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The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars: Heroin, Handguns, and Ham Sandwiches
Did you know that Brian Jones was told by a medium to “avoid water”? Or that Buddy Holly only decided to fly so he’d have time to finish his laundry? The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars reveals the truth behind these and thousands of other fascinating stories, while answering such perennial questions as:
• which band boasts the most dead members?
• who had the bright idea of changing a light bulb while standing in the shower?
• and did Cass Elliot really check out before finishing lunch?
The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars is the bible of pop music’s dead--the ultimate record of all those who arrived, rocked, and checked out over the last forty-odd years of fast cars, private jets, hard drugs, lethal weapons, and reckless living. Jeremy Simmonds here draws on a lifetime’s obsession to match the industry’s biggest departed stars--Buddy, Jeff, Sid, Jimi, Biggie, Janis, Elvis, Marc, Tupac--with more than a few lesser-known tales of rock tragedy. He also includes a smorgasbord of lighter-hearted sidebars, including strange facts, lucky escapes, and top-ten death discs.
An indispensable reference full of useful and useless information, with hundreds of photos of the good, the bad, and the silly, The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars is guaranteed to rock the world of trivia buffs and diehards alike.
• which band boasts the most dead members?
• who had the bright idea of changing a light bulb while standing in the shower?
• and did Cass Elliot really check out before finishing lunch?
The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars is the bible of pop music’s dead--the ultimate record of all those who arrived, rocked, and checked out over the last forty-odd years of fast cars, private jets, hard drugs, lethal weapons, and reckless living. Jeremy Simmonds here draws on a lifetime’s obsession to match the industry’s biggest departed stars--Buddy, Jeff, Sid, Jimi, Biggie, Janis, Elvis, Marc, Tupac--with more than a few lesser-known tales of rock tragedy. He also includes a smorgasbord of lighter-hearted sidebars, including strange facts, lucky escapes, and top-ten death discs.
An indispensable reference full of useful and useless information, with hundreds of photos of the good, the bad, and the silly, The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars is guaranteed to rock the world of trivia buffs and diehards alike.
624 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 28, 2008
What a genius idea: arrange these hundreds of musical corpses by date of death! This not only makes the book a fascinating morbid chronology, but you also get to see odd synchronicities such as the deaths of Gram Parsons and Jim Croce within the same 24-hour span in 1973. Great heretical choices in photos too: John Lennon necking with May Pang; Viv Stanshall crotch-groped by Germaine Greer, etc. I guarantee you'll be shocked at how many of these stars and bit players you didn't know were dead (In my case: "Lonesome Dave" Peverett, Patty Donahue ["I Know What Boys Like"], Too Poetic [Gravediggaz]). Just very geeky, and sad.
There are also some fun necrophile features: various lists of death-related songs, and a recurring breakout-box entitled "CLOSE!" where the nearly-dead get a write-up (e.g. John Lydon's ticket for that Lockerbie flight).
I want to give this five stars, but I'm prevented by the ghost of Gary Stewart, whose odd, Cobain-esque suicide in December 2003 is this book's most egregious omission.
Also (admittedly, this is the only corpse in the book with whom I've had personal contact, whose meals I've eaten), Wendy O. Williams doesn't get a very explanatory entry at all.
There are also some fun necrophile features: various lists of death-related songs, and a recurring breakout-box entitled "CLOSE!" where the nearly-dead get a write-up (e.g. John Lydon's ticket for that Lockerbie flight).
I want to give this five stars, but I'm prevented by the ghost of Gary Stewart, whose odd, Cobain-esque suicide in December 2003 is this book's most egregious omission.
Also (admittedly, this is the only corpse in the book with whom I've had personal contact, whose meals I've eaten), Wendy O. Williams doesn't get a very explanatory entry at all.
August 2, 2016
More of the dead rock stars you love to miss! This edition reaches approximately up to Amy Winehouse -- I also see new details in the articles from older editions, but I no longer have them both to read side-by-side, so it could be my memory giving out. Very readable; hard to put down even when you have never heard of the person being discussed. Warmly recommended.
August 2, 2011
Morbid Title? Maybe ... Useful and Informative? Definitely, May 25, 2011
The tongue-in-cheek book title may be the biggest drawback to this treasure trove of interesting information. While the deaths of the famous and infamous always seem to garner enough interest for media outlets to conduct almost daily eulogies on their behalf, it is the death of the "rock star" that often gains some of the greatest attention (think Elvis Presley). The "sex, drugs and rock n' roll" mantra always seems to lead to the early demise of some rock icons (think Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison), the deaths of others are often shrouded in mystery (Brian Jones) or mythology (Mama Cass). What makes the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DEAD ROCK STARS so impressive is that it is simply a great resource on the lives (not just the deaths) of both prominent and obscure "rock stars" (a term used liberally considering the book includes the likes of Kurt Cobain ... and Frankie Lymon).
