Uploaded July 2023 | Updated September 2026, just now
Here's everything that I learned ...
I was writing a song about dying, when I noticed that everyone who writes or sings about death, dies ... and usually tragically, often by suicide. Weirdly, some of the most poignant songs appear on the artist's first album or their last, or in several cases the song is recorded but not released until after their passing. I pulled together this video to encapsulate what I found (the list is not exhaustive).
Here are the artists I covered, with a link to their individual stories:
0:00 Start of Video (youtu.be/1FuUKGrjEGY)
0:16 Jimi Hendrix (youtu.be/7V-5XhM7g2k)
0:43 Buddy Holly (youtu.be/2nONGGML6uI)
1:50 Freddy Mercury (youtu.be/3JdhIWgeQPk)
2:48 Jim Morrison (youtu.be/D1dCGmYz1TE)
3:30 Kurt Cobain (youtu.be/XVteNYbpk-4)
4:25 Layne Stayley (youtu.be/F2PLyFG-kp4)
5:12 Tommy Bolin (youtu.be/ZbmujyLpiI0)
6:07 Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gains, Cassie Gains, Allan Collins (youtu.be/LbInuae8HzA)
7:10 Juice WRLD (youtu.be/mmcGhEQFQgw)
7:57 Randy Rhoads (youtu.be/rXVjyCAeLXI)
8:44 Stevie Ray Vaughan (youtu.be/-d0ivwXV6fA)
10:59 Cliff Burton (youtu.be/ejfDQhKHfUI)
12:43 Doug Stegmeyer (youtu.be/boiGicry05c)
13:19 Terry Kath (youtu.be/mtsVStP4L7A)
14:40 Jill Janus (youtu.be/nR9XRP8Vzsk)
15:26 2Pac Shakur (youtu.be/yPyBH9rIwOM)
16:14 Biggie Smalls (youtu.be/6maxC8jVB6s)
17:01 Pete Ham and Tom Evans (youtu.be/N4uPIFeiDBs)
18:12 A Song for You - Donnie, Karen Whitney and Amy
19:07 Amy WInehouse (youtu.be/_E_AEheNEvA)
20:01 Donnie Hathaway (youtu.be/hdckKlLP3mw)
20:53 Naya Rivera (youtu.be/uQ5CfhBZGCU)
22:26 Marc Bolan (youtu.be/a1ahd3OL0JM)
23:14 Hank Williams (youtu.be/vFzF9re-aOw)
24:32 Andrew Wood (youtu.be/h_SgswiXsFU)
25:23 Chris Cornell (youtu.be/GpFgKbUdaW0)
26:25 Chester Bennington (youtu.be/Xgp5-sDoHgU)
27:19 Ian Curtis (youtu.be/cFuuQEcyt-U)
28:12 Marvin Gaye (youtu.be/eNiw2b2ckQg)
29:05 Michael Hutchence (youtu.be/L5CzG_T8BSY)
30:00 Thomas Wayne (youtu.be/wH5pQVAWQls)
30:46 Michael Jackson (youtu.be/jUcz7cVllvg)
31:42 Prince (youtu.be/vFzF9re-aOw)
32:32 Helmut Koellen (youtu.be/7XPkZQZ0nk0)
33:21 John Lennon (youtu.be/iiKYpN5jIHQ)
35:20 Harry Chapin (youtu.be/sY7YGpx2jx0)
36:11 The Rev (youtu.be/j7sRrInqy3U)
36:58 Gary Thain (youtu.be/O-NLJb7ATsI)
37:43 Laura Nyro (youtu.be/Y6b0DWIeb3M)
38:32 Jani Lane (youtu.be/2fnPYlxYjqc)
39:17 Chris Bell (youtu.be/VyRDV75vykc)
40:02 Pete de Freitas (youtu.be/7SanDbJvcKk)
41:03 Andy Gibb (youtu.be/H5kj7e1kLNQ)
41:49 Allan Wilson, Bob Hite, Henry Vestine (youtu.be/crvIagVLock)
42:50 Rob Pilatus (youtu.be/eCiscpB5T8Q)
43:54 Subscribe!
Side Note: I quickly reworked the theme of my tune to be about returning home through space and time (totally not dying). I then dropped the lyrics and turned the melody into a guitar instrumental. That should be safe (youtu.be/1FuUKGrjEGY)!
