Many musicians have had their lives cut short, be it via bad luck, addiction or their personal actions.
In some cases, rockers have died in tragic accidents, just as they were enjoying their height of fame. Such was the case for Duane Allman, who died just a few short months after the Allman Brothers Band’s commercial breakthrough, At Fillmore East.
Flying – though generally regarded as the safest form of transportation – has proven tragically unlucky for many over the years. Buddy Holly, Randy Rhoads and members of Lynyrd Skynyrd are among those who have perished in a plane crash.
Then, there’s the old rock cliche of drug use. Addiction, sadly, is a plague that has claimed many of music’s greatest artists. Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin are among the long list of legends who died of an overdose. Drugs were also part of Kurt Cobain’s tragic story, leading the Nirvana frontman to take his own life in 1994.
Hendrix, Joplin and Cobain are also part of the so-called 27 Club, an ongoing list of musicians who happened to die at the age of 27. Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones is a member, as is Badfinger's Pete Ham and Doors singer Jim Morrison.
Below, we’ve assembled a list of 30 musicians who died before the age of 30. Though each of their stories is different, one thing remains true: All of them left an indelible mark on music during their too-short time.
30 ROCKERS WHO DIED BEFORE 30
Jimi Hendrix (27)
Jimi Hendrix's time in the limelight lasted only about four years, from the beginning of the Experience in 1966 until his death in 1970. Still, he redefined what a guitar could sound like. Yes, there were hits, including “Purple Haze,” “The Wind Cries Mary” and “All Along the Watchtower.” There were also plenty of sales, as all three of his studio releases and the 1970 live album Band of Gypsys reached multi-platinum status. But Hendrix’s influence went far beyond statistics. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame described him as "arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music.” Sadly, he was also consumed with addiction. It started with alcohol, but expanded from there into LSD, cannabis, cocaine and amphetamines. Hendrix died on Sept. 18, 1970, after overdosing on his girlfriend’s barbiturates and choking on his own vomit.
Kurt Cobain (27)
Kurt Cobain became the unlikely spokesman for a generation as the frontman of Nirvana. Few predicted the grunge revolution, a changing of the tides that emerged from Seattle in the early ‘90s to alter the sound and look of rock. Nirvana had plenty of contemporaries in the movement – Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains – yet none wielded the same impact. Nirvana’s 1991 album Nevermind became an era-defining release. At its heart was Cobain, who channelled his own inner turmoil into incredibly catchy songs. Nirvana became the biggest band on the planet, even as Cobain’s addictions worsened. At various times, his heroin use affected their touring and promotional schedule. Still, onstage Cobain was a force to be reckoned with, and Nirvana remained rock’s preeminent act. Cobain finally entered a Los Angeles rehab facility in March 1994, following an intervention from friends. He stayed only one night, then hopped a fence and left, boarding a flight back to Seattle. Friends and loved ones didn’t know his whereabouts at the time. Cobain died by suicide, and his body was found on April 8 in his home.
Randy Rhoads (25)
Randy Rhoads founded the first incarnation of Quiet Riot when he was just 16. The band became one of the most popular in Los Angeles clubs and eventually signed a record deal in the mid-’70s. Despite the initial hype, their first two albums were only released in Japan. Rhoads departed in 1979 and joined Ozzy Osbourne, who was forging a solo career following his exit from Black Sabbath. Rhoads’ songwriting and impressive guitar work helped make Ozzy’s first two solo albums – Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman – hugely successful. Then the band stopped while on tour in March 1982 to have the air conditioner in their bus repaired in Leesburg, Fla. Bus driver Andrew Aycock (who was also a private pilot), decided to take a small nearby airplane for a joyride. Keyboardist Don Airey and tour manager Jake Duncan joined him for the first five-minute flight. Rhoads and makeup artist Rachel Youngblood joined him for the second. Rhoads was afraid of flying, but he wanted to take aerial pictures to send to his mother. Tragically, Aycock flew too close to the tour bus and clipped it with the plane’s wing. The flight came crashing down, slammed into a nearby barn and burst into flames. All on board, including Rhoads, perished.
