they may be gone but not forgotten
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top ten
musicians who died due to drugs and
alcohol for this list we’re ranking the
most influential and popular musicians
who have died as a result of drugs or
alcohol whether due to accident
misadventure or intentional abuse can
lunatic rains and the trees of the night
we’ll also be taking into account
musicians of all genres from rock and
pop to country R&B and beyond but the
craze for codeine proved to be fatal for
DJ Screw in 2000 and rapper pimp C in
2008 number 10 Whitney Houston
bittersweet memories a voice of a
generation was tragically silenced on
February 11th 2012 as singer Whitney
Houston was found lying unresponsive in
a hotel bathtub the popular and
versatile performer had enthralled
millions during the 1980s and 90s with
such songs as greatest love of all
you
is half my
I want to dance with somebody and I will
always love you from the bodyguard
soundtrack and had performed publicly
just days before
yet years of cocaine abuse had sent the
singer on a downward spiral in her
personal life which assisted by
Houston’s and Thoreau sclerotic heart
disease unfortunately resulted in her
death by drowning
Palmateer overuse new number nine John
Bonham Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham did not
disappoint when it came to living the
excessive rock star style from private
jets women and alcohol Bonham rarely
lived life with any sort of restraint
and this enthusiastic energy was
showcased heavily in the man’s immense
percussive skill
bonza would not live to see his band’s
legacy carry on into 1980s and beyond
however as on the night of September 24
1980 Bonham had been sent to sleep on
his side in guitarist Jimmy Page’s house
after a night of Torah Herzl’s and heavy
drinking
similarly to original ac/dc frontman Bon
Scott Bonham choked on vomit in his
sleep after a drinking bender with
bassist John Paul Jones discovering him
unconscious the next morning
number eight Sid Vicious the Sex Pistols
born John Ritchey Vicious gained fame
later in life as the focal points of AB
and spiritually linked with the
emergence of British punk rock a punk
icon through and through the life of Sid
Vicious was marred with emotional
turmoil drug abuse and violence
it’s live caught up to him when he was
arrested for the murder of his
girlfriend Nancy Spungen in New York’s
Hotel Chelsea vicious would never
recover from the incident even after
making bail and would finally succumb to
a fatal heroin overdose on February 2nd
1979
number seven Keith Moon The Who
one of the few classic rock drummers to
rival Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham the
who’s Keith Moon possessed a reputation
being somewhat of a lovable lunatic on
stage and off with a crazed and manic
energy
unfortunately moons often unhinged
persona would go on to impact his
personal life outside the hoop with the
English rock legend developing an
addiction to alcohol to go along with
moons already legendary reputation for
rabble-rousing and practical jokes
when this matches
moon was eventually prescribed hem
endeavouring for the alcohol withdrawals
he was enduring in his attempts to get
sober only to OD from a lethal dose of
the drug in September of 1978
number six Michael Jackson
there are moments in history where
everyone remembers where they were and
what they were doing for some it was the
JFK assassination and for others it was
the death of the king of pot a star
whose meteoric success as a member of
the Jackson 5 Jackson became an
internationally influential icon during
the 80s through his solo career
in 2009 MJ was set to play an epic 15
night residency at London’s o2 arena but
was being administered propofol mydas
olam and lorazepam by his personal dr.
