List of drug-related deaths

(Redirected from List of artists who died of drug-related causes)

The following is a list of notable people who have died from drug-related causes. Deaths caused by alcohol and caffeine are included.

: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

• Herb Abrams (42) - American professional wrestling promoter, heart complications brought on by drug abuse.
• Nick Adams (36) - actor, drug overdose.
• David Allen Adkisson (25) - American professional wrestler, death speculated upon as drugs overdose.
• Kerry Gene Adkisson (33) - American professional wrestler, suicide, after arrest for cocaine possession and drug problems.
• Michael Brent Adkisson (23) - American professional wrestler, suicide, overdosed on tranquilizers.
• Dave Alexander (27) - musician, The Stooges.
• Dennis Allen (36) - Australian infamous drug dealer, drug induced heart failure.
• GG Allin (36) - punk musician, heroin overdose.
• Bridgette Andersen (21) former child actress, alcohol and heroin overdose.
• Howard Arkley (48) - painter.

B

• Chet Baker (58) - jazz trumpeter and singer.
• Florence Ballard (32) - musician, The Supremes, cardiac arrest strongly exacerbated by long-term drug abuse.
• Honoré de Balzac (51) - caffeine poisoning from drinking over forty cups of coffee a day.
• Lester Bangs (33) - musician, writer, overdose of painkillers, possibly accidental.
• Jean-Michel Basquiat (27) - painter, heroin overdose.
• Scotty Beckett (38) - American former child actor, suicide, barbiturate overdose.
• Bix Beiderbecke (28) - jazz musician, alcoholism.
• John Belushi (33) - of the Blues Brothers, actor, and comedian, heroin and cocaine overdose (speedball).
• Bunny Berigan (33) - musician, trumpet, liver cirrhosis from alcoholism.
• Wes Berggren - musician, Tripping Daisy.
• George Best (59) - ex-footballer with Manchester United, multiple organ failure exacerbated by chronic long-standing alcoholism.
• Leah Betts (18) - British schoolgirl, ecstasy related.
• Len Bias (22) - basketball star; died of cocaine overdose before ever playing in the NBA.
• Dave Bidwell - musician, the Pink Fairies, Chicken Shack, Savoy Brown, Mungo Jerry.
• Matty Blagg (real name Matthew Roberts) - musician, Blaggers I.T.A., heroin overdose.
• Mike Bloomfield (36)- blues guitarist, heroin overdose.
• Tommy Bolin (25) - musician, Deep Purple, drugs overdose and/or alcohol poisoning.
• John Bonham (32) - musician Led Zeppelin, inhalation of own vomit; believed to be alcohol-related.
• James Booker (44) - musician, liver failure.
• Elisa Bridges (29) - model, acute intoxication - combined effects of heroin, methamphetamine, meperidine and Alprazolam.
• Erik Brødreskift (30) - musician, Borknagar,Gorgoroth,and Immortal, suicide - pill overdose.
• Herman Brood (55) - musician, suicide after long-term substance abuse issues.
• Dennis Brown (42) - musician, Jamacian Reggae singer, believed to be AIDS related but strong rumours of chronic drug abuse.
• Lenny Bruce (40) - comedian, morphine overdose.
• Robert Buck (42) - musician, 10,000 Maniacs, liver disease.
• Tim Buckley (28) - rock and roll musician, heroin overdose.

