The Death of Rock: Alcohol-Related Deaths

Key

Some entries have special notations prior to their names. They represent induction into one of the following Halls of Fame:

* denotes induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

# indicates induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

^ symbolizes induction into the Blues Hall of Fame.

Several entries on the Drugs page and the Alcohol page may overlap, as some deaths were caused by mixing drugs (either illegal or prescription) with alcohol. Something important to note: alcohol often causes fatal liver damage. In cases where it was known that the liver failed on account of heavy alcohol use, that artist is listed here. When the liver damage is not directly stated to be linked to alcohol, the musician is listed on the Medical Causes: Hepatic Causes page. 

Bix Beiderbecke

(Leon Beiderbecke), alcoholic seizure in 1931. The official cause of death was pneumonia and edema of the brain. He was 28. Beiderbecke was a popular cornetist with a distinct New York sound, standing apart from the New Orleans jazz that dominated the era.

*John Bonham

aspiration of vomit (1980). Bonham was the drummer for the legendary Led Zeppelin; he was 32. He had ingested a massive amount of alcohol on the day he died - about 40 shots (1–1.4 liters) of 40% ABV vodka. (Meaning, 40% alcohol by volume, or 80% proof.) That night Bonham vomited in his sleep, and unable to wake himself, he choked. Led Zeppelin were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. "Whole Lotta Love," "Stairway to Heaven," "When the Levee Breaks," All My Love," "D'yer Ma'ker", "Immigrant Song", "Kashmir", "Ramble On"

*Elbridge "Al" Bryant

cirrhosis of the liver (1975). He was 36. Bryant was a founding member of The Temptations. Because of his unreliability and volatile behavior (due to alcohol) and/or his frustration with the band's lack of success, Bryant's behavior became intolerable. In 1963, Bryant and fellow Temptation, Paul Williams (suicide; see 1973), had an argument that culminated with Bryant smashing a beer bottle across Williams's face; he had to be hospitalized. Bryant was replaced by David Ruffin (cocaine overdose; see 1991). Two other former Temps are recognized in The Archive: Eddie Kendricks, who succumbed to lung cancer in 1992, and Melvin Franklin, who died after a seizure in 1995. The Temptations were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, and both the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1999. "The Way You Do The Things You Do," "My Girl," "Just My Imagination," "Papa Was a Rolling Stone"

David Byron

excessive alcohol consumption. Byron was the lead singer of 70's rock band Uriah Heep, until he was dismissed from the band because of his drinking problem. He was found dead in his home in 1985; he had suffered a heart attack brought on by severe alcoholism. Byron was 38. (Heep bassist, Gary Thain, died from a heroin overdose in 1975.) "Easy Livin'," "Sweet Lorraine," "Stealin'"

Stuart Cable

aspiration of vomit (2010). Cable was the drummer with British alternative band, Stereophonics, from 1992 until 2003 and was a member of Killing for Company at the time of his death. Cable had been drinking at a local Aberdare (Wales) pub, the Welsh Harp Inn, where he left his car and walked home with friends. He continued drinking and reportedly choked to death on his own vomit while asleep. He was 40. "Dakota," "Have a Nice Day," "The Bartender and the Thief"

*Gene Clark

cumulative effects of alcohol (a bleeding ulcer) in 1991; he was 46. Clark was the singer-songwriter of The Byrds, which also featured Gram Parsons and Clarence White (see 1973 for both) and Michael Clarke (see 1993). The Byrds were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2006. "Mr. Tambourine Man," "Eight Miles High," "Turn! Turn! Turn!"

*Steve Clark

Clark (Stephen Maynard Clark) was the guitarist for Def Leppard. He was on a leave of absence from the band supposedly to deal with his alcoholism. He died in his sleep in 1991, from respiratory failure caused by a lethal mixture of alcohol and prescription drugs. He was 30. Def Leppard were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. "Pour Some Sugar On Me," "Love Bites," "Photograph"

*Michael Clarke

(Michael James Dick), cirrhosis of the liver due to alcohol abuse (1993). He was 49. Clarke was the drummer for The Byrds, which also featured Gram Parsons, Clarence White (see 1973 for both) and Gene Clark (1991). The Byrds were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2006. "Mr. Tambourine Man," "Turn! Turn! Turn!" "Eight Miles High"

Ric Grech

(Richard Roman Grechko), liver failure due to alcoholism; 1990. He was 44. Grech was a British musician who played bass for the rock groups, Family, Blind Faith, and Traffic.

