Dimebag Darrell was born Darrell Lance Abbott in Arlington, Texas, USA, on August 20, 1966. His father was a country music producer. He started playing guitar at a young age and became one of the best heavy metal guitarists.
Dimebag co-founded the band Pantera with his brother Vinnie Paul and helped shape the sound of 1990s metal with albums like 'Cowboys from Hell' and 'Vulgar Display of Power'. After Pantera split, he formed Damageplan.
On December 8, 2004, during a Damageplan concert in Columbus, Ohio, Nathan Gale, a former Marine with a history of mental illness, rushed the stage and shot Dimebag multiple times. He also killed three others before being stopped by a police officer. Gale's mother said that he believed Pantera had stolen his lyrics and was trying to take over his identity, but his exact motive was never fully understood.
2. Del Shannon
Answer: Suicide
Del Shannon was born Charles Weedon Westover in Coopersville, Michigan, United States, on December 30, 1934. He learned to play the ukulele from his mother and was inspired by country and western artists like Hank Williams. He rose to fame in the early 1960s with his hit song 'Runaway'.
Sadly, Del Shannon took his own life on February 8, 1990, at his home in Santa Clarita, California. He was 55 years old. Reports say he had been struggling with depression and had recently started taking Prozac. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
3. Gene Pitney
Answer: Natural causes
Gene Pitney was born in Hartford, Connecticut, United States, on February 17, 1940 and grew up in nearby Rockville. He began writing and recording music as a teenager. He became known for his dramatic vocal style and ballads, and had a string of hits like 'Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa'. He also wrote songs for other artists, including 'He's a Rebel' for The Crystals.
Gene died of a heart attack on April 5, 2006, at age 65, while on tour in the UK. He was found in his hotel room at the Hilton in Cardiff, Wales, after performing a concert the night before. The show went well, and fans reported that he seemed in good spirits. The official cause of death was natural causes due to a heart attack, and there were no signs of foul play or substance use involvement.
4. Marvin Gaye
Answer: Shot
Marvin Gaye was born in Washington, D.C., United States, on April 2, 1939. He grew up in a strict household and found comfort in music from a young age. His early experiences singing in church helped shape his soulful style, and he later became one of the most influential artists in R&B and soul music, earning the nickname 'Prince of Motown'.
Tragically, just one day before his 45th birthday, Marvin was shot and killed by his own father during a family argument at their home in Los Angeles on April 1, 1984. According to reports, Marvin had intervened in a heated argument between his parents. During the confrontation, Marvin Gay Sr. shot his son twice with a .38 calibre pistol.
His father was arrested for first-degree murder, but the charge was later reduced. He pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter and was given a suspended six-year sentence and five years of probation. The court took into account his age, health, and his lack of prior criminal record. He died in 1998.
5. Otis Redding
Answer: Plane crash
Otis Redding was born in Dawson, Georgia, United States, on September 9, 1941, and later moved with his family to Macon, Georgia, where his musical journey began. He sang in church, won local talent shows, and was influenced by gospel and rhythm & blues. He's known for hits like 'Try a Little Tenderness', 'Respect' and '(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay'.
Otis died in a plane crash on December 10, 1967, at age 26, when he was flying in a Beechcraft H18 with his band, The Bar-Kays, en route to a concert in Madison, Wisconsin. The plane crashed into Lake Monona, just short of the runway. Redding and six others died, including four members of The Bar-Kays and the pilot. The only survivor was trumpeter Ben Cauley, who was asleep and managed to escape the wreckage.
He had just recorded '(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay', which became his biggest hit posthumously.
6. Fats Domino
Answer: Natural causes
Fats Domino was born Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was a pioneer of rock and roll, blending rhythm & blues with boogie-woogie piano and selling over 65 million records, making him one of the most successful artists of the 1950s and early 1960s. One of his most well-known hits is 'Blueberry Hill'. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
Fats passed away from natural causes on October 24, 2017, at the age of 89, in Harvey, Louisiana, not far from his birthplace of New Orleans. His health had been declining for several years. His death was peaceful and occurred at home, surrounded by family. No specific illness was publicly cited as the cause of his death.