C

• Andrés Caicedo (25) - Columbian writer, drugs overdose (suicide).
• Toy Caldwell - musician, Marshall Tucker Band.
• Ken Caminiti (41) - former Major League Baseball player; acute cocaine and opiates intoxication.
• Skip Candelori - musician, Turning Point.
• Max Cantor - journalist, actor, heroin overdose, he became an addict while researching addicts in New York.
• Gia Carangi - supermodel, heroin abuse led to a death from AIDS.
• Leroy Carr - blues musician, cirrhosis of the Liver as a result of alcoholism.
• Michael Clarke (47) - musician, the Byrds, liver failure due to long term alcoholism.
• Sonny Clark - musician, American hard bop pianist, heroin overdose.
• Steve Clark - musician, Def Leppard, accidential death (anti-depressants, painkillers and alcohol).
• Will Clay - musician, The Toys.
• Montgomery Clift - actor, heart attack due to severe alcoholism and drug abuse.
• Kurt Cobain- Musician, Self inflicted shotgun shot to the head
• Brian Cole - musician, the Association, heroin overdose.
• Brian Connolly - musician, Sweet, liver damage caused by long-term substance abuse.
• Pamela Courson - common law wife of Jim Morrison of The Doors, heroin overdose.
• Cowboy (real name Keith Wiggins) - musician, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, drug overdose.
• Carl Crack - musician, Atari Teenage Riot, drug overdose.
• Darby Crash (22) - punk musician, of The Germs, suicide by heroin overdose.
• Robbin Crosby - musician, ex-Ratt, contracted HIV as a result of long-time heroin addiction and died of AIDS.

D

• Dalida (54) - singer, suicide, barbiturates overdose (sleeping pills).
• Dorothy Dandridge (42) - actress, singer, anti-depressant overdose.
• Jesse Ed Davis (43) - guitarist, session musician, drug overdose.
• Sheik Sayed Darwish - Egyptian composer and father of Arab popular music, cocaine overdose.
• Paul Demayo (38) - American professional bodybuilder, heroin overdose.
• Ted Demme (38) - film director, heart attack, small amount of cocaine taken may have contributed.
• Rick Dey - musician, the Vejtables, February Sunshine, the Wilde Knights and the Merry-Go-Round.
• Dimwit - musician, D.O.A., drug overdose.
• Teri Diver (29) - pornographic actress, cardic arrest caused by overdose of migraine medication.
• Kiki Djan - Ghanian musician, Osibisa, drug addiction and AIDS.
• DJ Screw (29) - musician, heart attack thought to be result of codeine overdose.
• Desmond Donnelly (53) - British politician/ Businessman/ Journalist, suicide under influence of alcohol/ overdose of barbiturates.
• Tommy Dorsey (51) - jazz musician and bandleader, choked to death while sleeping with the aid of drugs.
• John Dougherty - musician, Flipper, heroin overdose.
• Nick Drake (26) - musician, anti-depressant overdose, disputed suicide.
• Michael Dransfield (24) - poet, heroin overdose.
• Bobby Driscoll (31) - actor, heart failure, long term drug abuse.
• Bobby Duncum, Jr. - American professional wrestler, prescription drug overdose.
• Anthony Durante - American professional wrestler, drugs overdose.

E

• Jeanne Eagels (39) - actress, alcohol and/or heroin abuse.
• John Entwistle (57) - musician, bassist for the Who, died from heart failure brought upon by cocaine use.
• Brian Epstein (32) - Manager of The Beatles, drug overdose.
• Howie Epstein (47) - musician, ex-bassist with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, heroin overdose.
• Rick Evers - musician, drummer and songwriter, was married to Carole King, heroin overdose.

F

• Chris Farley (33) - comedian, cocaine and heroin overdose (speedball).
• Pete Farndon (31) - musician, the Pretenders, drowned/ heroin overdose.
• Rainer Werner Fassbinder - playwright, director, cocaine overdose (possible suicide).
• Brenda Fassie - South African singer, cocaine overdose.
• W.C. Fields (67) - American performer and actor, complications of alcoholism.
• Keith Ferguson - musician, the Fabulous Thunderbirds.
• Althea Flynt - co-publisher of Hustler magazine, drowned after passing out after drug overdose.
• Zac Foley (31) - musician, EMF, heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, barbituates and alcohol in bloodstream.
• Sigmund Freud - Austrian neurologisy, physician assisted morphine overdose.

