Lenny Bias
Reggie Lewis

I would add Ronnie Van Zant and drop Buddy Holly from your list.

Van Zant had some more hits in him. Also, Steve Gaines was a guitar virtuoso.

Your top three are spot on imo.

An L of an Ag said:

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Layne Staley

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I'm a die hard AIC fan, but AIC with Layne was done and he hadn't been seen at all for many years when news broke that he was gone. Their unplugged was 2.5 years after their previous last performance, and he died SIX years after that.

I don't know that it was untimely.

double aught said:

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Is this just a roundabout way for you to let people know you don't like Fast & Furious?

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No. Just that in the grand scheme of things, don't see him as a major loss to the entertainment world.

No one mentioned Scott Weiland.

He was a pretty good entertainer, but obviously past the creative stage.

I thought of a few more, some of whom go back a ways:
Wolfgang A. Mozart
Glenn Miller
Tommy Dorsey
Bill Chase
Jaco Pastorius

TXAG 05 said:

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double aught said:

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Is this just a roundabout way for you to let people know you don't like Fast & Furious?

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No. Just that in the grand scheme of things, don't see him as a major loss to the entertainment world.

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You can probably say that about almost all the people listed on this thread, especially those that died over the age of 50.

62strat said:

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An L of an Ag said:

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Layne Staley

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I'm a die hard AIC fan, but AIC with Layne was done and he hadn't been seen at all for many years when news broke that he was gone. Their unplugged was 2.5 years after their previous last performance, and he died SIX years after that.

I don't know that it was untimely.

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Had he not died he could have gotten clean and reunited with AIC though. Can't believe I forgot Freddie Mercury. Weiland too.

Before my time but the first to come to mind is easily John Lennon.

Also agree on Bonham, Hendrix, SRV, Buddy Holly.

lurker76 said:

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Page 2 and no one has mentioned Jim Morrison?

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shame on all of us…..good call….

Chris Cornell
Layne Staley
Jimi Hendrix
Andrew Wood
Kurt Cobain

Note to self: don't move to Seattle

River Phoenix
Chris Farley
Steve Goodman
Roberto Clemente
John Lennon

Aryton Senna

TXAG 05 said:

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double aught said:

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Is this just a roundabout way for you to let people know you don't like Fast & Furious?

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No. Just that in the grand scheme of things, don't see him as a major loss to the entertainment world.

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It's a shame you think this way

Froppe said:

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I thought of a few more, some of whom go back a ways:
Wolfgang A. Mozart
Glenn Miller
Tommy Dorsey
Bill Chase
Jaco Pastorius

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Blue star for recognizing Bill Chase. Saw them in concert at a small venue in Houston in what I believe was their next-to-last gig before the fatal plane crash.

Abraham Lincoln

Elvis
Stevie Ray Vaughan
John Lennon
Chris Farley
Chris Cornell

Know Your Enemy said:

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62strat said:

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An L of an Ag said:

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Layne Staley

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I'm a die hard AIC fan, but AIC with Layne was done and he hadn't been seen at all for many years when news broke that he was gone. Their unplugged was 2.5 years after their previous last performance, and he died SIX years after that.

I don't know that it was untimely.

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Had he not died he could have gotten clean and reunited with AIC though. Can't believe I forgot Freddie Mercury. Weiland too.

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I didn't want to just put musicians on my list, and username checked out with Chris Cornell, but between Cobain and Staley, hell, I'd throw Mark Lanegan in there. I know he outlived them both but I know to his grave he regretted not pulling himself together enough to pull Layne out as well.

Here's one I just thought of. Sorry if already mentioned.

John Hughes

Agasaurus Tex said:

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Froppe said:

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I thought of a few more, some of whom go back a ways:
Wolfgang A. Mozart
Glenn Miller
Tommy Dorsey
Bill Chase
Jaco Pastorius

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Blue star for recognizing Bill Chase. Saw them in concert at a small venue in Houston in what I believe was their next-to-last gig before the fatal plane crash.

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Was that at La Bastille? The basement club right off Market Square? My BQ old lady and I saw them there, about the time you're talking about. The place was so packed, the only spot we could squeeze in was in a corner, against the bar. Between sets, Bill Chase came to the bar. We had the honor of buying him a gin & tonic, shaking hands, and getting to chat briefly. An incredible night I'll never forget. Such a phenomenal talent, gone too soon. R.I.P., Bill.

StinkyPinky said:

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Michael Hutchence wouldn't be a top 5, but belongs on the page somewhere

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He no doubt had one of the best songs written about him.

$240 Worth of Pudding said:

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John Denver
Jim Croce
John Ritter
Norm MacDonald
Buddy Holly
Gram Parsons
Rodney Thomas

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Great list.

Everyone has heard of Buddy Holly but few people know the influence that Gram Parsons had on both country and rock in the late '60s/early '70s.

Kurt Cobain - but would Dave Grohl reached his potential without him?
Prince - legend
Neil Peart - yes he was older but he might have had one or 2 more Rush tours in him
John Lennon - but I'm afraid his politics would have been insufferable the older he got
And the comedians - Belushi, Lenny Bruce, Farley

It was at Village Inn Pizza, which had evolved from restaurant to really cool small music venue. Got to chat with Bill for a couple of minutes between sets. Was shocked when I heard of his, and other band members, untimely deaths a week or two later.

Big Cat `93 said:

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Roberto Clemente

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Good thing the Pirates needed him to bat in the final game of 1972 instead of waiting to get his 3,000th hit to open the 1973 season.

We lived in Puerto Rico at the time and my father was learning to fly.

He was critical of Clemente for taking a flight that was unsafe (not Titanic submersible levels of unsafe but risky nonetheless).

Anyway definitely one gone too soon.

I was just back in PR in March and the current Puerto Rico license plates commemorate the 50th anniversary of his death.

Froppe said:

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Terry Kath
Marilyn
Amen to George
Same for SRV
Frank Zappa

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I really wish we would have had Frank Zappa himself, or a Frank Zappa type during the scamdemic.

I can't imagine someone like Zappa remaining silent and certainly not shilling for the lockdowns, the vax, etc.

AgPediRPh said:

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Anton Yelchin. He had potential to be a star

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As a fellow Jeep Grand Cherokee owner, that was a painful one.

About the time he died, I watched a movie on a plane that he was in along with Patrick Stewart. Picard played a the patriarch of a White Supremacist group. Really a strange role.

I see John Bonham on several lists.
I think he is such a legend because he burned out so fast.

I've met Jason and he was cool. But we've also seen Jason on reality TV.

I don't think any of us would want to see the legend of John Bonham turn into an Ozzy style reality show in his older years.