981–2007 | Guitarist (Hawthorne Heights Hawthorne Heights Hawthorne Heights is an American rock band from Dayton, Ohio, formed in 2001. Their line-up currently consists of lead-singer and rhythm guitarist JT Woodruff, lead-guitarist and vocalist Micah Carli, bassist and backing vocalist Matt Ridenour, and drummer Eron Bucciarelli... ) |
A rare lethal mixture of hydrocodone/APAP, citalopram, and clonazepam. Accidental. | |
Ken Caminiti Ken Caminiti Kenneth Gene Caminiti was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball and the 1996 National League Most Valuable Player. He was born in Hanford, California, and attended San Jose State University... |
1963–2004 | Former Major League Baseball Major League Baseball Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League... player. |
Cocaine and opiate overdose. | |
Max Cantor Max Cantor Michael 'Max' Cantor was an American journalist and actor in films such as Dirty Dancing and Fear, Anxiety and Depression .... |
1959–1991 | Actor, journalist | Heroin overdose. | |
Truman Capote Truman Capote Truman Streckfus Persons , known as Truman Capote , was an American author, many of whose short stories, novels, plays, and nonfiction are recognized literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's and the true crime novel In Cold Blood , which he labeled a "nonfiction novel." At... |
1924–1984 | Writer | Liver disease complicated by phlebitis Phlebitis Phlebitis is an inflammation of a vein, usually in the legs.When phlebitis is associated with the formation of blood clots , usually in the deep veins of the legs, the condition is called thrombophlebitis... and multiple drug intoxication. |
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John Cassavetes John Cassavetes John Nicholas Cassavetes was an American actor, screenwriter and filmmaker. He acted in many Hollywood films, notably Rosemary's Baby and The Dirty Dozen... |
1929–1989 | Writer, actor, director | Cirrhosis Cirrhosis Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic liver disease characterized by replacement of liver tissue by fibrosis, scar tissue and regenerative nodules , leading to loss of liver function... of liver due to alcoholism Alcoholism Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing... |
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Vic Chesnutt Vic Chesnutt James Victor "Vic" Chesnutt was an American singer-songwriter from Athens, Georgia. His first album, Little, was released in 1990, but his breakthrough to commercial success didn't come until 1996 with the release of Sweet Relief II: Gravity of the Situation, a tribute album of mainstream artists... |
1964–2009 | Musician | Overdose of prescription medication. Suicide. | |
Maria Christina, aka Missy | 1967–2008 | Pornographic actress | Unspecified prescription drug overdose. Accidental. | |
Diana Churchill Diana Churchill Diana Spencer-Churchill was the eldest daughter of Sir Winston Churchill and Clementine Churchill, Baroness Spencer-Churchill .- Personal life :... |
1909–1963 | Naval officer | Barbiturate overdose. Suicide. | |
Sally Clark Sally Clark Sally Clark was a British solicitor who became the victim of an infamous miscarriage of justice when she was wrongly convicted of the murder of two of her sons in 1999... |
1964–2007 | Solicitor | Alcohol poisoning. | |
Sonny Clark Sonny Clark Conrad Yeatis "Sonny" Clark was an American jazz pianist who mainly worked in the hard bop idiom.-Biography:... |
1931–1963 | Pianist | Alcohol abuse; an attempt to conteract his heroin dependancy. | |
Steve Clark Steve Clark Stephen Maynard Clark was an English musician, co-lead guitarist for the British hard rock band Def Leppard up until his death in 1991 due to a combination of alcohol and multiple prescription drugs... |
1960–1991 | Musician (Def Leppard Def Leppard Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell... ) |
Lethal overdose of codeine, along with valium and morphine and alcohol at more than 3 times the legal British limit. Accidental. | |
Charmian Clift Charmian Clift Charmian Clift was an Australian writer and essayist during the mid 20th century. She was the second wife and literary collaborator of George Johnston.-Biography:... |
1923–1969 | Writer | Unspecified drug overdose. Suicide. | |
Vander Clyde, aka Barbette Barbette (performer) Barbette was an American female impersonator, high wire performer and trapeze artist born in Texas on December 19, 1899... |
1899–1973 | Trapeze artist | Unspecified drug overdose. Suicide. | |
Kurt Cobain Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana... |
1967–1994 | Musician (Nirvana Nirvana (band) Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987... ) |
Self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head under the influence of a potentially lethal dose of heroin with traces of diazepam. | |
Bob Collins Bob Collins (politician) Robert Lindsay Collins AO was an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian Senate from July 1987 to March 1998, representing the Northern Territory. Prior to entering the Senate, Collins was a member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly from 1977 to 1987, and Leader of the... |
1946–2007 | Politician | Prescription drug and alcohol overdose. Suicide. | |
Natasha Collins Natasha Collins Natasha Louise Collins was an English actress and model.-Career:Educated at St. Michael's Catholic Grammar School in Finchley, north London, she initially worked as a model, and was still represented by Ugly Rage Models at the time of her death... |
1973–2008 | Actress | Cocaine overdose. Accidental. | |
Brian Cole Brian Cole Brian Cole was the bass guitar player and one of the founding members of the 1960s folk rock band The Association.... |
1942–1972 | Musician (the Association The Association The Association is a pop music band from California in the folk rock or soft rock genre. During the 1960s, they had numerous hits at or near the top of the Billboard charts and were the lead-off band at 1967's Monterey Pop Festival... ) |
Heroin overdose. | |
Douglas Glenn Colvin, aka Dee Dee Ramone Dee Dee Ramone Dee Dee Ramone was an American songwriter and musician, best known as founding member, bassist and main songwriter of the punk rock band the Ramones.... |
1951–2002 | Musician (the Ramones) | Heroin overdose. | |
Michael Cooper Michael Cooper (photographer) Michael Cooper was a British photographer who is remembered for his photographs of leading rock musicians of the 1960s and early 1970s, most notably the many photos he took of The Rolling Stones in the mid-1960s.... |
1941–1973 | Photographer | Heroin overdose. | |
Megan Connolly Megan Connolly Megan Jennifer Connolly was an Australian actress.-Career:Connolly's film debut was 1990's The Crossing with Russell Crowe. She later played Tori Hayden in the soap opera Paradise Beach Later she hosted the television shows The Zone and Body Corp... |
1974–2001 | Actress | Heroin overdose. | |
Nancy Ann Coursey, aka Paige Summers Paige Summers Paige Summers was an American adult model. She was a former Penthouse dog and Pet of the Year... |
1976–2003 | Pornographic actress | Codeine and oxycodone overdose. | |
Pamela Courson Pamela Courson Pamela Susan Courson was the long-term companion of Jim Morrison, vocalist of The Doors. After the deaths of Morrison and Courson, her parents petitioned an out-of-state court to declare that the couple had a common-law marriage.-Early life and involvement with Morrison:Courson was born in Weed,... |
1946–1974 | Retail. Wife of Jim Morrison Jim Morrison James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American musician, singer, and poet, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors... |
Heroin overdose. | |
Nancy Crick Nancy Crick Nancy Crick was an Australian woman who took her own life by drinking a solution of Nembutal, while surrounded by 21 voluntary euthanasia supporters and family. Nancy was supported in her decision by euthanasia activist Dr. Philip Nitschke. Nancy's death became highly politicised after her... |
1932–2002 | Euthanasia activist | Overdose of nembutal. Euthanasia. | |
Robbin Crosby Robbin Crosby Robbin Crosby was an American guitarist who was a member of glam metal band Ratt, earning several platinum albums in the U.S. in the mid-to-late 1980s. Crosby was HIV positive, but died from a heroin overdose in 2002.... |
1959–2002 | Musician (Ratt Ratt Ratt is an American heavy metal band that had significant commercial success in the 1980s. The band is best known for songs such as "Round and Round," "Wanted Man," "Lay It Down," "You're in Love", "Slip of the Lip", "Back For More", "Dance", "Body Talk", "I Want a Woman", and "Way Cool Jr." Ratt... ) |
Reported causes of his death include heroin overdose, and AIDS-related complications, which he admitted to contracting from shooting drugs. | |
Bartley Crum Bartley Crum Bartley Cavanaugh Crum was a prominent American lawyer.Bartley Crum was a confidant of William Randolph Hearst and the 1940 U.S. Presidential candidate Wendel Willkie... |
1900–1959 | Lawyer | Washed down an entire bottle of Seconal with whisky. Suicide. | |
William Cuppy Will Cuppy William Jacob "Will" Cuppy was an American humorist and literary critic, known for his satirical books about nature and historical figures.-Early life:... |
1884–1949 | Literary critic | Sleeping pill overdose. Suicide. | |
Patricia Cutts Patricia Cutts Patricia Cutts was an English film and television actress.-Biography:Born in London, Cutts was the daughter of the writer-director Graham Cutts. Her first roles were small parts in American films such as I Was a Male War Bride and The Man Who Loved Redheads and the television shows Alfred... |
1926–1974 | Actress | Barbiturate overdose. Suicide. |
D
Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
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Lin Dai Lin Dai Linda Lin Dai was a Chinese actress of Hong Kong films made in Mandarin during 1950s–60s. She was a star actress in the Shaw Brothers Studio stable.... |
1934–1964 | Actress | Sleeping pill overdose combined with gas inhalation. | |
Jacques Damala Jacques Damala Aristides Damalas , known in France by the stage name Jacques Damala, , was a Greek military officer-turned-actor, who is mostly remembered as being husband to Sarah Bernhardt for a number of years. Damala's characterization by modern researchers is far from positive... |
1855–1889 | Actor | Cocaine and morphine overdose. | |
Dorothy Dandridge Dorothy Dandridge Dorothy Jean Dandridge was an American actress and popular singer, and was the first African-American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress... |
1922–1965 | Actress, singer | Overdose of Imipramine Imipramine Imipramine , also known as melipramine, is an antidepressant medication, a tricyclic antidepressant of the dibenzazepine group... . Accidental. |
|
Robert Earl Davis, Jr., aka DJ Screw DJ Screw Robert Earl "DJ Screw" Davis, Jr. was a Houston, Texas-based DJ. He was known as a central figure in the Houston hip-hop community and was the creator of the now-famous Chopped and Screwed DJ technique... |
1971–2000 | Musician | Overdose of codeine Codeine Codeine or 3-methylmorphine is an opiate used for its analgesic, antitussive, and antidiarrheal properties... and other drugs. Accidental. |
|
Jesse Ed Davis Jesse Ed Davis Jesse Edwin Davis was an American guitarist. He was well regarded as a session artist. His death in 1988 is attributed to a drug overdose.-Biography:... |
1944–1988 | Guitarist | Heroin overdose. | |
Jeanine Deckers, aka The Singing Nun The Singing Nun Jeanine Deckers , known in English as The Singing Nun, was a Belgian nun, and a member of the Dominican Fichermont Convent in Belgium. She became internationally famous in 1963 as Sœur Sourire when she scored a hit with the song "Dominique"... |
1933–1985 | Nun | Overdose of barbiturates and alcohol. Suicide. | |
Thierry de la Villehuchet René-Thierry Magon de la Villehuchet René-Thierry Magon de la Villehuchet, also known as Thierry de la Villehuchet for short was a French aristocrat, money manager, and businessman, and one of the founders of Access International Advisors .The AIA Group is a research analyst investment agency that specializes in managing hedged and... |
1943–2008 | Businessman | Swallowed sleeping pills and slit his left arm. Suicide. | |
Paul DeMayo Paul Demayo Paul DeMayo was a former IFBB professional bodybuilder.Paul DeMayo was nicknamed "Quadzilla" for the size of his quadriceps. Born in California, United States and raised in suburban Boston, DeMayo first competed in bodybuilding when he placed 1st in the Teenage Massachusetts State championships... |
1967–2005 | Former bodybuilder Bodybuilding Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their... |
Heroin overdose. | |
Ted Demme Ted Demme Edward K. "Ted" Demme was an American film director and producer.- Early life and career :Born in New York City, Demme grew up in Rockville Centre on Long Island, New York and attended South Side Senior High School. He graduated from SUNY-Cortland in 1985. His media career likely began with a... |
1963–2002 | Director | Heart attack. Cocaine was found in his system which the coroner stated may have been a factor in his death. Accidental. | |
Daniel Deniehy Daniel Deniehy Daniel Henry Deniehy was an Australian journalist, orator and politician; and early advocate of democracy in colonial New South Wales.-Early life:... |
1828–1865 | Politician | "[L]oss of blood and fits induced by habits of intemperance" | |
Teri Diver Teri Diver Teri Diver was an American pornstar and director. She died of an accidental drug overdose.- Biography :Diver starred in over 200 movies in the 1990s.... |
1971–2001 | Pornographic actress | Migraine medication overdose. Accidental. | |
Kiki Djan Kiki Djan Kiki Djan was a Ghanaian musician who was the keyboardist with the band Osibisa, once popular in the 1970s. Djan's career peaked when he went solo and recorded "24 Hours in a Disco" which hit the charts in the United States and the U.K... |
1957–2004 | Musician | AIDS and narcotic related complications. | |
Desmond Donnelly Desmond Donnelly Desmond Louis Donnelly was a British politician, author and journalist who was a member of four different political parties during the course of his career, and moved between parties on five occasions.- Origins :... |
1920–1974 | Politician, journalist | Barbiturate and alcohol overdose. Suicide. | |
Tommy Dorsey Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey... |
1905–1956 | Jazz musician | Choked to death while sleeping. He was so sedated on sleeping pills that he was unable to awaken. | |
John Dougherty | 19??–1997 | Musician (Flipper Flipper (band) Flipper is a punk band formed in San Francisco, California in 1979, continuing in often erratic fashion until the mid-1990s, then reuniting in 2005. The band influenced a number of grunge,, punk rock and noise rock bands... ) |