G

• Rory Gallagher - musician, Taste, died of complications from a liver transplant from prolonged alcohol use.
• Paul Gardiner - musician, Tubeway Army, drug overdose.
• Judy Garland - American singer and actress, disputed drug overdose as cause of death.
• Lowell George - musician, Little Feat, heart attack - habitual drug abuse probable cause.
• Andy Gibb - singer, younger brother of the Bee Gees; cardiac damage strongly exacerbated by cocaine and alcohol abuse.
• Simon Gipps-Kent - British actor, morphine poisoning, suspected drugs overdose.
• Candy Givens - musician, Zephyr, drowned in jacuzzi after passing out from a mix of alcohol and quaaludes.
• Trevor Goddard - British former professional boxer turned actor, drugs overdose.
• Alexander Godunov (45) - actor, died of alcoholism.
• Dwayne Goettel - musician, Skinny Puppy, heroin overdose.
• Lucy Grealy (39) - American poet, presumed accidental drug overdose.
• Sean Greenway - Australian indie musician, member of GOD, heroin overdose
• Gribouille - French singer, drugs overdose.
• Stacy Guess - musician, the Squirrel Nut Zippers, heroin overdose.

H

• Paul Hammond - musician, Atomic Rooster, drug overdose (suicide).
• Bobby Hatfield - musician, The Righteous Brothers, heart attack triggered by cocaine overdose.
• Tim Hardin - folk musician, heroin and morphine overdose.
• Wynonie Harris - blues singer, alcohol poisoning.
• Brynn Hartman - wife and killer of comedian Phil Hartman, suicide after cocaine and alcohol.
• Alex Harvey - musician,The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, liver damage caused by alcohol abuse.
• Phyllis Haver - actress, intentional barbituate overdose
• Joey Hawthorne - American professional poker player, drug overdose.
• Eddie Hazel - musician, guitarist, of the P-funk collective, liver failure.
• Mitch Hedberg - American comedian, multiple drug toxicity (cocaine and heroin).
• Helno (real name Noel Rota) - musician, Les Negresses Vertes, died trying to overcome serious drug addiction.
• Tim Hemensley - Australian indie musician, member of GOD, heroin overdose
• Margaux Hemingway (41) - actress, disputed suicide, overdose of sedatives.
• Jimi Hendrix (27) - rock and roll musician, respiratory arrest caused by barbiturate overdose and vomit inhalation.
• Curt Hennig - professional wrestler, cocaine overdose.
• Gregory Herbet - musician, Blood, Sweat & Tears.
• Bob Hite - musician, Canned Heat, heart attack.
• Randy Jo Hobbs - musician.
• El Duce Hoke - musician, drummer and singer in the Mentors, hit by train when alcohol intoxicated (disputed murder theories).
• Billie Holiday (45) - jazz singer died from cirrhosis of the liver attributed to longtime alcohol and heroin abuse.
• Hollywood Fats - musician.
• Gary Holton - actor, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, alcohol and morphine overdose.
• James Honeyman-Scott - musician, the Pretenders, cocaine overdose.
• Shannon Hoon - musician, singer in Blind Melon, cocaine overdose.
• Howard Hughes (70) - aviator, an engineer, an industrialist, a movie producer, a playboy, liver failure - autopsy showed lethal amount of codeine and also valium in body (suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder).
• Elizabeth Hulette (42) - professional wrestling manager, accidential drug medication/alcohol mixing.
• Harold Hunter (31) - American professional skateboarder and actor, apparent cocaine overdose.
• Phyllis Hyman - singer, suicide involving pills.

I

J

• Julio Jaramillo (42) - ecuadorian singer, liver damage caused by alcohol.
• Steven Ronald "Stevo" Jensen - musician, The Vandals, prescription drug overdose.
• Joëlle, American born French singer, drug overdose.
• Anissa Jones - actress (played "Buffy" on American T.V series Family Affair), accidential overdose of cocaine, angel dust, Quaaludes and Seconal.
• Brian Jones - musician, the Rolling Stones, drowned, very likely due to alcohol and barbiturate intoxication.
• Rob Jones (a.k.a. The Bass Thing) - musician - former bassist of The Wonder Stuff, heroin overdose.
• Russell Jones (a.k.a. Ol' Dirty Bastard) - hip hop musician, accidential overdose, cocaine and prescription painkiller.
• Janis Joplin - rock and roll and blues musician, heroin overdose.
• Joachim Nielsen - musician, heroin overdose.

