1. Marilyn Monroe
Profession: Actress
Nationality: American
Born: June 1, 1926 Died: August 4, 1962 (aged 36)
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
Cause of Death: Suicide by drug overdose
Monroe was an American actress, model, and singer who became
a major sex symbol of her age.
Often playing an archetypal "dumb blonde" she
starred in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s
and early 1960s.
She became further famous for singing "Happy Birthday,
Mr President" to John F. Kennedy and for modelling in the first issue of
Playboy magazine.
2. Elvis Presley
Profession: Singer and Cultural Icon
Nationality: American
Born: January 8, 1935 Died: August 16, 1977 (aged 42)
Birthplace: Tupelo, Mississippi, USA
Cause of Death: Heart attack caused by a suspected but
disputed overdose of prescription drugs
One of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th
century, Elvis helped establish the emerging Rock and Roll sound, incorporating
blues and gospel influences. He was also a leader in popularizing both the
rockabilly sound and the four-man band line-up which would later dominate the
music industry.
His first single, "Heartbreak Hotel" (1956), began
a string of number-ones that radically reshaped American music and put Presley
at the forefront of rock and roll. In 1958 he was drafted into the army and
served in West Germany.
Following this he began a much-derided acting career and did
not perform live for seven years. In 1968 he returned to the stage with the
acclaimed "Elvis" special, and then took up an extended Las Vegas
residency which became iconic in its own right.
A series of successful concert tours followed, as did the 1973 live concert special "Aloha from Hawaii", which was a technological first. On August 16, 1977, Presley died of a heart attack at his Graceland estate in Memphis, often considered to be the result of an accidental prescription drug overdose.
Presley is one of the best-selling artists in music history,
with sales of over 600 million units.
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3. Michael Jackson
Profession: King of Pop
Nationality: American
Born: August 29, 1958 Died: June 25, 2009 (aged 50)
Birthplace: Gary, Indiana, USA
Cause of Death: Cardiac arrest induced by an overdose of
prescription drug propofol
One of the most successful and popular entertainers in music
history, Jackson began his musical career as a child, performing with his
brothers in Jackson 5 before going solo in 1971. The Jackson 5 had numerous
hits, including "ABC" and "I'll Be There".
After releasing the commercially successful album "Off
the Wall" in 1979, he released "Thriller" in 1982, which became
the best-selling album of all time with over 65 million copies sold and
contained such hits as "Billie Jean", "Beat It" and the
title track.
Jackson, who became famous for his choreography and ground
breaking music videos, dominated pop music in the 1980s; successful albums
"Bad" (1987) and "Dangerous" (1991) followed. The winner of
13 Grammy Awards, Jackson sold more than 350 million records and was one of the
most influential entertainers in history.
Jackson's eccentric personal life dominated the latter half
of his career, including his financial troubles, changing appearance and
general behavior. In the 1990s and 2000s he was accused of child sexual abuse,
charges which he denied and was acquitted of in two highly publicized trials.
In 2009 he announced a series of comeback concerts, entitled
This Is It. Before those concerts could be undertaken he died aged 50 of a
cardiac arrest, brought on by an accidental overdose of propofol administered
by his personal physician. His death led to a global outpouring of grief and
his memorial service was widely watched around the world.
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4. Jimi Hendrix
Profession: Rock Guitarist
Nationality: American
Born: November 27, 1942 Died: September 18, 1970 (aged 27)
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, USA
Cause of Death: Drug overdose
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist, songwriter and
singer. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely
regarded as the greatest and one of the most influential electric guitarists in
the history of popular music, and one of the most celebrated musicians of the
20th century. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes him as "arguably
the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music
His performance at the Monterey Pop Festival established him
in the US and he is especially known for playing at Woodstock where he played
the 'Star Spangled Banner'.
Rolling Stone ranked the band's three studio albums, Are You
Experienced (1967), Axis: Bold as Love (1967), and Electric Ladyland (1968),
among the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time", and they ranked Hendrix
as the greatest guitarist and the sixth-greatest artist of all time. Hendrix
was named the greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone in 2023
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5. Judy Garland
Profession: Actress and Singer
Nationality: American
Born: June 10, 1922 Died: June 22, 1969 (aged 47)
Birthplace: Grand Rapids, Minnesota, USA
Cause of Death: Her
coroner determined the cause as an unintentional, incautious overdose of
prescription barbiturates.
Described by Fred Astaire as "the greatest entertainer
who ever lived" and renowned for her contralto voice, she will always be
synonymous with "The Wizard of Oz".