Heroin overdose. | |
Eric Douglas Eric Douglas Eric Anthony Douglas was an American actor who appeared in several movies and television shows and was also a stand-up comedian.-Early life and career:... |
1958–2004 | Comedian | Acute intoxication by the effects of alcohol, tranquilizers and painkillers. | |
Nick Drake Nick Drake Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake was an English singer-songwriter and musician. Though he is best known for his sombre guitar based songs, Drake was also proficient at piano, clarinet and saxophone... |
1948–1974 | Musician | Anti-depressant overdose. Disputed suicide. | |
Michael Dransfield Michael Dransfield Michael Dransfield was an Australian poet active in the 1960s and early 1970s who wrote close to 1000 poems. He has been described as "one of the most widely read poets of his generation." -Early life:... |
1948–1973 | Poet | Sources report conflicting causes of death, including infection related to drug use and "acute broncho-pneumonia and brain damage". | |
Jonathan Drummond-Webb Jonathan Drummond-Webb Jonathan Drummond-Webb was a South African pediatric heart surgeon.He gained national attention by way of a TV series produced by ABC NEWS called "ICU: Arkansas Children's Hospital" , which showcased complicated operations during the summer of 2002... |
1959–2009 | Pediatric heart surgeon | Unspecified prescription drug overdose. Suicide. | |
Kevin DuBrow Kevin DuBrow Kevin Mark DuBrow was an American rock singer best known as the lead vocalist of the Heavy Metal band Quiet Riot from 1975 until his death in 2007... |
1955–2007 | Singer | Cocaine overdose. Accidental. | |
Bobby Duncum, Jr. Bobby Duncum, Jr. Bobby Duncum, Jr. was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his stint in World Championship Wrestling as a member of the West Texas Rednecks.-Professional wrestling career:... |
1965–2000 | Professional wrestler | Prescription painkiller overdose. Accidental. | |
Theresa Duncan Theresa Duncan Theresa Duncan was an American game designer, blogger, filmmaker and critic.- Life :Theresa Lee Duncan was born in Lapeer, Michigan, near Detroit to Donnie and Mary Duncan. She had a sister, Deanna and a brother, Scott... |
1966–2007 | Video game designer | Combined ingestion of Tylenol PM and alcohol. Suicide. | |
Ryan Dunn Ryan Dunn Ryan Matthew Dunn was an American reality television personality and daredevil best known for being a member of the Jackass and Viva La Bam crew. He hosted Homewrecker and Proving Ground... |
1977–2011 | Actor, stunt man | Car crash. Dunn had a blood alcohol level of 0.196%, more than twice the legal limit where he was killed. | |
Anthony Durante Anthony Durante Anthony Durante was a professional wrestler best known as "Pitbull #2" as one half of the tag team The Pitbulls, with "Pitbull #1" Gary Wolfe.-WWF:... |
1967–2003 | Professional wrestler | Fentanyl overdose. | |
Guru Dutt Guru Dutt Vasanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone , popularly known as Guru Dutt, was an Indian film director, producer and actor. He is often credited with ushering in the golden era of Hindi cinema... |
1925–1964 | Actor | Overdose of sleeping pills and alcohol. |
E
Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
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Jeanne Eagels Jeanne Eagels Jeanne Eagels was an American actress on Broadway and in several motion pictures. She was a former Ziegfeld Follies Girl who went on to greater fame on Broadway and in the emerging medium of sound films.... |
1890–1929 | Actress | Alcohol and/or heroin abuse. | |
John Entwistle John Entwistle John Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players... |
1944–2002 | Musician (the Who The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction... ) |
Cocaine-induced heart attack. | |
Brian Epstein Brian Epstein Brian Samuel Epstein , was an English music entrepreneur, and is best known for being the manager of The Beatles up until his death. He also managed several other musical artists such as Gerry & the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Cilla Black, The Remo Four & The Cyrkle... |
1934–1967 | Manager of The Beatles The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr... |
Sleeping pill overdose. Accidental. | |
Howie Epstein Howie Epstein Howard Norman Epstein , was a musician best known for his work with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.-Early life:... |
1955–2003 | Musician (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers are an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. They were formed in 1976 by Tom Petty , Mike Campbell , Benmont Tench , , Ron Blair and Stan Lynch... ) |
Suspected drug overdose. It was reported he took heroin and prescription drugs shortly before his death. |
F
Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|
Chris Farley Chris Farley Christopher Crosby "Chris" Farley was an American comedian and actor. Farley was a member of Chicago's Second City Theatre and cast member of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1995.... |
1964–1997 | Comedian, actor | Cocaine and morphine overdose. | |
Pete Farndon Pete Farndon Pete Farndon was an English bassist and founding member of the rock band The Pretenders. Farndon attended Hereford Cathedral School in his home town of Hereford, before embarking on his musical legacy with The Pretenders... |
1952–1983 | Musician (the Pretenders The Pretenders The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers... ) |
Passed out in his bath due to a heroin overdose and subsequently drowned. | |
Rainer Werner Fassbinder Rainer Werner Fassbinder Rainer Werner Maria Fassbinder was a German movie director, screenwriter and actor. He is considered one of the most important representatives of the New German Cinema.He maintained a frenetic pace in film-making... |
1945–1982 | Playwright, director | Cocaine overdose. Possibly suicide. | |
Brenda Fassie Brenda Fassie Brenda Fassie , was a South African pop singer. She was known for her "outrageousness" and widely considered a voice for disenfranchised blacks during apartheid. She was affectionately known as the Queen of African Pop and her nickname amongst fans was Mabrr.-Biography:Brenda was born in Langa,... |
1964–2004 | Singer | Initial press reports cited complications of asthma attack while a later autopsy "mentioned cocaine overdose". | |
Edward Fatu Eddie Fatu Edward Smith "Eki" Fatu was a Samoan-American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Umaga... , aka Umaga |
1973–2009 | Professional wrestler | "Acute toxicity due to combined effects of hydrocodone, carisoprodol, and diazepam." Accidental. | |
Althea Flynt Althea Flynt Althea Flynt , née Leasure, was the fourth wife of Larry Flynt and the co-publisher of Flynt's adult pornography magazine, Hustler.... |
1953–1987 | Co-publisher of Hustler Hustler Hustler is a monthly pornographic magazine aimed at men and published in the United States. It was first published in 1974 by Larry Flynt. It was a step forward from the Hustler Newsletter which was cheap advertising for his strip club businesses at the time. The magazine grew from a shaky start to... magazine |
Drowned in the bath after passing out due to a heroin overdose. | |
Steve Foley Steve Foley (drummer) Steven Foley was an American drummer who played for Curtiss A, Things That Fall Down, The Replacements, Bash & Pop, Wheelo and several other bands in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He played live for the most part but he recorded with songwriter Peter Lack and he appears in a Replacements video, "When It... |
1959–2008 | Drummer | Unspecified drug overdose. Accidental. | |
Zac Foley | 1971–2002 | Musician (EMF EMF (band) EMF were an indie dance band from the United Kingdom. The band, from the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, came to prominence at the beginning of the 1990s. During its initial eight year run , EMF had released three studio albums and had gone on hiatus and reformed twice... ) |
Overdose. Heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, barbiturates and alcohol were found in his blood. | |
Rosemarie Frankland Rosemarie Frankland Rosemarie Frankland was a Welsh beauty pageant contestant who won the 1961 Miss United Kingdom and Miss World titles before becoming an actress.-Biography:... |
1943–2000 | Actress | Unspecified prescription drug overdose. Suicide. | |
Seán Fortune Seán Fortune Fr. Seán Fortune was an Irish priest accused of child molestation, who allegedly used his position to gain access to his victims. He was never tried, but committed suicide before any charges were proved against him,... |
1954–1999 | Priest | Overdose of alcohol and unspecified drugs. Suicide. | |
Katy French Katy French Katy Ellen French was an Irish socialite, model, writer, television personality and charity worker. According to the BBC, "in the space of less than two years, she had become one of Ireland's best-known models and socialites." She collapsed at a friend's house on 2 December 2007 and died on 6... |
1983–2007 | Model, socialite | Brain damage most likely caused by cocaine use. | |
Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis... |
1856–1939 | Neurologist | Physician assisted morphine overdose. Euthanasia Euthanasia Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering.... . |
|
Gary Frisch Gary Frisch Gary Frisch was co-founder of the Gaydar website. He was one of the UK's leading gay businessmen.Frisch was born in South Africa. His father, Eric, worked in engineering, and his mother, Rona, was an accountant... |
1969–2007 | Website founder | Jumped from a balcony while under the influence of ketamine. Officially ruled as misadventure. |
G
Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
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Danny Gans Danny Gans Daniel Davies Gans was an American singer and comedian who found regional success as a vocal impressionist.-Career:... |
1956–2009 | Impressionist, entertainer. | Prescription hydromorphone Hydromorphone Hydromorphone, a more common synonym for dihydromorphinone, commonly a hydrochloride is a very potent centrally-acting analgesic drug of the opioid class. It is a derivative of morphine, to be specific, a hydrogenated ketone thereof and, therefore, a semi-synthetic drug... use combined with pre-existing heart condition. Accidental. |
|
Paul Gardiner Paul Gardiner Paul Gardiner was a British musician who played bass guitar with Gary Numan and Tubeway Army as well as material under his own name.-Biography:... |
1958–1984 | Musician (Tubeway Army Tubeway Army Tubeway Army were a London-based punk rock and new wave band led by lead singer Gary Numan. They were the first band of the post-punk era to have a synthesizer-based hit, with their single Are 'Friends' Electric? and its parent album Replicas both topping the UK Album Chart in mid-1979.-Line-up:The... ) |
Heroin overdose. | |
Judy Garland Judy Garland Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage... |
1922–1969 | Singer and actress | Secobarbital overdose. Her death certificate states the overdose was "accidental" however there is speculation it was intentional. | |
Lowell George Lowell George Lowell Thomas George was an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, who was the main guitarist and songwriter for the rock band Little Feat.- Early years :... |
1945–1979 | Musician (Little Feat Little Feat Little Feat is an American rock band formed by singer-songwriter, lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in 1969 in Los Angeles.... ) |
Unspecified drug overdose. Accidental. | |
Talitha Getty Talitha Getty Talitha Getty was an actress of Dutch extraction, born in the former Dutch East Indies, who was regarded as a style icon of the late 1960s. She lived much of her adult life in Britain and, in her final years, was closely associated with the Moroccan city of Marrakesh... |
1940–1971 | Actress | Heroin overdose. | |
Iolanda Christina Gigliotti, aka Dalida Dalida Dalida , born with Italian name of Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti, was a world-famous singer and actress born in Egypt with Italian origins but naturalised French with the name Yolanda Gigliotti. She spent her early years in Egypt amongst the Italian Egyptian community, but she lived most of her adult... |
1933–1987 | Singer | Barbiturate overdose. Suicide. | |
Harold Gimblett Harold Gimblett Harold Gimblett was a cricketer who played for Somerset and England. He was known for his fast scoring as an opening batsman and for the much-repeated story of his debut... |
1914–1978 | Cricketer | Overdose of unspecified pills. | |
Trevor Goddard Trevor Goddard Trevor Goddard was an English actor. He played Kano in the first Mortal Kombat movie and Lieutenant Commander Mic Brumby on JAG.-Career:Goddard was born in Croydon, Surrey, England, in 1962... |
1962–2003 | Actor | Overdose of heroin, cocaine, valium and vicodin. Accidental. | |
Greg Giraldo Greg Giraldo Greg Giraldo was an American stand-up comedian, television personality, and retired lawyer. Giraldo was best known for his appearances on Comedy Central's televised roast specials, and for his work on that network's television shows Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, Lewis Black's Root of All Evil, and... |
1965–2010 | Comedian | Overdose of prescription medication. Accidental. | |
Dwayne Goettel Dwayne Goettel Dwayne Rudolph Goettel was a member of the industrial band Skinny Puppy. He played keyboards for an early incarnation of the Canadian gothic/synthpop band Psyche, as well as a band called Water, who opened for Skinny Puppy in 1985... |
1964–1995 | Musician (Skinny Puppy Skinny Puppy Skinny Puppy is a Canadian industrial musical group, formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1982. The group is widely considered to be the founders of the electro-industrial genre.... ) |
Heroin overdose. | |
Adam Goldstein Adam Goldstein Adam Michael Goldstein was an American DJ, remixer, record producer and musician better known as DJ AM. Goldstein was a member of the rock band Crazy Town, co-owner of a management company called Deckstar and worked on albums for Papa Roach, Madonna and Will Smith, among others... , aka DJ AM |
1973–2009 | Disc Jockey | Overdose of cocaine/levamisole, oxycodone, hydrocodone, lorazepam, clonazepam, alprazolam and diphenhydramine. Accidental. | |
Paul Gray | 1972–2010 | Musician (Slipknot Slipknot (band) Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray... ) |
Morphine and fentanyl overdose. Accidental. | |
Lucy Grealy Lucy Grealy Lucinda Margaret Grealy was an American poet and memoirist who wrote Autobiography of a Face in 1994. This critically acclaimed book describes her childhood and early adolescence experience with cancer of the jaw, which left her with some facial disfigurement... |
1963–2002 | Poet | Heroin overdose. | |