K

• John Kahn - musician, Jerry Garcia Band, complications of heart disease, heroin, cocaine, and antidepressants found in his body.
• Wells Kelly - musician, Orleans, heroin overdose.
• David Kennedy - fourth child of Robert F. Kennedy, cocaine and Demerol overdose.
• Jack Kerouac - writer/poet, complications due to alcoholism.
• Bernard Kettlewell - British lepidopterist and medical doctor, drugs overdose.
• Kenny Kirkland - musician, noted pianist, heroin overdose.
• John Kordic - Canadian hockey player, died during struggle with police after cocaine overdose.
• Paul Kossoff - musician, Free, drug-related heart problems.
• Eddie Kurdziel - musician, Redd Kross, drug overdose.

L

• Arcadia Lake - American pornographic actress, drug overdose.
• Barbara La Marr - actress, drug-related death in Hollywood.
• Karen Lancaume - French pornographic actress, overdose of medication (suicide).
• Carole Landis - actress, overdose of barbiturates (suicide).
• Peter Laughner - musician, Pere Ubu, acute pancreatitis.
• Rudy Lewis - musician, the Drifters.
• Mike Lockwood - American professional wrestler, choked on his own vomit after overdose of painkillers and alcohol.
• Trinity Loren (real name: Joyce Evelyn McPherson) - American porn star, model, and stripper, accidental overdose of prescription painkillers.
• Bela Lugosi (73) - actor, drug-related heart attack.
• Zoe Tamerlis Lund - former child American musical prodigy turned model, actress, and writer, heart failure due to heroin use.
• Frankie Lymon - musician, doo wop singer, heroin overdose.
• Phil Lynott - musician, Thin Lizzy, health breakdown caused by a heroin overdose.

M

• Billy Mackenzie - musician, the Associates, overdosed on prescription drugs (suicide).
• Steve Marriott - musician, The Small Faces and Humble Pie, drug related fire.
• Billy Martin - Major League Baseball player and manager, alcohol-related auto accident.
• Big Maybelle
• James McCallum Bronson - stepson of actor Charles Bronson, drug overdose.
• David McComb, musciian, The Triffids, heroin overdose.
• Jimmy McCulloch musician with Wings, guitarist, heroin overdose.
• Pig Pen McKernan - musician, the Grateful Dead, gastrointestinal hemorrhage linked to alcohol abuse.
• Robbie McIntosh - musician, Average White Band, heroin overdose.
• Clyde McPhatter - singer.
• Jonathan Melvoin - touring keyboardist for the Smashing Pumpkins, heroin overdose.
• Mighty Spoiler - calypso music singer.
• Miss Christine - musician, the GTO's, heroin overdose.
• Amedeo Modigliani - painter, alcohol poisoning.
• Marilyn Monroe - actress, overdose of sleeping pills.
• Ken Montgomery - musician, D.O.A.
• Keith Moon - musician, the Who, overdosed on anti-seizure medication.
• Chester Morris - actor, drug overdose.
• Jim Morrison (27) - musician, the Doors, heroin and alcohol (cause and fact of death disputed).
• Billy Murcia - musician, the New York Dolls, accidental suffocation after drugs and alcohol.
• Brent Mydland - musician, keyboardist, of the Grateful Dead, cocaine/morphine overdose.
• Modest Mussorgsky - classical composer, alcohol.
• Daniel Christopher Murray - Died of a heroin overdose. Lead singer in a band called, Murray and the Shaggy Dogs.
• Dave Murray - Porn Star. Fell from a balcony after a crack overdose.