Jeff Hanneman

alcohol-related cirrhosis (2013). He was 49. Hanneman was co-founder and guitarist for the thrash metal band, Slayer. The group won two Grammy Awards for "Best Metal Performance" for 2007's "Eyes of the Insane" and 2008's "Final Six". "Hate Worldwide," "World Painted Blood"

Steve Harwell

liver failure brought on by alcoholism in 2023; he was 56. Harwell was the lead singer and a founding member of Smash Mouth, who had hits in the late 1990s, with "Can't Get Enough of You Baby", "Walkin' on the Sun" and "All Star".

*Jimi Hendrix

(born Johnny Allen Hendrix, his father changed his name to James Marshall Hendrix when he was 4 years old), accidental death by combining alcohol and the barbiturate, Vesparax, in 1970. Hendrix was 27 and an established guitar legend. Sources are saying his death was actually a homicide; read about Hendrix's murder by his manager. You can also read about Hendrix's connection to the Curse of 27. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named Hendrix the greatest guitarist of all time. The Jimi Hendrix Experience, with Noel Redding (see 2003) and Mitch Mitchell (2008; natural causes at age 61), were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. Hendrix was also inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. "Purple Haze," "Foxy Lady," "Manic Depression"

*^Billie Holiday

(Eleanor Fagan Gough), cirrohsis of the liver due to excessive alcohol and heroin consumption; 1959. A jazz legend; Holiday was 44. "Lady Day" was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. "God Bless the Child," "Nobody's Business (If I Do)," "Strange Fruit"

Jani Lane

(John Kennedy Oswald), acute alcohol poisoning; found dead in a Los Angeles hotel in 2011. Lane, age 47, was the lead singer for '80s hair-metal band, Warrant. The group had six Top 40 singles: "Heaven," "Cherry Pie," "Sometimes She Cries," "Down Boys," "I Saw Red," and "Uncle Tom's Cabin."

Phil Lynott

substance abuse (1986). Lynott was abusing alcohol and drugs; he was rushed to the hosptal with both liver and kidney infections. He died several days later from heart failure and pneumonia. He was 36. Lynott was the singer for Irish rock band, Thin Lizzy. A life-size bronze statue of Lynott was dedicated in Dublin in 2005. (Guitarist Gary Moore would be found dead in a hotel room in 2011.) "The Boys Are Back in Town," "Whiskey in the Jar"

*Ron "Pigpen" McKernan

gastrointestinal hemorrhage due to alcohol abuse (1973); he was 27. Keyboardist for the Grateful Dead, inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. McKernan was the first of four Grateful Dead keyboardists to die prematurely. He was succeeded by Keith Godchaux (see 1980), Brent Mydland (see 1990), and Vince Welnick (see 2006). "Truckin,'" "St. Stephen," "Casey Jones," "Friend of the Devil"

*Clyde McPhatter

multiple organ failure (liver, kidney, and heart failure) brought on by alcohol abuse (1972); he was 38. McPhatter was the original lead singer with The Drifters before going solo. McPhatter was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist (1987) and the Rockabilliy Hall of Fame. With the The Drifters, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame (1998). The song, "Money Honey," was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 and McPhatter was pictured on a U.S. postage stamp in 1993. (Read about McPhatter's connection to the Curse of Buddy Holly.) With The Drifters: "Honey Love," "Money Honey," "Such a Night," "Lucille." As a solo artist: "Treasure of Love," "A Lover's Question," "Little Bitty Pretty One," "Lover Please"

Mark Daniel Olson

reports suggest his death was bodily wear-and-tear due to chronic alcohol consumption. Olson played keyboards from 1971 until 1984 for rock/soul group, Rare Earth. He died in 1991 at the age of 41. Fellow members John Persh succumbed to a staph infection (1974) and Eddie Guzman died of complications from diabetes (1993). "I Just Want to Celebrate," "Hey, Big Brother," and covers of The Temptations' "(I Know) I'm Losing You" and "Get Ready"

John Panozzo

gastrointestinal hemorrhage brought on by alcoholism, 1996. He was 48. Panozzo was a founding member of Styx, with his brother Chuck, Dennis DeYoung and John Curulewski. (Curulewski succumbed to a brain aneurysm in 1988.) Panozzo played drums for the band, whose hits include "Mr. Roboto," "Come Sail Away," "Lady," and "Babe."