Eddie Guerrero Eddie Guerrero Eduardo Gory "Eddie" Guerrero was a Mexican-American professional wrestler born into the Guerrero wrestling family. He wrestled in Mexico and Japan for several major professional wrestling promotions... |
1967–2005 | Professional wrestler | "Heart disease, complicated by an enlarged heart resulting from a history of anabolic steroid use." |
H
Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
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Clinton Haines Clinton Haines Clinton 'Clint' Haines was an Australian computer hacker. He was also known as Harry McBungus, TaLoN and Terminator-Z.Haines attended Ipswich Grammar School... |
1976–1997 | Computer hacker | Heroin overdose. Accidental. | |
Kenneth Halliwell Kenneth Halliwell Kenneth Halliwell was a British actor and writer. He was the mentor, boyfriend and eventual murderer of playwright Joe Orton.- Childhood :... |
1926–1967 | Actor | Pentobarbital overdose. Suicide. | |
William Hamilton William Rowan Hamilton Sir William Rowan Hamilton was an Irish physicist, astronomer, and mathematician, who made important contributions to classical mechanics, optics, and algebra. His studies of mechanical and optical systems led him to discover new mathematical concepts and techniques... |
1805–1865 | Physicist, astronomer, mathematician | "A severe attack of gout precipitated by excessive drinking..." | |
Edward A. Hannegan Edward A. Hannegan Edward Allen Hannegan was a United States Representative and Senator from Indiana.-Early life and education:... |
1807–1857 | Senator | Morphine overdose. | |
Tony Hancock Tony Hancock Anthony John "Tony" Hancock was an English actor and comedian.-Early life and career:Hancock was born in Southam Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, England, but from the age of three was brought up in Bournemouth, where his father, John Hancock, who ran the Railway Hotel in... |
1924–1968 | Actor | Lethal mixture of amphetamines and liquor. Suicide. | |
James Harden-Hickey James Harden-Hickey James Harden-Hickey was a Franco-American author, newspaper editor, duellist, adventurer and self-proclaimed Prince.-Early life:James Aloysius Harden was born in San Francisco, California on December 8, 1854... |
1854–1898 | Author, adventurer | Morphine overdose. Suicide. | |
Bobby Hatfield Bobby Hatfield Robert Lee "Bobby" Hatfield was an American singer, best known as one half of the Righteous Brothers.-Early life:... |
1940–2003 | Musician (The Righteous Brothers The Righteous Brothers The Righteous Brothers were the musical duo of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield. They recorded from 1963 through 1975, and continued to perform until Hatfield's death in 2003... ) |
Cocaine-induced heart attack. | |
Malcolm Hardee Malcolm Hardee Malcolm Hardee was an English comedian, author, comedy club proprietor, compère, agent, manager and "amateur sensationalist".... |
1950–2005 | Comedian | Drowned after he fell into the water whilst drunk. | |
Tim Hardin Tim Hardin James Timothy "Tim" Hardin was an American folk musician and composer. He wrote the Top 40 hits "If I Were a Carpenter", covered by, among others, Joan Baez, Bobby Darin, Johnny Cash, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, and Robert Plant, and "Reason to Believe", covered by many, including Rod Stewart, as well... |
1941–1980 | Musician | Heroin overdose. | |
Brynn Hartman | 1958–1998 | Wife and murderer of comedian Phil Hartman Phil Hartman Philip Edward "Phil" Hartman was a Canadian-American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and graphic artist. Born in Brantford, Ontario, Hartman and his family moved to the United States when he was 10... |
Self-inflicted gunshot wound to her head under the influence of cocaine, alcohol and Zoloft Sertraline Sertraline hydrochloride is an antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor class. It was introduced to the market by Pfizer in 1991. Sertraline is primarily used to treat major depression in adult outpatients as well as obsessive–compulsive, panic, and social anxiety disorders in... . |
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Domino Harvey Domino Harvey Domino Harvey was an English bounty hunter, notable within that field for being female and from a privileged background. Though there is speculation as to whether she really was a model, there are in fact photographs which show her involved in what would appear to be modeling-related work... |
1969–2005 | Bounty hunter Bounty hunter A bounty hunter captures fugitives for a monetary reward . Other names, mainly used in the United States, include bail enforcement agent and fugitive recovery agent.-Laws in the U.S.:... |
Fentanyl overdose. | |
Rodney Harvey Rodney Harvey Rodney Michael Harvey was an American actor and model.-Career:Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Harvey was discovered by director Paul Morrissey in 1984. Morrissey cast Harvey in two of his films Mixed Blood and Spike of Bensonhurst... |
1967–1998 | Actor, model | Heroin overdose. | |
Phyllis Haver Phyllis Haver Phyllis Haver was an American actress of the silent film era.-Early life:She was born Phyllis Haver in Douglass, Kansas. When she was young, her family moved to Los Angeles, California, then a city of less than half a million people. Haver attended Los Angeles Polytechnic High... |
1899–1960 | Actress | Barbiturate overdose. Suspected suicide. | |
Elizabeth Hawes Elizabeth Hawes Elizabeth Hawes was an American clothing designer, outspoken critic of the fashion industry, and champion of ready to wear and people's right to have the clothes they desired, rather than the clothes dictated to be fashionable... |
1903–1971 | Clothing designer | "Alcohol-related causes". | |
James Hayden James Hayden James Hayden was a young, handsome American actor from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, with a very promising career ahead of him. Apart from starring on Broadway, he is perhaps best known for playing Patrick 'Patsy' Goldberg in the 1984 film Once Upon a Time in America... |
1953–1983 | Actor | Heroin overdose. | |
Paul Hayward Paul Hayward Paul Hayward was a former professional rugby league player and boxer who played for the Newtown Jets between 1973 and 1978. Hayward had been selected to represent Australia as a boxer at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal... |
19??–1992 | Rugby league Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... player |
Heroin overdose. | |
Mitch Hedberg Mitch Hedberg Mitchell Lee "Mitch" Hedberg was an American stand-up comedian known for his surreal humor and unconventional comedic delivery. His comedy typically featured short, sometimes one-line jokes, mixed with absurd elements and non sequiturs... |
1968–2005 | Comedian | Cocaine and heroin overdose. | |
Tim Hemensley Tim Hemensley Tim Hemensley was a bass player and singer from Melbourne, Australia who was best known for his role as the leader of highly respected punk / garage / hard rock band, Powder Monkeys. Also known for his time in teenage band GOD, Geelong's Bored! and the Yes-Men, Tim Hemensley was in his first band,... |
1972–2003 | Musician (GOD) | Heroin overdose. | |
Margaux Hemingway Margaux Hemingway Margaux Hemingway was an American fashion model and actress.- Early life :Margot Louise Hemingway was born in Portland, Oregon, and was the older sister of actress Mariel Hemingway and the granddaughter of writer Ernest Hemingway... |
1954–1996 | Actress | Phenobarbital Phenobarbital Phenobarbital or phenobarbitone is a barbiturate, first marketed as Luminal by Friedr. Bayer et comp. It is the most widely used anticonvulsant worldwide, and the oldest still commonly used. It also has sedative and hypnotic properties but, as with other barbiturates, has been superseded by the... overdose. Disputed suicide. |
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Jimi Hendrix Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter... |
1942–1970 | Musician | Respiratory arrest caused by alcohol and barbiturate overdose and vomit inhalation. | |
Curt Hennig Curt Hennig Curtis Michael "Curt" Hennig , also known by the ring name Mr. Perfect, was an American professional wrestler, manager and color commentator who worked for, among other promotions, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World... |
1958–2003 | Professional wrestler | Cocaine overdose. | |
James Leo Herlihy James Leo Herlihy James Leo Herlihy was an American novelist, playwright and actor.Born into a working class family in Detroit, Michigan, Herlihy is known for his novels Midnight Cowboy and All Fall Down and his play Blue Denim, all of which were adapted for cinema... |
1927–1993 | Novelist, actor | Overdose of sleeping pills. Suicide. | |
Gino Hernandez Gino Hernandez Charles Eugene Wolfe, Jr. was a professional wrestler better known by his ring name Gino Hernandez. His in-ring nickname was "The Handsome Half-Breed" -Career:... |
1957–1986 | Professional wrestler | Cocaine overdose. | |
George Hickenlooper | 1963–2010 | Documentary filmmaker | Oxymorphone and alcohol overdose. Accidental. | |
Ureli Hill Ureli Corelli Hill Ureli Corelli Hill was an American conductor, and the first president and conductor of the New York Philharmonic Society. His grandfather, Frederick Hill, was a fifer in the Revolutionary army. His father, Uri Keeler Hill, was a music teacher and composer... |
1802–1875 | Conductor Conducting Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble... |
Morphine overdose. Suicide. | |
Virginia Hill Virginia Hill Virginia Hill was a Chicago Outfit courier who was famous for being the girlfriend of Genovese crime family mobster Bugsy Siegel, following the breakdown of his marriage.- The Kefauver hearings :... |
1916–1966 | Chicago Outfit Chicago Outfit The Chicago Outfit, also known as the Chicago Syndicate or Chicago Mob and sometimes shortened to simply the Outfit, is a crime syndicate based in Chicago, Illinois, USA... courier Courier A courier is a person or a company who delivers messages, packages, and mail. Couriers are distinguished from ordinary mail services by features such as speed, security, tracking, signature, specialization and individualization of express services, and swift delivery times, which are optional for... |
Sleeping pill overdose. | |
Jane Aiken Hodge Jane Aiken Hodge Jane Aiken Hodge was an American-born British writer.-Life:Born near Cambridge, Massachusetts to Pulitzer prize-winning poet Conrad Aiken and his first wife, the writer Jessie McDonald... |
1917–2009 | Writer | Unspecified drug overdose. Suicide. | |
Abbie Hoffman Abbie Hoffman Abbot Howard "Abbie" Hoffman was a political and social activist who co-founded the Youth International Party .... |
1936–1989 | Political activist | Phenobarbital overdose. Suicide. | |
Billie Holiday Billie Holiday Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing... |
1915–1959 | Jazz singer | Cirrhosis of the liver caused by alcoholism. | |
John Curtis Holder, Jr., aka Jackie Curtis Jackie Curtis John Curtis Holder, Jr. , better known as Jackie Curtis, was an actor, writer, singer and Warhol Superstar.-Early life and career:... |
1947–1985 | Actor | Heroin overdose. | |
Gary Holton Gary Holton Gary Frederick Holton was an English singer-songwriter, musician and actor from London. He was the frontman of the band Heavy Metal Kids, for whom he played lead vocals, guitar, rhythm guitar, keyboards and harmonica, and played the part of Wayne in the UK television comedy Auf Wiedersehen, Pet... |
1952–1985 | Actor and musician | Heroin overdose. | |
James Honeyman-Scott James Honeyman-Scott James Honeyman-Scott , commonly referred to as "Jimmy", was an English rock guitarist, songwriter and founding member of the band The Pretenders.... |
1956–1982 | Musician (the Pretenders The Pretenders The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers... ) |
Cocaine-induced heart attack. | |
Shannon Hoon Shannon Hoon Richard Shannon Hoon was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He was the frontman and lead singer of the band Blind Melon until his death from a cocaine overdose in 1995.-Early life:... |
1967–1995 | Musician, singer (Blind Melon Blind Melon Blind Melon is an American rock band active from 1989 to 1999, and from 2006 onward.Best remembered for their 1993 single "No Rain", the group enjoyed critical and commercial success in the early 1990s with their neo-psychedelic take on alternative rock... ) |
Cocaine overdose. | |
Sebastian Horsley Sebastian Horsley Sebastian Horsley was a London artist best known for having undergone a voluntary crucifixion. Horsley's writing often revolved around his dysfunctional family, his drug addictions, sex, and his reliance on prostitutes.-Background:Horsley was born in Holderness in the East Riding of Yorkshire... |
1962–2010 | Artist | Heroin and cocaine overdose. | |
Lisa Howard Lisa Howard (reporter) Lisa Howard was a pioneering female journalist and television news anchor who also had a career as an off-Broadway theater and TV soap opera actress.... |
1930–1965 | Reporter | Phenobarbital overdose. Officially listed as suicide but speculated as murder. | |
Howard Hughes Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world... |
1905–1976 | Aviator, engineer, industrialist, movie producer | Liver failure. Physician administered an overdose of codeine at "the highest clinical level ever recorded" at the time. | |
Gertrude Hullett Gertrude Hullett Gertrude "Bobby" Hullett , a resident of Eastbourne, East Sussex, England, was a patient of the suspected serial killer Dr John Bodkin Adams, who was charged with her murder but never tried for it.-Jack Hullett:... |
1906–1956 | Patient of Dr. John Bodkin Adams John Bodkin Adams John Bodkin Adams was an Irish-born British general practitioner, convicted fraudster and suspected serial killer. Between the years 1946 and 1956, more than 160 of his patients died in suspicious circumstances. Of these, 132 left him money or items in their will. He was tried and acquitted for... |
Twice the fatal dose of sodium barbitone was found in her blood. | |
Elizabeth Hulette, aka Miss Elizabeth Miss Elizabeth Elizabeth Ann Hulette , best known as Miss Elizabeth, was an American professional wrestling manager. She gained international fame from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation, and the mid-1990s in World Championship Wrestling in her role as the manager to the late... |
1960–2003 | Professional wrestling manager | Acute toxicity. Autopsy revealed pain killers, nausea medication and tranquilizers were found in her blood, along with an alcohol level of 0.29. | |
Harold Hunter Harold Hunter __notoc__Harold Atkins Hunter was an American professional skateboarder and actor. He was best known on screen for his part in Larry Clark's 1995 film Kids, playing the role of Harold.... |
1974–2006 | Professional skateboarder, actor | Cocaine-induced heart attack. | |
