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