7. Sam Cooke
Answer: Shot
Sam Cooke was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, United States, on January 22, 1931. He grew up in a religious household (his father was a Baptist minister), and began singing in church as a child. His family later moved to Chicago, where his music career took off. He became a pioneer of soul music, blending gospel roots with pop and R&B to create hits like 'You Send Me' and 'Cupid'.
Sam was shot and killed by a motel manager named Bertha Franklin on December 11, 1964, at the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles. He had checked in with a woman named Elisa Boyer, who later claimed she fled his room with her clothes and purse. When he came to the manager's office, angrily demanding to know where the woman was, a confrontation broke out. Franklin said she shot him in self-defence, fearing for her safety.
The shooting was ruled a justifiable homicide, but many people, including Cooke's family and fans, have questioned the official story. His death remains surrounded by mystery and controversy.
8. Jim Croce
Answer: Plane crash
Jim Croce was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, on January 10, 1943. He was raised in a working-class Italian-American family, and began playing music at a young age, starting with the accordion and later switching to guitar. He became known for songs like 'Time in a Bottle' and 'Bad, Bad Leroy Brown'.
Jim died tragically in a plane crash on September 20, 1973, at age 30, in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Croce and five others were aboard a Beechcraft E18S twin-engine plane, leaving after a concert at Northwestern State College. The plane struck a tree shortly after takeoff and crashed, killing everyone on board. He had just finished recording his album 'I Got a Name'. The title track was scheduled for release the very next day.
9. Ronnie Van Zant
Answer: Plane crash
Ronnie Van Zant was born in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, on January 15, 1948. He grew up in Jacksonville and co-founded the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. Known for his gritty vocals and songwriting, he helped define the genre with hits like 'Sweet Home Alabama' and 'Free Bird'.
Ronnie died, aged 29, in a plane crash on October 20, 1977, along with several other members of Lynyrd Skynyrd. The band was traveling from South Carolina to Louisiana when their Convair CV-240 aircraft ran out of fuel and crashed in a wooded area near Gillsburg, Mississippi. Guitarist Steve Gaines, backup singer Cassie Gaines, and three others were killed. Twenty others survived, but many were seriously injured.
The crash happened just three days after the release of their album 'Street Survivors', which eerily featured the band standing in flames on the cover. The cover was later replaced out of respect.
10. Keith Emerson
Answer: Suicide
Keith Emerson was born in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, England, on November 2, 1944. He became one of the most influential keyboardists in rock history, known for his work with The Nice and Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP). Emerson fused classical music with rock, pioneering the use of synthesisers and pushing the boundaries of progressive rock throughout the 1970s.
Keith died by suicide on March 11, 2016, at age 71, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was found at his home in Santa Monica, California. According to the coroner's report, Emerson had been suffering from heart disease and chronic depression.
Friends and band mates, including Greg Lake, later shared that Emerson had long struggled with anxiety about his health and his ability to perform live. He reportedly feared disappointing fans due to nerve issues affecting his hands.
11. Joe Strummer
Answer: Natural causes
Joe Strummer was born John Graham Mellor in Ankara, Turkey, on August 21, 1952. He was the son of a British diplomat, which explains his overseas birthplace. Though born in Turkey, Strummer was raised in England and became a defining voice of British punk rock as the co-founder and front man of The Clash. His politically charged lyrics helped shape the sound and spirit of punk in the late 1970s.
Joe died suddenly of a heart attack on December 22, 2002, at age 50, at his home in Broomfield, Somerset, England. The cause was later identified as an undiagnosed congenital heart defect. His death came as a shock to fans and fellow musicians, especially since he had been actively touring and recording with his band The Mescaleros at the time.
12. Paul Hester
Answer: Suicide
Paul Hester was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on January 8, 1959. He was the son of a bushman father and a jazz drummer mother, which helped shape his musical path. He became best known as the drummer for Split Enz and later as a co-founder of Crowded House, contributing to their signature sound.
Paul died by suicide on March 26, 2005, at age 46. He was found in a park near his home in Elwood, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. Reports say he had been struggling with depression for years. On the day of his death, he went for a walk with his dogs and later took his own life by hanging. His death was a deep loss for fans and fellow musicians alike.
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ponycargirl before going online.
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