Born into a family of vaudeville entertainers, Frances,
known as "Baby", joined her family's act as part of "The Gumm
Sisters". A name change and movie contract made her a reliable box-office
draw as a teenager, in musicals co-starring Mickey Rooney made her famous.
Her biggest role was as Dorothy in the M-G-M musical adaption of "The Wizard of Oz" in 1939. She continued in film as an adult, excelling in musical, comedic, and dramatic roles, while also becoming a concert attraction.
With the advent of television, she found a new field to
conquer, as host of her own variety show and storied guest on late-night talk
shows.
Over her career, she won an Academy Award, 2 Grammy Awards
and Lifetime Achievement plaudits from the Oscar, Grammy, and Tony
organizations. Two of three children, daughters Liza Minnelli and Lorna Luft,
followed her footsteps into the footlights.
Recurrent substance abuse and relationship traumas led to
financial distress and her premature death of long-term habitual barbiturate
use
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6. Jim Morrison
Profession: Poet and Rocker
Nationality: American
Born: December 8 1943. Died: July 3 1971 (aged 27)
Birthplace: Melbourne Florida USA
Cause of Death: Heart failure allegedly caused be an
accidental heroin overdose
Poet and singer-songwriter best known as the lead singer of
the Los Angeles rock band "The Doors".
Morrison grew up a military brat, spending a nomadic
childhood living wherever his US Navy officer father was stationed. He
developed a fondness for literature, poetry, and philosophy while attending
high schools in southern California and Virginia. He attended college in
Florida, and graduated with a degree in film from UCLA in California.
After college, in 1965, he co-founded The Doors (named after
Aldous Huxley's "The Doors of Perception"), becoming lead singer and
primary lyricist, By 1967, The Doors had found success in the music world with
their break-through song "Light My Fire". Morrison's behavior, fueled
by substance abuse, became erratic and created legal and scheduling problems
for the group. After recording their 6th album "L.A. Woman" in 1971
Morrison went to Paris for the summer. He drowned in a bathtub in his apartment
there at the age of 27, exact cause of death undetermined - thought to be
either heart failure or drug overdose.
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7. Amy Winehouse
Profession: Singer
Nationality: British
Born: September 14 1983. Died: July 23 2011 (aged 27)
Birthplace: Southgate London England
Cause of Death: Drug overdose
Amy Winehouse was an English singer and songwriter, known
for her distinctive vocal style and eclectic mix of genres. She had a major hit
with the 2006 song "Rehab."
Her first and second albums, Frank (2003) and Back to Black
(2006), were critical and commercial successes. In 2008 Winehouse won five
Grammy Awards including Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year
and Best Pop Vocal Album.
She was known for her substance abuse issues, and in 2011
died of an alcohol overdose at the age of 27.
8. Prince Rogers Nelson
Profession: Singer
Nationality: American
Born: June 7 1958. Died: April 21 2016 (aged 57)
Birthplace: Minneapolis Minnesota USA
Cause of Death: Drug overdose
Prince Rogers Nelson was an American singer,
multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer and actor. The recipient of
numerous awards and nominations, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest
musicians of his generation. He was
known for his flamboyant, androgynous persona;
his wide vocal range, which included a far-reaching falsetto and
high-pitched screams; and his skill as a multi-instrumentalist, often
preferring to play all or most of the instruments on his recordings. His music incorporated a wide variety of
styles, including funk, R&B, rock, new wave, soul, synth-pop, pop, jazz,
blues, and hip hop. Prince produced his albums himself, pioneering the
Minneapolis sound.
In the midst of a contractual dispute with Warner Bros. in
1993, he changed his stage name to the unpronounceable symbol Logo. Hollow
circle above downward arrow crossed with a curlicued horn-shaped symbol and
then a short bar (known to fans as the "Love Symbol") and was often
referred to as The Artist Formerly Known as Prince (or TAFKAP) or simply The
Artist.
At the age of 57 Prince died after accidentally overdosing on fentanyl at his Paisley Park home and recording studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota. He was a prolific musician who released 39 albums during his life, with a vast array of unreleased material left in a custom-built bank vault underneath his home after his death, including fully completed albums and over 50 finished music videos. Numerous posthumous collections of his previously unheard work have been issued by his estate.
