Saddest deaths in music

[mr. logic]

Rap has lots of these. The fact that the Notorious B.I.G never wrote lyrics and apparently had four full songs in his head when he was shot dead is a real kick in the balls to this day.

[Brundle-Fly]

Kirsty McColl. Saw her support Ian Dury at his final ever gig at the London Palladium in 2000. They both died that year.

[Norton Canes]

Trish Keenan (pictured)

[PaulTMA]

Grant McLennan, was evidently still on a songwriting roll right up to his death at just 48. 

[Darles Chickens]

This man.



Mark Hollis's passing was a big deal to me.  He hadn't done anything for years and had effectively retired from the music industry, but his work touched me profoundly, and still does to this day.  With Talk Talk's evolution, he virtually invented a new type of music, something introspective and soul-searching, and I'm forever grateful for his artistry and integrity, and how he stood up to the record labels to create exactly what mattered to him.

[Head Gardener]

Marc Bolan - had to take the day off school

[jobotic]

Yeah Kirtsy McColl and Trish Keenan very sad. Mary Hansen too.

I always find Janis Joplin's death very sad as she seemed to be pretty miserable in life. She was brilliant too.

[Johnboy]

Whitney Houston

I found this so sad, not sure why, only liked a couple of her songs

How could you be so successful and that unhappy

[The Culture Bunker]

Otis Redding was on the verge of really crossing over in the mainstream when his plane went for a swim. Steve Cropper reckons Stax never really recovered from his death.

[Icehaven]

Joe Strummer. I was 23 when he died, but now I'm 40 someone like him dying at 50 seems even worse.

[sevendaughters]

probably David Berman. people who heard his new one and people who were invested in his private dramas are probably nearly two overlapping circles on a Venn diagram, but i thought the record was him rising above and finding peace with his demons. i read about his death at 6am in bed and was just completely forlorn for a day.

[Jockice]

Marc Bolan - had to take the day off school

He died the day before my birthday. Jimi Hendrix was the day after. Who did I get on the day itself? Paula bloody Yates that's who.

[hummingofevil]

Yeah Kirtsy McColl and Trish Keenan very sad. Mary Hansen too.

I always find Janis Joplin's death very sad as she seemed to be pretty miserable in life. She was brilliant too.

There was a point in my life where I pretty much listened to Stereolab and Broadcast and pretty much nothing else. The fact that two of the three voices on those records passed so young is fucking cruel. Making me tear up just thinking about it.

I have written about seeing Stereolab for the first time since Mary died this year and whilst I still love them there was a very obvious gap on that stage. I'm sad now.

[holyzombiejesus]

probably David Berman. people who heard his new one and people who were invested in his private dramas are probably nearly two overlapping circles on a Venn diagram, but i thought the record was him rising above and finding peace with his demons. i read about his death at 6am in bed and was just completely forlorn for a day.

Yeah, me too. I've never really got upset about the deaths of people I don't know before (maybe a little bit with Peel and Tony Benn) but I caught myself sobbing days after David's suicide. Still haven't been able to listen to the PM album again.

[kngen]

The Exploding Hearts - if I ever want to really bum myself out, I try to imagine what the one surviving member must have felt when he regained consciousness and was told that all of his bandmates had died in the car crash that he survived.


John Peel - woke up. heard the news. went back to bed and didn't leave it for the rest of the day.


Cliff Burton - I want to live in the alternate reality where he survived that bus crash and Metallica didn't turn to total crap, and instead kept making new and interesting records thanks to his guiding hand. 

[Cuntbeaks]

Nick Drake and Mika Vainio

[Sin Agog]

Peter Laughner of the pre-Pere Ubu band Rocket From the Tombs.  There are very few instances of rock critics parleying their passion into good music, but that band was a proper Ur-spring.  So fucking angsty and raw, and Laughner could play a wickedly feral proto-punk guitar.  Much prefer 'em to any of the bands they begat.  Died at 25 of basically overly-lionizing the rock and or roll lifestyle without the money for a proper safety net.

[sevendaughters]

nearly said The Exploding Hearts. awful. anything where you think their best days are ahead of them seems to hurt more, like Chris Reimer. was sad about Mark Hollis as he had kids, but he did his stuff that he was going to do.

[lankyguy95]

Chi Cheng still breaks me up.

[Puce Moment]

Trish Keenan (pictured)

Yep.

[chveik]

Sparklehorse (Mark Linkous), Jay Reatard & Vic Chesnutt

[holyzombiejesus]

Bono. I'm so sad it hasn't happened yet.

[phantom_power]

Bowie. Only celebrity death to make me cry

[Brundle-Fly]

Bowie. Only celebrity death to make me cry

Oh, but that final bow and curtain call. You'd have to be a Dalek with the heart of a Cyberman not to find his swansong affecting.

[wosl]

Apparently he lay dead in his bed for several days before being found.  Fine solo artist; great drummer.

[a duncandisorderly]

tammi terrell

I mean loads, but that one struck me as being particularly sad.

pete shelley, ollie halsall, kif-kif, edgar froese, chris squire, john wetton, mark hollis, felix pappalardi, randy california... how long have you got?

[Brundle-Fly]

In Stockholm, Viola Beach (and manager )in their tour van accidentally being driven off the bridge into the freezing river was very tragic.  Three years ago this December and almost completely forgotten by the public now.

[wosl]

The duo, Her's, got wiped out in a car crash recently as well, although they did at least live to see the release of their first album, unlike the poor Violas.

[Head Gardener]

[jamiefairlie]

Certainly John Peel was a biggie for me. Even if I wasn't listening, it was comforting knowing he was out there doing his thing.

Going further back, Ian Curtis was my first one. I'd gotten really into Joy Division after getting Unknown Pleasures as a birthday present in 1979 and was really looking forward to their new album and single. We were even on the guest list for their scheduled gig in Glasgow in July, after they got back from America. Never happened of course.

We did see New Order in January 81 and it was sad as hell. Like being at a funeral - silent, respectful and raw.