Rock and roll music is one of the most influential and beloved genres in modern history, but it has also been associated with a number of tragic events.
The 1970s, in particular, was a decade marked by a significant number of deaths in the rock and roll community, leaving fans and fellow musicians shocked and grieving.
On this page, we provide a comprehensive list of deaths in rock and roll during the 1970s, paying tribute to the talented musicians and industry professionals who left us too soon.
| Name | Date | Age | Cause of death |
|---|---|---|---|
| Achim Kirchhoff | April 1, 1977 | 30 | Alcohol related complications |
| Al Benson | September 6, 1978 | 70 | Unknown |
| Al Jackson, Jr. | October 1, 1975 | 39 | Murder |
| Alan Wilson | September 3, 1970 | 27 | Suicide or accidental barbiturate overdose |
| Annette Snell | April 4, 1977 | 32 | Southern Airways Flight 242 plane crash |
| Arlester “Dyke” Christian | March 13, 1971 | 27 | Shot to death |
| Art Laibly | October 30, 1971 | 77 | Unknown |
| Arthur Crudup | March 28, 1974 | 68 | Complications of cardiovascular disease and diabetes |
| Arthur Gunter | March 16, 1976 | 49 | Pneumonia |
| Baby Boy Warren | July 1, 1977 | 57 | Heart attack |
| Baby Huey | October 28, 1970 | 26 | Drug induced heart attack |
| Baby Tate | August 17, 1972 | 56 | Heart attack |
| Berry Oakley | November 11, 1972 | 24 | Motorcycle collison |
| Big Chief Ellis | December 20, 1977 | 63 | Heart failure |
| Big John Wrencher | July 15, 1977 | 54 | Heart attack |
| Big Maybelle | January 23, 1972 | 47 | Complications of diabetes/Coma |
| Bill Chase | August 9, 1974 | 39 | Plane crash |
| Bill Kenny | March 23, 1978 | 63 | Respiratory illness |
| Billy Murcia | November 6, 1972 | 21 | Accidental suffocation due to alcohol abuse |
| Billy Stewart | January 17, 1970 | 32 | Car crash |
| Bing Crosby | October 14, 1977 | 74 | Heart attack |
| Blue Mitchell | May 21, 1979 | 49 | Cancer |
| Bobby Bloom | February 28, 1974 | 28 | Accidentally shot himself |
| Bobby Darin | December 20, 1973 | 37 | Complications of cardiac bypass surgery |
| Bobby Timmons | March 1, 1974 | 38 | Cirrhosis of the liver |
| Brian Cole | August 2, 1972 | 29 | Heroin overdose |
| Brian McCoy | July 31, 1975 | 32 | Ambushed and murdered |
| Buddy Johnson | February 9, 1977 | 62 | Brain tumor and sickle cell anemia |
| Bukka White | February 26, 1977 | 67-70 | Undisclosed |
| Calvin Frazier | September 23, 1972 | 57 | Undisclosed |
| Cannonball Adderley | August 8, 1975 | 46 | Cerebral hemorrhage |
| Carmen Lombardo | April 17, 1971 | 67 | Undisclosed cancer |
| Cass Elliot | July 29, 1974 | 32 | Heart failure |
| Cassie Gaines | October 20, 1977 | 29 | Plane accident |
| Cecilia | August 2, 1976 | 27 | Car crash |
| Chan Daniels | July 2, 1975 | 35 | Pneumonia |
| Charles Stepney | May 17, 1976 | 45 | Heart attack |
| Charlie Fuqua | December 21, 1971 | 61 | Unknown |
| Chris Bell | December 27, 1978 | 27 | Traffic accident |
| Chris Kenner | January 25, 1976 | 46 | Heart attack |
| Clarence White | July 14, 1973 | 29 | Hit by a drunk driver |
| Clyde McPhatter | June 13, 1972 | 39 | Alcohol related complications/ Heart attack |
| Coot Grant | December 26, 1970 | 77 | Unknown |
| Danny Whitten | November 18, 1972 | 29 | Barbiturate & alcohol overdose |
| Darla Hood | June 13, 1979 | 47 | Heart failure from hepatitis |
| Darrell Banks | February 24, 1970 | 32 | Shot to death by police |