Here's everything that I learned ...
I was writing a song about dying, when I noticed that everyone who writes or sings about death, dies ... and usually tragically, often by suicide. Weirdly, some of the most poignant songs appear on the artist's first album or their last, or in several cases the song is recorded but not released until after their passing. I pulled together this video to encapsulate what I found (the list is not exhaustive).
Here are the artists I covered, with a link to their individual stories:
0:00 Start of Video (youtu.be/1FuUKGrjEGY)
0:16 Jimi Hendrix (youtu.be/7V-5XhM7g2k)
0:43 Buddy Holly (youtu.be/2nONGGML6uI)
1:50 Freddy Mercury (youtu.be/3JdhIWgeQPk)
2:48 Jim Morrison (youtu.be/D1dCGmYz1TE)
3:30 Kurt Cobain (youtu.be/XVteNYbpk-4)
4:25 Layne Stayley (youtu.be/F2PLyFG-kp4)
5:12 Tommy Bolin (youtu.be/ZbmujyLpiI0)
6:07 Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gains, Cassie Gains, Allan Collins (youtu.be/LbInuae8HzA)
7:10 Juice WRLD (youtu.be/mmcGhEQFQgw)
7:57 Randy Rhoads (youtu.be/rXVjyCAeLXI)
8:44 Stevie Ray Vaughan (youtu.be/-d0ivwXV6fA)
10:59 Cliff Burton (youtu.be/ejfDQhKHfUI)
12:43 Doug Stegmeyer (youtu.be/boiGicry05c)
13:19 Terry Kath (youtu.be/mtsVStP4L7A)
14:40 Jill Janus (youtu.be/nR9XRP8Vzsk)
15:26 2Pac Shakur (youtu.be/yPyBH9rIwOM)
16:14 Biggie Smalls (youtu.be/6maxC8jVB6s)
17:01 Pete Ham and Tom Evans (youtu.be/N4uPIFeiDBs)
18:12 A Song for You - Donnie, Karen Whitney and Amy
19:07 Amy WInehouse (youtu.be/_E_AEheNEvA)
20:01 Donnie Hathaway (youtu.be/hdckKlLP3mw)
20:53 Naya Rivera (youtu.be/uQ5CfhBZGCU)
22:26 Marc Bolan (youtu.be/a1ahd3OL0JM)
23:14 Hank Williams (youtu.be/vFzF9re-aOw)
24:32 Andrew Wood (youtu.be/h_SgswiXsFU)
25:23 Chris Cornell (youtu.be/GpFgKbUdaW0)
26:25 Chester Bennington (youtu.be/Xgp5-sDoHgU)
27:19 Ian Curtis (youtu.be/cFuuQEcyt-U)
28:12 Marvin Gaye (youtu.be/eNiw2b2ckQg)
29:05 Michael Hutchence (youtu.be/L5CzG_T8BSY)
30:00 Thomas Wayne (youtu.be/wH5pQVAWQls)
30:46 Michael Jackson (youtu.be/jUcz7cVllvg)
31:42 Prince (youtu.be/vFzF9re-aOw)
32:32 Helmut Koellen (youtu.be/7XPkZQZ0nk0)
33:21 John Lennon (youtu.be/iiKYpN5jIHQ)
35:20 Harry Chapin (youtu.be/sY7YGpx2jx0)
36:11 The Rev (youtu.be/j7sRrInqy3U)
36:58 Gary Thain (youtu.be/O-NLJb7ATsI)
37:43 Laura Nyro (youtu.be/Y6b0DWIeb3M)
38:32 Jani Lane (youtu.be/2fnPYlxYjqc)
39:17 Chris Bell (youtu.be/VyRDV75vykc)
40:02 Pete de Freitas (youtu.be/7SanDbJvcKk)
41:03 Andy Gibb (youtu.be/H5kj7e1kLNQ)
41:49 Allan Wilson, Bob Hite, Henry Vestine (youtu.be/crvIagVLock)
42:50 Rob Pilatus (youtu.be/eCiscpB5T8Q)
43:54 Subscribe!
Side Note: I quickly reworked the theme of my tune to be about returning home through space and time (totally not dying). I then dropped the lyrics and turned the melody into a guitar instrumental. That should be safe (youtu.be/1FuUKGrjEGY)!
