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The Death of Rock: The Alphabetical Archive

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Musicians are listed individually. Search by the artist's last name. Artists commonly referred to by a stage or street name (such as "The Big Bopper," Freddie Mercury, and Jam Master Jay) are listed under those names. Musicians who performed under a single name (like Aaliyah, Nico, and Selena) will be found under those single names. There are a few instances where two or more members of the same band perished in a single incident; you will find those artists listed under the group's name. (Examples are Banda Fugaz, The Bar-Kays, Chase, Passion Fruit, and The Reba McEntire Band.) One notable exception to this rule is Lynyrd Skynyrd. Members of Skynyrd are listed individually; although three perished in the 1977 plane crash, others have since died in unrelated incidents. (The three who died in the crash are grouped as "Lynyrd Skynyrd" on the Causes of Death and Chronology pages.)

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Teena Marie

(Mary Christine Brockert), "natural causes" in 2010. She was 54. Marie, a protege of Rick James (died 2004), was a white R&B singer who was noted for her soulful "black" vocals. The "Ivory Queen of Soul" was found dead in her home; she apparently passed away in her sleep. Marie had suffered a grand mal seizure just a month prior. Her biggest hit, "Lovergirl," reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 (1984). "I'm a Sucker for Your Love" (with Rick James), "Square Biz," "Ooh La La La"

Teresa Taylor

lung disease (2023); she was 60. Taylor (also known as Teresa Nervosa) was the drummer for '90s alternative band, Butthole Surfers. The group achieved some commercial success with their hit, "Pepper."

Vinnie Taylor

(Chris Donald), heroin overdose in 1974; age unknown. Taylor was the lead guitarist for the nostalgic "Greaser" band, Sha Na Na. (Fellow member, David "Chico" Ryan, would die of undisclosed causes in 1998.) "Good Night, Sweetheart"

Tammi Terrell

Tammi Terrell

brain tumor (1970); she was 24. Terrell gained notoriety as Marvin Gaye's (see 1984) singing partner on several Motown hits. Visit The Archive's Tribute to Tammi Terrell, detailing her career and tragic life. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Your Precious Love," "You're All I Need to Get By," "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing"

Joe Tex

(Joseph Arrington Jr.), heart attack in 1982. He was 49. "I Gotcha," "Skinny Legs and All," "Hold On To What You've Got," "The Love You Save (May Be Your Own)"

Gary Thain

heroin overdose in 1975; he was 27. Thain was the bassist for Uriah Heep. During his final tour, Thain was electrocuted, blacked out, and suffered serious burns. He also (supposedly) contracted an untreatable STD. He was found dead in the bath by his girlfriend. (Heep vocalist, David Byron, would succumb to excessive alcohol consumption in 1985.) "Easy Livin'," "Sweet Lorraine," "Stealin'"

Jason Matthew Thirsk

self-inflicted gunshot wound (1996). Thirsk was the bassist and co-founder of California punk band, Pennywise. He struggled for years with various "addictions;"in 1996 he shot himself. He was 28. "Peaceful Day," "Same Old Story," "Living for Today"

Hughie Thomasson

(Hugh Edward Thomasson), heart attack in 2007 at age 55. Thomasson formed The Outlaws but quit to be a guitarist with Lynyrd Skynyrd from the mid-1990s until 2005, when he re-formed The Outlaws. (Visit the Archive's Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute.) The Outlaws: "There Goes Another Love Song," "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky," "Green Grass and High Tides"

Tony Thompson

renal-cell cancer, 2003; he was 48. Thompson debuted as the drummer for Chic, evolving into an in-demand session drummer, backing many popular ‘70s and ‘80s artists, including Diana Ross, Sister Sledge, Rod Stewart, Debbie Harry, Mick Jagger, and David Bowie. In 1985, he accompanied the surviving members of Led Zeppelin on stage at Live Aid and formed Power Station ("Some Like It Hot") with Robert Palmer (also 2003) and John and Andy Taylor of Duran Duran. Their self-titled album, produced by fellow Chic member, Bernard Edawards (see 1996), was certified platinum. With Chic: "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)," "Le Freak," "Good Times".

