Create a playlist at MixPod.com
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The lines from Bad Company's Shooting Star are a catalyst for the premise of this page, which is that our rock and roll heroes who have been sacrificed on the altar of rock stardom are epitomized by the Shooting Star, which burns so brightly that it extinguishes itself. This is a tribute to the ones I met and the ones I wish I had met. FREAKY FACTS AND CREEPY COINCIDENCESTHE BUDDY HOLLY 'CURSE'*On February 3, 1959, Buddy Holly, along with Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper, died in a plane crash.* ****Eddie Cochran was supposed to join the Winter Dance Party tour but was filming a movie. After the plane crash Eddie recorded 'Three Stars' in tribute to his friends Buddy, Ritchie and The Bopper with Buddy's group, The Crickets. On Easter Sunday 1960, Eddie was killed in a taxi crash.**After Buddy Holly’s death, The Crickets got a new singer, Ronnie Smith, who hung himself.**The next singer with The Crickets, David Box, eventually went solo and, in 1964 died in a plane crash.**Bobby Fuller died under mysterious circumstances in 1966, not long after breaking into the Top 40 with a cover of a Buddy Holly song. He had sent a demo to Buddy's parents.**When Marc Bolan, of T-Rex was killed in a car crash in 1977 There was reported to have been a pin with Buddy Holly’s name on it in the car.**On February 3, 1967, the anniversary of Buddy's death, Joe Meek, music producer who had become obsessed with Buddy and believed that he communicated with the dead singer in his dreams, shot and killed his landlady and them himself.**Folk singer Phil Ochs, who hanged himself in 1976, recorded a tribute to Buddy on his last album.**The film 'The Buddy Holly Story' was made in 1977. Screenwriter Robert Gittler committed suicide before the film was released.**In 1978, The Buddy Holly Story, staring Gary Busey as Buddy Holly hit the theaters. Gary Busey bought a guitar owned by Buddy Holly and was shortly thereafter involved in a near fatal motorcycle accident.**On September 6, 1978, Who drummer, Keith Moon, saw The Buddy Holly Story and then overdosed on medication and died the next day, September 7, which is Buddy Holly’s birthday.* *On 30 December 1985, Rick Nelson finished performing in Guntersville, Alabama. He had played Holly’s “Rave Onâ€, which Buddy had played in Clear Lake before boarding his fatal flight, as his encore and his last words to the audience were, "Rave on for me!" He then boarded his plane, which attempted an emergency landing and then burst into flames killing Rick and his band.* *On February 3, 1990, the anniversary of Buddy Holly’s death, Del Shannon gave his last performance in a tribute show for Buddy, Ritchie and The Big Bopper. Five days later he shot himself in the head.* THE GRATEFUL DEAD KEYBOARD 'CURSE' *Throughout their 'long, strange trip' The Grateful Dead has lost five members. Other than Jerry Garcia, all were keyboardists. You gotta wonder, why did people keep auditioning for the job????? Ron 'Pigpen' McKernan died in 1973 died of gastrointestinal hemorrhaging. Keith Godchaux died in a car wreck in 1980. Brent Mydland died of a drug overdose in 1990. In 2006, Vince Welnick committed suicide. ODDS AND ENDS (OR ODD ENDS) *The plane on which Rick Nelson died was purchased from Jerry Lee Lewis, who sold it because he'd had a promonition that it would crash.* *John Lennon was terrified to travel to the U.S. for the first tour in 1964 because of the recent assassination of John Kennedy. One of the first publicity photos of The Beatles on that tour was taken in Central Park, with The Dakota apartments in the background. In 1980 John was assassinated in front of The Dakota by a crazed fan.* *Twenty-four years to the day after Lennon's assassination, Dimebag Darrell of Pantera and Damageplan was assassinated on stage by a crazed fan.* *Keith Moon died a couple of weeks after the release of 'Who Are You'. Conscious of the extra weight he was carrying at the time, Keith posed for the album cover sitting backward on a chair. The chair is labeled "NOT TO BE TAKEN AWAY."* *When Shannon Hoon left home to become a rock star, his mother had an all too accurate premonition. She stated that he would either come home signed to a label or in a body bag. She was right on both counts.**Ritchie Valens had a fear of flying brought on by a freak accident at his Pacoima Junior High School when two airplanes collided over the playground, killing several of his friends. Despite recurring dreams of that event, Ritchie overcame his fear enough to fly to gigs, only to die in a plane crash.* *Stevie Ray Vaughan's fear of flying led him to call his frequent flights 'riding the Otis Redding express'. Stevie died in a helicopter crash after dreaming the night before of his own funeral.