Conrad Murray while rehearsing for these
shows Jackson received a fatal dose of
propofol and benzodiazepine which
triggered a cardiac arrest resulting in
his death at 50 years of age the son
where old number 5 Elvis Presley
best son
the loss of Elvis Presley stands to this
day as one of the largest outpourings of
grief from a collective fanbase legions
of people still make pilgrimages to
Presley’s Graceland estate two decades
later
why can’t you see whoa what you doin to
me
don’t believe word on say the king was
still a certified legend during the
early and mid 70s but poor diet a
grueling tour schedule and heavy drug
addiction were taking its toll on
Presley in a dramatic fashion the king
was in rough physical and mental shape
by the latter part of the decade passing
away in his home due to a heart attack
exasperated by an over prescribed
combination of drugs and medication from
his personal physician oh love me
number four Amy Winehouse
it’s always a tragedy when an artist is
taken away by personal demons and
nowhere is this more evident than in the
short yet influential life of Amy
Winehouse fans flock to the songwriters
refreshing honesty and retro style
not to mention wine houses even more
vintage sounding vocals which harkens
back to the days of classic soul jazz
and pop from the 1950s and 60s I have to
comfort you every day fast Fame can be a
cruel mistress however and it wasn’t
long before white house’s drug and
alcohol addiction led to the erratic and
poor performances before finally
resulting in her death in 2011
after a night of drinking Winehouse was
found dead with a blood alcohol level at
five times the legal limit
like I know
number three Janis Joplin Big Brother
and the Holding Company 27 is a cursed
age for rock stars and Janis Joplin was
one of the more high-profile of those
casualties Janis Joplin’s performance of
ball and chain at the 1967 Monterey Pop
Festival has gone on to become the stuff
of legend
a captivating display of the singer’s
one-of-a-kind emotional release indeed
there were few blues rock singers who
could touch Joplin’s raw power on stage
yet the performers emotional turmoil
would also lead to a heroin addiction a
habit which served as the cause of her
death after overdosing on a particularly
potent batch of the drug on October 4th
1970
Oh
I love you
number two Jim Morrison the doors
you know this
in 1971 Jim Morrison the iconic frontman
for the doors was found dead in his
Parisian apartments bathtub
the official cause of Morrison’s death
was labeled as heart failure although
the fact that there was no performed
autopsy opened the doors to wide
speculation over whether or not drugs
had played a part in Morrison’s demise
as well as whether or not the musician
actually faked his own death British
singer Marianne Faithfull eventually
claimed that a strong batch of French
Connection heroin given to Morrison by
her boyfriend Jean davechowie was the
true cause of the singer’s demise but
some fans continue to hash out
conspiracy theories regarding Morrison’s
death to this day
Oh father
god
and screaming
before we reveal our number one pick
here are a few honorable mentions
I would put in they’re gonna be with me
you wanna look pretty though in my video
you
you
number one Jimi Hendrix
Wow
ask any hard rock guitarist who was a
teenager during the 1960’s who inspire
them to pick up the instrument and it’s
very likely that this name will come up
time and time again
James Marshall Hendrix simply changed
the landscape of what the electric
guitar could do during his brief but
influential time in the spotlight
Hendrix would never live to see his
influence grow throughout the next
decade however as an excessive dosage of
sleeping pills led to the guitarist
aspirating in his sleep after vomiting
with the resulting asphyxia robbing the
world of yet another musical icon far
too soon
so do you agree with our list which much
miss musician do you think should have
made the list
for more I open atop 10s published every
day please subscribe to watchmojo.com
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top ten
musicians who died due to drugs and
alcohol for this list we’re ranking the
most influential and popular musicians
who have died as a result of drugs or
alcohol whether due to accident
misadventure or intentional abuse can
lunatic rains and the trees of the night
we’ll also be taking into account
musicians of all genres from rock and
pop to country R&B and beyond but the
craze for codeine proved to be fatal for
DJ Screw in 2000 and rapper pimp C in
2008 number 10 Whitney Houston
bittersweet memories a voice of a
generation was tragically silenced on
February 11th 2012 as singer Whitney
Houston was found lying unresponsive in
a hotel bathtub the popular and
versatile performer had enthralled
millions during the 1980s and 90s with
such songs as greatest love of all
you
is half my
I want to dance with somebody and I will
always love you from the bodyguard
soundtrack and had performed publicly
just days before
yet years of cocaine abuse had sent the
singer on a downward spiral in her
personal life which assisted by
Houston’s and Thoreau sclerotic heart
disease unfortunately resulted in her
death by drowning
Palmateer overuse new number nine John
Bonham Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham did not
disappoint when it came to living the
excessive rock star style from private
jets women and alcohol Bonham rarely
lived life with any sort of restraint
and this enthusiastic energy was
showcased heavily in the man’s immense
percussive skill
bonza would not live to see his band’s
legacy carry on into 1980s and beyond
however as on the night of September 24
1980 Bonham had been sent to sleep on
his side in guitarist Jimmy Page’s house
after a night of Torah Herzl’s and heavy
drinking
similarly to original ac/dc frontman Bon
Scott Bonham choked on vomit in his
sleep after a drinking bender with
bassist John Paul Jones discovering him
unconscious the next morning
number eight Sid Vicious the Sex Pistols
born John Ritchey Vicious gained fame
later in life as the focal points of AB
and spiritually linked with the
emergence of British punk rock a punk
icon through and through the life of Sid
Vicious was marred with emotional
turmoil drug abuse and violence
it’s live caught up to him when he was
arrested for the murder of his
girlfriend Nancy Spungen in New York’s
Hotel Chelsea vicious would never
recover from the incident even after
making bail and would finally succumb to
a fatal heroin overdose on February 2nd
1979
number seven Keith Moon The Who
one of the few classic rock drummers to
rival Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham the
who’s Keith Moon possessed a reputation
being somewhat of a lovable lunatic on
stage and off with a crazed and manic
energy
unfortunately moons often unhinged
persona would go on to impact his
personal life outside the hoop with the
English rock legend developing an
addiction to alcohol to go along with
moons already legendary reputation for
rabble-rousing and practical jokes
when this matches
moon was eventually prescribed hem
endeavouring for the alcohol withdrawals
he was enduring in his attempts to get
sober only to OD from a lethal dose of
the drug in September of 1978
number six Michael Jackson
there are moments in history where
everyone remembers where they were and
what they were doing for some it was the
JFK assassination and for others it was
the death of the king of pot a star
whose meteoric success as a member of
the Jackson 5 Jackson became an
internationally influential icon during
the 80s through his solo career
in 2009 MJ was set to play an epic 15
night residency at London’s o2 arena but
was being administered propofol mydas
olam and lorazepam by his personal dr.
