Over time, the music industry has lost many legends. From the sad deaths of Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Jimi Hendrix in the 1960s to the deaths of icons David Bowie, Tina Turner, and Prince, fans have wept at the loss of rock’s most powerful personalities. Not every gifted musician received the same respect even though these stars made the news when they passed away.
Many musicians who were instrumental in rock history have become obscure. Though their names might not be well-known now, their contributions shaped the genre. Here are some rock performers you might not know have passed away from a largely forgotten guitarist who made history with Bob Dylan to a frontman whose band included Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page.
Mike Bloomfield
Mike Bloomfield was a trailblazer in the world of electric blues. As a guitarist for The Paul Butterfield Blues Band in the early 1960s, he helped bring raw, electrified blues to a wider audience. His fiery solos caught the ear of Bob Dylan, who personally invited him to play on Highway 61 Revisited, the groundbreaking 1965 album that merged folk and electric rock. Bloomfield also took the stage with Dylan for his historic first electric performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, delivering searing solos on Maggie’s Farm and other tracks.
In 1967, Bloomfield left Butterfield’s band to form The Electric Flag, a short-lived but influential group. Despite his immense talent, his career was hindered by substance abuse. In 1981, he was found dead in a parked car on a San Francisco street, likely abandoned there by a drug dealer. The medical examiner ruled his death a result of heroin and cocaine poisoning. He was just 37.
Kirsty MacColl and Shane MacGowan
The Pogues made their mark in the mid-1980s by blending punk energy with traditional Celtic sounds, but their most enduring hit remains the 1987 holiday classic Fairytale of New York. The song, a raw and bittersweet Christmas duet, paired frontman Shane MacGowan with singer Kirsty MacColl, creating a timeless, if unconventional, festive anthem. Though MacColl wasn’t a band member, she toured with them following the song’s success.
MacColl had already found success in her own right, scoring a hit in 1981 with There’s a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis. She was also a sought-after backing vocalist, working with The Smiths, Happy Mondays, and even The Rolling Stones. Meanwhile, MacGowan remained The Pogues’ unpredictable but brilliant leader through multiple breakups and reunions.
Tragically, MacColl died in 2000 at age 41 in a boating accident in Mexico. MacGowan passed away in 2023 from pneumonia at 65. Though they are gone, their voices live on each holiday season through Fairytale of New York, a song that has become a dark yet beloved Christmas staple.
Keith Relf
Keith Relf’s name may not be as well-known as those of the legendary guitarists he performed alongside, but his impact on rock history is undeniable. As the lead singer of The Yardbirds, Relf’s vocals powered classics like For Your Love, Shapes of Things, Heart Full of Soul, and Over Under Sideways Down. Throughout the band’s run, he was backed by an extraordinary lineup of guitarists—Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page—each of whom would go on to shape rock music in their own way.
When The Yardbirds disbanded in 1968, Jimmy Page carried on with a new lineup that soon became Led Zeppelin. Meanwhile, Relf pursued his own musical path, forming the progressive rock band Renaissance and later the hard rock outfit Armageddon.
Sadly, in 1976, Relf died in a freak accident at home. While playing an ungrounded electric guitar in his basement, he was electrocuted, reportedly discovered by his eight-year-old son. He was just 33 years old.
Shannon Hoon
Riding the grunge wave of the early 1990s, Blind Melon hit with tones of home and change. Still, their 1992 song No Rain shot them to success. The song swept the rock charts, and MTV favorites emerged from its eccentric music video featuring the now-iconic “Bee Girl.”
One important link cleared the path for the success of Blind Melon. Along with Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose, the charismatic frontperson of the band grew up in Lafayette, Indiana. Their friendship helped Hoon supply background vocals on Use Your Illusion, hence increasing his profile.
But glory came with a price. The demands of rapid achievement drove Hoon into drug usage; despite several tries at recovery, he battled to remain clean. Just two months after Blind Melon debuted their second album, Soup, Hoon was discovered dead in New Orleans from a cocaine-induced heart attack on October 21, 1995, on tour. Just 28, he left behind his five-month-old daughter, Nico Blue and his girlfriend, Lisa Crouse.
Kristen Pfaff
When Courtney Love formed Hole, she handpicked bassist Kristen Pfaff, who quickly became a key part of the band’s raw, aggressive sound. Pfaff played on their 1991 debut, Pretty on the Inside and its breakthrough 1994 album Live Through This. She toured with the band and was part of the rising Seattle grunge movement.
But just two months after the shocking suicide of Love’s husband, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, Pfaff was found dead in her Seattle apartment in June 1994. Reports stated her purse contained syringes and drug paraphernalia, and friends admitted she had struggled with heroin use. Though she had recently completed rehab, authorities ruled her death an overdose.
However, speculation still surrounds her passing. Journalist Ian Halperin’s book Love and Death: The Murder of Kurt Cobain suggested foul play, and Pfaff’s mother, Janet, insisted her daughter was clean post-rehab. A missing section from Pfaff’s journal fueled further mystery, but police denied calls for an investigation, citing lack of evidence.
John Wetton
John Wetton made his mark in the ’70s as the bassist for the progressive rock band King Crimson, but his biggest success came in the early ’80s when he co-founded the supergroup Asia. Teaming up with keyboardist Geoff Downes (The Buggles), guitarist Steve Howe (Yes), and drummer Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), Asia took the rock world by storm. Their 1982 debut album became the year’s best-selling record, packed with hits like Sole Survivor, Only Time Will Tell, and the massive Heat of the Moment, with Wetton also handling lead vocals.
Wetton passed away from colon cancer in 2017 at age 67, but his influence still resonates. Tribute acts like The Aurora Project keep his music alive, and the 2022 album Celebrating the Dragon honors his legacy. In 2023, a tribute concert featuring Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera, Yes’s Rick Wakeman, Genesis’ Steve Hackett, and Asia’s Downes further cemented his impact on rock history.