Prince sold at least 100 million records worldwide during
his lifetime, ranking him among the best-selling music artists of all time. His
awards include the Grammy President's Merit Award, the American Music Awards
for Achievement and of Merit, the Billboard Icon Award, an Academy Award, and a
Golden Globe Award.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004,
the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006, and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame
in 2016, and was inducted twice into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk
of Fame in 2022. Estimates of the complete number of songs written by Prince
range anywhere from 500 to well over 1,000.
Some of these songs were made popular after being covered by
other musicians, including "Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinéad O'Connor
and "Manic Monday" by the Bangles.
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9. Janis Joplin
Profession: Singer-Songwriter
Nationality: American
Born: January 19 1943. Died: October 4 1970 (aged 27)
Birthplace: Port Arthur Texas USA
Cause of Death: Drug overdose
Janis Lyn Joplin was
an American singer and songwriter. One of the most iconic and successful rock
performers of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano
vocals, as well as her
"electric" stage presence.
Five singles by Joplin reached the US Billboard Hot 100,
including a cover of the Kris Kristofferson song "Me and Bobby McGee"
which posthumously reached number one in March 1971
Joplin died of a heroin overdose in 1970, at the age of 27,
after releasing three albums (two with Big Brother and the Holding Company and
one solo album).
A second solo album, Pearl was released in January 1971, three months after her death. It reached number one on the Billboard 200. She was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. Rolling Stone ranked Joplin number 46 on its 2004 list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" and number 28 on its 2008 list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time"
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10. Juice WRLD
Profession: Rapper and Singer-Songwriter
Nationality: American
Born: December 2 1998. Died: December 8 2019 (aged 21)
Birthplace: Chicago Illinois USA
Cause of Death: A seizure at Chicago airport caused by toxic
levels of oxycodone and codeine
Jarad Anthony Higgins , known professionally as Juice Wrld
(pronounced "juice world"; stylized as Juice WRLD), was an American
rapper and singer-songwriter. Throughout his career of four years, he was a
leading figure in the emo rap and SoundCloud rap genres which garnered
mainstream attention during the mid-to-late 2010s. His stage name, which he stated represents
"taking over the world", was derived from the crime thriller film
Juice 1992.
He gained recognition with the diamond-certified single
"Lucid Dreams", which peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot
100. It was included on his triple platinum debut album Goodbye & Good
Riddance 2018, alongside the singles "All Girls Are the Same",
"Lean wit Me", "Wasted", and "Armed and
Dangerous", all of which charted on the Hot 100.
11. River Phoenix
Profession: Actor
Nationality: American
Born: August 23 1970. Died: October 31 1993 (aged 23)
Birthplace: Madras Oregon USA
Cause of Death: Drug overdose
River Phoenix was acclaimed as one of the most influential actors of his generation before he died of a drug overdose on a West Hollywood sidewalk at the age of 23.
Born in Oregon, he but spent much of his early childhood
traveling with his family in South America. After becoming disillusioned with
the Children of God cult, the Phoenix family fled Venezuela by stowing away in
a cruise ship. Once back in America, River and his siblings all secured careers
as child actors.
River’s significant roles included Chris Chambers in the
1986 film “Stand By Me”, Mike Waters in “My Own Private Idaho” (1991) which won
him the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival. Other notable
roles included Young Indy in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”, and Danny
Pope in “Running on Empty”, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for
Best Actor.
River was also a dedicated and outspoken animal rights
activist and environmentalist. These concerns fostered a ‘good-boy’ public
image that made his death and its cause a massive shock to his fans. He is
survived by his talented siblings Joaquin, River, Liberty and Summer - all
successful actors and musicians.
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12. Sid Vicious
Profession: Musician
Nationality: England
Born: May 10 1957. Died: February 2 1979 (aged 21)
Birthplace: London England
Cause of Death: Heroin overdose
John Simon Ritchie
better known by his stage name Sid Vicious, was an English musician,
best known as the bassist for the punk rock band Sex Pistols. Despite dying in
1979 at age 21 he remains an icon of the punk subculture; one of his friends
noted that he embodied "everything in punk that was dark, decadent and
nihilistic.
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13. Philip Seymour Hoffman
Profession: Actor
Nationality: American
Born: July 23 1967. Died: February 2 2014 (aged 46)
Birthplace: Fairport New York USA
Cause of Death: Suspected drug overdose
Philip Seymour Hoffman (July 23, 1967 – February 2, 2014)
was an American actor. Known for his distinctive supporting and character
roles—eccentrics, underdogs, and misfits—he acted in many films and theatrical
productions, including leading roles, from the early 1990s until his death in
2014. He was voted one of the 50 greatest actors of all time in a 2022 readers'
poll by Empire magazine.