Duane Allman (24)
The short but prolific life of Duane Allman ended on Oct. 29, 1971. His career began in mid-'60s with the Allman Joys, later renamed Hour Glass. Allman then became a popular session player, working with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett and Boz Scaggs at the legendary FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, Ala. He'd truly make his mark with the Allman Brothers Band, teaming with sibling Gregg to help create a standard for all other Southern rock groups. They released At Fillmore East on July 6, 1971, and the live album became a massive commercial success. Sadly, the good times were short lived. Allman took his Harley-Davidson out for a spin while the Allman Brothers Band was working on the follow-up LP in Macon, Ga., and crashed into a truck stopped at an intersection. He was still alive when paramedics got him to a hospital, but Allman died hours later at the age of 24.
Cliff Burton (24)
Cliff Burton was Metallica's bassist as they worked to become the preeminent group in heavy metal. He'd been spotted by Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield in 1982 while performing in the band Trauma. Poached for Metallica, Burton played on their first three albums, 1983's Kill 'Em All, 1984's Ride the Lightning and 1986's Master of Puppets. Then their bus skidded off the road while touring Europe in support of Master of Puppets, and Burton was thrown out of the vehicle’s window. The bus landed on top of him as it flipped, killing Burton instantly. Metallica’s next album ... And Justice For All featured a song, "To Live Is to Die,” that was co-credited to Burton. Its lyrics – “cannot the kingdom of salvation take me home” – were inscribed on his tombstone.
Jim Morrison (27)
Jim Morrison was a polarizing figure seemingly from the first time he stepped onstage. With deeply poetic lyrics, a distinctive voice and dynamic presence, Morrison earned a reputation as one of rock’s defining performers. The Doors were an incredible success, releasing legendary tracks like "Break On Through (To the Other Side),” "Light My Fire,” "People Are Strange" and “Riders on the Storm.” But their frontman's wild unpredictability, influenced largely by his drug and alcohol addiction, made his moods erratic. Morrison could be the greatest frontman alive on one night then melt down onstage the next, delivering a tirade of incomprehensible gibberish. He was found dead on July 3, 1971 in the bathtub of a Paris apartment he was sharing with his girlfriend. The official cause of death was listed as heart failure, but many have speculated that an accidental heroin overdose led to his demise.
Otis Redding (26)
Nicknamed the "King of Soul," the Georgia-born Otis Redding was instrumental in bringing gospel and R&B to wider audiences. He started out with Little Richard’s band while just a teenager, then signed to the famed Stax record label and released his debut album, Pain in My Heart, in 1964. Redding’s work would soon cross color barriers, as his popularity stretched from Black audiences to the mainstream. "I've Been Loving You Too Long," "Try a Little Tenderness" and a rendition of the Rolling Stones’ "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" were just some of the many songs Redding landed in the Billboard Top 40. Still, his biggest hit was "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," a track that ranks among the most celebrated in music history. Sadly, Redding was not alive to witness its universal acclaim. He died in a plane crash just three days after the session.
Sid Vicious (21)
The Sex Pistols' snarl-lipped second bassist may not have been a prolific musician, but what he lacked in technical ability he more than made up for in attitude. Born John Simon Ritchie, Sid Vicious joined in late 1977 following the dismissal of Glen Matlock. Vicious’ heroin use was already rampant. Things got even worse when he began dating groupie Nancy Spungen, also an addict. Initially, all of it only added to the punk-rock aura surrounding the Sex Pistols. The 1977 debut, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, made them rock’s biggest counterculture act. But the group would fall apart the very next year during a tour of the U.S., amid infighting and drug use. Spungen was found stabbed to death in October 1978, and Vicious was charged with her murder. He overdosed in February while awaiting trial.
Janis Joplin (27)
Known for her powerful voice and infectious stage presence, Janis Joplin was one of the ‘60s rising stars. Her work with Big Brother and the Holding Company grabbed national attention as Joplin became one of the many popular acts to rise out of San Francisco. Their second release, 1968’s Cheap Thrills, was a double-platinum success and Joplin then went solo, releasing I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! in 1969. Joplin’s popularity, and her reputation as an unstoppable force onstage, continued to grow. Unfortunately, so did her addictions. Joplin was known to get out of control with drugs and alcohol, regularly performing while under the influence. She died of a heroin overdose on Oct. 4, 1970. Joplin's final LP was released three months later. Pearl hit No. 1 on the Billboard chart, sold more than 4 million copies and has been regularly ranked among the greatest albums of all time.
