20 Rock Stars Who Were Murdered

A number of famous musicians have tragically been the victim of murder.

In many cases, their killer was a complete stranger. That’s what happened to John Lennon, the beloved former-Beatle who was infamously gunned down by a deranged fan outside of his apartment building in New York. Likewise, Pantera’s “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott was killed by a man he’d never met, shot and killed during a concert in 2004.

In other instances, the victim was familiar with their murderer. Such was the case for Mountain bassist and co-founder Felix Pappalardi, who was killed by his estranged wife, and soul legend Marvin Gaye, who was murdered by his father.

A surprising number of musicians have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Former Riot singer Rhett Forrester, reggae legend Peter Tosh and drummer Philip Wilson of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band were all killed in robberies gone wrong.

READ MORE: 30 Rockers Who Died Before 30

Inevitably, there are also instances where drugs have been involved. Amboy Dukes’ Rusty Day allegedly got killed in a drug deal gone bad, while Rainbow drummer Gary Driscoll encountered an angry junkie who showed up at a friend’s house.

These stories and more are chronicled in the gallery below.

As to be expected with such subject matter, reader discretion is advised. We’ve done our best to keep the gory details to a minimum, and instead have focussed on the impact these musicians had during their too-short time on the earth.