Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist Randy Rhoads and two members of Ozzy's crew were killed March 19, 1982 when the small plane in which they were joyriding crashed after clipping a wing while trying to buzz Ozzy's tour bus.
Queen front man Freddy Mercury died November 24, 1991 from AIDS. The death of Freddie Mercury came at a time when AIDS was still somewhat new, and shocking. A new movie will document Freddie Mercury's life, with Sacha Baron Cohen in the title role.
Pink Floyd co-founder Syd Barrett died July 7, 2006 from pancreatic cancer. Barrett had left the band early on but continued to be closely identified with Pink Floyd. The 1975 song "Shine On, You Crazy Diamond" was written in honor of him. At the time Pink Floyd recorded it, Barrett had withdrawn from music, changed his name, and shaved his head and eyebrows, changing his appearance to the point that when he stopped by the studio during the sessions, his bandmates at first did not recognize him.
Keyboardist Richard Wright, a founding member of the Floyd, died September 15, 2008 of cancer.
Led Zeppelin's John Bonham died September 25, 1980, when his lungs became waterlogged after a night of heavy drinking.the band oficilaly broke up about a month later.
JIMI HENDRIX
Jimi Hendrix died September 18, 1970 at his girlfriend's London apartment, when his lungs filled with fluid, resulting in drowing. Physicians noted an abundance of red wine in his system.
Road trip photo: This is Jimi Hendrix' shirt which is on display at the Hard Rock Cafe in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Thank to WABX listener Cathy for the picture.
Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark had a history of alcoholism, and had been in rehab several times, with mixed results. He was on a six-month leave of absence from the band when he died January 8, 1991 from a combination of alcohol and legally prescribed painkillers.
CCR guitarist Tom Fogerty, brother of John, had split from Creedence in 1971. Having been the featured performer in earlier bands, Tom was unhappy with his secondary role in CCR, which was generally percieved as "John's group." He had a undistinguished solo career, and eventually filed suit against Fantasy Records for royalties earned as a member of CCR. Tom Fogerty died September 6, 1990 of AIDS. He had contracted the disease from a blood tranfusion while under treatment for tuberculosis.
Thin Lizzy vocalist and bass player Phil Lynott died January 4, 1986 from heart failure and pneumonia. He had been admitted to the hospital with a kidney and liver infection on Christmas Day, after he collapsed from a drinking and drug binge at his home.
Guitarist Gary Moore died of an apparent heart attack on February 6, 2011, while on vacation in Spain.
Stevie Ray Vaughan died in the early morning hours of August 27, 1990 in a helicopter crash in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. He had played in an all-star blues concert featuring, among others, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray and Buddy Guy. After the show, he was scheduled to travel to Chicago by helicopter. Lifting off in dense fog, the pilot did not allow enough clearance for the surounding terrain, and crashed into a hillside, killing all on board. The National Transporation Safety Board found that "improper planning-decision" by the pilot was the principal reason for the crash.
Singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, backup singer Cassie Gaines, and road manager Dean Kilpatrick died October 20, 1977 when Lynyrd Skynyrd's plane crashed in a swamp near Gillsburg, Mississippi. Guitarist Gary Rossington and bass player Leon Wilkeson were critically injured in the accident. The band was cruising at 10,000 feet when they heard a startling announcement. Their plane was beginning to run out of fuel.
Captain Walter W. McCreary and First Officer William J. Gray, Jr. of Falcon Aviation, operators of the charter flight, also died in the crash.
Lynyrd Skynyrd was en route from Greenville, South Carolina to play a Friday night show in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The members of the band had already decided that when their flight reached Baton Rouge, they would take a vote. The question: Whether that trip would be the last in their plane. The Convair 240 was almost 30 years old, and had been having mechanical problems. One of the band's techs had seen a six-foot trail of fire coming from an engine, and there had been considerable debate about whether the plane should have ever taken off from Greenvile.
They never had the chance to take that vote. A defective engine part resulted in an inproper fuel mix. The mixture was so rich that it literally used up all the fuel in the tank. Three band members, their road manager, and both pilots died when the plane glided down from 10.000 feet. The NTSB later determined the probable cause of the crash was "fuel exhaustion and total loss of power on both engines due to crew inattention to the fuel supply."
Local article from nearby MacComb, Mississippi about the accident FULL STORY
The aviation site Check-Six.com provides a detailed look at the flight and its aftermath from an aviation perspective. FULL STORY
The band's name was inspired by Leonard Skinner, a coach and teacher at Robert E. Lee High School in Lynyrd Skynyrd's home town of Jacksonville, Florida. Skinner had once sent Gary Rossington to the principal's office for violating the school's dress code. The slight change in spelling and pronounciation came at the request of the band's lawyers, who worried that Skinner might sue if he took offense at the use of his name.
For his part, Skinner consistently said he would never have thought of such a thing. He later became friends with the band, and allowed them to photograph his "Leonard Skinner Realty" sign for use in the artwork on Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Second Helping" LP.
Skinner's son recalls his father's role in rock history. FULL STORY
In a newspaper article two days after the crash, Skinner said he was "just sick over this tragedy." FULL STORY
Guitarist Allen Collins died January 23, 1990 from chronic pneumonia, a result of a 1986 car accident which left him paralyzed and unable to perform.
Bassist Leon Wilkeson died July 27, 2001 due to complications from chronic liver and lung disease.
Guitarist Hughie Thomasson died September 9, 2007 of an apparent heart attack.
Keyboardist Billy Powell died January 28, 2009, of an apparent heart attack.
Bassist Ean Evans died May 6, 2009 of cancer.
The real estate sign he alllowed the band to use on its album bore Leonard Skinner's phone number, and not unexpectedly, Skinner's sleep was interrupted more than once by late night phone calls from fans wanting to know if he was THE Leonard Skinner. Skinner said that when he responded that he was, their reply was invariably "Far out!" Leonard Skinner died peacefully in his sleep on September 20, 2010 at age 77.
Janis Joplin died October 4, 1970 from an overdose of heroin. Her manger. who discovered her body in her hotel room, said he believed the heroin was more potent than normal, as several of her dealer's customers also overdosed in the surrounding few days (citation: Wikipedia). The album "Pearl," released four months after her death, was her most sucessful, featuring the hit "Me And Bobby McGee," and the acapella cult classic "Mercedes-Benz."
Boston's Brad Delp died March 9, 2007 after sealing himself in his bathroom and lighting two charcoal grills. He left a suicide note in French, which translated as "I am a lonely soul." The official cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning.
Guitarist Duane Allman died October 29, 1971 in a motorcycle accident in Macon, Georgia. Bassist Berry Oakley died November, 11, 1972, also from a motorcycle accident, just three blocks from where Duane Allman was killed. They are buried in adjacent plots in a cemetary in Macon.