Ian Curtis (24)
Joy Division's career was short yet influential, thanks largely to Ian Curtis. Their unique style blended energy with melancholy, and in many ways these contrasts were reflected in the post-punk group’s frontman. Curtis was an intellectual, an epileptic and suffered from depression. As they began developing a significant following in the late ‘70s, he started struggling with the attention. Joy Division’s debut album, Unknown Pleasures, was released in 1979 and immediately became a critical success. They were set to embark on a debut American tour when Curtis died by suicide on May 17, 1980. Joy Division released one more album, Closer, two months later. The remaining members then regrouped under a different name, New Order.
Brian Jones (27)
The Rolling Stones' early driving force was not Mick Jagger or Keith Richards, but group founder and multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones. “He chose the members. He named the band. He chose the music we played. He got us gigs,” original bassist Bill Wyman later recalled. Jones was a prodigy, the type of musician who could seemingly play anything he picked up. But Jones and the tandem of Jagger and Richards began pulling the band in different directions. Jones’ drug use only made things worse, and he was kicked out in June 1969. Jones was found dead a month later, having drowned in the pool of his lover. The Rolling Stones performed a previously planned concert a couple of days after that at Hyde Park in London, and the performance turned into a tribute to Jones.
Hillel Slovak (26)
Hillel Slovak was born in Israel but moved to America when he was just a child. He then became high school classmates with his future bandmates in Red Hot Chili Peppers, Anthony Kiedis, Flea and Jack Irons. They'd regularly jam together, inspired by a mix of funk and punk. Gigs around L.A. followed, and they eventually developed a dedicated fanbase. Slovak would play on the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ first three albums, 1984’s self-titled effort, 1985’s Freaky Styley and 1987’s The Uplift Mofo Party Plan. Slovak and Kiedis became heavily addicted to heroin during this rise in fame. They made a pact that they’d help each other get sober while touring in Europe behind The Uplift Mofo Party Plan. But Slovak suffered from serious heroin withdrawal, to the point where he was unable to play guitar for a period of time. He isolated from friends and family when they returned, dying on June 25, 1988 of a heroin overdose.
Marc Bolan (29)
Marc Bolan wasn’t always a glam-rock icon. The original iteration of his band Tyrannosaurus Rex was actually a psychedelic-folk duo. As the ‘70s dawned, however, things started to change. T. Rex, as they were now called, scored a hit in 1970 with "Ride a White Swan," which notably departed from their early acoustic tunes by featuring electric guitars. This evolution continued as T. Rex developed a heavy-hitting sound with tracks like “Get It On” and “Metal Guru.” Bolan’s personality was changing as well, as his flashy fashion and glitter makeup helped usher in the glam-rock movement. T. Rex had scored 10 U.K. Top 10 hits, but things began waning as the decade wore on. Bolan was also abusing drugs and alcohol, and that impacted his creative output. Still, he seemed to have turned things around by 1977 with the release of Dandy in the Underworld, largely regarded as a comeback album for T. Rex. Then Bolan was killed on Sept. 16, 1977, as he and girlfriend Gloria Jones headed home from a London nightclub. Jones was driving and lost control of their car as she crossed a bridge. The vehicle struck a fence post and then a tree.
Buddy Holly (22)
Texas-born Buddy Holly was a rising star in the early years of rock, quickly making a name for himself after opening for Elvis Presley. Television appearances would soon follow, as Holly and the Crickets scored hits with "That'll Be the Day" and "Peggy Sue." Poised to take the next major step in his career, Holly set out on a tour of the midwest in 1959. Tragedy struck when an airplane carrying Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper crashed outside of Clear Lake, Iowa. All three were lost, a devastating event later referred to as “the day the music died.”
