These 5 Musicians Died Tragically by Drowning and Left Their Fans Spiraling
5 Celeb Musicians Who Drowned and Died Tragically
In the symphony of life, the haunting refrain of tragedy has taken the lives of some people rather unexpectedly. These musicians' deaths shocked their fans since it is such a heartbreaking way to die—by drowning. These musicians left permanent fingerprints on the melody of time, from the soulful Whitney Houston, whose vocal prowess transcended generations, to the mysterious Jim Morrison, whose poetic lyrics echoed defiance, and the ethereal Dolores O'Riordan of The Cranberries. Some of their deaths are as well-known as the music they created, while others are buried in mystery and conspiracy. Here are the stories of five legendary musicians, each of whom drowned while absorbed in their art.
1. Jim Morrison
On his final day of life, Jim Morrison, the well-known rock musician of The Doors, watched a movie in Paris, listened to records, and went to sleep next to his longtime girlfriend Pamela Courson. Morrison took a hot bath after feeling sick in the middle of the night, and sadly, he passed away from heart failure in the bathtub. He was dead in the tub, according to Courson, per The Guardian.
2. Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston had one of the finest voices ever, and although it was obvious by 2012 that she had been going through some difficult times, fans were shocked to hear Houston had passed away – and on the day before the Grammy Awards, no less. Her assistant found Houston in a hotel room on February 11 in the afternoon, "lying face down in the bathtub filled with water, unresponsive," per CNN. Many guessed she must have overdosed. The coroner later found that her death was caused by both drowning and "effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use."
3. Jeff Buckley
Born into a family of music royalty, Jeff Buckley was just thirty years old when tragedy struck, ending his promising career. While recording his second album in Memphis in May 1997, the Hallelujah singer felt like jumping into the Mississippi River on the spur of the moment, per Mojo Magazine. It appeared that Buckley was pushed under by the wake of a passing boat as he was floating with clothing on. His body was ultimately found by citizens on a riverboat, after a thorough official search.
4. Dolores O’Riordan
Dolores O'Riordan was The Cranberries' lead singer, and her eerie voice could send shivers down your spine. She had always fought with mental health issues, ranging from child abuse trauma to an eating disorder. But she was receiving treatment and was fighting hard. Unfortunately, it was one of the nights where she was drinking heavily that led to her death. She drowned in a bathtub with her clothes on in January 2018, while in London working on songs. Natalie Smart, who attended the scene, told the inquest, per BBC, "I saw Mrs O'Riordan submerged in the bath with her nose and mouth fully under the water."
5. Brian Jones
A month before his passing, Brian Jones—a founder member of the Rolling Stones—had been expelled from the group. He was having some friends over to his place the night before he passed away, and after drinking and partying, they went swimming. Jenny Lawson, one of the guests, recalled to The Guardian, "Despite his condition he was able to swim. However, he was rather sluggish." She added that she went to the pool after a little while to be with him alone and "saw Brian at the bottom, quite motionless." The musician was hauled out, but even though CPR was attempted, he could not be revived. He was only 27.
