Are These Legendary Musicians Dead Or Alive?
- by Ben Sherlock
- – on
- in Entertainment
It seems that every week we get the tragic news that one of our favorite music icons has passed away, especially in the last couple of years. Most recently, we’ve lost music legend Tom Petty. But when a legendary star of musical fame dies, their spirit still lives on through their music. They leave behind a legacy that will never be forgotten. Every time someone plays one of their songs on the radio or on their phone while they’re sitting on the train to work, and it makes them feel someone genuine and they connect with it, the soul of that musician lives on. But the life of a musician and all the fame and glory that goes along with it comes at a cost, as artists typically turn to drugs and booze and sex to escape the pressures of being in the spotlight and the difficulties of consistently having to go out onto that stage and belt their hearts out. Their personal lives often suffer as a result of this rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle, too, and it can be quite tragic what happens to them. But that’s the price of the adoration of millions of people. Not a bad bargain. Are these legendary musicians dead or alive?
Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger is the lead singer and one of the founding members of the legendary and groundbreaking rock band The Rolling Stones. He’s been called “one of the most popular and influential frontmen in the history of rock & roll,” and he’s been knighted. He’s lived a hell of a life since he was born in 1943, marrying twice and having a total of eight kids. 32 of his singles have reached the Top 10. But is he dead or alive?
Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston is an iconic and beloved star of pop music with hits like “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” and “I Will Always Love You,” the latter being from her hit movie with Kevin Costner, The Bodyguard. According to the Guinness World Records in 2009, Houston is the most awarded female act of all time. She has made huge strides for women of color in the media, as well as inspiring millions of fans. But is she alive or is she dead?
Dolly Parton
Before country music became a mishmash of blue jeans wearing, Keith Urbanesque pop, Dolly Parton truly inspired her listeners with hits like “Coat of Many Colors,” “Jolene,” and “9 to 5.” She’s a woman who is troubled in her life by romantic struggles and the way that women are oppressed by men, and she used her music to make her voice heard, and it worked! On the Billboard country music charts, she’s had no less than 25 songs hit the Top 10. So, is she alive or dead?
Barbra Streisand
Wow. Where to begin with Barbra Streisand? She’s Barbra Streisand! She’s one of the very elite group of performers who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award. She’s one of just two in that group who have also won a Peabody Award. In the US, she’s sold more than 68.5 million albums, and her worldwide total of sold albums and singles is a whopping 150 million. She’s the best selling female artist of all time. Is she dead or is she alive?
George Harrison
A member of The Beatles – arguably the greatest band that’s ever existed – George Harrison is often referred to as “the quiet Beatle.” It was his Hindu practices that brought the band to India to broaden their musical horizons, and when the band broke up, he continued to have a long and successful solo career. Martin Scorsese directed a four hour documentary about Harrison called Living in the Material World, which is a good one. Is Harrison dead or alive?
Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse is one of those great artists with a truly distinctive style that can’t quite be placed within an established genre of music. Her style is often labeled as soul. But is it blue-eyed soul? Is it neo soul? Sometimes it’s labeled as R&B or jazz, but simply put, it’s the Amy Winehouse sound. Whatever it is, it’s great, and it’s captured the heart and soul of her legions of fans. But is she alive or is she dead?
Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne was born in 1982 in New Orleans and has since gone on to become a huge name in the rap world, with a number of Grammy Awards and platinum selling albums under his belt, as well as millions of fans. His birth name is Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr., which is why he has a series of albums called Tha Carter, Tha Carter II, Tha Carter III, and Tha Carter IV (Tha Carter V has faced many delays). But is he alive or dead?
Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry is one of the founding members of the rock ‘n’ roll music genre. He and the likes of Little Richard helped to revolutionize the jazz style of music and turn it more toward the direction of rock. According to John Lennon, if there was no Chuck Berry, there wouldn’t have even been a Beatles. He’s had many hit songs, like “Johnny B. Goode,” “My Ding a Ling,” “You Never Can Tell,” and “Maybellene.” But is he still alive or is he dead?
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur is one of the most influential rappers in the history of the medium. Everyone in the game cites him as an inspiration. All Eyez on Me and his Greatest Hits album rank among the best selling albums in the history of the American music industry. He’s a giant. Graffiti artists have painted him on walls in everywhere from Harlem to Rio de Janeiro. BET has labeled him “The Most Influential Rapper of All Time.” But is he dead or is he alive?
Jimi Hendrix
The musical significance of Jimi Hendrix knows no bounds. He’s regarded by pretty much everyone as the greatest guitarist of all time – he’s at least considered among the gods of rock if he doesn’t take the top spot. He revolutionized rock ‘n’ roll with his psychedelic hits like “All Along the Watchtower,” “Purple Haze,” “The Wind Cries Mary,” and even “The Star Spangled Banner.” In the words of Chuck Berry, he can play a guitar just like a-ringin’ a bell. But is he dead or alive?
Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper is best known for “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and “Time After Time,” but she’s far from being a two hit wonder. She won a Tony Award for creating the score for the Broadway musical Kinky Boots. In 2010, she did a blues album called Memphis Blues that topped Billboard’s blues albums chart for 13 weeks in a row, going on to be certified the most successful blues album of the year. Her debut album is feature on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. She’s had an incredible career, but is she dead or is she alive?
Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton is the rock star to end all rock stars. He’s the only person ever to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times – once as a solo artist, once for being in the Yardbirds, and once for being in Cream. He’s quite possibly the greatest and most influential guitarist ever – he’s certainly close. He’s second place on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. His talent is incredible and versatile. But is he alive or dead?
Michael Jackson
Often referred to as the King of Pop where Elvis Presley was referred to as the King of Rock, Michael Jackson is easily the most popular musical artist ever. Just look at his list of astronomical hit songs: “Beat It,” “Billie Jean,” “Thriller,” “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Bad,” “The Way You Make Me Feel,” “Man in the Mirror,” and many, many more. He ranks among the top ten best selling artists of all time with over 250 million album sales to brag about. Is he alive or dead?
Madonna
Madonna’s success will blow your mind. She’s the highest selling female musical artist of all time, having sold over 300 million albums and singles. She is often regarded as being the Queen of Pop alongside Michael Jackson, the King of Pop. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the second she became eligible. She got the top spot in VH1’s 100 Greatest Women in Music. And she was on the Rolling Stone lists of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time. But is she alive or dead?
Glenn Frey
Glenn Frey is a member of the Eagles, one of the best selling bands of all time, whose hits “Hotel California,” “Tequila Sunrise,” “New Kid in Town,” and more elevated them to legendary status. As a solo artist, he recorded the song “The Heat is On” for the thrilling opening sequence of the powerhouse Eddie Murphy movie Beverly Hills Cop. Frey has had 24 Top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. He’s a spectacular musician, but is he alive or is he dead?
Prince
The legend that is Prince needs no introduction. There’s his music – huge hits like “Purple Rain,” “1999,” “When Doves Cry” – but he’s more than that. There’s a good chance that Prince is not a human man, but rather a transient god who has chosen our plane of existence on which to share his unique sound and otherworldly talent. That’s just a theory. Point being, Prince is an amazingly influential and talented artist who changed the face of music. Is he alive or is he dead?
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan went against everything back in the ‘60s. He subverted all of the conventions of music and started the counter-culture musical movement. His songs like “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are a-Changin’” became the definitive songs of the Civil Rights Movement and the anti-Vietnam War movement. His single “Like a Rolling Stone” brought back the folk music genre in America. He’s basically had one of the biggest impacts in all of music. But is he alive or dead?
Tom Jones
Tom Jones is more than just that guy from The Voice. He has won Grammy Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, and Brit Awards. His talents range across a bunch of musical genres, from pop to rock to R&B to show tunes to country to dance to soul to gospel. That’s a lot of genres for one guy. His hits include “It’s Not Unusual,” “Sex Bomb,” and “What’s New Pussycat.” He’s also been awarded the OBE and a knighthood by the Queen. That’s some achievement for a Welsh guy. But is he alive or is he dead?
John Lennon
The same guy made you bob your head and dance with "Twist and Shout" made you think about the existential crisis of what life is with "Imagine." John Lennon is a favorite musician of just about everyone on the face of the Earth. The Beatles were only around for about ten years, but they sold more albums and gained more fans than any other band in history, even to this day. They were that rare example of a popular band whose music actually means something and has a little thing called soul. Even as a solo artist, he had a career that every musician dreams of. But is John Lennon still alive or is he dead?
Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli has had a troubled life. She was the daughter of The Wizard of Oz star Judy Garland, and grew up in her shadow. Her songs “New York, New York,” “Cabaret,” and “Maybe This Time” are defined by their themes of survival. Still, she won an Academy Award for Cabaret, a Tony Award for Flora the Red Menace, and an Emmy Award for her TV special Liza with a Z, so it’s not all bad. But is she still alive and well, or has she tragically died?
Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf is a rock star with the typical rock 'n' roll image of a dark, demonic guy wearing a leather jacket and riding a motorcycle on a lake of fire, singing about Hell and sex and death. But his music is deep and it has soul. It's about love and romance and tragedy and loss. His songs are epic ballads that are tantamount to the operas of Mozart or Beethoven. What separates "Bat Out of Hell" from "The Magic Flute?" If anything, "Bat Out of Hell" is more powerful and moving that "The Magic Flute" ever was. But is Meat Loaf still going, alive and well, or is he dead?
Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie's voice has time and time again captured our heartache and anguish in failing romantic entanglements. Does that girl I like like me back or not? Am I going to be okay after this breakup? Was that relationship really right for me, or am I better off now? Lionel Richie has a song to answer all of these questions, and you can dance and bob your head while you soak in those answers. "Hello," "All Night Long," "Easy." It's quite a legacy. But is he still alive or is Lionel Richie dead?