Shannon Hoon (28)
Shannon Hoon was just 18 years old when rock-star dreams took him from his small hometown of Lafayette, Ind., to the bright lights of Los Angeles. Cultivating the band which would become Blind Melon, he connected with Axl Rose, an old friend of his half-sister. Rose became something of a mentor to Hoon, who would appear on Guns N’ Roses’ Use Your Illusion I and II albums – including a notable turn on "Don't Cry." That helped Hoon’s band garner attention, and Blind Melon’s eponymous debut followed in 1992. Reaction was initially tempered, but the LP went on to sell more than 4 million copies thanks largely to the popularity of breakout hit “No Rain.” Hoon's drug use stretched back to his days in Indiana, and he continued heavily using. Fame, money and success only made it easier for him to score, and cocaine and LSD were his regular drugs of choice. He wandered into the streets of New Orleans while on tour in 1995, looking to buy more drugs. At some point, Hoon returned to the band’s bus and passed out in one of the bunks. He was found there the next morning, dead of an overdose at 28.
Ronnie Van Zant (29)
Ronnie Van Zant was the voice of southern rock as Lynyrd Skynyrd's original frontman. He also served as their primary lyricist, co-writing almost every song from the band’s first five albums – including such legendary tracks as “Free Bird,” “Simple Man” and “Sweet Home Alabama.” Lynyrd Skynyrd’s chartered airplane crashed on Oct. 20, 1977, outside of Gillsburg, Miss., just three days after the arrival of their fifth album, Street Survivors. Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, backing singer Cassie Gaines and three others died. Lynyrd Skynyrd initially disbanded following the tragedy, but reformed 10 years later with Van Zant's brother Johnny at the helm.
Stuart Sutcliffe (21)
The Beatles’ original bassist was Stuart Sutcliffe, a classmate of John Lennon’s at the Liverpool College of Art. He’d never played the instrument before but Lennon and Paul McCartney encouraged him to learn in order to join their new group, then known as the Silver Beatles. He played with them in 1960 and ‘61, including a run of formative gigs in Hamburg, Germany. Sutcliffe subsequently decided to leave in order to focus on his painting and got engaged to Astrid Kirchherr, a photographer he’d fallen for after she took pictures of the Beatles. Then Sutcliffe began to have headaches while attending art school in Germany. They would come and go, but were occasionally so intense that they impaired his vision. Sutcliffe collapsed on April 10, 1962, and died on the way to the hospital. Cause of death was later determined to be a brain hemorrhage.
Bradley Nowell (28)
Like so many others on this list, Bradley Nowell’s life was cut tragically short on the brink of fame. His band Sublime steadily built a following in Southern California in the early ‘90s, as a blend of ska, punk and alternative helped their debut album, 40oz. to Freedom, become an underground success. Sublime’s 1996 self-titled LP was poised to become their major-label debut, but Nowell continued to struggle with heroin addiction. He made several attempts to get clean, but fell back into the debilitating habit time and time again. Sublime was in San Francisco on May 25, 1996, to play a sold-out concert when drummer Bud Gaugh awoke from a nap and noticed Nowell was hunched over, half undressed, with a foamy film around his mouth. He'd overdosed on heroin. Sublime went on to become an alt-rock hit, spawning such popular singles as “Wrong Way,” “What I Got” and “Santeria” on its way to selling more than 6 million copies. 40oz. to Freedom became a multi-platinum posthumous hit, too.
Ron "Pigpen" McKernan (27)
Ron “Pigpen” McKernan originally became friends with Jerry Garcia at the age of 14. They later co-founded the Grateful Dead, with McKernan as the original frontman. The group's early output consisted of blues and R&B covers, and McKernan's contributions included playing keyboards and harmonica in addition to vocals. As they began to find their sound, however, the Dead drifted into a more psychedelic direction. This differed from McKernan’s preferred style and left him in a precarious position. At the same time, McKernan didn’t partake in LSD and other psychedelic drugs that surrounded the Grateful Dead at the time, but he was a heavy drinker. In 1970, he developed cirrhosis of the liver, and by 1972 his health had degenerated to the point he could no longer tour. McKernan was found dead on March 8, 1973, in his home, the result of a gastrointestinal hemorrhage.
