Three Most Tragic Deaths in Music

Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly (September 7th 1936 - February 3rd 1959)

Buddy Holly was a rising star in the mid to late 50s. In 1957, his band, The Crickets, got their first and only chart topping hit single with "That'll Be the Day". They had a few others song that charted in the top 40 and had success but ultimately Holly decided it was best to go solo. He released his debut album in March of 1958 and followed it up with an album a month later. With two albums under his belt, he hit the road with other rising musicians at the time. The tour, however, would occur during winter time. The broken down buses they were using to get from venue to venue was frustrating Holly along with other members of the tour. They decided for their next show they'd charter a plane. What ensued would be dubbed "The Day the Music Died" and would be remembered for generations to come. The pilot was not certified to operate under the conditions that presented themselves that day. The airplane crashed killing the pilot and all 3 passengers instantly. It is such a tragic death because the young musician was just getting his footing into the world of music and was slated to become a rock star.

Kurt Cobain

Kurt Cobain (February 20, 1967 - April 5, 1994)

Kurt Cobain of Nirvana was very troubled in many ways. He suffered from constant drug use, attention deficit disorder, and bipolar disorder. Nirvana released 3 studio albums including Nevermind which was one of the best selling albums of the 90s. Kurt Cobain was at would've been the peak of his fame when he killed himself. However, that may have been the leading factor in his suicide as it is known that the touring took a big toll on his life. He had chronic back pain for which he was never treated. He stated during Nirvana's 1991 Europe tour, "This [heroin] is the only thing that's saving me from shooting myself right now." The tragedy of his death is made even worse when you consider he had a young daughter who also lost her father.

Lil Peep

Gustav Elijah Åhr (November 1, 1996 - November 15, 2017)

Gustav Elijah Åhr better known by his stage name, Lil Peep, passed away due to an accidental drug overdose. On November 15, 2017 he was found dead in his tour bus. He had only released 1 studio album, was arguably on his way to worldwide fame, and was buzzing in the underground scene. His popularity exploded after his death due to many already established acts being huge fans of his prior to his death. His death was also littered with controversy and his management team was sued by his estate. There was a documentary released detailing his life and rise to fame in the film Everybody's Everything(2019). His death is very tragic because he died before he was able to breakout into the mainstream.