* *Keith Moon and 'Mama' Cass Elliot died in the same London apartment.* *Duane Allman and Berry Oakley of The Allman Brothers Band both died in motorcycle accidents, one year and thirteen days and three blocks apart. They were buried side by side in the cemetery where they wrote many of their songs.* *On April 20, the long dead body of Layne Staley, lead singer of Alice In Chains, was found in his apartment amid copious drug paraphenalia. The Coroner fixed his date of death as April 5, eight years to the day after the demise of his fellow Seattle grunge singer, Kurt Cobain.* *J. Frank Wilson with his band The Cavaliers, recorded the smash hit 'Last Kiss', about a fatal car accident. Later, on a trip with his manager Sonley Roush, Roush crashed his car and died while Wilson escaped with injuries that left him on crutches for a while. Wilson died in '91 from extreme alcoholism.* Lynyrd Skynyrd's last album featuring the entire band was 'Street Survivors'and was released with a cover featuring the band surrounded by flames. Three days after the release, the band's plane went down. Out of respect for the members who lost their lives, the album was re-released with a black background. In the photo on the cover Ronnie was wearing a Neil Young t-shirt featuring the song title 'Tonight's The Night' which includes the lyrics 'It sent a chill up and down my spine When I picked up the telephone And heard that he'd died'. Even more prescient than the flaming cover were the stories circulated by Ronnie Van Zant's friends and family that before leaving on the fateful tour, the singer gave away some of his most prize possessions. CREEPIEST ROCK STAR DEATHS *Edwin Armstong, credited with inventing FM radio, must have foreseen the tragic demise of the many artists it would broadcast. On January 31, 1954, he donned his coat and hat and launched himself from the THIRTEENTH floor window of his New York apartment.* *Philip Taylor Kramer was a bass guitar player for the rock group Iron Butterfly during the 1970s. He was also an aerospace engineer who worked on the MX missle guidance system and in the computer industry on facial recognition systems and advanced communications. On February 12, 1995 he left for LAX to pick up a client who didn't show. Later he made several phone calls, one to Iron Butterfly drummer Ron Bushey saying he would 'see him on the other side', and another to police saying 'I want everyone to know that O.J. Simpson is innocent. They did it.' He then seemingly disappeared from the face of the earth. Four years later his mini-van was found at the bottom of a cliff, his skeletal remains inside. There is still speculation over whether it was murder, suicide, or if 'they' got him.* *On April 17, 1997 Eldon Hoke, aka El Duce, lead singer and drummer of the 'rape rock' band The Mentors, showed up at a friend's house asking for fake ID. He claimed that he might end up buried in a cornfield or lost in a swamp because he knew who had really killed Kurt Cobain. On April 19, two days later, El Duce was hit by a train and died.* *The Bobby Fuller Four had a smash hit with 'I Fought The Law' and were headed for rock stardom when their lead singer, Bobby Fuller, was found dead in his car near his Los Angeles apartment. Fuller had multiple wounds and was doused in gasoline. The Coroner ruled the death a suicide due to asphyxiation of gasoline. Whatever.....the murderer has never been found.* *Graham Bond, of the Graham Bond Organisation and Holy Magick, was very much in to the occult, and believed himself to be the son of Black Magician Aleister Crowley. After bouts of depression and drug addiction, Bond died on May 8, 1974, under the wheels of a London train. Witnesses said it appeared that 'something' had lifted him off the platform and thrown him under the train.* *Richey James Edwards, bassist for Manic Street Preachers, was supposed to fly to the U.S. from England for a promotional tour on February 1, 1995. He didn't show. On February 17 his abandoned car was found, looking as if he had been living in it. In spite of 'sightings' all over the world, Richey is still among the missing, having disappeared without a trace.*