Tommy Bolin (25)
Tommy Bolin began playing in bands when he was 13. Five years later, he’d found Zephyr, a hard-rock band that scored a few minor hits in the early ‘70s. His next stop was the James Gang, with whom Bolin recorded 1973's Bang and 1974's Miami. Almost all of the material on both LPs was written or co-written by Bolin. By 1975, the guitarist had latched on with a different legendary act, Deep Purple. He contributed to Come Taste the Band as part of their Mark IV lineup. When Deep Purple broke up, Bolin embarked on a solo career. His final show took place on Dec. 3, 1976, in Miami, where he opened for Peter Frampton and Jeff Beck. That night, Bolin died from a lethal mix of heroin, alcohol, cocaine and barbiturates.
Razzle (24)
Drummer Nicholas Charles Dingley, better known as Razzle, joined Hanoi Rocks in 1982. He was initially featured on the cover of their third album, Self Destruction Blues, though he only contributed to one song. Hanoi Rocks then began cultivating a following in the U.K. with 1983’s Back to Mystery City, after initially finding success in Finland and Japan. Two Steps From the Move would become their highest-charting U.K. release, peaking at No. 28 in 1984 and spawning three Top 100 singles. The glam-rock band embarked on a tour of America but retreated to Los Angeles when frontman Michael Monroe suffered a severe ankle injury. As Monroe recovered, the others went on a multi-day drinking and partying binge with friends from Motley Crue. Their supply of booze was running low on Dec. 8, so Vince Neil and Razzle decided to run to the store. An intoxicated Neal lost control of his 1972 Ford Pantera while driving at high speeds, careened into oncoming traffic and was struck by two other vehicles. Razzle was killed, while two passengers from the other cars suffered serious injuries. Somehow, Neil emerged relatively unscathed.
Gram Parsons (26)
Gram Parsons got his first taste of fame in 1968 when he joined the Byrds following the departures of David Crosby and Michael Clarke. His country-rock style contributed heavily to the group’s Sweetheart of the Rodeo album, released later that year. Parsons quit in 1969 and founded the Flying Burrito Brothers alongside fellow Byrds alum Chris Hillman. They released a pair of albums – 1969's The Gilded Palace of Sin and 1970's Burrito Deluxe – before Parsons was kicked out, due largely to his drug use. He embarked on a solo career, which included material recorded with Emmylou Harris, but Parsons was never able to outrun his demons. He overdosed on a mix of morphine and alcohol, dying in September 1973 during a trip to Joshua Tree, Calif.
Alan Wilson (27)
Alan Wilson discovered blues at an early age, and got his first taste of performing in coffee houses around Cambridge, Mass. After relocating to Los Angeles, Wilson and some fellow blues enthusiasts formed Canned Heat. They got their first major exposure at 1967's Monterey Pop Festival, and a self-titled debut was released shortly thereafter. Boogie With Canned Heat followed in 1968 with their first hit, "On the Road Again,” then they climbed the charts again in 1969 thanks to "Going Up the Country.” These successes were difficult to manage for Wilson, who was naturally introverted. He'd suffered through depression and anxiety for much of his life. Canned Heat was scheduled to fly to Germany on Sept. 2, 1970, to begin a European tour, but Wilson did not arrive at the airport. That didn’t initially raise a red flag, since Wilson regularly caught separate flights. Then his body was found in a sleeping bag on a hillside. A passionate nature lover, Wilson had overdosed on barbiturates during the night.
Eddie Cochran (21)
An early pioneer of rock music, Eddie Cochran became popular in the mid ’50s and early ‘60s with hits such as "Twenty Flight Rock," "Summertime Blues," "C'mon Everybody" and "Somethin' Else.” He played guitar, piano, bass and drums, becoming a teen heartthrob thanks in part to a rebellious attitude. Cochran finished a performance on April 16, 1960, in Bristol, England, then jumped in a cab with a group of friends that included fiancée Sharon Sheeley to head to London. Their driver then lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a concrete lamppost. Cochran reportedly moved to protect Sheeley and was ejected from the vehicle. The 21-year-old suffered a serious brain injury and died the next day. Everyone else in the car survived.