Carly Simon
Carly Simon is famous for many things, but perhaps what sticks out the most is her theme song for The Spy Who Loved Me. It ranks among the best of the James Bond movies, and Simon's theme song, "Nobody Does It Better," paints Bond as a tragic romantic figure whose effect on women ruins their lives forever because they fall under his spell and they can't get back out of it even though he takes off, never to see them again. Is Simon alive or is she dead?
Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page is the headlining member – the poster boy, if you will – of one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Led Zeppelin are rock gods, and Jimmy Page is their guitarist and founder, so he’s the rock god laureate, if you will. He’s got the second place on Gibson’s Top 50 Guitarists of All Time list. Uncut called Jimmy Page “rock’s greatest and most mysterious guitar hero.” He’s an amazing musician. But is he alive or is he dead?
George Michael
No, not the Arrested Development character played by Michael Cera – the guy from Wham! who has had such hits as “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” and “Last Christmas” and became ridiculously popular. He also made strides for LGBTQ people in the media when he came out as gay in 1998 and started campaigning for LGBTQ rights. He has some other great songs, too, like “Freedom” and its derivative “Freedom ’90!” and “Heal the Pain” and all kinds of stuff. But is he alive or dead?
David Bowie
David Bowie is an artist with a truly original and unique sound. He may be the only artist with the claim to this. Other artists adhere to a genre or follow the influence of other artists, but Bowie’s songs like “Space Oddity” and “I’m Afraid of Americans” and “Under Pressure,” his collaboration with Queen, are truly unique. His camp, androgynous, glam rock alter ego Ziggy Stardust also helps to contribute to his uniqueness. But is he alive or is he dead?
Joan Jett
Joan Jett is quite possibly the coolest chick in rock ‘n’ roll. Her hits like “I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll,” “Bad Reputation” (which was used as the theme song for the brilliant Freaks and Geeks), “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” and “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)” show her rebellious nature and attitude. She’s really awesome. She’s been called the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll. That would be alongside Elvis Presley as the King of Rock and Madonna as the Queen of Pop. Joan Jett is on that level. But is she alive or dead?
Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison is a singer and songwriter who was the lead singer for the groundbreaking rock band The Doors, but aside from that, he’s also a poet. That ensures that the songs of The Doors, like “The End” and “Light My Fire” and “People Are Strange.” Many fans and pundits within the music industry consider Morrison to be one of the most iconic and influential frontmen in rock music history. But is he still alive today or did he die back in the day?
Keith Moon
Keith Moon is the drummer for The Who and he’s been named the second greatest drummer of all time by the readers of Rolling Stone magazine. His decadent behavior and dark humor, along with his penchant for smashing up his drum kits on stage and trashing the hell out of hotel rooms while they were on tour earned him the nickname “Moon the Loon.” His drumming style focuses on tom-toms, cymbal crashes, and drum fills. Is he alive or dead?
Sinead O’Connor
Sinead O’Connor is an Irish singer and songwriter who rose to prominence and fame in the music world during the 1980s. She kicked things off with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and made her voice heard around the world when she rearranged “Nothing Compares 2 U” by Prince in 1990. She’s gained controversy over the years, like her decision to get ordained as a priest despite being a woman with a Roman Catholic heritage. But is she alive or dead?
Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the UK Music Hall of Fame. He’s the frontman of Black Sabbath, and he’s known as the Godfather of Heavy Metal because he’s the star of the band that are the founding fathers of the heavy metal genre. Sabbath invented and continually reinvented the metal style of music. He’s had many platinum albums and once ate a bat on stage (well, apparently). But is he alive or dead?
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye is a musical icon. His songs have become the stuff of legend, including hits like “Ain’t That Peculiar,” “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You),” and “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” Along with Stevie Wonder, he was one of the first Motown artists to break away from a production company and branch out, and look at the two of them now. They’re huge icons of the music world. But is Marvin Gaye still alive or is he sadly dead?
Diana Ross
Diana Ross is the very definition of a legend. Billboard magazine has named her the Female Entertainer of the Century, while she has also been awarded with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. She has more hits than any female artist in the charts. She’s been named the most successful female music artist in history by the Guinness Book of World Records. How many people can claim to have that to their name? Not that many. But is Diana Ross alive or dead?
Aretha Franklin
While Madonna has been labeled the Queen of Pop and Joan Jett has been labeled the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Aretha Franklin has been labeled the Queen of Soul. She won over fans and critics alike with her hits like “Respect,” “Rock Steady,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “Spanish Harlem,” and “Think.” She’s had 112 singles on the charts, including 77 singles on the Hot 100 chart. But is Aretha Franklin alive or is she dead?
Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin is a huge star of rock with her songs like “Cry Baby,” “Me and Bobby McGee,” and “Summertime” (all cover versions of other songs). She’s one of the biggest artists in the genres of psychedelic rock, blues, and soul. She has sold over 15 million albums in the United States, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. Rolling Stone ranked Joplin number 46 on its 2004 list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. But is she dead or alive?