| Dave Alexander | February 10, 1975 | 27 | Alcohol related complications |
| David “Stringbean” Akeman | November 10, 1973 | 58 | Shot by intruders |
| Doles Dickens | May 2, 1972 | 56 | Unknown |
| Don Rich | July 17, 1974 | 32 | Car crash |
| Don Robey | July 16, 1975 | 71 | Heart attack |
| Donny Hathaway | January 13, 1979 | 33 | Suicide or accidental fall |
| Dorsey Burnette | August 19, 1979 | 46 | Coronary thrombosis |
| Duane Allman | October 29, 1971 | 24 | Motorcycle collison |
| Duke Ellington | May 24, 1974 | 75 | Pneumonia and lung cancer |
| Duke Henderson | April 9, 1973 | 48 | Heart failure |
| Earl Grant | June 10, 1970 | 39 | Car crash |
| Earl Hooker | April 21, 1970 | 41 | Tuberculosis |
| Elvis Presley | August 16, 1977 | 42 | Drug overdose |
| Ezra Carter | January 22, 1975 | 78 | Unknown |
| Fiddlin’ Joe Martin | November 2, 1975 | 75 | Unknown |
| Florence Ballard | February 22, 1976 | 32 | Coronary thrombosis and cardiac arrest |
| Fran O’Toole | July 31, 1975 | 28 | Ambushed and murdered |
| Francis Wolff | March 8, 1971 | 63 | Heart attack following surgery |
| Frankie Lee Sims | May 10, 1970 | 53 | Pneumonia |
| Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers | September 5, 1978 | 37 | Cerebral hemorrhage |
| Freddie King | December 28, 1976 | 42 | Stomach ulcer and pancreatitis |
| Freddy Owens | March 4, 1979 | 29 | Shot to death |
| Gary Thain | December 8, 1975 | 27 | Heroin overdose |
| Gene Ammons | July 23, 1974 | 49 | Undisclosed |
| Gene Krupa | October 16, 1973 | 64 | Leukemia and blood cancer |
| Gene Vincent | October 12, 1971 | 36 | Burst peptic ulcer |
| George “Smitty” Smith | December 16, 1970 | 30 | Brain tumor |
| George Barnes | September 5, 1977 | 56 | Heart attack |
| George Goldner | April 15, 1970 | 52 | Heart attack |
| George Morgan | July 7, 1975 | 51 | Heart attack |
| Gerry Shury | May 24, 1978 | 33 | Traffic accident |
| Glenn Goins | July 29, 1978 | 24 | Hodgkin’s lymphoma |
| Graham Bond | May 8, 1974 | 36 | Suicide by a subway train |
| Gram Parsons | September 19, 1973 | 26 | Morphine and alcohol related heart failure |
| Grant Green | January 31, 1979 | 43 | Heart attack |
| Gregory Herbert | January 31, 1978 | 30 | Drug overdose |
| Gus Cannon | October 15, 1979 | 96 | Unknown |
| Guy Lombardo | November 5, 1977 | 75 | Heart attack |
| Harold McNair | March 7, 1971 | 39 | Lung cancer |
| Harry Womack | March 9, 1974 | 28 | Stabbed to death |
| Helmut Köllen | May 3, 1977 | 27 | Carbon monoxide poisoning |
| Henry D. “Homer” Haynes | August 7, 1971 | 51 | Heart attack |
| Hound Dog Taylor | December 17, 1975 | 60 | Lung cancer |
| Howlin’ Wolf | January 10, 1976 | 65 | Congestive heart failure |
| Ishmon Bracey | February 12, 1970 | 69-71 | Unknown |
| Ivory Joe Hunter | November 8, 1974 | 60 | Lung cancer |
| J. B. Long | February 25, 1975 | 71 | Unknown |
| Jack Haley | June 6, 1979 | 81 | Heart attack |
| Jackie Brenston | December 15, 1979 | 49-51 | Heart attack |
| James Leroy | May 10, 1979 | 32 | Suicide |
| Janis Joplin | October 4, 1970 | 27 | Heroin overdose |
| Jeffrey Carp | January 1, 1973 | 24 | Drowned (boating accident) |
| Jim Croce | September 20, 1973 | 30 | Plane crash |
| Jim Morrison | July 3, 1971 | 27 | Heart failure brought on by heroin addiction |
| Jimi Hendrix | September 18, 1970 | 27 | Asphyxiation on vomit after consuming barbiturates |
| Jimmy McCulloch | September 27, 1979 | 26 | Morphine poisoning |