Tim Buckley (28)
Tim Buckley voyaged into several genres of music after breaking through as a folk rocker. He released a trio of singer-songwriter LPs in the late ‘60s, then followed that up with more experimental efforts like 1969's Blue Afternoon, and 1970's Lorca and Starsailor that delved into avant-garde rock. Buckley’s material was not commercially successful in the mainstream, but he developed a devoted cult following despite these stylistic changes. He switched gears again in the early ‘70s, releasing three funk albums. Buckley had just finished a short U.S. tour on June 29, 1975, when he went to a friend’s house and became incapacitated after snorting some heroin. He was taken home, and Buckley's wife put him to bed with the expectation that he would sleep it off. She checked on him hours later, and Buckley was dead.
Pete Ham (27)
Being friends with the Beatles was both a blessing and a curse for Badfinger. Led by Pete Hamm, the band possessed unquestionable talent. Their lush arrangements and vocal harmonies won respect from fellow musicians and fans alike, as Badfinger scored hits with “Baby Blue,” “No Matter What” and "Day After Day.” But comparisons with the Beatles always loomed. They'd signed with Apple Records and drew early notice with "Come and Get It," a Paul McCartney song. They appeared on various Beatles solo projects, too. Badfinger was also buried under financial strains caused by bad management. Money problems weighed on Ham, driving him into depression. His body was founded hanging in a garage studio on April 24, 1975, just days before he would have turned 28.
John Glascock (28)
John Glascock’s first taste of fame came with Carmen, a group that mixed flamenco music with prog rock. The bassist joined in 1973 and contributed to all three of their albums, 1973's Fandangos in Space, 1974's Dancing on a Cold Wind and 1975's The Gypsies. Carmen had enjoyed a stint touring alongside Jethro Tull, so Glascock began working with Ian Anderson when Carmen broke up. He appeared on four Jethro Tull albums (1976's Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!, 1977's Songs from the Wood, 1978's Heavy Horses and 1979's Stormwatch) before doctors discovered a congenital heart-valve defect. The scary diagnosis failed to slow down Glascock's drinking and drug use, and he died of heart complications on Nov. 17, 1979.
Nick Drake (26)
Nick Drake signed to Island Records when he was just 20 years old, displaying a style all his own with deeply personal and poetic lyrics. He'd release three studio albums – 1969's Five Leaves Left, 1971's Bryter Layter and 1972's Pink Moon – that were praised by critics. Unfortunately, they were poor sellers during his lifetime. Drake struggled with depression and suffered a 1972 nervous breakdown in the wake of Pink Moon. He tried to pull things together and record a fourth LP, but reportedly had become bitter about his lack of success. Drake overdosed on antidepressants on Nov. 25, 1974, and died at the age of 26. His work has since become widely lauded, as acts like R.E.M to Kate Bush and the Cure cite Drake as an influence.
Bobby Fuller (23)
Bobby Fuller idolized fellow Texas native Buddy Holly, and both would die tragically young. The Bobby Fuller Four released a pair of studio albums in the mid-’60s, first garnering attention with 1965’s "Let Her Dance" before his No. 9 hit cover of "I Fought the Law (and the Law Won)" attracted a national audience in 1966. Fuller was still riding high on that success when tragedy struck, though the exact details surrounding his death remain mysterious. Fuller's body was found on July 18, 1966, in a car outside of his Los Angeles apartment, with a container of gasoline in the passenger seat. An autopsy showed Fuller had no narcotics in his system, and his death was ruled an accident. A number of theories have since circulated that suggest foul play.
Darby Crash (22)
The Germs remain an influential punk-rock act, despite never achieving mainstream acclaim. Vocalist and songwriter Jan Paul Beahm was better known by his stage name, Darby Crash. He founded the Germs in 1976 alongside high-school friend Pat Smear, who was born Georg Ruthenberg. Crash regularly performed under the influence of any number of drugs, which often led to wild and chaotic shows. The Germs' reputation eventually became so bad that L.A. clubs refused to book them. The group took to performing under pseudonyms, yet never reeled in their self-destructive ways. Crash died by suicide on Dec. 7, 1980, from an intentional heroin overdose.
Rock's Tragic '27 Club'