Michael Hutchence Michael Hutchence Michael Kelland John Hutchence was an Australian musician and actor. He was the founding lead singer-songwriter of rock band :INXS from 1977 to his death in 1997, a period of twenty years. Hutchence was a member of short-lived pop rock group Max Q and recorded solo material which was released... |
1960–1997 | Musician, singer (INXS INXS INXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax... ), actor |
Self-induced asphyxiation while under the influence of alcohol, cocaine, Prozac and other prescription drugs. | |
Phyllis Hyman Phyllis Hyman Phyllis Linda Hyman was an American soul singer and actress.-Early years:Phyllis Hyman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in the St. Clair Village, the South Hills section of Pittsburgh... |
1949–1995 | Singer | Pentobarbital and secobarbital overdose. Suicide. |
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Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
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Nicholas Anthony Iacona, Jr., aka Joey Stefano Joey Stefano Joey Stefano was an American pornographic actor who appeared in gay adult films.-Early life and career:... |
1968–1994 | Pornographic actor | Cocaine, morphine, heroin and ketamine overdose. | |
Andy Irons Andy Irons Philip Andrew "Andy" Irons was a professional surfer. Irons learned to surf on the dangerous and shallow reefs of the North Shore in Kauai, Hawaii... |
1978–2010 | Surfer | Cardiac arrest. His autopsy lists secondary cause of death as "acute mixed drug ingestion." Traces of cocaine, methamphetamine, alprazolam and methadone were found in his system. | |
Bruce Edwards Ivins Bruce Edwards Ivins Bruce Edwards Ivins was an American microbiologist, vaccinologist, senior biodefense researcher at the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in Fort Detrick, Maryland and the key suspect in the 2001 anthrax attacks.On Tuesday, July 29, 2008 he died of an overdose of... |
1946–2008 | Microbiologist | Tylenol overdose. |
J
Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
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Jennifer Lyn Jackson | 1969–2010 | Playboy Playmate | Heroin overdose. | |
Michael Jackson Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records... |
1958–2009 | Pop singer | Cardiac arrest. Personal physician administered lethal dose of propofol Propofol Propofol is a short-acting, intravenously administered hypnotic agent. Its uses include the induction and maintenance of general anesthesia, sedation for mechanically ventilated adults, and procedural sedation. Propofol is also commonly used in veterinary medicine... along with lorazepam Lorazepam Lorazepam is a high-potency short-to-intermediate-acting 3-hydroxy benzodiazepine drug that has all five intrinsic benzodiazepine effects: anxiolytic, amnesic, sedative/hypnotic, anticonvulsant, antiemetic and muscle relaxant... , diazepam Diazepam Diazepam , first marketed as Valium by Hoffmann-La Roche is a benzodiazepine drug. Diazepam is also marketed in Australia as Antenex. It is commonly used for treating anxiety, insomnia, seizures including status epilepticus, muscle spasms , restless legs syndrome, alcohol withdrawal,... and midazolam Midazolam Midazolam is a short-acting drug in the benzodiazepine class developed by Hoffmann-La Roche in the 1970s. The drug is used for treatment of acute seizures, moderate to severe insomnia, and for inducing sedation and amnesia before medical procedures. It possesses profoundly potent anxiolytic,... . |
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Peter Jackson Peter Jackson (rugby league) Peter Jackson was an Australian professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and '90s. A Queensland State of Origin and Australian international representative back, he played club football in both Queensland and New South Wales as well as a season in England... |
1964–1997 | Rugby league player | Heroin overdose. | |
Joyce Jameson Joyce Jameson Joyce Jameson was an American actress best remembered for her blonde bimbo roles during the Marilyn Monroe period... |
1932–1987 | Actress | Overdose of unspecified pills. Suicide. | |
Steven Ronald Jensen | 1959–2005 | Musician (The Vandals The Vandals The Vandals are an American rock band established in 1980 in Huntington Beach, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour... ) |
Unspecified prescription drug overdose. | |
Anissa Jones Anissa Jones Mary Anissa Jones was an American child actress known for her role as Buffy on the CBS sitcom Family Affair. She died from combined drug intoxication at the age of 18.-Early years:... |
1958–1976 | Actress | Overdose of barbiturates, cocaine, quaaludes, and PCP. Accidental. | |
Brian Jones Brian Jones Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones , known as Brian Jones, was an English musician and a founding member of the Rolling Stones.... |
1942–1969 | Musician (The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up... ). |
Drowning under the influence of alcohol and drugs. | |
Chloe Jones Chloe Jones Chloe Jones was an American pornographic actress.-Early life and career:... |
1975–2005 | Pornographic actress | Prescription drug overdose. Accidental. | |
Rob Jones, aka The Bass Thing | 1964–1993 | Musician (The Wonder Stuff The Wonder Stuff The Wonder Stuff are a British alternative rock band, originally based in Stourbridge, West Midlands, in the Black Country, England.-Origins:... ). |
Sources report contradictory information which include: heart problems, heart attack potentially caused by heroin, or simply "drug related causes". | |
Russell Jones, aka Ol' Dirty Bastard Ol' Dirty Bastard Russell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper and occasional producer, who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard or simply ODB... . |
1968–2004 | Rapper | Overdose of cocaine and a prescription painkiller. Accidental. | |
Janis Joplin Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band... |
1943–1970 | Musician | Heroin overdose. |
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Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
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John Kahn John Kahn John Kahn was an American rock bass player. For a period of about twenty five years Kahn was Jerry Garcia's principal collaborator outside of the Grateful Dead.-Biography:... |
1947–1996 | Musician (Jerry Garcia Band Jerry Garcia Band The Jerry Garcia Band was a San Francisco Bay Area rock band led by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. Garcia founded the band in 1975; it remained the most important of his various side-projects until his death in 1995... ) |
Heroin overdose. | |
Chris Kanyon Chris Kanyon Christopher Klucsarits was an American professional wrestler, best known for his work in World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation, under the ring names Chris Kanyon and Mortis.-Early career:After college, he began training under Pete McKay Gonzalez, Ismael Gerena and Bobby... |
1970–2010 | Professional wrestler | Antidepressants overdose. Suicide. | |
Phil Katz Phil Katz Phillip Walter Katz was a computer programmer best known as the co-creator of the zip file format for data compression, and the author of PKZIP, a program for creating zip files which ran under DOS.- Career :... |
1962–2000 | Computer programmer | Acute pancreatic bleeding caused by chronic alcoholism | |
David Kennedy David Kennedy David Anthony Kennedy was the fourth of eleven children of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel Kennedy.-Life:... |
1955–1984 | University drop-out | Overdose of cocaine, Demerol, and Mellaril. | |
Beverly Kenney Beverly Kenney Beverly Kenney was an American jazz singer.-Biography:Kenney worked early in life for Western Union as a telephone birthday singer... |
1932–1960 | Singer | Alcohol and Seconal overdose. Suicide. | |
Bernard Kettlewell Bernard Kettlewell Henry Bernard Davis Kettlewell was a British geneticist, lepidopterist and medical doctor, who carried out research into the influence of industrial melanism on natural selection in moths, showing why moths are darker in polluted areas.-Early life:Kettlewell was born in Howden, Yorkshire, and... |
1907–1979 | Lepidopterist Lepidopterist A lepidopterist is a person who specialises in the study of Lepidoptera, members of an order encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies... , medical doctor |
Unspecified drug overdose. Accidental. | |
David Kelly | 1944–2003 | Weapons expert | Consumed around 30 dextropropoxyphene Dextropropoxyphene Dextropropoxyphene, manufactured by Eli Lilly and Company, is an analgesic in the opioid category. It is intended to treat mild pain and has, in addition, anti-tussive and local anesthetic effects. It has been taken off the market in Europe and the US due to concerns of fatal overdoses and... pills. Disputed suicide. |
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Jack Kerouac Jack Kerouac Jean-Louis "Jack" Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic... |
1922–1969 | Author | Cirrhosis, caused by a lifetime of heavy drinking. | |
Dorothy Kilgallen Dorothy Kilgallen Dorothy Mae Kilgallen was an American journalist and television game show panelist. She started her career early as a reporter for the Hearst Corporation's New York Evening Journal after spending only two semesters at The College of New Rochelle in New Rochelle, New York... |
1913–1965 | Journalist | Fatal combination of alcohol and barbiturates. Whether it was suicide or accidental is undetermined. | |
Richard Charles Knellar, aka Dickie Pride Dickie Pride Dickie Pride was a British rock and roll singer. He was one of Larry Parnes' stable of pop music stars, who did not enjoy as successful a career as most of his contemporaries.-Life and career:... |
1941–1969 | Singer | Sleeping pill overdose. | |
Arthur Koestler Arthur Koestler Arthur Koestler CBE was a Hungarian author and journalist. Koestler was born in Budapest and, apart from his early school years, was educated in Austria... |
1905–1983 | Author | Sleeping pill overdose. Suicide. | |
John Kordic John Kordic John "Rambo" Kordic was a Canadian hockey player in the National Hockey League.Kordic played for the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Washington Capitals, and Quebec Nordiques, for a total of seven seasons in the NHL. He won the Calder Cup with Sherbrooke Canadiens in 1985, and a Stanley... |
1965–1992 | Hockey player | Unspecified drug overdose. |
L
Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
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Deborah Laake Deborah Laake Deborah Laake was a columnist at the Dallas Morning News in the 1980s and later a staff writer, columnist, editor, and executive at the Phoenix New Times... |
1953–2000 | Writer | Overdose of unspecified pills. Suicide. | |
Alan Ladd Alan Ladd -Early life:Ladd was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He was the only child of Ina Raleigh Ladd and Alan Ladd, Sr. He was of English ancestry. His father died when he was four, and his mother relocated to Oklahoma City where she married Jim Beavers, a housepainter... |
1913–1964 | Actor | Overdose of alcohol and three unspecified drugs. Accidental. | |
Josiah Lamborn Josiah Lamborn Josiah Lamborn was the Attorney General of Illinois from 1840 to 1843 and was the chief prosecuting attorney in the trial of five defendants accused of murdering Latter Day Saint leaders Joseph Smith, Jr. and Hyrum Smith.... |
1809–1847 | Attorney General Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person... |
Delirium tremens. | |
Carole Landis Carole Landis Carole Landis was an American film and stage actress whose break-through role was as the female lead in the 1940 film One Million B.C.. Landis has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 1765 Vine Street.... |
1919–1948 | Actress | Seconal overdose. Suicide. | |
Michael Larsen aka Eyedea Eyedea Micheal Larsen , known by his stage name Eyedea, was a well-known freestyle battle champion and underground rapper. His notable wins included the televised Blaze Battle sponsored by HBO and a victory at Scribble Jam... |
1981–2010 | Rapper | Unspecified opiate toxicity. Ruled accidental. | |
Heath Ledger Heath Ledger Heath Andrew Ledger was an Australian television and film actor. After performing roles in Australian television and film during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to develop his film career... |
1979–2008 | Actor | Combined drug intoxication of oxycodone, hydrocodone, alprazolam, diazepam, temazepam and doxylamine. Accidental. | |
Bruce Lee Bruce Lee Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement... |
1940–1973 | Actor, martial artist | Acute cerebral edema due to a reaction to compounds present in the prescription pain killing drug Equagesic. | |
Gerald Levert Gerald Levert Gerald Levert was an American R&B singer. Gerald Levert sang with his brother, Sean Levert, and friend Marc Gordon in the R&B trio LeVert. He was also a part of LSG, an R&B supergroup comprising Keith Sweat, Johnny Gill, and Levert... |
1966–2006 | Singer | Acute intoxication of Percocet, Vicodin, Darvocet, Xanax and two antihistamines. Accidental. | |
Frank X. Leyendecker | 1877–1924 | Illustrator | Highly suspected morphine overdose. Suicide. | |
Debbie Linden Debbie Linden Debbie Linden was a British glamour model and actress best known for her role as Old Mr. Grace's secretary in the sitcom Are You Being Served?... |
1961–1997 | Model, actress | Heroin overdose. | |
Max Linder Max Linder Max Linder was an influential French pioneer of silent film.-Birth and early career:Born Gabriel-Maximilien Leuvielle in Saint-Loubès, Gironde, France to a Catholic wine-growing family, he grew up with a passion for the theatre and as a young man joined a theatre troupe touring the country... |
1883–1925 | Actor | Linder and his wife both drank Veronal, injected morphine and cut open the veins in their arms. | |
Eugene Lipscomb Eugene Lipscomb Eugene Allen Lipscomb was an American football defensive lineman in the National Football League and a professional wrestler.-Early life:... |
1931–1963 | American football player | Heroin overdose. | |
Eugenia Livanos Eugenia Livanos Eugenia Livanos was the third wife of Stavros Niarchos.She was the daughter of shipping magnate Stavros G. Livanos and his wife Arietta Zafirakis. Her sister was Athina Livanos, the wife successively of Aristotle Onassis and Stavros Niarchos. In 1947 she married Stavros Niarchos... |
1927–1970 | Wife of Stavros Niarchos Stavros Niarchos Stavros Spyros Niarchos was a Greek shipping tycoon, sometimes known as "The Golden Greek." In 1952, Stavros Niarchos built the first supertankers capable of transporting large quantities of oil, and subsequently earned millions of dollars as global demand for his ships increased.- Early life :He... |
