These Musicians Have Taken Someone’s Life, Accident Or Not
The music world is no stranger to death. Whether it be a drug overdose, suicide, or murder, the loss of life is not uncommon within the music community. However, when we think about death, we tend to assume the musicians are the victims of a crime or their own vices. Yet, this is not always the case. Some of our favorite musicians have taken lives themselves whether it is an accident or not. From a black metal bassist stabbing his bandmate 23 times over a contract dispute, to a Harlem rapper turning himself in for murder 20 years later, here are some musicians that have killed during their career.
Keith Moon Accidentally Killed One Of His Best Friends
On the night of January 4, 1970, tragedy struck for Keith Moon, the drummer for the rock and roll band The Who. He, along with his wife, friend, and driver Niel Boland were drinking at the opening of the Red Lion Pub in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. At the pub, there was also a group of rather hostile skinheads who proceeded to mock Moon in jealousy of his fame and the way he was spending his money. After high tensions throughout the night, upon leaving, Moon's Bentley was blocked in and pelted with coins. His driver and friend Niel Boland got out of the car to calm the crowd when a scared and drunken Moon sped off in the Bentley accidentally running over Boland and crushing his skull. His death was ruled as a tragic accident and haunted Moon up until his own death.
Varg Vikernes Stabbed His Bandmate 23 Times
Varg Vikernes was the former bass player for the band Mayhem and was part of the Norwegian black metal scene in the late 1980s and early '90s. While playing with mayhem, he was believed to be involved in a series of church burnings, yet his crimes don't stop there. After Vikernes' arrest for the church burnings, his Mayhem bandmate "Euronymous" ( Øystein Aarseth) distanced himself from Vikernes to avoid association with the crimes. Yet, on August 10, 1993, Vikernes drove to Euronymous' apartment to discuss a contract which turned into a heated argument. Vikernes stabbed Euronymous 23 times and claimed that it was self-defense although the motives are still ambiguous. he was sentenced to 21 years in prison yet was paroled in 2009.
Phil Spectre Murdered In Cold Blood
Phil Spectre was a legendary music producer in the United States during the 1960s. Accredited for creating the "Wall of Sound" production technique, he ran the singles charts during his heyday. However, he was also known to have a fascination with guns and was also prone to drinking and displaying abusive behavior.
In 2003, after sobering up and marrying for the third time, Spectre went out for drinks in Hollywood. Here, he met hostess Lana Clark, who was also a B-movie actress who had a small role in the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. After some drinks, Clark then escorted him home where he shot her through the mouth. Spectre was tried twice and found guilty of murder and is serving 19 years to life sentence in Corcoran State Prison.
"Faust" Savagely Murdered A Gay Man
"Faust" (Bard. D Eithun) is a former drummer for the black metal band Emperor. On August 21, 1992, he horrifically murdered a gay man in a forest outside of Lillehammer, Norway. The man had approached him and asked him if he wanted to go into the woods with sexual intentions and Eithunagreed. Here, he decided to murder the man and stabbed him to death 37 times using a rather small blade and kicked him in the head numerous times. The man died from blood loss from the countless stab wounds, rather than the puncturing of a vital organ. With no suspects for the murder, Eithun remained free for over a year until he was released and confessed to the murder. In 1994, he was sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment but only ended up serving nine years and four months. Eithun claimed to have no remorse for his actions.
Jim Gordon Horrifically Killed His Own Mother
Jim Gordon was a professional drummer known for his session work with renowned bands such as The Everly Brothers, The Beach Boys, Alice Cooper, Joe Cocker, a more. Yet, he is best known for his work with Eric Clapton and even co-wrote the hit song "Layla" in 1970. As it turns out, Gordon has been suffering from undiagnosed schizophrenia for years, with auditory hallucinations of his mother being the worst of it. After already seeking help, in order to silence her voice in his head, on June 3, 1983, he bludgeoned her with a hammer and stabbed her with a butchers knife. Although at this point it was known that he had suffered from mental illness, he was found guilty of second-degree murder in 1984 and was sentenced to 16 years to life in prison.