N

• Delphine Neid - musician, The Nuns, drugs overdose.
• Joachim Nielsen (36) - Norwegian rock musician, drug overdose
• Bradley Nowell - musician, Sublime, heroin overdose.

O

• Hugh O'Connor - actor, of In the Heat of the Night TV series, suicide under influence of cocaine.
• Lani O'Grady - actress, of Eight Is Enough.
• Frank O'Keefe - musician, the Outlaws.
• Johnny O'Keefe - musician, singer, heart attack after prescription drugs addiction.
• Christina Onassis - daughter of the billionaire Aristotle Onassis, pulmonary edema, caused by constant drug abuse and dramatic weight changes.
• Charlie Ondras - musician, Unsane.
• Bryan Ottoson - musician, American Head Charge, accidental prescription-drug overdose.
• Malcolm Owen - singer, lyricist of the Ruts, heroin overdose.

P

• Marco Pantani - cyclist, Tour de France winner; acute cocaine intoxication.
• Charlie Parker - jazz musician.
• Robert Pastorelli - American television actor, heroin overdose.
• Gram Parsons - country musician, of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, overdose, purportedly of morphine and tequila.
• Joe Pass - jazz musician.
• Jon-Jon Paulos - musician, the Buckinghams.
• Chris Penn (40) - Brother of Actor Sean Penn, heart disease and prescription drugs.
• Art Pepper - jazz musician.
• Chris Pettiet (24) - American actor, accidential drug overdose.
• Jack Pickford (36) - American actor, syphilis & alcohol and drug abuse.
• Kristen Pfaff - musician, ex-member of Hole, heroin overdose.
• Esther Phillips - musician, singer, liver failue due to alcohol and heroin dependency.
• John Phillips - musician, of the Mamas and the Papas.
• River Phoenix (23) - actor, overdose of heroin and cocaine (speedball).
• Jeffrey Lee Pierce (37) - musician, the Gun Club.
• Rob Pilatus (32) - musician, Milli Vanilli, drug overdose.
• Dana Plato (34) - actress, of Diff'rent Strokes, suicide - overdose of Vanadom and Vicodin.
• Jackson Pollock (44) - American painter; killed in a single-car accident while driving drunk.
• Elvis Presley (42) - singer, heart attack brought on by overdose of barbituates.
• Freddie Prinze (22) - comic, actor (Chico and the Man), self-inflicted gunshot wound while under the influence of Quaaludes.

Q

• Robert Quine - musician, guitar player, Richard Hell & the Voidoids, suicide by heroin overdose.
• Glenn Quinn (32) - actor, heroin overdose.

R

• Dee Dee Ramone - musician, the Ramones, heroin overdose.
• James Ray - musician, drug overdose.
• Johnnie Ray - musician, liver failure caused by alcoholism.
• Wallace Reid - actor, flu caused by morphine addiction.
• Jimmy Reilly (17) - musician, Watertower West and Tony And The Tigers, heroin and alcohol overdose.
• Elis Regina (36) - Brazilian singer, drug interaction.
• Rob Graves Ritter - musician, Thelonius Monster, Gun Club, the Bags, 45 Grave.
• Rachel Roberts - British actress - barbituates overdose (suicide).
• Andy Rogers - musician, bassist with Johnny Cash, heroin overdose.
• Peter Rosen - musician, War.
• Alma Rubens - actress, flu caused by heroin addiction.
• Michael Rudetsky - musician, keyboardist, Culture Club, heroin overdose.
• David Ruffin - musician, the Temptations, drug overdose.

