The Day the Rock Star Died

Tom Petty was the lead singer of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He was also a co-founder of the late 1980s supergroup the Traveling Wilburys. He recorded many hit singles with the Heartbreakers and as a solo artist. In his career, he sold more than 80 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. He was found unconscious at his home, not breathing and in full cardiac arrest, early in the morning of October 2, 2017. He was taken to the UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, California, where he died at 8:40 pm that evening by accidental death by a combination of pain killers.

Jimi Hendrix earned three UK top ten hits with "Hey Joe," "Purple Haze," and "The Wind Cries Mary." He achieved fame in the U.S. after his performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. In 1968, his third and final studio album, Electric Ladyland, reached number one in the U.S. and it was his most commercially successful release, and his only number one album. As the world's highest-paid performer, he headlined the Woodstock Festival in 1969 and the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970. He died from Barbiturate-related Asphyxia on September 18, 1970, at the age of 27. Jimi Hendrix was arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music.

Elvis Presley was regarded as an icon of the 20th century, and was often referred to as "the King of Rock and Roll." With an enormous body of hit singles, commercial success in many genres, including pop, country, blues, and gospel music, he is the best-selling music artist in the history of recorded music. Prescription drug abuse severely compromised his health and he died suddenly in 1977 at his Graceland estate, just 42 years of age. Presley is one of the most celebrated and influential musicians of the 20th century.

Jim Morrison co-founded the Doors in 1965 and recorded a total of six studio albums. Morrison developed an alcohol dependence which at times affected his performances on stage. He died at the age of 27 in Paris. As no autopsy was performed, the exact cause of Morrison's death remains unknown to this day. Since his death, his fame has endured as one of popular culture's most rebellious and oft-displayed icons, representing the generation gap and youth counterculture. Sometimes referred to by other nicknames, such as "The Lizard King," "Mr. Mojo Risin'" and "King of Orgasmic Rock."

Janis Joplin was one of the most successful and widely-known female rock stars of her era. After releasing three albums, she died of a heroin overdose at the age of 27. Her fourth album, Pearl, was released in January 1971, just over three months after her death. It reached number one on the Billboard charts. Her Legacy. The big-voiced, bluesy singer dominated the stage, forged her own path and paved the way for the female singers who followed.

Whitney Houston was one of the best-selling music artists, with 200 million records sold worldwide, and the only artist to chart seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 songs. Houston's crossover appeal on the popular music charts, as well as her prominence on MTV, influenced several African American women artists who followed in her footsteps. "I Will Always Love You," which received the Grammy Award for Record of the Year, also became the best-selling single by a woman in music history. With a history of drug addiction and tumultuous relationships, Houston tragically died in her room at The Beverly Hilton on February 11, 2012. The official coroner's report showed that she had accidentally drowned in the bathtub, with heart disease and cocaine use listed as contributing factors.

Johnny Cash was known by his deep, calm, Bass-baritone voice. His lyrics often contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation and redemption. One of the best-selling music artists, he is known for his signature songs "I Walk the Line," "Folsom Prison Blues," "Ring of Fire," "A Boy Named Sue," along with duet with future wife, June Carter, called "Jackson." Although he was known as a country music icon, his music spanned genres and his sound embraced rock and roll, rockabilly, blues, folk music, and gospel music. During the last stage of his career, Cash covered songs by several late 20th-century rock artists, notably "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails. Cash died on September 12, 2003 in Nashville, of complications from diabetes. He passed at the age of 71, just four months after the death of his wife. It was suggested that his health worsened due to a broken heart over June's death and he was buried next to her in Hendersonville, Tennessee.

Michael Jackson was a singer, songwriter, dancer and known simply as "The King of Pop." His contributions to music, dance, and highly publicized personal life made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. Jackson made his professional debut in 1964 as a member of The Jackson 5. During his solo career, his music videos, "Beat It," "Billie Jean," and "Thriller," are credited with breaking racism in the United States and transforming the medium into an art form. Thriller is the best-selling album of all time. Jackson was the most awarded recording artist in the history of popular music. Aspects of Jackson's personal life generated controversy and while preparing for his comeback concert series, This Is It, Jackson died of acute Propofol and Benzodiazepine intoxication on June 25, 2009, after suffering from cardiac arrest. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner Coroner ruled his death a homicide, by his personal physician, Conrad Murray.