Charles Manson Used To Be A Musician
Although Charles Manson is well-known by many, it is often overlooked that he was a musician at one point during his life. As an aspiring musician in Los Angeles, Manson became close with Beach Boys member Dennis Wilson and ended up moving into his mansion. Here, the two enjoyed a life of sex, drugs, and rock and roll with some of Manson's followers. Wilson even convinced the rest of The Beach Boys to record one of Manson's songs now known as "Cease to Exist". It wasn't long after, that Manson initiated the Tate-LaBianca murders in which Manson's followers killed seven people under his orders. After his arrest for the murders, he was sentenced to life in prison in 1972 and passed away in prison in 2017.
Lead Belly Murdered His Relative
Lead Belly (Huddie William Ledbetter) was an American folk and blues musician known for his classic recordings of songs such as "Black Betty' as well as many others. He was also known for his strong voice and introduced many different folk techniques into the genre. In 1918, Ledbetter was imprisoned after killing one of his relatives, Will Strafford, in a fight over a woman. However, he was released in 1925 after serving the minimum seven of a 7-to-35-year sentence after writing a song to Governor Pat Morris Neff requesting his freedom. Apparently, Governor Neff was a fan and had frequently brought guests to the prison on Sundays to watch him perform. Apparently, it pays off to have fans in government.
Bobby Beausoleil Killed Over Drugs
Before Bobby Beausoleil was a Manson follower, he was a musician and actor. In the 1960's, he started the band the Grass Roots in Los Angeles which eventually changed its name to Love. Beausoleil soon moved to San Francisco where he became the lead singer for the popular band Orkustra and even wrote the score for the film Lucifer Rising. After moving back to Los Angeles, he became involved with the Manson family while living with the music teacher Gary Hinman. He and Hinman sold LSD to bikers living at Spahn Ranch, which was also home to The Family. The bikers were unhappy with the drugs and demanded their money back. Hinman refused and Manson ordered Beausoleil to kill him, which he did by stabbing him twice in the chest. he is currently serving a life sentence in the Oregon State Penitentiary.
G. Dep Turned Himself In 20 Years Later
G. Dep (Trevell Gerald Coleman) stands for "Ghetto Dependent". He was a rapper from Harlem, New York City, and an artist for Bad Boy records. However, in 2010, Coleman came into the 25th Precinct and confessed to a cold case murder of a man in Queens in 1993. G. Dep had attempted to turn himself in for the crime before but wasn't considered because he was either incoherent and under the influence. He was charged with the murder of John Henkel and was convicted of second-degree murder in April 2011 and was sentenced to 15-years to life.
Vince Niel Gets A Slap On The Wrist
In 1984, while on their first United States tour, rock band Hanoi Rocks decided to stay at Motley Crüe singer Vince Niel's home in Redondo Beach. Here, the two bands "relaxed" and partied hard for a few days. On December 8, Niel and Hanoi drummer Nicolas "Razzle" Dingley went on an alcohol run. Neil was driving and lost control, plowing into an oncoming car. The impact killed Razzle and seriously injured the two passengers in the other vehicle. He was charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence. Niel was sentenced to 30 days in jail, only served 15, and paid $2.6 million in restitution to the victims and families as well as five years probation.
Cool C Kills A Police Woman
Cool C (Christopher Roney) and his partner in crime Steady B (Warren McGlone) are Philadelphia rappers who along with Ultimate Eaze formed the rap collective C.E.B (Countin' Endless Bank). On January 2, 1996, while still recording a comeback EP, Cool C, Steady B, and another rapper Mark Canty attempted to rob a PNC bank branch in Feltonville. During the heist, Cool C shot and killed Philadelphia Police Officer Lauretha Vaird. Cool C was arrested on October 30th and was convicted of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to death by legal injection yet his execution date has continuously been pushed back and is currently an inmate at the State Correctional Institution in Greene, Pennsylvania.
Claudine Longet "Accidentally" Shot Her Boyfriend
Claudine Longet was a French pop star that was popular during the 1960s and 70s. Longet was arrested and charged with fatally shooting her boyfriend, Olympic skier Vladimir "Spider" Sabich in his Aspen home on March 21, 1976. During her trial, she claimed that the gun had misfired while Sabich was showing her how it worked. Her ex-husband Andy Williams stood by her side during the trial in her defense stating that "She's the mother of my children and we have remained friends". Yet, after some questionable procedural errors by the Aspen police, she was convicted of negligent homicide and was sentenced to pay a small fine and spend 30 days in jail in which she was allowed to choose the days.