Tony Thompson

inhalation of freon. He was 31. Thompson was lead vocalist of the R&B group Hi-Five. In 2007, his body was discovered near an air conditioning unit within an apartment complex near his home. He had died from inhaling a toxic amount of freon. (Fellow group member, Roderick "Pooh" Clark, passed away at the age of 49. See 2022.) "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)," "I Can't Wait Another Minute"

*^"Big Mama" Thornton

(Willie Mae Thornton), found dead in a Los Angeles boarding house in 1984. She died of heart and liver failure due to prolonged alcohol abuse. She was 57. Thornton was a Blues artist, the first performer to record "Hound Dog", which remained at #1 on the R&B charts for seven weeks in 1953. Her song, "Ball and Chain", is included in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame list of "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll". Thornton was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.

Melanie Thornton

crash of Crossair Flight 3597 in 2001. Thornton was the singer for dance group, La Bouche. After a performance in Berlin, Thornton was flying to Zurich. The plane's pilot, despite having no visibility, continued descending and crashed into a hill situated before the runway in Bassersdorf, Switzerland. Twenty-four of the 33 people on board were killed (including the pilot and co-pilot). Thornton, along with Nathalie van het Ende and Maria Serrano-Serrano of the group, Passion Fruit, was among the casualties. She was 34. The plane crash was detailed on the television program, Mayday: Air Disaster, in the episode, "Cockpit Failure". La Bouche's hits include, "Be My Lover", "Sweet Dreams", "Fallin' In Love", and "I Love To Love".

Johnny Thunders

(John Anthony Genzale), died in 1991 at the age of 39. Thunders was the vocalist for glam-punk outfit The New York Dolls and later joined The Heartbreakers. His death is generally accepted as an overdose of cocaine and methadone, according to the coroner's office in New Orleans. A few conspiracy theories exist that he was actually murdered. Drummer Jerry Nolan, who replaced Bill Murcia (see 1972) in The NY Dolls and also later joined The Heartbreakers, succumbed to drug use the following year. (Thunders, Nolan, and Murcia are three of four former New York Dolls to die prematurely. The fourth was Arthur "Killer" Kane in 2004.) "You Can't Put Your Arms Around Money" (with The Heartbreakers), "Personality Crisis," "Frankenstein" (with The New York Dolls)

*Sonny Til

(Earlington Carl Tilghman), heart attack in 1981. He was 51. Til was the lead singer of The Orioles, who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. "Crying In The Chapel," "Tell Me So," "Forgive and Forget," "It's Too Soon To Know"

Georgeanna Tillman

sicklel cell anemia (1980). She was 36. Tillman was a member of the Motown girl-group, The Marvelettes. "Please Mr Postman," "Someday, Someway," "Too Many Fish in the Sea"

Wayman Tisdale

bone cancer; 2009. He was 44. Tisdale was a basketball star (winning a gold medal as a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic basketball team) and jazz musician. His debut CD, Power Forward, reached No. 4 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart. "Ain't No Stopping Us Now," "Can't Hide Love," "Don't Take Your Love Away"

David "Frankie" Toler

died in 2011 after a liver transplant. He was 59. Toler played drums for The Allman Brothers Band, The Gregg Allman Band and The Marshall Tucker Band.