S

• George Sanders - British actor, baribituates overdose (suicide).
• Bon Scott - musician, AC/DC, Aspiration brought on by alcohol intoxication.
• Jean Seberg - actress.
• Jason Sears - musician, Rich Kids on LSD, treatment with natural drugs.
• Edie Sedgwick - actress.
• Nerine Shatner - wife of actor William Shatner, drowned in swimming pool while intoxicated and with traces of valium in bloodstream.
• Bobby Sheehan - musician, Blues Traveler, drug overdose.
• Eric Show - baseball player, cocaine and heroin overdose (speedball).
• Pavlos Sidiropoulos - Greek rock musician, heroin overdose.
• Judee Sill - folk musician, heroin overdose.
• Don Simpson - film producer, heart attack, reports of 20 drugs in his body at time of death.
• Hillel Slovak (26) - musician, Red Hot Chili Peppers, heroin overdose.
• Davey Boy Smith (39) - British professional wrestler, heart attack - steroid abuse may have contributed.
• Freddy Soto - comedian, writer and actor, mixture of alcohol, Xanax® and fentanyl.
• Epic Soundtracks - musician, Swell Maps.
• Louie Spicolli - American professional wrestler, choked on vomit after drugs and alcohol overdose.
• Layne Staley (34) - musician, Alice in Chains, cocaine and heroin overdose (speedball).
• Joey Stefano (26) - pornographic actor, overdose of cocaine, morphine, heroin and ketamine.
• Inger Stevens - American actress, suicide - overdose of sleeping pills.
• Rory Storm - musician, suicide - sleeping pills overdose.
• Margaret Sullavan (48) - American actress, deliberate barbiturate overdose.
• Paige Summers - American pornographic model & actress, drug overdose.
• Screaming Lord Sutch - singer and politician, suicide following Prozac overdose.

T

• Vinnie Taylor - musician, Sha Na Na, heroin overdose.
• Gary Thain - musician, Uriah Heep, drug overdose.
• Jason Thirsk (28) - musician, Pennywise, suicide after depression and alcoholism treatment.
• Johnny Thunders - musician, the New York Dolls, alcohol and methadone poisioning.
• Dylan Thomas - poet, "an alcoholic insult to the brain."
• Georg Trakl - playwright, cocaine overdose.

U

• Stu Ungar (45) - Three-time World Series of Poker Main Event winner, heart condition caused by long-term cocaine abuse.
• Enrique Urquijo - Spanish singer, drug overdose.

V

• Townes Van Zandt - folk musician.
• Lupe Vélez, actress, secobarbital overdose (suicide).
• Sid Vicious (21) - musician, the Sex Pistols, heroin overdose, disputed suicide
• Gene Vincent - rock and roll musician, liver damage caused by alcohol.

W

• Robert Hudson Walker, actor, died suddenly after being administered sodium amytal by his doctor.
• Shelby Walker, (31) - American female boxer and Martial Arts fighter, apparent medicine overdose.
• Jeremy Michael Ward, musician, The Mars Volta, apparent heroin overdose.
• Dinah Washington, musician, overdose of diet pills and alcohol .
• Jan Werner Danielsen - artist, was a Norwegian singer, famous for his powerful voice. Death speculated upon as drug overdose/suicide.
• Rachel Whitear - British student, heroin overdose led to large-scale anti-drugs press campaign in Britain.
• Brett Whiteley, artist, heroin overdose.
• Keith Whitley, country musician, alcohol poisoning.
• Danny Whitten - musician, Crazy Horse, drug overdose or drugs with alcohol (disputed).
• Alan Wilson - musician, Canned Heat, drug overdose (possible suicide).
• Hank Williams, musician, drugs and probably alcohol.
• Kenneth Williams - actor, author and comedian of Carry On fame, overdose of barbiturates (accidental or suicide).
• Linda Wong - pornographic actress, overdose on Xanax, chlorlhydrate and alcohol.
• Andrew Wood - musician, Mother Love Bone, heroin overdose.
• Anna Wood (15) - Australian schoolgirl, cerebral edema, caused by water intoxication and resultant hyponatremia after taking ecstasy.
• Natalie Wood - actress, drowned when intoxicated.

X

Y

• Paula Yates (40) - British TV presenter & author, partner of deceased INXS star, Michael Hutchence, heroin overdose.

Z

See also

• Lists of people by cause of death

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