John Denver began his music career with folk music groups during the late 1960s. Starting in the 1970s, he was one of the most popular acoustic artists of the decade and one of its best-selling artists. By 1974, he was firmly established as one of America's best-selling performers, often described as "among the most beloved entertainers of his era." Recording and releasing approximately 300 songs, with total sales of over 33 million records worldwide his lyrics reflected his joy in nature and disdain for city life, his enthusiasm for music, and his relationship trials. Denver, who was an avid pilot, died at the age of 53 flying his personal Canard aircraft in a single-fatality crash.

"Hank" Williams is regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century. Williams recorded 35 singles (five released posthumously) that reached the Top 10 of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers charts, including 11 that ranked number one (three posthumously). After an initial rejection, Williams joined the Grand Ole Opry. Writing hits "Your Cheatin' Heart," Hey, Good Lookin'," and "So Lonesome I Could Cry." In 1952, he was dismissed by the Grand Ole Opry because of his unreliability and alcohol abuse. On January 1, 1953, he suffered heart failure while traveling to perform at a concert in West Virginia and died as a result. Despite his short life, Williams is one of the most celebrated and influential musicians of the 20th Century and has been cited as a key musical influence on Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones.

David Bowie was the leading figure in popular music for over five decades and acclaimed by critics and musicians for his innovative work. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation and his music and stagecraft significantly influenced popular music. During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at 140 million albums worldwide, made him one of the best-selling music artists. He stopped touring after 2004 and his last live performance was at a charity event in 2006. In 2013, Bowie returned from a decade-long recording hiatus with the release of The Next Day. He remained musically active until his death two days after the release of his final album, Blackstar.

Keith Moon was an English drummer for the rock music band The Who. Noted for his unique style, alcohol addiction and his eccentric, often self-destructive behaviour, Moon developed a reputation for smashing his kit on stage and destroying hotel rooms on tour. His drumming continues to be praised by critics and musicians to this day. Moon was voted the second-greatest drummer in history by Rolling Stone. By 1976, and particularly during production of The Kids Are Alright and "Who Are You," Moon's deterioration grew. He died on September 7, 1978, aged 32, from an overdose of Clomethiazole, a drug intended to treat or prevent symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.

Amy Winehouse was an English singer and songwriter whose stunning voice easily followed in the footsteps of Janis Joplin and Billie Holiday. Her debut album, Frank, was a critical success in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize. Her follow-up album, Back to Black (2006), led to five 50th Annual Grammy Awards, and a record of most Grammys won by a female artist in one night. In short, a music legend who died at the young age of 27, from alcohol intoxication on July 23, 2011. Her album Back to Black posthumously became one the UK's best-selling albums of the 21st century.

Michael Hutchence was the founding member, lead singer and lyricist of rock band INXS from 1977 until his death on November 22, 1997. Hutchence was the archetypal rock showman. He exuded an overtly sexual, macho cool with his flowing locks, and lithe and exuberant stage movements. His private life was often reported in the Australian and international press, with a string of love affairs with prominent actresses, models and singers. Hutchence's relationship with UK television presenter Paula Yates began while she was married to musician and Live Aid organiser Bob Geldof. During July of the same year, Hutchence and Yates had a daughter. On the morning of November 22, 1997, Hutchence was found dead in his hotel room in Sydney. His death was reported by the New South Wales Coroner to be the result of suicide.

Buddy Holly was a central figure of late 1950s rock and roll. With hits, "That'll be the Day," "Everyday," and "Peggy Sue." Holly made his second appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in January 1958 and soon after, toured Australia and the UK. In early 1959, he assembled a new band and embarked on a tour of the midwestern U.S. After a show in Clear Lake, Iowa, he chartered an airplane to travel to his next show, in Moorhead, Minnesota. Soon after take-off, the plane crashed, killing him, Ritchie Valens & The Big Bopper, in a tragedy later referred to by Don McLean as "The Day the Music Died."