Steve Peregrin Took

co-founder of T. Rex, ingested morphine and magic mushrooms. His throat numbed by the combination, he subsequently choked to death on a cherry. It was 1980 and he was 31. Took was one of five members of T-Rex to die prematurely: see Marc Bolan, 1977; Steve Currie, 1981; Mickey Finn, 2003; and "Dino" Dines, 2004. T-Rex (minus Peregrin Took) was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020. "Bang a Gong (Get it On)," "Hot Love," "Telegram Sam," "Metal Guru"

Peter Tosh

(Winston Hubert McIntosh), murdered in 1987. One of the Wailers with Bob Marley (see 1981) and later a Grammy-winning solo artist. (Tosh was an astounding six-feet-five-and-a-half inches tall.) Three men came to his house demanding money, staying for several hours in an attempt to obtain cash. (Tosh claimed there was none in the house.) Frustrated, the leader of the gang, Dennis "Leppo" Lobban, whom Tosh had tried to help find work after a long jail sentence, put a gun to Tosh's head and fired twice. The other gunmen began shooting, wounding several others and killing disc jockey Jeff "Free I" Dixon. Leppo turned himself in, and was supposedly convicted in the shortest jury deliberation in Jamaican history: 11 minutes. He was sentenced to death, commuted to life in prison in 1995. Neither of his two accomplices were found. (Rumours persist that both were gunned down in the streets.) Tosh was one of three Wailers to be assassinated. (Carlton Barrett was murdered in 1987 and Junior Braithwaite was killed in 1999.) Tosh was 42. The Wailers: "Simmer Down," "Stir It Up," "Get Up, Stand Up" Solo: "Legalize It," "Fight On," "Not Gonna Give It Up"

Mary Travers; photo I took of Travers's grave.

Mary Travers

leukemia, 2009. She was 72. Travers was part of '60s folk trio, Peter, Paul and Mary. The trio were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. (Although Travers is past the cut-off age for inclusion into The Archive, I added her anyway because I was afforded a rare opportunity to obtain a grave photo. Umpawaug Cemetery, Redding, Connecticut.) "Puff the Magic Dragon," "Blowin' in the Wind," "Leaving On a Jet Plane"

Vivian Trimble

cancer in 2023; she was 59. Trimble was the keyboardist and backup vocalist for Luscious Jackson. The group, which enjoyed success during the 1990s, performed at Lollapalooza and Lilith Fair. After departing from Luscious Jackson, Trimble formed Dusty Trails. Luscious Jackson: "Naked Eye," "Hey, Cowboy," "Citysong"

Domenic Troiano

cancer in 2005. He was 59. Troiano was the guitarist for The Guess Who and The James Gang. The Guess Who: "American Woman," "These Eyes," "Undun" The James Gang: "Walk Away," "Funk #49"

Mick Tucker

leukemia in 2002. He was 53. Drummer for Sweet, who enjoyed hits with "Ballroom Blitz," "Little Willie," "Fox on the Run," and "Love is Like Oxygen."

Tommy Tucker

(Robert Higginbotham); he was 48 (1982). Tucker died from inhaling carbon tetrachloride while refinishing his home's hardwood floors. Tucker was most famous for 1964's "High-Heel Sneakers". ("Long Tall Shorty" was the follow-up.)

William Tucker

suicide in 1999. Tucker was a guitarist with metal icons, Ministry, and was a member of My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult. He reportedly had taken pills and afterwards slit his own throat. His body was discovered by his roommate, along with a 10-page suicide note. He was 38. There was speculation that he may have been trying to escape the pain of an unknown illness that had hounded him for the past few years. "Jesus Built My Hotrod," "Lay, Lady, Lay," "Stigmata"

Conway Twitty

#Conway Twitty

(Harold Jenkins), abdominal aneurysm in 1993. He was 59. Twitty was a successful country musician who enjoyed early pop success with the hit "It's Only Make Believe." Twitty was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999 and he was also inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. "Hello Darlin'," "After the Fire is Gone" (with Loretta Lynn), "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" (also with Lynn)

*Rob Tyner

heart failure at age 46 (1991). Vocalist for seminal punk group, the MC5 (Motor City 5). Guitarist Fred "Sonic" Smith, would succumb to the same ailment three years later. (Bassist Michael Davis died of liver disease in 2012. He was 68.) The MC5 were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2024. "Kick Out the Jams," "Shakin' Street"