| Jimmy Radcliffe | July 27, 1973 | 36 | Kidney complications |
| Jimmy Reed | August 29, 1976 | 50 | Epileptic seizure |
| Jimmy Rushing | June 8, 1972 | 70 | Leukemia and blood cancer |
| Joe Negroni | September 5, 1978 | 37 | Cerebral hemorrhage |
| Joe Willie Wilkins | March 28, 1979 | 56-58 | Meningitis |
| John Glascock | November 17, 1979 | 28 | Congenital heart defect |
| John Rostill | November 26, 1973 | 31 | Suicide |
| John Ryanes | May 30, 1972 | 32 | Unknown |
| Johnny Hodges | May 11, 1970 | 62 | Heart attack |
| Johnny O’Keefe | October 6, 1978 | 43 | Heart attack |
| Johnny Wallace | March 2, 1978 | 65 | Unknown |
| Judee Sill | November 23, 1979 | 35 | Either suicide by speedball overdose or accidental speedball overdose |
| Juke Boy Bonner | June 29, 1978 | 46 | Cirrhosis |
| Junior Parker | November 18, 1971 | 39 | Following surgery for brain tumor |
| Keith Moon | September 7, 1978 | 32 | Drug overdose |
| Keith Relf | May 12, 1976 | 33 | Electrocuted by a guitar |
| Kid Ory | January 23, 1973 | 86 | Pneumonia and a heart attack |
| Kid Thomas | April 5, 1970 | 35 | Shot to death |
| King Curtis | August 13, 1971 | 37 | Stabbed to death |
| L. C. McKinley | January 19, 1970 | 51 | Natural causes |
| L. C. Robinson | September 26, 1976 | 61 | Heart attack |
| Lafayette Thomas | May 20, 1977 | 48 | Heart attack |
| Lefty Frizzell | July 19, 1975 | 47 | Stroke |
| Leo Mintz | November 4, 1976 | 65 | Unknown |
| Leslie Harvey | May 3, 1972 | 27 | Electrocuted by a live microphone on stage |
| Lightnin’ Slim | July 27, 1974 | 61 | Stomach cancer |
| Lil Hardin Armstrong | August 27, 1971 | 73 | Heart attack |
| Linda Jones | March 14, 1972 | 27 | Complications of diabetes |
| Louis Armstrong | July 6, 1971 | 69 | Heart attack |
| Louis Jordan | February 4, 1975 | 66 | Heart attack |
| Lovie Austin | July 10, 1972 | 84 | Unknown |
| Lowell George | June 29, 1979 | 34 | Heart attack |
| Lowman Pauling | December 26, 1973 | 47 | Epileptic seizure |
| Luther “Snake Boy” Johnson | March 18, 1976 | 34 | Lung cancer |
| Mahalia Jackson | January 27, 1972 | 60 | Heart failure and diabetes |
| Marc Bolan | September 16, 1977 | 29 | Traffic accident |
| Mary Ann Ganser | March 16, 1970 | 22 | Heroin overdose |
| Maury Muehleisen | September 20, 1973 | 24 | Plane crash |
| Maxwell Davis | September 18, 1970 | 54 | Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma |
| Maybelle Carter | October 23, 1978 | 69 | Respiratory disease |
| Melvin Jackson | May 30, 1976 | 60 | Car crash |
| Memphis Minnie | August 6, 1973 | 76 | Stroke |
| Mercy Baby | September 10, 1977 | 47 | Gunshot wound |
| Mike Furber | May 10, 1973 | 25 | Suicide by hanging |
| Mike Patto | March 4, 1979 | 36 | lymphatic leukemia |
| Minnie Riperton | July 12, 1979 | 31 | Breast cancer |
| Mississippi Fred McDowell | July 3, 1972 | 66 | Undisclosed |
| Money Johnson | March 28, 1978 | 60 | Heart attack |
| Nick Drake | November 25, 1974 | 26 | Suicide by acute amitriptyline overdose |
| Otis Spann | April 24, 1970 | 40-46 | Liver cancer |
| Otto Jeffries | August 8, 1975 | 63 | Unknown |
| Packy Axton | January 20, 1974 | 32 | Cirrhosis or heart attack |
| Papa Lightfoot | November 20, 1971 | 47 | Respiratory failure |
| Paul Kossoff | March 19, 1976 | 25 | Pulmonary embolism/Lung blood clot |
| Paul Williams | August 17, 1973 | 34 | Gunshot wound (disputed suicide) |
| Peg Leg Sam | October 27, 1977 | 65 | Unknown |
| Pete Ham | April 24, 1975 | 27 | Suicide by hanging |