Hoffman studied acting at New York University's Tisch School
of the Arts. He gained recognition for his supporting work, notably in Scent of
a Woman (1992), Boogie Nights (1997), Happiness (1998), The Big Lebowski
(1998), Magnolia (1999), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), and Almost Famous
(2000). He began to occasionally play leading roles, and for his portrayal of
the author Truman Capote in Capote (2005), won the Academy Award for Best
Actor. Further Oscar nominations came for playing a brutally frank CIA officer
in Charlie Wilson's War (2007), a priest accused of child sexual abuse in Doubt
(2008), and the charismatic leader of a Scientology-type movement in The Master
(2012).
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14. Heath Ledger
Profession: Actor
Nationality: Australian
Born: April 4 1979. Died: January 22 2008 (aged 28)
Birthplace: Perth Western Australia Australia
Cause of Death: Drug overdose
Heath Andrew Ledger
was an Australian actor. After playing roles in several Australian
television and film productions during the 1990s, he moved to the United States
in 1998 to further develop his film career. His work consisted of 20 films in a
variety of genres, including 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), The Patriot
(2000), A Knight's Tale (2001),and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009),
the latter two of which were posthumously released. He also produced and
directed music videos and aspired to be a film director.
Ledger died in January 2008 from an accidental overdose as a
result of prescription drug abuse.
A few months before his death, he finished filming his role
as the Joker in The Dark Knight; the performance brought him praise and
popularity, and numerous posthumous awards, including the Academy Award for
Best Supporting Actor, the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor, and
the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
15. Anna Nicole Smith
Profession: Model
Nationality: American
Born: November 28 1967. Died: February 8 2007 (aged 39)
Birthplace: Houston Texas USA
Cause of Death: Prescription drug overdose
Vickie Lynn Marshall , known professionally as Anna Nicole
Smith, was an American model, actress, and television personality. Smith
started her career as a Playboy magazine centrefold in May 1992 and won the
title of 1993 Playmate of the Year. She later modelled for fashion companies,
including Guess, H&M, Lane Bryant, Conair, and Heatherette.
Smith dropped out of high school in 1984, married in 1985,
and divorced in 1993. In 1994 her highly publicized second marriage to
89-year-old billionaire J. Howard Marshall resulted in speculation that she
married him for his money, which she denied. Following Marshall's death in
1995, Smith began a lengthy legal battle over a share of his estate. Her cases
reached the Supreme Court of the United States: Marshall v. Marshall on a
question of federal jurisdiction and Stern v. Marshall on a question of bankruptcy
court authority. Smith died in February 2007 in Hollywood Florida of a combined
drug intoxication.
16. Gertrude Bell
Profession: Archaeologist and Writer
Nationality: British
Born: July 14 1868. Died: July 12 1926 (aged 57)
Birthplace: Washington Hall County Durham England
Cause of Death: Drug overdose of sleeping pills
Gertrude Bell was a British archaeologist and writer who
played a significant role in British imperial policy-making in the Middle East,
particularly in Iraq, during and after World War I. She is often remembered for
her influential role in the establishment of the modern state of Iraq.
Born into a wealthy family in England, Bell was one of the first women to graduate from Oxford University, where she specialized in history. Her affluent background and education provided her with opportunities to travel extensively.
Bell's travels in the Middle East began in the early 20th
century. She learned several languages, including Arabic and Persian, and
developed a deep interest in the region's geography, culture, and politics. Her
extensive travels and interactions with local leaders throughout the Middle
East gave her significant understanding of the region.
During World War I, Bell worked for British intelligence in
the Arab Bureau in Cairo, alongside individuals like T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence
of Arabia). She played a crucial role in British policy-making in the region,
leveraging her unique knowledge and relationships with Arab leaders.
After the war, Bell was heavily involved in the political
reconfiguration of the Middle East. She was a key figure in the discussions
that led to the establishment of the modern state of Iraq. Bell advocated for
and helped facilitate the installation of Faisal I as the first king of Iraq,
believing that a strong, centralized monarchy would bring stability to the
region.
Bell was also an accomplished archaeologist and writer. She
documented her travels in several books and played a significant part in the
establishment of the Iraq Museum in Baghdad. She has been described as
"one of the few representatives of His Majesty's Government remembered by
the Arabs with anything resembling affection."