Edith Piaf

(Edith Giovanna Gassion), possibly liver failure (secondary to liver cancer and cirrhosis) in 1963; she was 47. Piaf, who took her stage name from the nickname she was given, La Momme Piaf (The Little Sparrow), was a French singer who rallied her country during World War II and became a French icon and international figure. Her life was plagued by tragedy - her mother abandoned her, she was raised in her paternal grandmother's bordello, a teenage pregnancy resulted in a daughter who died at the age of two, and she endured numerous disastrous love affairs, culminating in the death of the love of her life, middleweight world boxing champion, Marcel Cerdan, in a plane crash. Piaf was also seriously injured in three separate automobile accidents. Her dependence on alcohol and the large amount of medications that she was taking for health conditions and her injuries, led to several surgeries for stomach ulcers. Piaf drifted in and out of consciousness for months before dying of presumed liver failure, although an autopsy was never performed. (Interesting aside: in 1982, a Soviet astronomer discovered a small planet, naming it after Piaf.) "La Vie en rose," "Non, je ne regrette rien," "Hymme a l'amour"

Carl Radle

kidney infection (1980) as a result of long-term alcohol and drug abuse. Radle was the bassist for Derek and the Dominos, George Harrison (see 2001), and Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen. He was 37. Radle was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2006.

*Bon Scott

(Ronald Belford Scott), aspiration of vomit after excessive alcohol consumption in 1980. He was 33. Scott performed lead for AC/DC. The band, including Scott, were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. "(You Shook Me) All Night Long," "Back in Black," "Dirty Deeds (Done Dirt Cheap)"

*^"Big Mama" Thornton

(Willie Mae Thornton), found dead in a Los Angeles boarding house in 1984. She died of heart and liver failure due to prolonged alcohol abuse. She was 57. Thornton was a Blues artist, the first performer to record "Hound Dog", which remained at #1 on the R&B charts for seven weeks in 1953. Her song, "Ball and Chain", is included in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame list of "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll". Thornton was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.

*#Hank Williams

(Hiram King Williams, Sr.), severe heart attack because of excessive drug and alcohol consumption (1953). Williams was 29. In 1961, he was the first artist selected for the Country Music Hall of Fame. Williams was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1985 and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. He was also honored on a United States postage stamp. Country Music Television ranked him second on their "40 Greatest Men of Country Music" in 2003. (Johnny Cash got top honors.) In 2010, he was awarded a special citation by the Pulitzer Prize Committee. "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive," "Your Cheatin' Heart," "Hey, Good Lookin'" For a complete list of Williams's awards, a detailed account of his career, and information on the Curse of Hank Williams (in relation to fellow country crooner, Johnny Horton), visit Hank Williams's Tribute.

J. Frank Wilson

(John Frank Wilson), 1991. Wilson gained notoriety with his "death disc", "Last Kiss." While his record was in the Top Ten, Wilson was involved in a head-on collision with his band and producer, Sonley Roush, who was killed. Wilson never enjoyed a hit song again and died in a nursing home, at the age of 49, from alcoholism and complications from diabetes. Wilson was inducted into the West Texas Music Hall Of Fame.

Amy Winehouse

found dead in her apartment, acute alcohol poisoning (2011). She was 27. Winehouse, a Grammy-winning soul singer with a retro sound, very publicly battled with drug addiction. She often made headlines for her erratic behavior and her shockingly thin and disheveled appearance. At the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, Winehouse's second (and final) album, Back to Black, won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album (and was nominated for Album of the Year). The single, "Rehab," won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year; Winehouse won Best New Artist. (In "Rehab," she refers to fellow soul singer, Donny Hathaway, who committed suicide in 1979.)  Read about Winehouse's connection to the Curse of 27. "Tears Dry on Their Own," "You Know I'm No Good," "Back to Black"

*Chris Wood

liver failure due to alcohol and drug addiction throughout much of his life (1983); he was 39. Member of the band, Traffic, who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. "Feelin' Alright," "Paper Moon," "Dear Mr. Fantasy," "Glad," "Every Mother's Son"