10 of the best rock drummers who have died

The idea that musicians and artists die too young is certainly a well-known phenomenon. He’s pretty much a pop culture legend by now. Whether it’s some drug/alcohol combination or volatility, often the ones that shine the brightest are the ones that burn out the fastest. How many times have we heard the stories surrounding the murder of John Lennon? Or the well-known club of the 27, which among its ranks has legends such as Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse and Jim Morrison?

Certainly, there are many musicians and artists who are no longer with us but, for the purposes of this publication, we will focus on the famous drummers to whom we have had to say goodbye, due to the sensitive death of Taylor Hawkinsdrummer for Foo Fighterswho died last Friday (March 25) of apparent heart failure due to substance abuse.

Drummers are often underrated in life, so we’ll take this opportunity to pay them a little tribute 🕊️.

Keith Moon

A drummer who needs no introduction. Moon is almost as famous for his erratic behavior as for his unrivaled talent with The Who. This energy translated into his playing, which was often boisterous and over the top and often ended with his drumming being destroyed onstage. Another well-known anecdote about Moon is that, apparently, once he threw himself with his Rolls Royce to a swimming pool, although sources differ as to whether that actually happened.

On September 7, 1978, Keith was found in his apartment by his girlfriend at the time, Annette Walter-Laxwho was taking care of him. Police determined that he had 32 clomethiazole pills in his system.

John Bonham

John Bonham He was an unmistakable drummer legend in one of the most famous bands of all time not called The Beatles.

Bonham was without a doubt a drummer who had an unmistakable “feel” when playing, and a quick listen to any song by Led Zeppelin will confirm quickly. She liked that his kick drum had a very open, thumping sound, which gave a lot of atmosphere to some of the songs. Zeppelin (especially “Kashmir”). He was also known for his famous triple pattern in which he alternated hits on the tom and snare, with the kick as the third hit to create a unique sound that had rarely been done before him.

On September 24, 1980, Bonham attended a rehearsal of the band at the house of Jimmy Page after stopping for breakfast, where he drank four quadruple screwdrivers worth of vodka. She had continued to drink heavily the night of the rehearsal when she passed out shortly before midnight on September 25. The next day in the afternoon, his bandmates found him unconscious after choking on his own vomit. Further investigation revealed that he had consumed 40 drinks of 40% alcohol by volume in just 24 hours.

Mitch Mitchell

Mitch Mitchell he was a pioneer in many ways behind the drums. He had a unique approach that combined the technical complexity of jazz with the energy of Keith Moon (without destroying the battery, of course). Playing behind a revolutionary guitarist like Jimi Hendrix would help anyone make a name for themselves, but Mitch Mitchell he certainly stood on the sidelines becoming a foundational hard rock drummer whose performance on Woodstock she would be remembered for a long, long time.

In the period leading up to his death, Mitchell would have been part of the tour Experience Hendrix 2008 ending in Portland, Oregon. On November 12, 2008, five days after the conclusion of the tour, Mitchell he died in his hotel room in Portland of natural causes.

Although the cause of death is not definitive, he had been in poor health for many years due to long-standing alcohol problems that may have contributed to his death. He died at the age of 62.

Tommy Ramone

Tommy Ramone He was the original drummer for the Ramones, but you probably already knew that. Initially, Tommy was hired by the group’s manager, but after Joey take over lead vocals; Tommy he entered the scene because he could play the faster rhythms the group used. as a drummer, Tommy he had a very charged style, known for his constant and faster rhythms than was usual at the time, as well as for his energetic live shows.

On July 11, 2014, Tommy He died at his home in Queens, New York. Before that, she had received hospice care for unsuccessful treatment for bile duct cancer. She was 65 years old.

Nick Menza

Even though Nick Menza he wasn’t the original drummer for heavy metal icons Megadeth, Menza certainly left its mark on his classic albums like ‘Rust in Peace’ and ‘Countdown to Extinction’. Starting out as a drum tech for Chuck Behler, Menza replaced Behler in 1989 due to conflicts within the band and remained in Megadeth until 1998 and again briefly in 2004.

Nick Menza was performing at a club on March 21, 2016, when he collapsed on stage and had to be rushed to a hospital. Once at the hospital he was pronounced dead on arrival due to congestive heart failure. He was 51 years old.

Ginger Baker

Ginger Baker he needs little to no introduction for his work behind the drums. He was the first of many things, including being one of the first drummers to use the double bass, as well as an early example of a drum solo on the debut album of Cream in 1966, ‘Fresh Cream’. Partly due to his use of the double bass, he was one of the first to move his left foot between the hi hat pedal and the left bass pedal to create cool patterns and combinations. Also highly unusual was his use of thin sticks for rebound, and his tendency to mount the toms vertically rather than towards the player.

Already in 2013, Ginger Baker he had been battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease after years of a poor lifestyle. He finally succumbed to her on October 6, 2019, after being in critical condition in the hospital for weeks prior. She was 80 years old.

Hal Blaine

It is estimated that Hal Blaine He is the drummer who has recorded the most in the history of music. He has 35,000 recordings, 6,000 singles, 150 top 10 hits, 40 number one hits, and basically played with all the great musicians of the ’60s and ’70s (Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, the Carpenters, Neil Diamond). He is also known for popularizing a beat commonly used by music producers throughout the 1970s, and one that remains popular to this day.

On March 11, 2019, Blaine He died in Palm Beach, California, of natural causes. The good news is that, unlike others on this list, Blaine managed to live a full and healthy life past the age of 90. On her tombstone you can read “May he rest forever on 2 and 4.”

Vinnie Paul

Vinnie Paulfrom Pantera, he certainly had a style and sensibility of his own that served the music well. As the drummer of one of the first groove metal bands, the drummer of Paul it was thunderous and powerful, but also firm and stable, mixed with great double bass patterns. Its slow and powerful rhythms were also influential, since they ended up giving rise to later genres such as nu metal.

On June 22, 2018, Vinnie Paul He was found dead in his Las Vegas home. According to the Coroner’s Office, Paul he suffered from dilated cardiomyopathy that restricts the heart’s ability to pump blood to the rest of the body, as well as coronary artery disease. He was 54 years old at the time of his death.

Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan

Known as the original drummer for the hard rock/metal band Avenged Sevenfold, “The Rev”, certainly influenced many young and modern musicians. His style favored fast-paced double basses mixed with accents on the ride cymbal, a trick he once referred to as “the double octopus”. He was also known for employing the 4/2 2/2 drum pattern (4 or 2 on the snare or toms and 2 on the bass) which was sometimes played on odd bars.

On December 28, 2009, Jimmy he was found unconscious in his home and pronounced dead on the way to hospital. Toxicology results ultimately revealed that he died from a mixture of oxycodone, oxymorphone, diazepam, and alcohol. He passed away at the age of 28.

Taylor Hawkins

The latest and devastating death in the drummer’s guild is that of Taylor Hawkins, who passed away on March 25 a couple of hours before going on stage with the Foo Fightersas part of the Colombian festival Estéreo Picnic.

According to toxicological reports, at the time of his death 10 different substances were found in the body of Hawkins, which included marijuana, antidepressants, anxiolytics and opioids. Local health sources claim that the 50-year-old musician suffered sudden cardiac arrest due to substance abuse.

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