17. Tony Hancock
Profession: Comedian
Nationality: British
Born: May 12 1924. Died: June 25 1968 (aged 44)
Birthplace: Hall Green, Birmingham Warwickshire England
Cause of Death: Suicide by drug overdose
Anthony John Hancock was an English comedian and actor.
High-profile during the 1950s and early 1960s, he had a
major success with his BBC series Hancock's Half Hour, first broadcast on radio
from 1954, then on television from 1956, in which he soon formed a strong
professional and personal bond with comic actor Sid James. Although Hancock's
decision to cease working with James, when it became known in early 1960,
disappointed many at the time, his last BBC series in 1961 contains some of his
best-remembered work (including The Blood Donor and The Radio Ham). After
breaking with his scriptwriters Ray Galton and Alan Simpson later that year,
his career declined.
18. Brian Epstein
Profession: Music Entrepreneur and Beatles Manager
Nationality: British
Born: September 19 1934. Died: August 27 1967 (aged 32)
Birthplace: Liverpool England United Kingdom
Cause of Death: Accidental drug overdose
Brian Samuel Epstein
was an English music entrepreneur who managed the Beatles from 1961
until his death in 1967.
After being discharged from the army, in part due to his
homosexuality, and then pursuing training as an actor, Brian Epstein joined his
family's retail business, running their North End Music Store (known as NEMS).
He expanded the inventory from pianos and radios to include records, while also
writing a column in 'Mersey Beat' a local music magazine.
After a customer request for an early recording that the
Beatles made backing Tony Sheridan in Germany, Epstein went to see the group
perform. He immediately saw their potential and with no experience in the
business, became their manager. He polished their image and secured a proper
record contract. The success he had with the Beatles enabled him to expand his
roster of clients to include other Liverpudlian acts: Gerry and the Pacemakers,
Cilla Black, and Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas.
As the Beatles ceased touring, Epstein's role with the band
diminished. In 1967, he died of a combined alcohol and barbiturate overdose,
ruled as accidental, at the age of 32.
19. Keith Moon
Profession: Rock Drummer
Nationality: England
Born: August 23 1946. Died: September 7 1978 (aged 32)
Birthplace: London England United Kingdom
Cause of Death: Drug overdose
Keith John Moon was an English musician who was the drummer for the rock band the Who. Regarded as one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock music, he was noted for his unique style of playing and his eccentric, often self-destructive behaviour
He suffered from alcoholism and acquired a reputation for
decadence and dark humour; his nickname was "Moon the Loon". While
touring with the Who, on several occasions he passed out on stage and was
hospitalised. By the time of their final tour with him in 1976, and
particularly during production of The Kids Are Alright and Who Are You, the
drummer's deterioration was evident. Moon moved back to London from Los Angeles
in 1978, dying that September from an overdose of clomethiazole, a drug intended
to treat or prevent symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.
He was posthumously inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of
Fame in 1982, becoming the second rock drummer to be chosen, and in 2011 he was
voted the second-greatest drummer in history by a Rolling Stone readers' poll.
Moon was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 as a member of
the Who.
20. Chris Farley
Profession: Actor and
Comedian
Nationality: American
Born: February 15 1964. Died: December 18 1997 (aged 33)
Birthplace: Madison Wisconsin USA
Cause of Death: Drug overdose of opiates and cocaine
Christopher Crosby Farley was an American comedian and
actor. He was known for his loud, energetic comedic style and was a member of
Chicago's Second City Theatre and later
a cast member of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live for five
seasons from 1990 to 1995. He went on to
pursue a film career, appearing in films such as Airheads, Tommy Boy, Black
Sheep, Beverly Hills Ninja, and Almost Heroes.
From his early acting days and through the height of his
fame, Farley struggled with obesity, alcoholism, and substance abuse. He died
of a drug overdose at the age of 33.
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21. Cory Monteith
Profession: Actor and Musician
Nationality: Canadian
Born: May 11 1982. Died: July 13 2013 (aged 31)
Birthplace: Calgary Alberta Canada
Cause of Death: Drug overdose from both heroin and alcohol
Cory Monteith was a Canadian actor and musician best known
for his role as Finn Hudson on the hit TV series "Glee" (2009-2015),
for which he won a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Teen Choice Award.
Monteith had a troubled youth in Victoria, battling drug and
alcohol addiction from the age of 13. He dropped out of school at 16, but after
an intervention at 19, he entered rehab and eventually earned his high school
diploma in 2011.