| Peter Laughner | June 22, 1977 | 24 | Acute pancreatitis from alcohol poisoning |
| Phil Ochs | April 9, 1976 | 35 | Suicide by hanging |
| Pink Anderson | October 12, 1974 | 74 | Heart attack |
| Rahsaan Roland Kirk | December 5, 1977 | 42 | Stroke |
| Raymond Jackson | November 10, 1972 | 31 | Burned to death in a house fire |
| Reverend Gary Davis | May 5, 1972 | 76 | Heart attack |
| Robbie McIntosh | September 23, 1974 | 24 | Drug overdose |
| Roger Lee Durham | July 27, 1973 | 27 | Injuries following falling off a horse |
| Ron “Pigpen” McKernan | March 8, 1973 | 27 | Gastrointestinal/Bowel hemorrhage attributed to alcohol abuse |
| Ronnie Van Zant | October 20, 1977 | 29 | Plane accident |
| Rory Storm | September 28, 1972 | 34 | Suicide |
| Ross Bagdasarian Sr. | January 16, 1972 | 52 | Heart attack |
| Roy Hawkins | March 19, 1974 | 71 | Cirrhosis of the liver |
| Roy Montrell | March 16, 1979 | 51 | Drug overdose |
| Rudy Pompilli | February 5, 1976 | 51 | Lung cancer |
| Sal Mineo | February 12, 1976 | 37 | Stabbed to death |
| Sammy Babitzin | April 29, 1973 | 24 | Visceral injuries caused by car accident |
| Sandy Denny | April 21, 1978 | 31 | Cerebral hemorrhage after accidental fall |
| Sara Carter | January 8, 1979 | 80 | Unknown |
| Shirley Brickley | October 13, 1977 | 33 | Shot to death by home intruder |
| Sid Vicious | February 2, 1979 | 21 | Suicide or drug overdose |
| Sister Rosetta Tharpe | October 9, 1973 | 58 | Stroke |
| Sleepy John Estes | June 5, 1977 | 77-78 | Stroke |
| Slim Harpo | January 31, 1970 | 46 | Heart attack |
| St. Louis Jimmy Oden | December 30, 1977 | 74 | Bronchopneumonia |
| Steve Gaines | October 20, 1977 | 28 | Plane accident |
| T-Bone Walker | March 16, 1975 | 64 | Stroke/Bronchial pneumonia |
| Tammi Terrell | March 16, 1970 | 24 | Brain tumor |
| Tarheel Slim | August 21, 1977 | 63 | Pneumonia brought on by chemotherapy |
| Terry Kath | January 23, 1978 | 31 | Accidentally shot himself |
| The Stooges | February 10, 1975 | 27 | Pulmonary edema from alcohol abuse |
| Thomas Wayne | August 15, 1971 | 31 | Car crash |
| Tiki Fulwood | October 29, 1979 | 35 | Stomach cancer |
| Tim Buckley | June 29, 1975 | 28 | Heroin overdose |
| Tina Brooks | August 13, 1974 | 42 | Liver failure |
| Tom Donahue | April 29, 1975 | 46 | Heart attack |
| Tom Wilson | September 6, 1978 | 47 | Heart attack |
| Tommy Bolin | December 4, 1976 | 25 | Heroin and alcohol overdose |
| Tony Clarke | August 28, 1971 | 31 | Murdered by his wife |
| Tony Geraghty | July 31, 1975 | 24 | Ambushed and murdered |
| Triumvirat | May 3, 1977 | 27 | Carbon monoxide poisoning |
| Van McCoy | July 6, 1979 | 39 | Heart attack |
| Vic Ames | January 28, 1978 | 52 | Car crash |
| Victor Olof | November 3, 1974 | 76 | Unknown |
| Voyle Gilmore | December 19, 1979 | 67 | Unknown |
| Wallace “Wally” Yohn | August 12, 1974 | 27 | Plane crash |
| William Bobo | April 28, 1976 | 54 | Unknown |
| William Manuel Johnson | December 3, 1972 | 100 | Unknown |
| Zeke Zettner | November 10, 1973 | 25 | Heroin overdose |
| Zenon De Fleur | March 17–18, 1979 | 27 | Car crash and subsequent medical complications |
Raised on a diet of ’60s and 70s rock, Erik is a Hi-Fi enthusiast with a musical taste broader than a barn door. A wordsmith with a keen interest in the history behind the musicians - Erik is our key Rocks Off storyteller.
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