C - Murder Kills For Real
C-Murder (Corey Miller) is an American recording artist and rapper. He has released over nine albums on six different labels and comes from a long line of rappers and producers such as Master P and others. In September 2003, Miller was convicted of the 2002 beating and fatal shooting of a 16-year-old fan named Steve Thomas at the now-closed Platinum Club in Louisiana. Although it took years to reach a final conviction due to a series of mishaps within the judicial system, he is now currently serving a life sentence for second-degree murder.
Gucci Mane Kills In Self-Defense
Gucci Mane (Radric Delantic Davis) is a rapper and founder of 1017 records. His career includes hitting number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2005, Davis was attacked by a group of men at a party in Decatur, Georgia. Davis and his men returned fire and ended up killing Pokie Loc, whose body was discovered behind a nearby middle school. Davis turned himself in and was charged with murder. Davis then claimed that the killing was in self-defense and the charges were dropped due to insufficient evidence.
Bertrand Cantat "Slapped" His Girlfriend To Death
Bertrand Cantat is a French musician and the former frontman for the band Noir Désir. In 2003, Cantat was having an affair with French actress Marie Trintignant. In July of that year, the two got into an argument in their hotel room over a certain text message. Seven hours later Trintignant's brother called emergency services as she had fallen into a coma. She then died of brain swelling days later. After a medical examination, it was suggested that Cantat has hit her 19 times on the head, causing brain damage. In court, Cantat said that he had slapped her four times before she went to bed. He was then sentenced to eight years in prison and only ended up serving half of his sentence.
Max B Orchestrated A Robbery Turned Execution
Max B (Charly Wingate) is an American hip-hop recording artist, known for his Public Domain and Million Dollar Baby mixtapes. In 1996, Wingate had ordered his ex-girlfriend Gina Conway and his stepbrother Kelvin Leerdam to rob two men at a Holiday Inn in Fort Lee, New Jersey. During the robbery, one of the victims, David Taylor was shot point-blank execution-style in the head. One week later Wingate was arrested. in 2009, he was sentenced to 75 years in prison. Then, in 2016, another hip-hop artist named French Montana released a statement saying that Wingate had taken a plea bargain and was expected to be released in two to six years.
Joe Meek Shot His Landlady
Joe Meek was a record producer as well as a songwriter during the early 1960s. He helped create hit songs and received international recognition with the Tornado's "Telstar". This was the first British single to reach #1 on the Billboard charts in the United States. By 1966, the tables had turned on Meek, and he was experiencing accusations of plagiarism and other legal issues including being convicted on a charge of homosexual soliciting. Then in February 1967, Meek gave a note to his assistant that read: "I'm going now. Goodbye" and asked him to fetch his landlady. When he returned with her, they got into an argument before Meek shot her and then himself.
Big Lurch Went Full Cannibal
Big Lurch (Antron Singleton) was a rapper from the California Bay Area and a member of the group Cosmic Slop Shop. In April 2002, Lurch murdered Tynisha Ysais in her apartment while under the influence of PCP. Her boyfriend Thomas Moore testified that he and Lurch had spent the previous evening smoking the drug together. Tynisha's body was found by her friend Alisa Allen. Her chest had been ripped open with teeth marks on her face and lungs which had been torn from her chest. Lurch was found naked in the middle of the street covered in blood and staring at the sky. Human flesh was found in his stomach that was not his own. In 2003, he was sentenced to life in prison after the court ruled that intoxication and pleas of insanity were not reasons for committing the crime.
Jon Nödtveidt Murders In Hate Crime
Jon Nödtveidt was a Swedish musician and best-known as the lead guitarist for the Swedish black metal band Dissection. He worked as a journalist in Metal Zone, keeping up with the black metal scene and was a known member of the Misanthropic Lucifer Order, now known as Temple of the Black Light and the Werewolf legion, a Swedish gang. He was convicted of being an accessory to an Algerian gay man by the name of Josef ben Meddour in 1997. After he confessed to the crime, he was sentenced by a court of appeal to ten years in prison. Upon his release in prison, he attempted to reform his band Dissection and ended up committing suicide in 2006 in an apparent ritual.
