What are the names of the Celebrities who died young? It was a world graced by supreme talents who were taken too soon, whether they were rock Gods or screen Goddesses.
The world was shocked by Heath Ledger’s tragic death in 2008, but Kurt Cobain joined the unfortunate fraternity of stars who died at the age of 27 (such as Jim Morrison, Jimmy Hendrix, and Brian Jones). Through their premature deaths, many celebrities remain forever young in this list of celebrities who died young.
Celebrities who died at a young age are listed here.
1. Brittany Murphy
From 1995’s Clueless to Girl, Interrupted and 1999’s Drop Dead Gorgeous, Brittany Murphy saw her star rise steadily. Her acting chops also led her to perform in A View from the Bridge on Broadway in 1997. She starred in several films in the next decade, including Don’t Say A Word, a thriller starring Michael Douglas. At 32 years old, she suddenly died in 2009.
Several medications, over-the-counter and prescription, contributed to the star’s death, including pneumonia, anemia, and drugs. Her system contained no traces of illegal drugs.
2. Jeff Buckley
A mystery still surrounds the death of this magnificent musical talent in 1997. Guitarist, singer, and songwriter Jeff Buckley drowned in the Mississippi River in Memphis in 1997 after only releasing one studio album in his lifetime (1994’s Grace). A new album was being recorded in Memphis, which he had been working on.
Keith Foti, a roadie for Buckley, said Buckley went swimming fully clothed in the river on the evening of May 29, 1997. On June 4, his body was found under the water. He tested negative for drugs and alcohol. It was speculated that Buckley had killed himself, but his website reversed this claim: “Mr. Buckley’s mental state was good before the accident.”
3. Janice Joplin
A 27-year-old talented woman also died at the young age of 27. Texas-born singer-songwriter Big Brother and the Holding Company released Cheap Thrills in 1966, which became a major hit. Having gone solo, I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama was her first release. Despite its lack of success, the film was released in 1969. A heroin overdose claimed her life before Pearl (1971), her second album. The song became an international hit upon its posthumous release.
4. Sharon Tate
Hollywood horror story, but shockingly real. She and her husband Roman Polanksi were expecting their two first children in 1969 when Sharon Tate died by being stabbed to death. Her age was 26. For her role in the 1967 classic Valley of the Dolls, for which she won a Golden Globe, she had appeared in Barabbas (1961), Eye of the Devil, and many other movies. She and Polanski’s home was the scene of a murder that killed Tate and four other people.
5. Heath Ledger
He had just finished filming the unforgettable role of the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight and was looking for a new challenge. However, Heath Ledger, star of the Patriot, A Knight’s Tale, and Brokeback Mountain, died at the age of 28 in his rented New York loft on Jan. 22, 2008. Matilda, his 14-year-old daughter, survives him, as he died of “abuse of prescribed medications.”
6. Amy Winehouse
Several believed that her wild ways would cause her to die early. Nevertheless, it was a traumatic shock. The Londoner scored her first record deal as a teenager after showing off her amazing musical abilities. Winehouse’s 2006 album Back to Black and its single “Rehab” won her 5 Grammy awards. She possessed a voice that could sing jazz, soul, and R&B. She died by accidental alcohol poisoning in 2011 – when he was 27 years old.
7. River Phoenix
There are few tragedies as tragic as this one in Hollywood. Through roles in My Own Private Idaho and Sneakers, River Phoenix had moved beyond the child star tag. Phoenix, born in 1970, played TV roles such as in Family Ties before landing his breakthrough role in Rob Reiner’s Stand By Me.
Steve Speilberg’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade released in 1989 cast him as a young Indiana. A night out at Viper Room nightclub in Los Angeles ended in his death by overdose. That night, Joaquin Phoenix’s younger brother, Joaquin, called 911 to report his brother’s seizure. The hospital pronounced him dead. His autopsy revealed that he died of “acute multidrug intoxication”, with cocaine and morphine found in his system.
8. Kurt Cobain
In spite of the fame his band had achieved, Kurt Cobain was struggling inwardly. His suicide note, a heroin injection, and a gunshot wound to the head took place on April 4, 1994. The man was 27 years old. The legendary Nirvana band had just released In Utero, their third album following 1992’s Nevermind and the hit “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”. His daughter Frances (now 27) was born to him and Courtney Love, with whom he shared an alcoholic relationship.
9. James Dean
His legacy is everlasting despite the fact that he appeared in only three films. James Dean was born in Indiana in 1931 and moved to New York City to study at the famed Actors Studio under Lee Strasberg. Before he landed his breakthrough film role in East of Eden, he played TV roles. In 1955, he played the lead in Rebel Without a Cause. He was also a professional race car driver outside of the film set. In his new Porsche, he was traveling to the Salinas race in California on September 30, 1955. Almost instantly, he was killed when he collided with another car. He was 24 years old. Following his death, he was nominated for an Oscar for his final film, Giant. One of the Most Famous Celebrities who died young was him.
10. Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe is a Hollywood legend, but has there ever been a bigger star? Monroe, born Norma Jeane Mortenson, went on to become a Hollywood icon despite a troubled childhood.
Her movie career took off after she worked as a model in such classics as Some Like It Hot, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and The Seven Year Itch. During her lifetime, Marilyn married Joe DiMaggio twice and Arthur Miller three times. John Kennedy, US president, was rumored to have been her lover. Marilyn Monroe died in her Los Angeles home on 5 August 1962. A drug overdose caused the death. She was 36 years old.
The list of 10 Celebrities who died young ends here. According to some celebrities, the mottos “live fast, die young” and “burn out before you fade away” are their mottos, and some die before their time.