Musicfinatics

No one can really determine when or how drugs became an element in the world of music and pop culture. It is nearly impossible to uncover the triggers that took these chemicals from mere substances and made them taboo.  They became tools for steering creativity and finding some kind of enlightenment, as both artists and fans alike became semi-united through them, and their danger was disregarded.  But as so many young talents’ lives were taken, the public began to truly acknowledge their lethality.

• Steve Clark (Def Leppard guitarist) painkillers overdose; died January 8, 1991 at age 30.   #mce_temp_url#query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CEEDF153EF933A25752C0A967958260&sec=&spon=&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
• Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) heroin overdose/gunshot; possible suicide; died April 5, 1994 at age 27.     #mce_temp_url#http://www.tmtm.com/sides/kc.html
• John Entwistle (The Who bassist) heart failure due to long-term cocaine use; died June 27, 2002 at age 57.  #mce_temp_url#http://archives.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/News/06/28/entwistle.lead/
• Peter Farndon (The Pretenders bassist) drowned/heroin overdose; died April 14, 1983 at age 31.   #mce_temp_url#http://www.pretenders.org/aryockel.htm
• Paul Gonsalves (jazz tenor saxaphonist) narcotics overdose; died May 15, 1974 at age 31.  
• Bobby Hatfield (The Righteous Brothers) heart attack due to cocaine use; died November 5, 2003 at age 63.   #mce_temp_url#http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/wire/sns-ap-obit-hatfield,0,5600912.story
• Jimi Hendrix (musician) vomit inhalation due to alcohol and barbiturate overdose; died September 18, 1970 at age 27.  #mce_temp_url#http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=3623
• James Honeymoon-Scott (The Pretenders) cocaine overdose; died June 16, 1982 at age 26.  
• Brian Jones (Rolling Stones) drowned due to alcohol and barbiturate overdose; died July 3, 1969 at age 23.  #mce_temp_url#http://books.google.com/books?id=DObXzPKC3i4C&pg=PA115&lpg=PA115&dq=brian+jones+rolling+stones+obituary&source=web&ots=rJcxe85MG8&sig=0tA_ofI8bFewtbKi45Zz7-SYvsw&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result
• Janis Joplin (rock and roll/blues singer) heroin overdose; died October 4, 1970 at age 27.  #mce_temp_url#http://www.times.com/books/99/05/02/specials/joplin-obit.html
• Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy) heroin overdose; died January 4, 1986 at age 36.  #mce_temp_url#http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/4/newsid_4041000/4041511.stm
• Jonathan Melvoin (Smashing Pumpkins keyboardist) heroin overdose; died July 12, 1996 at age 34.  #mce_temp_url#http://landslide.2007.org/omnipedia/tragedy.htm
• Brent Mydland (Grateful Dead keyboardist) morphine/cocaine overdose; died July 26, 1990 at age 37.  #mce_temp_url#http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2006/06/04/welnick-obit.html
• Bradley Nowell (Sublime) heroin overdose; died May 25, 1996 at age 28.  #mce_temp_url#http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palms/1476/nowell.html
• Gram Parsons (The Byrds/The Flying Burrito Brothers) alcohol and morphine overdose; died September 19, 1973 at age 26.  #mce_temp_url#http://ebni.com/byrds/memgrp6.html
• John Phillips (The Mamas and the Papas) heart failure due to narcotics abuse; died March 18, 2001 at age 65.  #mce_temp_url#http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/themamasthepapas/articles/story/5931599/papa_john_phillips_dies
• Dee Dee Ramone (The Ramones) heroin overdose; died June 5, 2002 at age 50.  #mce_temp_url#http://archives.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/06/deedee.ramone/
• Hillel Slovak (Red Hot Chili Peppers) heroin overdose; died June 25, 1988 at age 26.  #mce_temp_url#http://www.nndb.com/people/823/000058649/
• Sid Vicious (Sex Pistols) heroin overdose; died February 2, 1979 at age 21.  #mce_temp_url#http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/2/newsid_2523000/2523601.stm
• Jim Morrison (The Doors) hemorrhage as a result of heroin overdose and alcohol; died July 2, 1971 at age 27.  #mce_temp_url#http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/3/newsid_3776000/3776701.stm
• Keith Moon (The Who) sedative overdose; died September 7, 1978 at age 32.  #mce_temp_url