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Notable
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Age
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How
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When
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Was the voice of the burgeoning rock and roll youth culture of the Fifties, influenced the next generation of rock
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Buddy Holly
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22
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Plane Crash
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February 3, 1959
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His best-known compositions include "Chantilly Lace," "Running Bear", and "White Lightning"
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Jiles Perry Richardson Jr
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28
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A rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement
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Richard Steven Valenzuela
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17
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One of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century, she was known as one of the first country music artists to successfully cross over into pop music
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Patsy Cline
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30
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March 5, 1963
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Surged to the top of the charts again in 1960 with the biggest hit of his career, "Alabam", which remained number one for three months
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Lloyd Estel Copas
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49
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He was known for his rich, smooth vocals and music drawn from blues, boogie and honky tonk
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Harold Franklin Hawkins
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41
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Possibly the greatest "pure" soul singer in American history
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Sam Cooke
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33
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Murdered
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Dec. 11, 1964
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The "I Fought the Law" singer
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Bobby Fuller
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23
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July 18, 1966
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The eccentric genius behind some of the most daring sounds on the early Rolling Stones' records
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Brian Jones
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27
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July 3, 1969
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He became the guitar god to which all other guitar gods would be measured
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Jimi Hendrix
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Overdose
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September 18, 1970
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Lead vocalist and songwriter of Big Brother and the Holding Company, the Kozmic Blues Band and Full Tilt Boogie Band
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Janis Joplin
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October 4, 1970
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Lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band the Doors
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Jim Morrison
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Poisoned
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July 3, 1971
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Gounding members and the original lead singer of the Motown group the Temptations
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Paul Williams
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34
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Murdered
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Aug. 17, 1973
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Best known to rock music fans as the lead singer and harmonica player from the Yardbirds, later Led Zeppelin
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Keith Relf
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33
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Electrocuted
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May 14, 1976
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Early rock & roll’s greatest success story, He could sing country, rock & roll and gospel
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Elvis Presley
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41
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Overdose
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August 16, 1977
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Best from a duet on "The Battle of Evermore" which made her the only guest vocalist ever to appear on a Led Zeppelin album
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Sandy Denny
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31
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Fell
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April 21, 1978
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Soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter, backing vocalist, and arranger who Rolling Stone described as a "soul legend"
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Donny Hathaway
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33
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Suicide
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Jan. 13, 1979
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Played in many bands, Elf, Rainbow and Ronnie Dio and the Prophets
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Gary Driscoll
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41
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Murdered
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June 8, 1987
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Known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool"
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Chet Baker
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58
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Suicide
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May 13, 1988
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Best known for his 1961 number-one Billboard hit "Runaway", which was covered later by various major artists
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Del Shannon
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55
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February 8, 1990
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He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 as a member of The Coasters
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Cornelius "Cornell" Gunter
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53
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Murdered
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February 26, 1990
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Member of New York Dolls. He later formed the Heartbreakers and played as a solo artist
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Johnny Thunders
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38
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April 23, 1991
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He was the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana
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Kurt Cobain
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27
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Suicide
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April 5, 1994
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Welsh musician who was the lyricist and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers
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Richey Edwards
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Missing
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Feb. 1, 1995
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Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time
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Tupac Shakur
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25
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Murdered
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September 13, 1996
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Better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G.
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Biggie Smalls
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24
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March 9, 1997
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American country and folk singer, songwriter, and actor. He was one of the most popular acoustic artists of the 1970s and one of the best selling artists in that decade
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John Denver
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53
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Plane crash
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October 12, 1997
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He had a distinctive vocal style in his solo career after Heatmiser, characterized by his "whispery, spiderweb-thin delivery"
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Elliott Smith
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34
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Murdered
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October 21, 2003
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Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most culturally significant figures of the 20th century
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Michael Jackson
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50
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Overdose
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June 25, 2009
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He is best known as the singer in the grunge band Soundgarden
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Chris Cornell
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52
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Suicide
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May 18, 2017
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He was the lead singer for Linkin Park
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Chester Bennington
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41
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July 20, 2017
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