Conrad Murray while rehearsing for these
shows Jackson received a fatal dose of
propofol and benzodiazepine which
triggered a cardiac arrest resulting in
his death at 50 years of age the son
where old number 5 Elvis Presley
best son
the loss of Elvis Presley stands to this
day as one of the largest outpourings of
grief from a collective fanbase legions
of people still make pilgrimages to
Presley’s Graceland estate two decades
later
why can’t you see whoa what you doin to
me
don’t believe word on say the king was
still a certified legend during the
early and mid 70s but poor diet a
grueling tour schedule and heavy drug
addiction were taking its toll on
Presley in a dramatic fashion the king
was in rough physical and mental shape
by the latter part of the decade passing
away in his home due to a heart attack
exasperated by an over prescribed
combination of drugs and medication from
his personal physician oh love me
number four Amy Winehouse
it’s always a tragedy when an artist is
taken away by personal demons and
nowhere is this more evident than in the
short yet influential life of Amy
Winehouse fans flock to the songwriters
refreshing honesty and retro style
not to mention wine houses even more
vintage sounding vocals which harkens
back to the days of classic soul jazz
and pop from the 1950s and 60s I have to
comfort you every day fast Fame can be a
cruel mistress however and it wasn’t
long before white house’s drug and
alcohol addiction led to the erratic and
poor performances before finally
resulting in her death in 2011
after a night of drinking Winehouse was
found dead with a blood alcohol level at
five times the legal limit
like I know
number three Janis Joplin Big Brother
and the Holding Company 27 is a cursed
age for rock stars and Janis Joplin was
one of the more high-profile of those
casualties Janis Joplin’s performance of
ball and chain at the 1967 Monterey Pop
Festival has gone on to become the stuff
of legend
a captivating display of the singer’s
one-of-a-kind emotional release indeed
there were few blues rock singers who
could touch Joplin’s raw power on stage
yet the performers emotional turmoil
would also lead to a heroin addiction a
habit which served as the cause of her
death after overdosing on a particularly
potent batch of the drug on October 4th
1970
Oh
I love you
number two Jim Morrison the doors
you know this
in 1971 Jim Morrison the iconic frontman
for the doors was found dead in his
Parisian apartments bathtub
the official cause of Morrison’s death
was labeled as heart failure although
the fact that there was no performed
autopsy opened the doors to wide
speculation over whether or not drugs
had played a part in Morrison’s demise
as well as whether or not the musician
actually faked his own death British
singer Marianne Faithfull eventually
claimed that a strong batch of French
Connection heroin given to Morrison by
her boyfriend Jean davechowie was the
true cause of the singer’s demise but
some fans continue to hash out
conspiracy theories regarding Morrison’s
death to this day
Oh father
god
and screaming
before we reveal our number one pick
here are a few honorable mentions
I would put in they’re gonna be with me
you wanna look pretty though in my video
you
you
number one Jimi Hendrix
Wow
ask any hard rock guitarist who was a
teenager during the 1960’s who inspire
them to pick up the instrument and it’s
very likely that this name will come up
time and time again
James Marshall Hendrix simply changed
the landscape of what the electric
guitar could do during his brief but
influential time in the spotlight
Hendrix would never live to see his
influence grow throughout the next
decade however as an excessive dosage of
sleeping pills led to the guitarist
aspirating in his sleep after vomiting
with the resulting asphyxia robbing the
world of yet another musical icon far
too soon
so do you agree with our list which much
miss musician do you think should have
made the list
for more I open atop 10s published every
day please subscribe to watchmojo.com
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