Barbiturate overdose. | |
Mike Lockwood Mike Lockwood Michael John "Mike" Lockwood was an American professional wrestler best known for his time with World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment under the ring name Crash Holly.... , aka Crash Holly |
1971–2003 | Professional wrestler | Carisprodol and alcohol intoxication. Suicide. | |
Philip Loeb Philip Loeb Philip Loeb , was an American stage, film, and television actor who was blacklisted under McCarthyism and committed suicide.- Background :... |
1891–1955 | Actor | Sleeping pill overdose. Suicide. | |
Trinity Loren Trinity Loren Trinity Loren was a porn star, model, and stripper.- Career and life :... , aka Roxanne McPherson |
1964–1998 | Pornographic actress | Prescription painkillers overdose. In a possible suicide. | |
Zoe Tamerlis Lund Zoë Tamerlis Lund Zoë Tamerlis Lund , also known as Zoë Tamerlis and Zoë Tamerlaine, was a former American musician turned model, actress, and screenwriter. She was best known for her association with Abel Ferrara, in whose movie Ms. 45 she starred... |
1962–1999 | Model, actress | Cocaine-induced heart attack. | |
Donyale Luna Donyale Luna Donyale Luna was an American model and cover girl. She also appeared in several films, in Camp by Andy Warhol, Qui êtes-vous, Polly Maggoo? by William Klein, as Groucho Marx's companion in Otto Preminger's Skidoo, and most notably as Oenothea in Federico Fellini's Satyricon and as the title... |
1945–1979 | Supermodel, actress | Unspecified drug overdose. Accidental. | |
Frankie Lymon Frankie Lymon Franklin Joseph "Frankie" Lymon was an American rock and roll/rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, best known as the boy soprano lead singer of a New York City-based early rock and roll group, The Teenagers. The group was composed of five boys, all in their early to mid teens... |
1942–1968 | Singer | Heroin overdose. | |
Phil Lynott Phil Lynott Philip Parris "Phil" Lynott was an Irish musician who first came to prominence as a founding member, principal songwriter, and frontman of the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy.... |
1949–1986 | Musician (Thin Lizzy Thin Lizzy Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums... ) |
Conflicting sources report various causes of death, including: heart and liver failure, heart failure and pneumonia after a drug overdose, and blood poisoning from heroin addiction. |
M
Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
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Billy Mackenzie Billy Mackenzie William MacArthur "Billy" Mackenzie was a Scottish singer, with a distinctive falsetto voice best known as a member of The Associates.- Biography :... |
1957–1997 | Musician (the Associates) | Overdose of amitriptyline, paracetamol and other prescription drugs. Suicide. | |
Chris Mainwaring Chris Mainwaring Chris Douglas Mainwaring was an Australian rules footballer. He played for the West Coast Eagles in the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League and East Fremantle in the West Australian Football League... |
1965–2007 | Australian football player Australian rules football Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either... |
Cocaine overdose. Accidental. | |
Bibek Maitra Bibek Maitra Bibek Biman Maitra was Bharatiya Janata Party's General Secretary Pramod Mahajan's secretary. The media used to pronounce Bibek Maitra's name as Vivek Moitra He always insisted that his name be pronounced as Bibek.-Life:... |
19??–2006 | Politician | Unspecified drug overdose. | |
Jesse Mahelona Jesse Mahelona Jesse Steven Kahuanani Mahelona was an American football defensive tackle in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft... |
1983–2009 | American football player | Motor-vehicle collision. Malehona was under the influence of alcohol. | |
Vickie Lynn Marshall, aka Anna Nicole Smith Anna Nicole Smith In 1992 Smith was chosen by Hugh Hefner to appear on the cover of the March issue of Playboy, where she was listed as Vickie Smith, wearing a low-cut evening gown. The centerfold was photographed by Stephen Wayda. Smith said she planned to be "the next Marilyn Monroe". Becoming one of Playboys... |
1967–2007 | Playboy Playboy Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with... playmate, actress |
Lethal combination of chloral hydrate Chloral hydrate Chloral hydrate is a sedative and hypnotic drug as well as a chemical reagent and precursor. The name chloral hydrate indicates that it is formed from chloral by the addition of one molecule of water. Its chemical formula is C2H3Cl3O2.... and various benzodiazepines. |
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Adrienne Nicole Martin | 1983–2010 | Model, Spouse of August Busch IV August Busch IV August Anheuser Busch IV is the former CEO of Anheuser-Busch who ended the family control of the company in 2008 when it was sold to InBev.-Early life:... |
Cocaine and oxycodone overdose. | |
Andrew Martin, aka Test | 1975–2009 | Professional wrestler | Oxycodone overdose. Accidental. | |
Thalia Massie | 1911–1963 | Wife | Barbiturate overdose. | |
Lisa Matsumoto Lisa Matsumoto Lisa Matsumoto 1964 - December 14, 2007) was a playwright and children's author in Hawaii. Her use of Hawaiian Pidgin in her works propelled her to her status as one of the state's most popular resident playwrights.-Career:... |
1964–2007 | Children's author | Motor-vehicle collision. Matsumoto's blood alcohol level was .242, more than 3 times the legal limit. | |
Billy Mays Billy Mays William Darrell "Billy" Mays, Jr. was an American television direct-response advertisement salesperson most notable for promoting OxiClean, Orange Glo, and other cleaning, home-based, and maintenance products on the Home Shopping Network, and through his company, Mays Promotions, Inc... |
1958–2009 | Salesperson | Heart disease with cocaine use being a "contributory cause". | |
Joseph McCarthy Joseph McCarthy Joseph Raymond "Joe" McCarthy was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957... |
1908–1957 | Senator | Hepatitis exacerbated by alcoholism. | |
Jimmy McCulloch Jimmy McCulloch James 'Jimmy' McCulloch was a Scottish musician and songwriter, born in Dumbarton and raised in Clydebank and Cumbernauld, Scotland, who was best known for playing lead guitar in Paul McCartney's Wings from 1974 to 1977... |
1953–1979 | Musician (Wings Wings (band) Wings were a British-American rock group formed in 1971 by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine and Linda McCartney that remained active until 1981.... ) |
Heroin overdose. | |
Marie McDonald Marie McDonald Marie McDonald was an American singer and actress known as "The Body Beautiful" and later nicknamed "The Body".- Early life :... |
1923–1965 | Actress | Unspecified drug overdose. | |
Robbie McIntosh Robbie McIntosh (drummer) Robbie McIntosh was a Scottish drummer from Dundee, who was a founder-member of the Average White Band. His father was American born actor, Bonar Colleano, who had a successful career in films,especially in the U.K... |
1950–1974 | Musician (Average White Band) | Heroin overdose. | |
Stephen McKeag Stephen McKeag Stephen McKeag , known as Topgun or Top Gun, was a Northern Irish loyalist who became one of the most notorious figures within the Ulster Defence Association's 'C' Company in the 1990s... |
1970–2000 | Ulster Defence Association Ulster Defence Association The Ulster Defence Association is the largest although not the deadliest loyalist paramilitary and vigilante group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in September 1971 and undertook a campaign of almost twenty-four years during "The Troubles"... member |
Cocaine overdose. | |
Marguerite McNamara Maggie McNamara Marguerite "Maggie" McNamara was an American stage, film, and television actress.-Early life:Born in New York City, McNamara was one of four children born to Irish American parents. Her mother was born in England to Irish parents. She attended Textile High School in New York and worked as a teen... |
1928–1978 | Actress | Sleeping pill overdose. Suicide. | |
Aimee Semple McPherson Aimee Semple McPherson Aimee Semple McPherson , also known as Sister Aimee, was a Canadian-American Los Angeles, California evangelist and media celebrity in the 1920s and 1930s. She founded the Foursquare Church... |
1890–1944 | Evangelist | Shock and respiratory failure due to overdose of prescription barbiturates. | |
Jonathan Melvoin Jonathan Melvoin Jonathan Melvoin was an American musician active in the 1980s and 1990s.He was the brother of Susannah and Wendy Melvoin of Prince and the Revolution. He first learned to play drums, and was cited by friends and relatives as one of those people who could play anything... |
1961–1996 | Keyboardist | Heroin overdose. | |
Mary Millington Mary Millington Mary Millington was a British model and pornographic actress. She has been described as one of the "two hottest British sex film stars of the seventies", the other being Fiona Richmond.... |
1945–1979 | Model, pornographic actress | Paracetamol overdose. Suicide. | |
Keith Moon Keith Moon Keith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon... |
1946–1978 | Musician (the Who The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction... ) |
Overdose on anti-seizure medication prescribed for alcoholism. Accidental. | |
Odas Moon Odas Moon Odas Moon was an American aviation pioneer who was among a team of United States Army Air Corps aviators to break endurance records by performing aerial refueling. Moon was a founding member of the Order of Daedalians... |
1892–1937 | Pilot | Reportedly "drank himself to death". | |
Kenneth Moore Big Moe Kenneth Moore , better known by his stage name Big Moe, was an American rapper/singer from Houston, Texas... a.k.a Big Moe |
1974–2004 | Rapper | Heart attack with Purple Drank Purple drank Purple drank is a slang term for a recreational drug popular in the hip hop community in the southern United States, originating in Houston, Texas. Its main ingredient is prescription-strength cough syrup containing codeine and promethazine. Cough syrup is typically mixed with ingredients such as... as a contributing factor |
|
Chester Morris Chester Morris Chester Morris was an American actor, who starred in the Boston Blackie detective series of the 1940s.-Career:... |
1901–1970 | Actor | Barbiturate overdose. | |
Jim Morrison Jim Morrison James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American musician, singer, and poet, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors... |
1943–1971 | Musician (The Doors The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger... ) |
Official cause of death is recorded as heart failure, though Sam Bernett claims that Morrison died in Bernett's club, with heroin overdose as the suspected cause. | |
Norma Mortenson, aka Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s.... |
1926–1962 | Actress | Barbiturate overdose. Officially listed as "probable suicide" though several conspiracy theories exist. | |
Louis Mucciolo, Jr., aka Louie Spicolli Louie Spicolli Louis Mucciolo, Jr. was an American professional wrestler. He performed in Mexico under the ring name Madonna's Boyfriend, for the World Wrestling Federation as Rad Radford, and in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling in the 1990s as Louie Spicolli... |
1971–1998 | Professional wrestler | Conflicting sources indicate drug overdose while some indicate coronary disease that might have been impacted by drug use. | |
Billy Murcia Billy Murcia Billy Murcia, born in Bogotá, Colombia and raised in Jackson Heights, New York, was the original drummer for the New York Dolls.Billy Murcia and Sylvain Sylvain both attended Quintano's School for Young Professionals, in the late sixties. It was at Quintano's that they met Johnny Thunders, also a... |
1951–1972 | Musician (New York Dolls New York Dolls The New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later... ) |
Contradicting sources report the death as alcohol related, or drowning after a drug overdose or as a drug overdose. | |
Brittany Murphy Brittany Murphy Brittany Anne Murphy-Monjack , known professionally as Brittany Murphy, was an American actress and singer. She starred in films such as Clueless, Just Married, Girl Interrupted, Spun, 8 Mile, Uptown Girls, Sin City, Happy Feet, and Riding in Cars with Boys... |
1977–2009 | Actress | "[C]ombination of pneumonia, an iron deficiency and 'multiple drug intoxication.'" | |
Brent Mydland Brent Mydland Brent Mydland was the fourth keyboardist to play for the American rock band the Grateful Dead. He was with the band for eleven years, longer than any other keyboardist.- Early life :... |
1952–1990 | Musician (the Grateful Dead) | Cocaine and morphine overdose. |
N
Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
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Henry Nasiff Jr, aka Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf Henry Joseph Nasiff Jr. , better known as Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf, was an American entertainer. He appeared numerous times on The Howard Stern Show as a member of the show's Wack Pack. He began August 16, 1996 when he entered the studio of radio station WXRK in New York City... |
1962–2001 | Entertainer | Advanced alcoholism and a seizure disorder, complicated by a genetic condition. | |
Yves Navarre Yves Navarre Yves Navarre was a French writer. A gay man, most of his work concerned homosexuality and associated issues, such as AIDS. In his romantic works, Navarre was noted for his tendency to emphasize sensuality and "the mystical qualities of love" rather than sexuality or sensationalism... |
1940–1994 | Writer | Barbiturate overdose. Suicide. | |
Filip Nikolic Filip Nikolic Filip Nikolic was a French actor and singer of Serbian extraction, best known as the lead of the French boy-band 2Be3.-Personal:... |
1974–2009 | Singer | Heart attack induced by sleeping pills. | |
Bradley Nowell Bradley Nowell Bradley James Nowell was an American musician who served as lead singer and guitarist of the Californian band Sublime. He died at the age of 28 from a heroin overdose shortly before the release of Sublime's self-titled major label debut.Raised in Long Beach, California, Nowell developed an... |
1968–1996 | Musician (Sublime Sublime (band) Sublime was an American ska punk band from Long Beach, California, formed in 1988. The band's line-up, unchanged until their breakup, consisted of Bradley Nowell , Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh . Michael "Miguel" Happoldt also contributed on a few Sublime songs, such as "New Thrash." Lou Dog, Nowell's... ) |
Heroin overdose. |
O
Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
