Was reflecting on this after listening to a few great albums by Michael Hedges.
It’s crazy how many great musicians have tragically died before their time.
To name a few:
John Lennon
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Micheal Hedges
Prince
Micheal Jackson
Tom Petty
Jim Morrison
Jimi Hendrix
Janis Joplin
Bob Marley
Elvis Presley
John Denver
Buddy Holly
Ronnie Van Zant
Glenn Miller
I’ll add Clifford Brown, Charlie Parker, Herbie Nichols, Ernie Henry, Bix Beiderbecke
Eva Cassidy
Frank Zappa
Keith Whitley
Otis Redding
Duane Allman
Berry Oakley
Steve Gaines
George Harrison
What is the cutoff? E.g., George Harrison was 58 when he died.
I would include Mendelsohn and Mozart. Schubert, Chopin.
Many died while still productive and relevant.
Lee Morgan
Michael Bloomfield
Ron Mckernan, Eric Dolphy, John Coltrane, Jerry Garcia, Lee Morgan, Herbie Nichols, Peter Laughner, Tom Cora, Sandy Denny, Tina Brooks.
Some of these musicians died because of their own overindulgence in recreational drugs or alcohol, but it seems a very high percentage of them died suddenly and tragically due to outside circumstances beyond their control, like in plane crashes.
Another musician just came to mind.
Dolores O’Riordan lead singer of the Cranberries. I enjoyed her unique vocal style.
Musicians die no more suddenly than the population as a whole. We just do not become aware of them.
No one muses over the deaths of young plumbers.
That’s probably the case.
I have long found this interesting:
I would like to add:
Jeff Beck
Gary Moore
Eddie van Halen
Freddie Mercury
I will second Michael Hedges, that was a gut blow for me. Still remember where I was when I heard it (can’t say the same for when JFK died).
I’ll add Jacqueline du Pré to the list. An absolutely phenomenal cellist and by all accounts a wonderful person. There was a recent PBS documentary that was quite good.
Walter Becker
Kurt Cobain
Bill Evans
Scott LaFaro
Clifford Brown
Mrs. Miller
Nick Drake
Jeff Buckley
Robert Johnson
Amy Winehouse
Brian Jones
Ritchie Valens
Randy Rhoades
Carlos Gardel
Yes!
Tim Bergling
Michel Petrucciani