OCTOBER SHOOTING STARS+CHRIS ACLAND+ The drummer for Lush, Chris completed a summer tour with the band and then hanged himself at the home of his parents. Chris was descended from a long line of British nobility.+GG ALLIN+ Creepier in life than he was in death, his given name was Jesus Christ Allin. After overdosing at a party, several people posed for photos with him not realizing that he was dead. Due to the disgusting and inflammatory nature of his music, we chose not to feature any of his songs.+BILLY BENNETT+ Drummer for Sham The Sham And The Pharaohs, Billy contributed to the classic song ‘Little Red Riding Hood’. He died of a heart attack.+WES BERGGREN+ The guitarist for Tripping Daisy overdosed on a mixture of cocaine and prescription drugs.+DAVID BOX+ A victim of the Buddy Holly curse. Filled in for Buddy Holly on the Winter Dance Tour after ‘The Day The Music Died’ and ironically later died in the crash of a light plane on his way back from a show. (See Feature on Buddy Holly curse.)+SHIRLEY BRICKLEY+ Singer with The Orlons, was shot to death at her home on October 13, 1977. No, it was not a Friday but that would have made a great story for our Halloween page.+GLEN BUXTON+ Member of Alice Cooper, named one of Rolling Stone’s Top 100 Guitarists. Died of complications from pneumonia.+DARRYL DELOACH+ Original lead vocalist for Iron Butterfly, left before their big hit. Died of liver cancer in 2002.+JOHN DENVER+ The guy who arbitrarily moved the famous Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah River from Virginia to West Virginia and made millions from it. Believe me, I am not the only proud Virginian to be pissed about it. If he was going to move a body of water it should have been the one he crashed his plane into on October 12, 1997. Duh.+JANE DORNACKER+ Singer and dancer with The Tubes. Jane later became a traffic reporter for a New York radio station. After her helicopter crashed in the river in April of 1986, she bravely went back up. On October 22 of the same year, Jane died when her traffic helicopter crashed in the river.+TOMMY EDWARDS+ Died of a brain aneurysm at age 47.+CLIFF GALLUP+ Guitarist for Gene Vincent & The Blue Caps. Victim of a heart attack in 1988. His wife forbade any mention of his connection to the band in his obituaries.+RONNIE GARVIN+ Guitarist for The Strangers. He was buried with his Stratocaster.+MIKE GIBBINS+ Drummer for Badfinger. Mike died in his sleep in 2005.+WOODY GUTHRIE+ Died of Huntington’s Chorea in 1967.+MALCOLM HALE+ Member of Spanky And Our Gang. Complications from pneumonia.+SHANNON HOON+ Lead singer of Blind Melon. Overdosed on a tour bus in New Orleans a little over a year after appearing at Woodstock ’94 just as Hendrix, Joplin and others died a year after the original festival. (See Feature)+JIMMY HUTMAKER+ 'I went down to the Chelsea drugstore,To get your prescription filled,I was standing in line with Mr. Jimmy'...THE Mr. Jimmy of the Stone's 'You Can't Always Get What You Want'. His prescription obviously didn't save him from diabetes. +AL JACKSON+ Talented drummer for Booker T. & The MGs, shot to death in his home on October 1, 1975. Although his wife, who had shot him earlier in the year was the prime suspect, the case remains unsolved.+JANIS JOPLIN+ Found dead on the floor of the Landmark Motel in LA barely a year after her appearance at Woodstock, with fresh needle marks in her arm.+WELLS KELLY+ Drummer for Orleans and Meat Loaf, died of an overdose at age 35.+JOHNNY KIDD+ The swashbuckling lead singer for Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, helped launch rock and roll with his hit 'Shakin' All Over' before dying in a car accident in England.+CRISS OLIVA+ Lead guitarist for Savatage, the band that he co-founded with his brother Jon, killed in a head-on collision in Florida on October 17, 1993.+BENJAMIN ORR+ Bass guitarist and vocalist for The Cars, died of pancreatic cancer on October 3, 2000.+RICKY PARENT+ Drummer for Enuff Z'nuff, succombed to cancer on October 27, 2007.+ELLIOTT SMITH+ The singer/songwriter who suffered from depression and drug and alcohol addiction, died at age 34 with two stab wounds to the chest. His girl friend claimed that the wounds were self-inflicted and that she only pulled the knife from his chest. WHATEVER.+RONNIE SMITH+ Became part of the Buddy Holly curse when he replaced Buddy on the Winter Dance Party Tour and hanged himself several years later. (See Feature on Buddy Holly Curse.)+STEVE PERREGRIN TOOK+ One of the casualities of the band Tyrannosaurus Rex, injected morphine, did some 'shrooms, and choked to death on a cocktail cherry.+RONNIE VAN ZANT+ Died in the infamous Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash in 1977. (See Feature)+STEVE GAINES+ Guitarist for Skynyrd, died with Ronnie.++CASSIE GAINES+ sister of Steve and background vocalist for Skynyrd, also died in crash.+HENRY VESTINE+ Original guitarist for Canned Heat. Died of a heart attack in a Paris hotel room in 1997.+GENE VINCENT+ Died from a ruptured stomach ulcer in 1971.+SANDY WEST+ Drummer for girl band, The Runaways. Died with lung cancer and a brain tumor at age 47.+BARRIE 'B.J.' WILSON+ Drummer for Procol Harum, died at age 43 of complications from pneumonia. Was also the drummer on the Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack.+J.FRANK WILSON+ Leader of J. Frank Wilson & The Cavaliers, famous for their death dirge 'Last Kiss'.+RICKY WILSON+ Guitarist for the B52s, although his death was orginally reported as cancer related, he actually died of AIDS.