Jonathan Melvoin
Jonathan Melvoin is best known as the original keyboardist for The Smashing Pumpkins, but music was in his blood long before that. His father, Mike Melvoin, was a member of The Wrecking Crew, the legendary group of session musicians who played on countless classic hits from the ’60s and ’70s. His sister, Wendy Melvoin, also made waves in the music world as part of Wendy & Lisa, the duo that performed with Prince and the Revolution in the early ’80s.
Tragically, Melvoin’s career was cut short in July 1996 while on tour with The Smashing Pumpkins. He and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin spent a night partying in New York City, using heroin. Both lost consciousness, but only Chamberlin survived. Melvoin’s death was later confirmed to be from a lethal mix of heroin and alcohol. In the wake of the tragedy, bandleader Billy Corgan fired Chamberlin, and the remaining members were even briefly questioned by police.
Smashing Pumpkins bassist D’Arcy Wretzky later recalled the surreal experience: “They split us up like on the TV shows and took us in separate rooms … We’re like, this isn’t real.”
The Ramones
Formed in New York City in 1974, the Ramones revolutionized punk rock with their raw, high-energy sound. Though not related, all four founding members—Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee, and Tommy—adopted the Ramone surname, creating an unmistakable band identity. Their fast, no-frills songs like “I Wanna Be Sedated,” “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker,” and “Rock and Roll High School” became punk anthems, even if mainstream radio largely ignored them.
Despite their influence, the band was no stranger to internal conflicts, leading to several lineup changes. Over the years, musicians like Marky, Richie, C.J., and even Elvis Ramone (Clem Burke of Blondie) took turns filling in.
Tragically, none of the original Ramones lived to old age. Joey passed away from lymphatic cancer in 2001 at 49, Dee Dee succumbed to a heroin overdose in 2002 at 50, Johnny lost his battle with prostate cancer in 2004 at 55, and Tommy, the last surviving member, died in 2014 at 65 from bile duct cancer. Though they’re gone, The Ramones left behind a legacy that still defines punk rock today.
Pete Burns
Formed in Liverpool in 1980, Dead or Alive helped shape Britain’s new romantic movement, a synth-pop wave that included acts like Culture Club, Duran Duran, and The Human League. Fronted by the flamboyant and androgynous Pete Burns, the band skyrocketed to fame with the 1985 dance hit “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record).” While they had other minor successes, nothing matched the impact of that iconic track.
By the ’90s, the band had dwindled to just Burns and drummer Steve Coy, with their final album arriving in 2000. Burns later gained renewed fame as a U.K. reality TV star, notably appearing on Celebrity Big Brother in 2006. However, his personal life made headlines for financial struggles and an obsession with cosmetic surgery—undergoing over 300 procedures, some of which led to severe health complications.
In 2016, Pete Burns suffered a fatal heart attack at 57, leaving behind a legacy as one of pop’s most unforgettable and provocative figures.
Kevin DuBrow
As the charismatic frontman of Quiet Riot, Kevin DuBrow helped propel heavy metal into the mainstream. With their 1983 anthem “Cum on Feel the Noize,” the band made history when their album Metal Health became the first metal record to hit No. 1 on the charts. Their success helped pave the way for the genre’s dominance throughout the ’80s.
In November 2007, concerns arose when DuBrow stopped responding to calls. Former Quiet Riot bassist Kelli Garni and DuBrow’s two girlfriends (yes, two) hadn’t heard from him, prompting a welfare check. When paramedics broke into his Las Vegas home, they found him dead in his bed. Authorities initially ruled out foul play, but a month later, the coroner confirmed the cause—an accidental cocaine overdose.
Though his life was cut short at 52, Kevin DuBrow left behind a legacy as one of the most recognizable voices in ’80s metal.
Eddie Money
Before becoming a rock icon, Eddie Money—born Edward Mahoney—spent two years as a New York City police officer. But music called to him, and after catching the attention of legendary promoter Bill Graham, he was on his way. He broke into the charts in 1978 with “Baby Hold On” and “Two Tickets to Paradise.” Then, in 1986, he scored his biggest hit with “Take Me Home Tonight.”
Like many rockers, Money struggled with substance abuse. “I had a drinking problem because alcoholism is hereditary and I’m an Irishman,” he told Ultimate Classic Rock. The ’80s also brought a dangerous mix of drugs, including a night in 1980 when he fell into a coma after mixing alcohol with barbiturates. The incident damaged his sciatic nerve, leaving him with a lifelong limp.
Later in life, he shifted to reality TV with Real Money on AXS TV. In 2019, Money announced he had stage 4 esophageal cancer. He passed away that September at 70, leaving behind a legacy of classic rock anthems.
Jimi Jamison
Survivor may have had only one massive hit, but “Eye of the Tiger” was enough to cement their place in rock history. Featured in Rocky III, the 1982 anthem became an instant classic, with its electrifying opening riff still heard in movies, TV shows, and commercials today. At the time, the band’s lead singer was Dave Bickler, but after vocal issues required surgery, he had to step down. Enter Jimi Jamison, former frontman of the metal band Cobra, who took over and helped Survivor maintain their success.
Jamison stayed with the band until 1989, when Bickler returned. He was later offered the lead singer role in Deep Purple but had to turn it down due to contract obligations. The ‘90s saw legal battles over two competing versions of Survivor—one fronted by Jamison, the other by Bickler—until a 2013 reunion brought both singers back together.
Tragically, in 2014, Jamison passed away at 63. While initially believed to be a heart attack, an autopsy later revealed he had suffered a stroke, with methamphetamine intoxication as a contributing factor.