The book is presented chronologically rather than alphabetically as each chapter represents a complete year (January-December, from 1965 through 2006) containing the "obituaries" of those who have passed during the given year. True to the book's title, each "obit" is preceded with an icon that represents the cause of death (drugs, illness, suicide, etc.) and is followed with a healthy dose of useful and interesting details that inform the reader of the decedent's significance ... including the good, the bad and the bizarre (GG Allin for example). Jeremy Simmonds' methodical approach to the subject matter includes a preface that explains the likelihood of certain "rock stars" not being included in the book, the rationale for those who were included and the deaths of some prominent figures prior to 1965. To include as many individuals as possible, the author opts for brevity over bounty and the presentation is more factoid-based than biographical ... even then, the book clocks-in at 600+ pages. Interesting sidebar lists and photos are peppered profusely throughout the book and some of the more significant individuals are given a full page "obit". What I found most useful about the book was the diverse range of those individuals referenced, from the totally obscure to the superstar icons with the almost famous, one-hit wonder types filling the middle. Throughout this voluminous accumulation of obituaries, I learned a great deal. The book reminded me of artists I'd long forgotten about, informed me of those whose contributions I knew little about, shocked me with those who I thought were still alive and clarified certain deaths that have been mischaracterized over the years.
At first glance (again, blame it on the title) the book alludes to a sarcastic/distasteful approach on the subject matter ... but it is not. The ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DEAD ROCK STARS is a fairly comprehensive resource that takes account of those who contributed to the music scene but are no longer around. The book should appeal to anyone that enjoys/appreciates modern music and/or pop culture.
The tongue-in-cheek book title may be the biggest drawback to this treasure trove of interesting information. While the deaths of the famous and infamous always seem to garner enough interest for media outlets to conduct almost daily eulogies on their behalf, it is the death of the "rock star" that often gains some of the greatest attention (think Elvis Presley). The "sex, drugs and rock n' roll" mantra always seems to lead to the early demise of some rock icons (think Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison), the deaths of others are often shrouded in mystery (Brian Jones) or mythology (Mama Cass). What makes the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DEAD ROCK STARS so impressive is that it is simply a great resource on the lives (not just the deaths) of both prominent and obscure "rock stars" (a term used liberally considering the book includes the likes of Kurt Cobain ... and Frankie Lymon).
The book is presented chronologically rather than alphabetically as each chapter represents a complete year (January-December, from 1965 through 2006) containing the "obituaries" of those who have passed during the given year. True to the book's title, each "obit" is preceded with an icon that represents the cause of death (drugs, illness, suicide, etc.) and is followed with a healthy dose of useful and interesting details that inform the reader of the decedent's significance ... including the good, the bad and the bizarre (GG Allin for example). Jeremy Simmonds' methodical approach to the subject matter includes a preface that explains the likelihood of certain "rock stars" not being included in the book, the rationale for those who were included and the deaths of some prominent figures prior to 1965. To include as many individuals as possible, the author opts for brevity over bounty and the presentation is more factoid-based than biographical ... even then, the book clocks-in at 600+ pages. Interesting sidebar lists and photos are peppered profusely throughout the book and some of the more significant individuals are given a full page "obit". What I found most useful about the book was the diverse range of those individuals referenced, from the totally obscure to the superstar icons with the almost famous, one-hit wonder types filling the middle. Throughout this voluminous accumulation of obituaries, I learned a great deal. The book reminded me of artists I'd long forgotten about, informed me of those whose contributions I knew little about, shocked me with those who I thought were still alive and clarified certain deaths that have been mischaracterized over the years.
At first glance (again, blame it on the title) the book alludes to a sarcastic/distasteful approach on the subject matter ... but it is not. The ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DEAD ROCK STARS is a fairly comprehensive resource that takes account of those who contributed to the music scene but are no longer around. The book should appeal to anyone that enjoys/appreciates modern music and/or pop culture.
September 6, 2016
There is no doubt this book was exhaustively researched. There are people/bands/music in this book that NO ONE has ever heard of before. That's part of the problem with this book. The totally obscure received paragraphs of info, while more popular, "older" personalities simply warranted a mention. I liked the concept of listing the deaths in chronological order. That was great, but the index should have been set up to mention the bands people were in, as well as listing their names. It would be much easier to find those supposed "dead rock stars", by indexing the bands as well.
Okay, also have a problem with the title, as this book included every genre of music, not just rock music. A bit of a misnomer. I also feel the start of the book should have been February 3, 1959 (since that was supposedly "the day the music died") and not 1965. I realize the time frame before 1965 was explored a little bit in the introduction, but many notable deaths happened before that time and I feel they didn't get enough attention.
Okay, also have a problem with the title, as this book included every genre of music, not just rock music. A bit of a misnomer. I also feel the start of the book should have been February 3, 1959 (since that was supposedly "the day the music died") and not 1965. I realize the time frame before 1965 was explored a little bit in the introduction, but many notable deaths happened before that time and I feel they didn't get enough attention.
