By Steve Newton
At risk of posting a blog that’s a real downer, this one’s about death. I learned about it early myself, ’cause when I was 12 my 16-year-old brother drowned two blocks from our home.
As my career as a music writer evolved, I found that death would often become a part of it, though not on such a personal level. Several of the musicians I’d interviewed would be lost to tragic accidents, drug overdoses, cancer, or by their own hands.
I’d felt fortunate to have connected with them while they were alive and thriving, but there was still an emptiness when they were gone–and musings about the music they might have gone on to make.
For me, when anyone dies before the age of 50, that’s way too freakin’ soon. So here’s 10 of my interviews with outstanding musicians who left us before reaching that milestone.
Shannon Hoon of Blind Melon. Died at the age of 28 from a drug overdose.
Sean Costello. Died at the age of 28 from a drug overdose.
Steve Clark of Def Leppard. Died at the age of 30 from respiratory failure caused by a lethal mixture of alcohol and prescription drugs.
Stevie Ray Vaughan. Died at the age of 35 in a helicopter crash.
Michael Hutchence of INXS. Died at the age of 37 by suicide.
Jeff Healey. Died at the age of 41 from sarcoma cancer.
Dan Hartman. Died at the age of 43 from a brain tumour.
Mick Ronson. Died at the age of 46 from liver cancer.
Roy Buchanan. Died at the age of 48 in a Virginia jail cell, officially recorded as suicide.
Danny Gatton. Died at the age of 49 by suicide.
To hear the full audio of my interviews with nearly all of the above artists subscribe to my Patreon page, where you can eavesdrop on over 500 of my uncut, one-on-one conversations with musicians since 1982.