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Hugh O'Connor Hugh O'Connor Not to be confused with Hugo Oconór.Hugh Edward Ralph O'Connor was an American actor. The son of actor Carroll O'Connor, he portrayed Det./ Lt. Lonnie Jamison on the television drama In the Heat of the Night from 1988-1995. O'Connor committed suicide in 1995. - Biography... |
1962–1995 | Actor | Suicide under influence of cocaine. | |
Lani O'Grady Lani O'Grady Lani O'Grady was an American actress and the sister of actor/musician Don Grady. O'Grady is best-remembered for her role as Mary Bradford, the eldest sister from Eight Is Enough.-Career:... |
1954–2001 | Actress | Multiple drug intoxication. Vicodin and Prozac were found in her bloodstream | |
Johnny O'Keefe Johnny O'Keefe John Michael O'Keefe, known as Johnny O'Keefe was an Australian rock and roll singer whose career began in the 1950s. Some of his hits include "Wild One" , "Shout!" and "She's My Baby"... |
1935–1978 | Singer | Conflicting sources indicate drug overdose, or simply heart attack. | |
Pascale Ogier Pascale Ogier Pascale Ogier was a French actress.Born Pascale Marguerite Cécile Claude Colette Nicolas in Paris, she was the daughter of a musician father and actress Bulle Ogier. Pascale also chose an acting career, first with appearances on stage... |
1958–1984 | Actress | Unspecified drug overdose. | |
Alice Ormsby-Gore Alice Ormsby-Gore Alice Magdalen Sarah Ormsby Gore was a British socialite.She was the youngest daughter of William David Ormsby-Gore, 5th Baron Harlech and his first wife Sylvia Thomas. She became engaged to guitarist Eric Clapton but never married... |
1952–1995 | Socialite | Heroin overdose. | |
John Patrick Oswald aka Jani Lane Jani Lane Jani Lane , born John Kennedy Oswald, later changed to John Patrick Oswald, was an American recording artist and the lead vocalist, frontman, lyricist and main songwriter for the hard rock band Warrant.... |
1964–2011 | Singer-songwriter | Alcohol poisoning. | |
Bryan Ottoson | 1978–2005 | Musician (American Head Charge American Head Charge American Head Charge is an industrial metal band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, earning nominations at the Kerrang! Awards on two occasions.-Formation:... ) |
Prescription-drug overdose. Accidental. |
P
Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|
Haley Paige Haley Paige Maryam Irene Haley , better known by her stage name Haley Paige, was a Mexican-born American pornographic actress.- Career:... |
1981–2007 | Pornographic actress | Methadone overdose. Possibly suicide. | |
Marco Pantani Marco Pantani Marco Pantani was an Italian road racing cyclist, widely considered one of the best climbers in professional road bicycle racing... |
1970–2004 | Cyclist | Cerebral and pulmonary edema potentially brought on by "tranquillisers, antidepressants and sedatives ... against a background of prolonged cocaine abuse". | |
Robert Pastorelli Robert Pastorelli Robert Joseph Pastorelli was an American actor. He had many roles on TV, in movies, and on the stage, including the seven years he played the portly painter Eldin Bernecky on the television series Murphy Brown. His last role was as an oddball hit man in Be Cool, reuniting him with Michael star... |
1954–2004 | Actor | Heroin overdose. | |
Gram Parsons Gram Parsons Gram Parsons was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist. Parsons is best known for his work within the country genre; he also mixed blues, folk, and rock to create what he called "Cosmic American Music"... |
1946–1973 | Musician (the Byrds The Byrds The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973... ) |
Morphine overdose. | |
Cesare Pavese Cesare Pavese Cesare Pavese was an Italian poet, novelist, literary critic and translator; he is widely considered among the major authors of the 20th century in his home country.- Early life and education :... |
1908–1950 | Poet, novelist | Consumed "twelve sachets of sleeping drugs". | |
Chris Penn Chris Penn Christopher Shannon "Chris" Penn was an American film and television actor known for his roles in such films as The Wild Life, Reservoir Dogs, Footloose, Rush Hour, True Romance, All the Right Moves and Pale Rider.-Early life:Penn was born in Los Angeles, California, the youngest son of Leo Penn,... |
1965–2006 | Actor | Enlarged heart through drug use and a high level of codeine. | |
Christopher Pettiet Christopher Pettiet Christopher Lee Pettiet was an American television and film actor best known for his role as Jesse James in the Western TV series The Young Riders and as Zach Crandell in the cult comedy film Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead .-Career:Pettiet began his career as a child actor making... |
1976–2000 | Actor | Unspecified drug overdose. Accidental. | |
Kristen Pfaff Kristen Pfaff Kristen Marie Pfaff was an American bass guitarist, best known for her work with Hole.-Early life and career:Pfaff was born and raised in Buffalo, New York, attending Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart. She spent a short time in Europe and briefly attended Boston College before ultimately... |
1967–1994 | Musician (Hole Hole (band) Hole is an American alternative rock band that originally formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The band is fronted by vocalist/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with former songwriter/lead guitarist Eric Erlandson... ) |
Heroin overdose. | |
Esther Phillips Esther Phillips Esther Phillips was an American singer. Phillips was known for her R&B vocals, but she was a versatile singer, also performing pop, country, jazz, blues and soul music.-Early life:... |
1935–1984 | Musician, singer | Liver and kidney failure due to long-term drug use. | |
River Phoenix River Phoenix River Jude Phoenix was an American film actor, musician, and teen icon. He was the oldest brother of fellow actors Rain, Joaquin, Liberty, and Summer Phoenix.Phoenix began acting at age 10 in television commercials... |
1970–1993 | Actor | Heroin and cocaine overdose. | |
Rob Pilatus Rob Pilatus Robert "Rob" Pilatus was a German-American model, dancer and singer. Pilatus was best known as half of the pop music duo Milli Vanilli.-Early life:... |
1965–1998 | Musician (Milli Vanilli Milli Vanilli Milli Vanilli was a pop/dance music project formed by Frank Farian in Germany in 1988, visually fronted by Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus. The group's debut album achieved international success and earned them a Grammy Award for Best New Artist on Feb. 21, 1990. Milli Vanilli became one of the most... ) |
Prescription drug and alcohol overdose. | |
Jesse Pintado Jesse Pintado Jesse Pintado was a lead guitar player born in Mexico who at an early age moved to the US. He started in the band Terrorizer where he recorded the grindcore album World Downfall, the first album to feature Pete Sandoval who would later leave the band to join Morbid Angel... |
1969–2006 | Musician | Liver failure caused by diabetes and alcoholism. | |
Dana Plato Dana Plato Dana Michelle Plato was an American actress notable for playing the role of Kimberly Drummond in the U.S. television sitcom Diff'rent Strokes.Plato appeared in over 100 television commercials as a young girl... |
1964–1999 | Actress | Vanadom and Lortab overdose. Suicide. | |
Darrell Porter Darrell Porter Darrell Ray Porter was a former American professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers. He was known for his excellent defensive skills and power hitting... |
1952–2002 | Major League Baseball catcher | Cocaine overdose. | |
Elvis Presley Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".... |
1935–1977 | Singer | Cardiac arrhythmia. Autopsy founds in his system "significant" levels of ethinamate, methaqualone, codeine and different barbiturates, including amobarbital, pentobarbital, and phenobarbital. | |
Gary Primich Gary Primich Gary Primich was an American blues harmonica player, singer, guitarist and songwriter. He is best known for his 1995 album, Mr. Freeze.-Biography:... |
1958–2007 | Singer | "Acute heroin intoxication." | |
Freddie Prinze Freddie Prinze Freddie Prinze was an American actor and stand-up comedian. He was known as the star of Chico and the Man. He is the father of actor Freddie Prinze, Jr.-Early life:... |
1954–1977 | Actor | Self-inflicted gunshot wound while under the influence of methaqualone Methaqualone Methaqualone is a sedative-hypnotic drug that is similar in effect to barbiturates, a general central nervous system depressant. The sedative-hypnotic activity was first noted by Indian researchers in the 1950s and in 1962 methaqualone itself was patented in the US by Wallace and Tiernan... and alcohol. Initially ruled suicide but later determined accidental. |
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Promachus Promachus of Macedon Promachus was a common soldier in Alexander's army. In 324 BC at Susa, when a drinking contest was held in connection with the funeral of Indian Calanus, Promachus drank the equivalent of 13 litres of unmixed wine and won the first prize of a golden crown worth a talent. He died three days later... |
???–324 BCE | Soldier | Alcohol poisoning. |
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Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
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Robert Quine Robert Quine Robert Wolfe Quine was an American guitarist, known for his innovative guitar solos.A native of Akron, Ohio, Quine worked with a wide range of musicians, though he himself remained relatively unknown in comparison... |
1942–2004 | Guitarist | Heroin overdose. Suicide. | |
Glenn Quinn Glenn Quinn Glenn Martin Christopher Francis Quinn was an Irish actor in television and film, known for playing Mark Healy in the American sitcom Roseanne, and Doyle, a half-demon, on the 1999–2004 television series Angel, a spin-off series of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Early life:Quinn... |
1970–2002 | Actor | Unspecified drug overdose. Accidental. |
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Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
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Jay Reatard Jay Reatard Jimmy Lee Lindsey Jr. , better known by the stage name Jay Reatard, was an American musician from Memphis, Tennessee. Lindsey was signed to Matador Records... |
1980–2010 | Musician | Cocaine toxicity, with alcohol as a contributing factor. | |
Michael Reeves Michael Reeves Michael Reeves was an English film director and screenwriter. He is best known for the 1968 American International Pictures/Tigon motion picture Witchfinder General... |
1943–1969 | Film director | Alcohol and barbiturate overdose. | |
Wallace Reid Wallace Reid Wallace Reid was an actor in silent film referred to as "the screen's most perfect lover".-Early life:Born William Wallace Reid in St... |
1891–1923 | Actor | Prescription morphine overdose. | |
Elis Regina Elis Regina Elis Regina Carvalho Costa, known simply as Elis Regina was an important singer of Brazilian popular music. She became nationally renowned in 1965, after singing Arrastão in the first edition of TV Excelsior festival song contest, and soon joined O Fino da Bossa, a television program on TV Record... |
1945–1982 | Singer | Cocaine alcohol, and temazepam overdose. Accidental. | |
Willy Rey Willy Rey Willy Rey was a Dutch-Canadian model. She was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for its February 1971 issue... |
1949–1973 | Model | Barbiturate overdose. | |
John Simon Ritchie, aka Sid Vicious Sid Vicious Sid Vicious was an English musician best known as the bassist of the influential punk rock group Sex Pistols... |
1957–1979 | Musician (Sex Pistols Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians... ) |
Heroin overdose. Suicide. | |
Elisabeth Rivers-Bulkeley Elisabeth Rivers-Bulkeley Elisabeth Charlotte Marie Rivers-Bulkeley was a stock broker. Born in Austria, she lived most of her life in the United Kingdom. She was one of the first ten women to become a member of the London Stock Exchange, on 26 March 1973... |
1924–2006 | Stock-broker | Barbiturate overdose. Euthanasia. | |
Brad Renfro Brad Renfro Brad Barron Renfro was an American actor. He made his film debut in 1994 at age 12 in the lead role of Joel Schumacher's The Client, going on to star in 21 feature films, several short films, and two television episodes during his career. Much of his later career was marred by a pattern of... |
1982–2008 | Actor | Heroin and morphine overdose. | |
Rachel Roberts Rachel Roberts (British actress) Rachel Roberts was a Welsh actress noted for her fervour and passion; Roberts is best remembered for her forthright screen performances in two key films of the 1960s, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning and This Sporting Life, in both of which she played the older mistress of the central male... |
1927–1980 | Actress | Barbiturate overdose. Suicide. | |
Don Rogers | 1962–1986 | American football player | Cocaine-induced heart attack. | |
Steve Rogers | 1954–2006 | Rugby league player | Lethal combination of anti-depressants and alcohol. Accidental. | |
Monica Rose Monica Rose Monica Rose was a British TV quiz show hostess on Double Your Money and The Sky's the Limit both hosted by Hughie Green. Originally a contestant on Double Your Money, she was invited to become a hostess on the show by Green, impressed by her cockney charm and manner, and stayed for three years... |
1948–1994 | TV show hostess | Antidepressants and tranquillisers overdose. Suicide. | |
Alma Rubens Alma Rubens Alma Rubens was an American silent film actress and stage performer.-Early life:Born to John B. and Theresa Hayes Rueben in San Francisco, California, she performed since youth and became a star at the age of 19. She was educated at the Sacred Heart Convent in San Francisco... |
1897–1931 | Actress | Illness caused by heroin and cocaine addiction. | |
David Ruffin David Ruffin Davis Eli "David" Ruffin was an American soul singer and musician most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of the Temptations from 1964 to 1968... |
1941–1991 | Musician (the Temptations The Temptations The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,... ) |
Cocaine overdose. | |
Gail Russell Gail Russell Gail Russell was an American film and television actress.-Career:She was born Elizabeth L. Russell to George and Gladys Russell in Chicago, Illinois, and then moved to the Los Angeles, California, area when she was a teenager. Russell's extraordinary beauty brought her to the attention of... |
1924–1961 | Actress | Alcoholism. | |
Sherri Russell, aka Sherri Martel Sherri Martel Sherri Schrull was an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by her ring names, Sherri Martel and Sensational Sherri.... |
1958–2007 | Professional wrestler | Overdose of multiple, including high amounts of oxycodone. Accidental. |
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Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
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George Sanders George Sanders George Sanders was a British actor.George Sanders may also refer to:*George Sanders , Victoria Cross recipient in World War I... |
1906–1972 | Actor | Nembutal overdose. Suicide. | |
John Saunders John Baker Saunders John Baker Saunders was a founding member and bassist for the American grunge rock supergroup Mad Season, as well as a member of The Walkabouts. He was born in Montgomery, Alabama and later attended Providence College... |
1954–1999 | Musician (Mad Season Mad Season Mad Season was an American rock supergroup formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1994 by members of three popular Seattle-based bands: Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam and Screaming Trees. Mad Season only released one album, Above, and is best known for the single "River of Deceit"... ) |
Heroin overdose. | |
Catya Sassoon Catya Sassoon -External links:... |
1968–2002 | Model, actress | Hydromorphone and cocaine overdose. | |
Sonja Savić Sonja Savic Sonja Savić was a cult Serbian actress, famous for her husky voice and series of impressive roles in some of the more memorable 1980s films made in former Yugoslavia. Sonja appeared in Miroslav Ilić video Voleo sam devojku iz grada... |
1961–2008 | Actress | Unspecified drug overdose. | |
Sybille Schmitz Sybille Schmitz Sybille Schmitz was a German actress.-Biography:Schmitz attended an acting school in Cologne and got her first engagement at Max Reinhardt's Deutsches Theater in Berlin in 1927. Only one year later, she made her film debut with Freie Fahrt , which attracted her first attention from the critics... |
1909–1955 | Actress | Sleeping pill overdose. Suicide. | |
Bon Scott Bon Scott Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott was a Scottish-born Australian rock musician, best known for being the lead singer and lyricist of Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980... |
1946–1980 | Musician (AC/DC AC/DC AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"... ) |
Official cause of death listed as "acute alcohol poisoning". | |
Ronnie Scott Ronnie Scott Ronnie Scott was an English jazz tenor saxophonist and jazz club owner.-Life and career:Ronnie Scott was born in Aldgate, east London, into a family of Russian Jewish descent on his father's side, and Portuguese antecedents on his mother's. Scott began playing in small jazz clubs at the age of... |
1927–1996 | Jazz tenor saxophonist Tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble... |
Prescription barbiturate overdose. Accidental. | |
Pat Screen Pat Screen James Patrick Screen, Jr., known as Pat Screen , was a Louisiana State University quarterback from New Orleans, Louisiana, who served as the Democratic Mayor-President of East Baton Rouge Parish from 1981–1988.... |
1943–1994 | American football player | Unspecified drug overdose. | |
Rod Scurry Rod Scurry Rodney Grant Scurry was a Major League pitcher for eight seasons, and was the first Major League Baseball player directly linked to the Pittsburgh drug trials that dogged baseball during the mid-1980s... |
1956–1992 | Major League Baseball pitcher | Cocaine-induced heart attack. | |
Jean Seberg Jean Seberg Jean Dorothy Seberg was an American actress. She starred in 37 films in Hollywood and in France, including Breathless , the musical Paint Your Wagon and the disaster film Airport .... |
1938–1979 | Actress | Barbiturate and alcohol overdose. Suicide. | |
Chantal Sébire Chantal Sébire Chantal Sébire was a retired French teacher who suffered from esthesioneuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer, and fought for the right to die through euthanasia.-Background:... |
1955–2008 | Teacher | Pentobarbital overdose. Euthanasia. | |
Edie Sedgwick Edie Sedgwick Edith Minturn "Edie" Sedgwick was an American actress, socialite, model and heiress. She is best known for being one of Andy Warhol's superstars. Sedgwick became known as "The Girl of the Year" in 1965 after starring in several of Warhol's short films in the 1960s... |
1943–1971 | Actress | Barbiturate and alcohol overdose. Undetermined. | |
Bobby Sheehan | 1968–1999 | Musician (Blues Traveler Blues Traveler Blues Traveler is a rock band, formed in Princeton, New Jersey in 1987. The band has been influenced by a variety of genres, including blues-rock, psychedelic rock, folk rock, soul, and Southern rock... ) |
Unspecified drug overdose. | |
Eric Show Eric Show Eric Vaughn Show was a Major League Baseball player who played for most of his career with the San Diego Padres. On September 11, 1985, Show gave up Pete Rose's record-breaking 4,192nd career hit... |
1956–1994 | Baseball player | Cocaine and heroin overdose. | |
Elizabeth Siddal Elizabeth Siddal Elizabeth Eleanor Siddal was an English artists' model, poet and artist who was painted and drawn extensively by artists of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, including Walter Deverell, William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais and most of Dante Gabriel Rossetti's early paintings of women.-Early... |
1829–1862 | Model, poet, artist | Laudanum Laudanum Laudanum , also known as Tincture of Opium, is an alcoholic herbal preparation containing approximately 10% powdered opium by weight .... overdose. |
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Judee Sill Judee Sill Judee Sill was an American singer and songwriter. The first artist signed to David Geffen's Asylum label, she released two albums, then worked briefly as a cartoonist before dying of drug abuse in 1979.Her eponymous debut album was released in late 1971 and was followed around eighteen months... |
1944–1979 | Musician | Cocaine and heroin overdose. | |
Don Simpson Don Simpson Donald Clarence "Don" Simpson was an American film producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is known for producing such hits as Flashdance, Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun and The Rock... |
1943–1996 | Film producer | Cocaine-induced heart attack. Twenty other drugs were found in his blood. | |
Tom Simpson Tom Simpson Tom Simpson was the most successful English road racing cyclist of the post-war years. He infamously died of exhaustion on the slopes of Mont Ventoux during the 13th stage of the Tour de France in 1967... |
1937–1967 | Cyclist | Dehydration and exhaustion while cycling exacerbated by amphetamines and alcohol use. | |
Hillel Slovak Hillel Slovak Hillel Slovak was an Israeli-American musician best known as the original guitarist and founding member of the Los Angeles rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers... |
1962–1988 | Musician (Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock... ) |
Heroin overdose. | |
Alvim Smith Alvin Smith (brother of Joseph Smith, Jr.) Alvin Smith was the older brother of Joseph Smith Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Alvin took a leading role in helping the Smith family work toward paying their debts and building their home. His death in 1823 at age 25 resulted in his younger brother Joseph taking more of a... |
1798–1823 | Carpenter's assistant | Mercury(I) chloride Mercury(I) chloride Mercury chloride is the chemical compound with the formula Hg2Cl2. Also known as calomel or mercurous chloride, this dense white or yellowish-white, odorless solid is the principal example of a mercury compound... overdose. Officially administered to cure bilious colic; speculated murder. |
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Daniel Smith Daniel Wayne Smith Daniel Wayne Smith was the son of the model and actress Anna Nicole and Billy Smith. He infrequently appeared in his mother's E! Network reality TV show, The Anna Nicole Show... |
1986–2006 | Actor, director | Cardiac dysrhythmia caused by combination of methadone, Lexapro and Zolof. | |
Dash Snow Dash Snow Dashiel "Dash" Snow was an American artist, based in New York.-Life:Dashiel A. Snow was born in 1981, the son of Taya Thurman and Christopher Snow... |
1981–2009 | Artist | Heroin overdose. | |
Robert Soblen Robert Soblen Dr. Robert Soblen , was a prominent member of the pro-Trotsky Left Opposition in Germany in the 1930s. He moved to the United States in 1941 with his brother Jack Soble, and was arrested in 1960 as a Soviet spy. Convicted and sentenced to life in prison, he fled the U.S... |
1900–1962 | Psychiatrist | Barbiturate overdose. | |
Erin Spanevello Erin Spanevello Erin Jean Maria Spanevello was a Canadian fashion model active in the late 2000s before dying from a drug overdose at the age of 21.... |
1987–2008 | Fashion model | Overdose of MDMA and GHB Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid γ-Hydroxybutyric acid , also known as 4-hydroxybutanoic acid and sodium oxybate when used for medicinal purposes, is a naturally occurring substance found in the central nervous system, wine, beef, small citrus fruits, and almost all animals in small amounts. It is also categorized as an illegal... . |
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Layne Staley Layne Staley Layne Thomas Staley was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-lyricist of the rock group Alice in Chains, which was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the... |
1967–2002 | Musician (Alice in Chains Alice in Chains Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr... ) |
Cocaine, heroin and codeine overdoses. | |
Miroslava Stern Miroslava Stern Miroslava was a Czechoslovakian-born Mexican film actress who appeared in thirty two films.- Biography :... |
1926–1955 | Actress | Overdose of sleeping pills. Suicide. | |
Inger Stevens Inger Stevens Inger Stevens was a Swedish-American movie and TV actress.- Early life :Inger Stevens was born Inger Stensland in Stockholm, Sweden. She was an insecure child and was often ill. When she was nine, her parents divorced and she moved with her father to New York City... |
1934–1970 | Actress | Barbiturate overdose. Suicide. | |
Bradley Stewart, aka Gidget Gein Gidget Gein Gidget Gein was an American musician and artist. He was the second bassist and co-founder of the alternative metal band Marilyn Manson. His stage name references and dichotomises serial killer Ed Gein and the novel Gidget.-Early life:Bradley Stewart was born in Hollywood, Florida... |
1969–2008 | Musician (Marilyn Manson Marilyn Manson (band) Marilyn Manson is an American metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by Brian Warner and Scott Putesky, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their uniquely theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early '90s. This attention... ) |
Heroin overdose. | |
Rory Storm Rory Storm Rory Storm was an English singer and musician. Born Alan Caldwell in Liverpool, Storm was the singer and leader of Rory Storm and The Hurricanes, a Liverpudlian band who were contemporaries of The Beatles in the late 1950s, and early 1960s... |
1939–1972 | Musician | Alcohol and sleeping pill overdose. | |
Margaret Sullavan Margaret Sullavan Margaret Brooke Sullavan was an American stage and film actress. Sullavan started her career on the stage in 1929. In 1933 she caught the attention of movie director John M. Stahl and had her debut on the screen that same year in Only Yesterday... |
1909–1960 | Actress | Barbiturate overdose. Suicide. | |
James Owen Sullivan, aka The Rev | 1981–2009 | Musician (Avenged Sevenfold) | "[A]cute polydrug intoxication due to combined effects of oxycodone, oxymorphone, diazepam, nordiazepam and ethanol." | |
Royce Surdam | 1835–1891 | Real-estate agent | Laudanum overdose. Accidental. | |
Jennifer Syme Jennifer Syme Jennifer Maria Syme was an American actress and production assistant. She was best known for her role in Lost Highway, and for her relationship with actor Keanu Reeves.-Early life and career:... |
1972–2001 | Actress | Crashed her car while under the influence of cocaine, clonazepam and cyclobenzaprine. |
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Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
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Warren Tartaglia, aka Walid al-Taha | 1944–1965 | Jazz musician | Heroin overdose. | |
Chase Tatum Chase Tatum Chase Tatum was a wrestler for World Championship Wrestling.- Career :At age 19, Tatum won the Mr. Georgia bodybuilding competition. He signed with the Atlanta-based World Championship Wrestling promotion. After beginning his career as a jobber, Tatum became a member of rapper Master P's No Limit... |
1973–2008 | Former professional wrestler | Apparent drug overdose following years of addiction to painkillers. | |
Vinnie Taylor | 1949–1974 | Musician (Sha Na Na Sha Na Na Sha Na Na is an American rock and roll group. The name is taken from a part of the long series of nonsense syllables in the doo-wop hit song "Get a Job", originally recorded in 1957 by the Silhouettes.... ) |
Unspecified drug overdose. | |
Sara Teasdale Sara Teasdale Sara Teasdale , was an American lyrical poet. She was born Sara Trevor Teasdale in St. Louis, Missouri, and after her marriage in 1914 she went by the name Sara Teasdale Filsinger.-Biography:... |
1884–1933 | Poet | Sleeping pill overdose. Suicide. | |
Gary Thain Gary Thain Gary Mervin Thain was a rock bassist, best known for his work with British band, Uriah Heep.-Biography:Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thain was part of the rock trio The New Nadir, and with the drummer Peter Dawkins, he travelled from New Zealand to London, and once jammed with Jimi Hendrix... |
1948–1975 | Musician (Uriah Heep Uriah Heep (band) Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969 and regarded as a seminal classic hard rock act of the 1970s. Uriah Heep's progressive/art rock/heavy metal fusion's distinctive features have always been massive keyboards sound, strong vocal harmonies and David Byron's operatic vocals... ) |
Respiratory failure due to a heroin overdose. | |
Ada Thompson, aka Vivien Merchant Vivien Merchant Vivien Merchant was a British actress.-Career:Merchant performed in many stage productions and several films, including Alfie and Frenzy... |
1929–1982 | Actress | Alcoholism. The coroner stated Merchant "drank herself to death." | |
John Thompson John Thompson (poet) John Thompson was an English-born Canadian poet.John Thompson was born in Timperley in 1938. Following the death of his father and abandonment by his mother, he was educated at various boarding schools and the Manchester Grammar School. He received his B.A. in honours psychology from the... |
1938–1976 | Poet | Overdose of barbiturates and alcohol. | |
Jotie T'Hooft Jotie T'Hooft Johan Geeraard Adriaan T'Hooft was a Flemish Belgian neo-romantic poet.His life and death by overdose were made into a movie, the English title Junkie's Sorrow.-Life:Jotie T'Hooft was born in Oudenaarde, Belgium... |
1956–1977 | Poet | Unspecified drug overdose. | |