Monteith's first major acting role was a recurring part on
"Kyle XY" (2006). In 2009, he landed his breakthrough role as Finn
Hudson on "Glee," which became a major hit. He began dating his
co-star Lea Michele in 2012, who played his character's love interest, Rachel
Berry.
In March 2013, Monteith admitted himself to rehab for
substance addiction. Tragically in July of that year he died at the age of 31
in a Vancouver hotel room from a mixture of heroin and alcohol.
"Glee" aired a tribute episode titled "The Quarterback"
dealing with Finn's death.
Throughout his career, Monteith was involved with various
charitable organizations, including the arts education charity Project
Limelight and LGBT rights groups like The Trevor Project. His film credits
included "Monte Carlo" (2011), "Sisters & Brothers"
(2011), and the posthumously released "All The Wrong Reasons" (2013).
22. John Belushi
Profession: Actor, Comedian and Singer
Nationality: American
Born: January 24 1949. Died: March 5 1982 (aged 33)
Birthplace: Chicago Illinois USA
Cause of Death: Drug overdose
John Adam Belushi was
an American comedian, actor, and musician. He was one of the seven original
cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL).
Belushi started his own comedy troupe with Tino Insana and
Steve Beshekas, called "The West Compass Trio". After being
discovered by Bernard Sahlins, he performed with The Second City and met Dan
Aykroyd, Brian Doyle-Murray, and Harold Ramis. Belushi developed a series of
characters on the show that reached great success, including his performances
as Henry Kissinger and Ludwig van Beethoven. Belushi appeared in the films
National Lampoon's Animal House, 1941, The Blues Brothers, and Neighbors.
Belushi struggled with heavy drug abuse that threatened his
comedy career; more than once, he was dismissed from SNL due to his behavior
(and then rehired). In 1982, he died from combined drug intoxication at the age
of 33, after a drug dealer, Cathy Smith, injected him with a mixture of heroin
and cocaine (known as a speedball) at the Chateau Marmont. He was posthumously
honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004.
23. Pete Farndon
Profession: Musician
Nationality: England
Born: June 12 1952. Died: April 14 1983 (aged 30)
Birthplace: Hereford England
Cause of Death: Drug overdose
Peter Granville Farndon was an English bassist and founding
member of the rock band the Pretenders. In addition to playing bass with the
group, Farndon sang backup vocals and co-wrote two of the group's songs
("The Wait" and "Space Invader"), before a drug problem
resulted in his dismissal from the group in 1982 and his death a year later.
The band formed in 1978 and released their first single in
1979. They had their first UK No. 1 in 1980 with "Brass in Pocket"
from their acclaimed self-titled debut album. Farndon was fired from the band
over his drug use in 1982 and died in 1983, drowning in his bath after taking
heroin.
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24. Scott Weiland
Profession: Rocker and Singer-Songwriter
Nationality: American
Born: October 27 1967. Died: December 3 2015 (aged 48)
Birthplace: San Jose California USA
Cause of Death: Accidental drug overdose of cocaine, alcohol
and methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA)
Scott Richard Weiland was an American singer and songwriter. He was best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Stone Temple Pilots from 1989 to 2003 and again from 2008 to 2013, recording six albums with them, and as the lead vocalist of the rock supergroup Velvet Revolver from 2003 to 2008. He also released one album with rock supergroup Art of Anarchy in 2015, as well as four solo studio albums and several collaborations with other musicians throughout his career.
He also became known for his use of a megaphone for a unique
vocal effect during concert. He sold over 50 million albums with his various
projects and collaborations.
Weiland's career was plagued by substance abuse issues,
leading to various high-profile arrests and his eventual firings from Velvet
Revolver and Stone Temple Pilots. On December 3, 2015, at the age of 48, he was
found dead of an accidental drug overdose on his tour bus in Bloomington,
Minnesota.
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25. Paula Yates
Profession: TV Personality
Nationality: England
Born: April 24, 1960 Died: September 17, 2000 (aged 40)
Birthplace: London, England, United Kingdom
Cause of Death: Drug overdose
Paula Elizabeth Yates was a British television presenter and
writer. Yates is best known for her work on two television programmes, The Tube
and The Big Breakfast. She was subjected to intense media attention and
scrutiny, owing to her popularity and her relationships with musicians Bob
Geldof and Michael Hutchence.
She died of a heroin overdose in 2000.
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https://www.cinemaawardsarchive.com/2025/12/19-billionaires-who-refuse-to-stay-poor.html
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