Singer and songwriter Otis Redding (1941-1967) was a popular singer of soul, and rhythm and blues music. With nicknames like "The Mad Man from Macon", his style influenced generations to come. Shortly before he died, Redding wrote and recorded the hit song "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay" The song became the first posthumous record to hit the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts. On December 10, 1967 he was killed when his plane crashed into Lake Monona, Wisconsin.
2. Marvin Gaye
Answer: shot by father
Marvin Gaye (1939-1984) was one of the singers who helped influence the Motown sound of the 1960s. Hits like "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" and "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" helped earn him the nickname of "Prince of Motown". His first two Grammy Awards didn't come until 1982 with "Sexual Healing". On the day before his 45th birthday, April 1, 1984, his father, Marvin Gaye Sr, shot and killed the singer in their Los Angeles home.
3. Duane Allman
Answer: motorcycle accident
Guitarist Duane Allman (1946-1971) was the founder of the Allman Brothers Band in Jacksonville, Florida in 1969. Sometimes referred to as "Skydog", Allman was known for his slide guitar playing in the musical genres of blues, soul and southern rock. In 2003, "Rolling Stone" magazine ranked him number two on their list of 100 greatest guitarists of all time. On October 9, 1971, Allman was driving his Harley Davidson motorcycle at high speed when he crashed into a truck, and died from his injuries.
4. Sal Mineo
Answer: stabbed to death
Many of you may not remember actor Sal Mineo (1939-1976), a rising star of the 1950s and 1960s. He played opposite James Dean and Natalie Wood in the hit 1955 film "Rebel Without a Cause". He also appeared in movies which included "Giant" (1956), "The Gene Krupa Story" (1959) and "Exodus" (1960).
When coming home from a rehearsal on February 12, 1976, Sal was stabbed to death in an an alley behind his apartment building in West Hollywood, California.
5. Bob Crane
Answer: bludgeoned to death
Anyone remember the old television show "Hogan's Heroes", about Nazi prisoners of war being held at Stalag 13? The show was a comedy (really) showing P.O.W.s constantly outwitting their German captors. The sitcom ran for six years, and starred Bob Crane as Colonel Hogan. Crane won two Emmy Awards for his role. Several years after the show ended, Bob began performing in dinner theaters.
While on tour, on June 29, 1978, he was found in his Scottsdale apartment with an electrical cord around his neck, having been bludgeoned to death.
6. Michael Jackson
Answer: propofol overdose
Perhaps one of the greatest performers of all time, Michael Jackson (1958-2009), the "King of Pop", was found dead from a propofol overdose on June 25, 2009. His death was just three weeks before his sold-out scheduled concerts in London. Michael began his career in 1964 as part of the Jackson 5, with his elder brothers Tito, Jermaine, Jackie and Marlon.
In 1971 he went solo with Motown records ("Off the Wall" from 1979). By the 1980s, he cemented his superstardom with music videos like "Thriller", "Beat It" and "Billie Jean".
7. David Carradine
Answer: autoerotic asphyxiation
Actor David Carradine (1936-2009) may have been genetically disposed to act. His father John Carradine was a famous character actor in early films, and his brothers, Robert and Keith, went into the family business. David also acquired martial arts skills which made him a perfect fit for the TV show "Kung Fu" and the "Kill Bill" movies.
While in Bangkok, Thailand, to shoot the movie "Stretch", on June 3, 2009 he was found dead in his room. He was hanging in a closet, as a result of autoerotic asphyxiation.
8. Prince
Answer: fentanyl overdose
The flamboyant singer, songwriter and musician Prince (1958-2016) was born Prince Rogers Nelson in Minneapolis, MN. He is often regarded as one of the greatest musicians of all time, and one of its greatest influences. Whatever he was calling himself at any given time, his genius always shone through.
His score from "Purple Rain" garnered him the last Oscar in the category of Best Original Song Score. On June 2, 2016, Prince was found unresponsive at his home in Paisley Park. His death was ruled an accidental overdose of fentanyl.
9. Tennessee Williams
Answer: choked on a bottle cap
Author and playwright Thomas Lanier "Tennessee" Williams (1911-1983) may have lead an eccentric life, but his death was even stranger. One of the greatest dramatists of the 20th century, Williams was found dead in his NYC hotel on February 25, 1983. He had choked to death after inhaling the cap of a bottle of eye solution or nasal spray.
This was such an ignominious death for the great talent who gave us "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1947), "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1955) and "Suddenly Last Summer" (1958).
10. Jon-Erik Hexam
Answer: blank cartridge
Actor Jon-Erik Hexam (1957-1984) was just coming into his own as a television star before his tragic death. Hexam was a hunk (before the term became popular) who starred on the TV show "Voyagers!" from 1982 to 1983. He was also on the adventure series "Cover Up".
It was on the set of "Cover Up", on October 12, 1984, that Jon-Erik pointed what he thought was an unloaded gun to his head. He died six days later, on October 18th, as a result of an "accidental self-inflicted blank cartridge gunshot to the head", causing massive hemorrhaging.
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor skunkee before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