Johnny Thunders Johnny Thunders Johnny Thunders, born John Anthony Genzale, Jr. , was an American protopunk guitarist, singer and songwriter.He came to prominence in the early '70s as a member of the New York Dolls... |
1952–1991 | Musician (the New York Dolls) | Conflicting sources report heroin overdose or methadone and cocaine poisoning or that the autopsy did not disclose a cause of death. | |
Georg Trakl Georg Trakl Georg Trakl was an Austrian poet. He is considered one of the most important Austrian Expressionists.- Life and work :Trakl was born and lived the first 18 years of his life in Salzburg, Austria... |
1887–1914 | Poet | Cocaine overdose. Suicide. | |
Chögyam Trungpa Chögyam Trungpa Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche was a Buddhist meditation master and holder of both the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages, the eleventh Trungpa tülku, a tertön, supreme abbot of the Surmang monasteries, scholar, teacher, poet, artist, and originator of a radical re-presentation of Shambhala vision.Recognized... |
1939–1987 | Buddhist meditation master | Cardiac arrest exacerbated by heavy alcohol use. | |
D. M. Turner D. M. Turner D.M. Turner was an author, psychedelic researcher and psychonaut who wrote two books on psychoactives and entheogens... |
1962–1996 | Author | Drowned in a bathtub while under the influence of ketamine Ketamine Ketamine is a drug used in human and veterinary medicine. Its hydrochloride salt is sold as Ketanest, Ketaset, and Ketalar. Pharmacologically, ketamine is classified as an NMDA receptor antagonist... . |
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Ike Turner Ike Turner Isaac Wister Turner was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, arranger, talent scout, and record producer. In a career that lasted more than half a century, his repertoire included blues, soul, rock, and funk... |
1931–2007 | Musician, producer | Cocaine overdose with high blood pressure and emphysema Emphysema Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary... as contributing factors. |
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Dick Twardzik Dick Twardzik Richard Twardzik was a jazz pianist known for bebop who worked for the bulk of his career in Boston.He trained in classical piano as a child and made his professional debut at 14... |
1931–1955 | Jazz pianist | Heroin overdose. | |
Helen Twelvetrees Helen Twelvetrees Helen Twelvetrees was an American stage and screen performer, considered a top female star in the early days of sound films.- Early life and career :... |
1908–1958 | Actor | Unspecified drug overdose. Suicide. | |
John Tyndall John Tyndall John Tyndall FRS was a prominent Irish 19th century physicist. His initial scientific fame arose in the 1850s from his study of diamagnetism. Later he studied thermal radiation, and produced a number of discoveries about processes in the atmosphere... |
1820–1893 | Physicist | Overdose of chloral hydrate Chloral hydrate Chloral hydrate is a sedative and hypnotic drug as well as a chemical reagent and precursor. The name chloral hydrate indicates that it is formed from chloral by the addition of one molecule of water. Its chemical formula is C2H3Cl3O2.... . Accidental. |
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Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
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Dorothy Uhnak Dorothy Uhnak Dorothy Uhnak was an American novelist.-Biography:Uhnak was born in New York City. She attended City College of New York and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.... |
1930–2006 | Author | Unspecified drug overdose. Suicide. | |
Stu Ungar Stu Ungar Stuart Errol "Stu" Ungar was a professional poker and gin rummy player, widely regarded to have been the greatest Texas hold 'em and gin rummy player of all time.... |
1953–1998 | Professional poker player | Heart condition caused by long-term cocaine abuse. | |
Enrique Urquijo Enrique Urquijo Enrique Urquijo was a Spanish singer, songwriter, and guitarist.Born in Madrid, Spain, Urquijo is best known as one of three brothers in the Spanish New Wave music group Los Secretos formed in 1980. Later in the career of Los Secretos, he formed his parallel band Los Problemas.Urquijo died in... |
1960–1999 | Singer | Unspecified drug overdose. |
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Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
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Paul Vaessen Paul Vaessen Paul Leon Vaessen was an English footballer.Vaessen was born in Gillingham to a footballing family – his father Leon had played for Millwall and Gillingham. A centre-forward, he joined Arsenal in 1977 as an apprentice, and made his debut aged 16 against Lokomotive Leipzig in the UEFA Cup on 27... |
1961–2001 | Former professional footballer | Unspecified drug overdose. | |
Brandon Vedas Brandon Vedas Brandon Carl Vedas , also known by his nickname ripper on IRC, of Phoenix, Arizona, United States, was a computer enthusiast, recreational drug user and member of the Shroomery.org community who died of an overdose of prescription drugs while discussing what he was doing via chat and webcam... |
1981–2003 | Computer expert | Multiple drug overdose, incluide "alcohol, cannabis, psilocybin mushroom, clonazepam, temazepam, methadone, hydrocodone and propanolol". | |
Lupe Vélez Lupe Vélez Lupe Vélez was a Mexican film actress. Vélez began her career in Mexico as a dancer, before moving to the U.S. where she worked in vaudeville. She was seen by Fanny Brice who promoted her, and Vélez soon entered films, making her first appearance in 1924. By the end of the decade she had... |
1908–1944 | Actress | Secobarbital overdose. Suicide. | |
Michael VerMeulen Michael VerMeulen Michael VerMeulen was an American magazine editor.Born in [Lake Forest, Illinois], VerMeulen was a journalist and editor, who came into contact during his late adolescence with playwright David Mamet and the circle of actors surrounding him in Chicago at that time... |
1956–1995 | Magazine editor | Cocaine overdose. | |
Jeffrey James Vickers, aka Jon Vincent Jon Vincent Jon Vincent a.k.a. Dave Phillips, real name: Jeffrey James Vickers was an American gay pornographic actor. Though he performed in fewer than 40 films, he is considered a porn legend.-Background:... |
1962–2000 | Pornographic actor | Heroin overdose. |
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Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
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Marie Walcamp Marie Walcamp Marie Walcamp was an American actress of the silent film era.-Biography:Born in Dennison, Ohio, Walcamp headed to the East Coast in search of acting jobs on the stage after she finished her formal education. After landing various roles in New York, she eventually landed a role in 1913's The... |
1894–1936 | Actress | Pain killer overdose. Suicide. | |
Robert Walker | 1918–1951 | Actor | Reaction to a sedative administered by his doctor. | |
Dinah Washington Dinah Washington Dinah Washington, born Ruth Lee Jones , was an American blues, R&B and jazz singer. She has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the '50s", and called "The Queen of the Blues"... |
1924–1963 | Singer | Secobarbital and amobarbital overdose. | |
Dave Waymer Dave Waymer David Benjamin Waymer, Jr. was an American football defensive back in the NFL.Waymer graduated from West Charlotte High School in 1976. He played college football at Notre Dame, graduating in 1980, and was drafted in the 1980 NFL Draft in the second round by the New Orleans Saints, where he... |
1958–1993 | American football player | Cocaine-induced heart attack. | |
George Webley George Webley George Webley , better known by the stage name Big George, was a British musician, composer, bandleader, and broadcaster who has been described as one of Britain's most successful theme music writers.-Early life:... aka Big George |
1957–2011 | Broadcaster Presenter A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show... |
Heart attack after mephedrone use. | |
Mikey Welsh Mikey Welsh Michael Edward "Mikey" Welsh was an American artist and musician, best known as the former bassist of Weezer. He played with Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo during Cuomo's time in Boston during the hiatus in the band Homie... |
1971–2011 | Musician Musician A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession.... with the group Weezer Weezer Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992... |
"Overdose" | |
Daniel Webster Daniel Webster Daniel Webster was a leading American statesman and senator from Massachusetts during the period leading up to the Civil War. He first rose to regional prominence through his defense of New England shipping interests... |
1782–1852 | Statesman Statesman A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term... |
Cerebral hemorrhage, caused by a blow to the head and complicated by alcohol-induced cirrhosis of the liver. | |
Willie Wilde Willie Wilde William 'Willie' Charles Kingsbury Wilde was an Irish journalist and poet of the Victorian era and the older brother of Oscar Wilde.-Background:... |
1852–1899 | Journalist | "Complications related to his alcoholism." | |
Ellen Wilkinson Ellen Wilkinson Ellen Cicely Wilkinson was the Labour Member of Parliament for Middlesbrough and later for Jarrow on Tyneside. She was one of the first women in Britain to be elected as a Member of Parliament .- History :... |
1891–1947 | Politician | Barbiturate overdose. | |
Gertrude Elizabeth Wilkerson, aka Luna Vachon | 1962–2010 | Professional wrestler | Overdose of oxycodone and benzodiazepine. Accidental. | |
Kenneth Williams Kenneth Williams Kenneth Charles Williams was an English comic actor and comedian. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the Carry On films, and appeared in numerous British television shows, and radio comedies with Tony Hancock and Kenneth Horne.-Life and career:Kenneth Charles Williams was born on 22 February... |
1926–1988 | Actor, author | Barbiturate overdose. It was not possible to establish whether his death was suicide or accidental. | |
Alan Wilson Alan Wilson (musician) Alan "Blind Owl" Christie Wilson was the leader, singer, and primary composer in the American blues band Canned Heat. He played guitar and harmonica, and wrote most of the songs for the band.-Early years:... |
1943–1970 | Musician (Canned Heat Canned Heat Canned Heat is a blues-rock/boogie rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1965. The group has been noted for its own interpretations of blues material as well as for efforts to promote the interest in this type of music and its original artists... ) |
Unspecified drug overdose. Possibly suicide. | |
Amy Winehouse Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize... |
1983–2011 | Singer-Songwriter | Alcohol poisoning. | |
Sheree Winton Sheree Winton Sheree Winton was an English actress, and the mother of television presenter Dale Winton. She made many film and television appearances throughout her career, often referred to as 'the English Jayne Mansfield'... |
1935–1976 | Singer-songwriter | Alcohol poisoning. | |
Rachel Whitear Rachel Whitear Rachel Whitear was a British student from Ledbury, Herefordshire who died following a heroin overdose. Her death in May 2000 led to a large-scale anti-drugs campaign in Britain, particularly in secondary schools, when her parents allowed a police photograph to be shown publicly – it showed... |
1979–2000 | Student | Heroin overdose. Accidental. | |
Brett Whiteley Brett Whiteley Brett Whiteley, AO was an Australian artist. He is represented in the collections of all the large Australian galleries, and was twice winner of the Archibald Prize... |
1939–1992 | Artist | Heroin overdose. | |
Grant Withers Grant Withers Grant Withers was an American film actor. With early beginnings in the silent era, Withers moved into talkies establishing himself with a list of headlined features as a young and handsome male lead... |
1905–1959 | Actor | Sleeping pill overdose. Suicide. | |
Keith Whitley Keith Whitley Jackie Keith Whitley , known professionally as Keith Whitley, was an American country music singer. Whitley's brief career in mainstream country music lasted from 1984 until his death in 1989, but he continues to influence an entire generation of singers and songwriters... |
1954–1989 | Singer | Alcohol poisoning. | |
Frances Wollstonecraft, aka Fanny Imlay Fanny Imlay Frances "Fanny" Imlay , also known as Fanny Godwin, was the illegitimate daughter of the British feminist Mary Wollstonecraft and the American commercial speculator Gilbert Imlay.Although Mary Wollstonecraft and Gilbert Imlay lived together happily for brief periods before and after the birth... |
1794–1816 | Wife | Laudanum overdose. Suicide. | |
Linda Wong | 1951–1987 | Pornographic actress | Overdose of Xanax, chloral hydrate Chloral hydrate Chloral hydrate is a sedative and hypnotic drug as well as a chemical reagent and precursor. The name chloral hydrate indicates that it is formed from chloral by the addition of one molecule of water. Its chemical formula is C2H3Cl3O2.... , and alcohol. |
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Andrew Wood | 1966–1990 | Singer (Mother Love Bone Mother Love Bone Mother Love Bone was an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1988. The band was active from 1988 to 1990. Frontman Andrew Wood's personality and compositions helped to catapult the group to the top of the burgeoning late 1980s/early 1990s Seattle music scene... ) |
Heroin overdose. | |
Anna Wood | 1980–1995 | Student | Water intoxication secondary to use of MDMA. |
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Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
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Paula Yates Paula Yates Paula Elizabeth Yates was a British television presenter and writer, best known for her work on two television programmes, The Tube and The Big Breakfast.-Early life:... |
1959–2000 | TV presenter, author | Heroin overdose. Accidental. | |
Kelly Yeomans Kelly Yeomans Kelly Yeomans was an English school girl from the Allenton suburb near Derby. Her 1997 suicide, at the age of 13, became widespread news when the cause was traced to excessive bullying to which she had been subjected by other local children.In evidence to court, Yeomans was described as a... |
1984–1997 | Student | Unspecified drug overdose. Suicide. |
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Name | Life | Profession | Cause of death | Reference |
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Stefan Zweig Stefan Zweig Stefan Zweig was an Austrian novelist, playwright, journalist and biographer. At the height of his literary career, in the 1920s and 1930s, he was one of the most famous writers in the world.- Biography :... |
1881–1942 | Playwright | Sleeping pill overdose. Suicide. |