February 1, 2012
I saw the title of this book at the library and thought.. omgosh.. I should read that..then I pulled it out and saw a picture of JIM MORRISONS GRAVE with Jim smoking a cigarette..and KNEW I had to read it...for the most part I loved this book... it was very interesting and made for some great conversation starters..it was also sad.. that so many of these people died from drugs or suicide or being too fat..then on the other side there are the people that inexplixably.. lived a long time and went through the same stuff... for the most part this book held my interest until almost the very end.. then it started getting monotonous..
I would give it five stars...but I looked up a lot of these people on wiki and they had somewhat of a different story and I dont' know who to believe and also this guy included a lot of people that I did not know and had never heard of..
I would give it five stars...but I looked up a lot of these people on wiki and they had somewhat of a different story and I dont' know who to believe and also this guy included a lot of people that I did not know and had never heard of..
Read
August 1, 2019This is loads of fun and well organized, but also chock full of errors. (FREAK OUT was the 1st double LP? Ever heard of BELAFONTE AT CARNEGIE HALL, for Chrissakes? Oddly, Lillian Roxon made a similar error in her ROCK ENCYCLOPEDIA, claiming BLONDE ON BLONDE was the 1st double.) Also, the editors say the father of identical twins Mary Ann & Marge Ganser (from the Shangri-Las) died when they were very young, NO, that was the father of the other 2 sisters in the group, Mary & Betty Weiss. And Richard & Mimi Farina's debut was NOT "eponymous", it's called CELEBRATIONS FOR A GREY DAY. Etc. I know I've got too much time on my hands, maybe this weekend I'll get into a barroom brawl or something fun like that.
January 24, 2016
This is appropriately called encyclopedia.
It is full of detail and often photos of "dead rock stars" in their prime.
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I'd say it was unbiased and simply truthful.
Many R and B, country and early contributors to rock and roll, in addition to rock and roll as I know it
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The cover sums it up perfectly.
"An indispensable reference full of strange fact, lucky escapes and hundreds of photos of the good, the bad, and the silly"
-----------
Give this one a try.
Best read (in my opinion) in small doses, since it's chock full of fact.
Oh!...and you probably need a little age under your belt to truly appreciate this work.
It is full of detail and often photos of "dead rock stars" in their prime.
---------
I'd say it was unbiased and simply truthful.
Many R and B, country and early contributors to rock and roll, in addition to rock and roll as I know it
--------
The cover sums it up perfectly.
"An indispensable reference full of strange fact, lucky escapes and hundreds of photos of the good, the bad, and the silly"
-----------
Give this one a try.
Best read (in my opinion) in small doses, since it's chock full of fact.
Oh!...and you probably need a little age under your belt to truly appreciate this work.
May 21, 2014
A fascinating look at musicians from the past. This book is arranged chronologically by when these musicians passed away. The reader is provided with a brief glimpse into the life of each musician and told how he/she or they died, e.g. suicide, drugs, alcohol, accident (plane, train, auto, etc.) and more.
It was interesting (and sometimes sad) to reminisce about such stars as Andy Gibb and River Phoenix. What a waste for these stars from my era!
It was interesting (and sometimes sad) to reminisce about such stars as Andy Gibb and River Phoenix. What a waste for these stars from my era!
September 12, 2013
A pretty comprehensive trawl through the ages of popular music: the constant bombardment of murder, suicide, cancer, heart attacks can start to weigh the reader down and even bring on a little depression, but this does not detract from the great wealth of information and entertainment to be had - I ended up making two long lists of bands & albums & songs to check out, so well worth it simply from that perspective.
September 21, 2011
This is possibly the best book ever written. It shows you exactly what NOT to do as a Rock Star. I'm gonna live a longer life because of this book. It has everything, from 1920 to 2006. You can read about your favorite dead rockers, or just browse it's pages, and I guarantee you'l learn something new.
Good job, Jeremy Simmonds!
Good job, Jeremy Simmonds!
October 6, 2008
I was in the last quarter of In Cold Blood and my boyfriend brought home this book from work. Boy, sorry Mr. Capote! I read it and couldn't put it down. It's a perfect book for me since I enjoy death, music and encyclopedias.
I did manage to finish In Cold Blood though.
I did manage to finish In Cold Blood though.
July 8, 2009
If the author hadn't included miscellanious artists that didn't have to do with rock n roll. It may have been a little more interesting. Plus, I think the author was a little macabre. While reading this book, I felt the author exploited the and rather enjoy how these people parished.
April 1, 2015
There were some misspellings, and they got the name of Def Leppard's lead singer wrong...so I am afraid there are other things incorrect. I thought it was ok overall. Kind of like Hollywood Babylon for rock stars.
October 15, 2008
A fun book, if not a bit overlong (600 pages). The book gives a short biography of every dead rock star since 1965. What I learned: heroin is bad for you. Really bad.
September 5, 2014
Absolutely exhaustive research on every rock connected death since maybe the 1930's to the publication. A must have book for music nerds...a great gift too. You will not be able to put it down.
June 30, 2016
Chock full of tidbits of all your favorite dead rock stars.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews