List of deaths from drug overdose and intoxication
Appearance
The following is a list of notable people who have died from drug-related causes. Deaths caused by alcohol and caffeine are included. Warning: Wikipedia articles of these people may not contain information on specifically how they died — drug-related or otherwise; so it may be "otherwise". See also: List of tobacco-related deaths, Lists of people by cause of death.
A
- Nick Adams (36) - actor, drug overdose
- Kerry Gene Adkisson (33) - American professional wrestler, suicide, after arrest for cocaine possesion and drug problems
- Michael Brent Adkisson (23) - American professional wrestler, suicide, overdosed on tranquilizers
- Dave Alexander - musician, The Stooges
- Rick Allen - musician, Asylum
- GG Allin (36) - punk musician, heroin overdose
- West Arkeen - musician, Outpatience, and songwriter, heroin overdose
- Howard Arkley - painter
- Arlus - musician, the Blunt Stitches
B
- Chet Baker - jazz trumpeter and singer
- Florence Ballard (32) - musician, The Supremes, cardiac arrest strongly exacerbated by long-term drug abuse
- Honoré de Balzac - caffeine poisoning from drinking over forty cups of coffee a day
- Lester Bangs - musician, writer, overdose of painkillers, possibly accidental
- Jean-Michel Basquiat - painter, heroin overdose
- Scotty Beckett - American former child actor, suicide, barbiturate overdose
- Bix Beiderbecke - jazz musician
- John Belushi (33) - of the Blues Brothers, actor, and comedian, heroin and cocaine overdose (speedball)
- Bunny Berigan, musician, trumpet, cirrhosis of the liver
- Sonny Berman - jazz musician
- Wes Berggren - musician, Tripping Daisy
- George Best - ex-footballer with Manchester United, multiple organ failure, long standing alcoholism
- Leah Betts (18) - British schoolgirl, ecstasy related
- Len Bias (22) - basketball star; died of cocaine overdose before ever playing in the NBA
- Dave Bidwell - musician, the Pink Fairies, Chicken Shack, Savoy Brown, Mungo Jerry
- Matty Blagg (real name Matthew Roberts) - musician, Blaggers I.T.A., heroin overdose
- Mike Bloomfield - blues guitarist, heroin overdose
- Tommy Bolin (25) - musician, Deep Purple, drugs overdose and/or alcohol poisoning
- John Bonham (32) - musician Led Zeppelin, inhalation of own vomit; believed to be alcohol-related
- James Booker - musician, liver failure
- Elisa Bridges - model, acute intoxication - combined effects of heroin, methamphetamine, meperidine and Alprazolam
- Erik Brødreskift - musician, Borknagar,Gorgoroth,and Immortal, suicide - pill overdose
- Herman Brood - musician, suicide after long-term substance abuse issues
- Dennis Brown - musician, Jamacian Reggae singer, believed to be AIDS related but strong rumours of chronic drug abuse
- Lenny Bruce (40) - comedian, morphine overdose
- Robert Buck - musician, 10,000 Maniacs, liver disease
- Tim Buckley (28) - rock and roll musician, heroin overdose
- Lester Butler - musician, cocaine overdose
C
- Toy Caldwell - musician, Marshall Tucker Band
- Ken Caminiti - former Major League Baseball player; acute cocaine and opiates intoxication
- Skip Candelori - musician, Turning Point
- Gia Carangi - supermodel, heroin abuse led to a death from AIDS
- Herb Caro - saxophoneist, clarinetist, heroin overdose
- Leroy Carr - blues musician, cirrhosis of the Liver as a result of alcoholism
- Miss Christine - musician, the GTOs, drug overdose
- Michael Clarke - musician, the Byrds, liver failure due to long term alcoholism
- Steve Clark - musician, Def Leppard, accidential death (anti-depressants, painkillers and alcohol)
- Will Clay - musician, The Toys
- Montgomery Clift - actor, heart attack due to severe alcoholism and drug abuse
- Kurt Cobain (27) - musician, Nirvana singer and guitarist, gunshot wound with fatal amount of heroin in system
- Brian Cole - musician, the Association, heroin overdose
- Brian Connolly - musician, Sweet, liver damage caused by long-term substance abuse
- Pamela Courson - common law wife of Jim Morrison of The Doors, heroin overdose
- Cowboy(real name Keith Wiggins) - musician, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, drug overdose
- Carl Crack - musician, Atari Teenage Riot, drug overdose
- Darby Crash - punk musician, of the Germs, heroin overdose
- Todd Crew - musician, the Drunk Fux and Jetboy
- Robbin Crosby - musician, ex-Ratt, contracted HIV as a result of long-time heroin addiction and died of AIDS
D
- Dalida (54) - singer, suicide, barbiturates overdose (sleeping pills)
- Dorothy Dandridge (42) - actress, singer, anti-depressant overdose
- Jesse Ed Davis (43) - guitarist, session musician, drug overdose
- Sheik Sayid Darwish, Egyptian composer and father of Arab popular music, cocaine
- Ted Demme (38) - film director, heart attack, small ammount of cocaine taken may have contributed
- Rick Dey - musician, the Vejtables, February Sunshine, the Wilde Knights and the Merry-Go-Round
- Dimwit - musician, D.O.A., drug overdose
- Teri Diver (29) - pornographic actress, cardic arrest caused by overdose of migraine medication
- Kiki Djan - Ghanian musician, Osibisa, drug addiction and AIDS
- DJ Screw (29) - musician, heart attack thought to be result of codeine overdose
- Desmond Donnelly (53) - British politician/ Businessman/ Journalist, suicide under influence of alcohol/ overdose of barbiturates.
- Tommy Dorsey (51) - jazz musician and bandleader, choked to death while sleeping with the aid of drugs
- John Dougherty - musician, Flipper, heroin overdose
- Nick Drake (26) - musician, anti-depressant overdose, disputed suicide
- Bobby Driscoll (31) - actor, heart failure, long term drug abuse
- Bobby Duncum, Jr. - American professional wrestler, prescription drug overdose
E
- Jeanne Eagels - actress
- John Entwistle (57) - musician, bassist for the Who, died from heart failure brought upon by cocaine use
- Brian Epstein (32) - Manager of The Beatles, drug overdose
- Rick Evers - musician, drummer and songwriter
F
- Chris Farley (33) - comedian, cocaine and heroin overdose (speedball)
- Pete Farndon (31) - musician, the Pretenders, drowned/ heroin overdose
- Rainer Werner Fassbinder - playwright, director
- W.C. Fields - American performer and actor
- Keith Ferguson - musician, the Fabulous Thunderbirds
- Lola Ferrari (29) - former pornographic actress/ tv presenter, alledged suicide - overdose prescription drugs (may be homicide)
- Zac Foley (31) - musician, EMF, heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, barbituates and alcohol in bloodstream
- Tom Foote - musician, the Devices and the Loco Gringos
G
- Rory Gallagher - musician, Taste, died of complications from a liver transplant from prolonged alcohol use
- Jerry Garcia - musician the Grateful Dead, cardiac arrest strongly exacerbated by longtime heroin abuse
- Paul Gardiner - musician, Tubeway Army, drug overdose
- Judy Garland - American singer and actress, disputed alcholism as cause of death
- Andy Gibb - singer, younger brother of the Bee Gees; cardiac damage strongly exacerbated by cocaine and alcohol abuse
- Candy Givens - musician, Zephyr, drowned in jacuzzi after passing out from a mix of alcohol and quaaludes
- Alexander Godunov - actor, died of alcoholism at 45
- Dwayne Goettel - musician, Skinny Puppy, heroin overdose
- Gribouille - French singer, drugs overdose
- Stacy Guess - musician, the Squirrel Nut Zippers, heroin overdose
- Danny Gatton - musician, guitarist (suicide)
- Lowell George - musician, Little Feat, cocaine overdose
H
- Paul Hammond - musician, Atomic Rooster, drug overdose (suicide)
- Bobby Hatfield - musician, The Righteous Brothers, heart attack triggered by cocaine overdose
- Tim Hardin - folk musician, heroin and morphine overdose.
- Wynonie Harris - blues singer, alcohol poisoning
- Brynn Hartman - wife and killer of comedian Phil Hartman, suicide after cocaine and alcohol
- Alex Harvey - musician,The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, liver damage caused by alcohol abuse
- Eddie Hazel - musician, guitarist, of the P-funk collective, liver failure
- Mitch Hedberg - American comedian, multiple drug toxicity (cocaine and heroin)
- Helno (real name Noel Rota) - musician, Les Negresses Vertes, died trying to overcome serious drug addiction
- Margaux Hemingway - actress, disputed suicide, overdose of sedatives.
- Jimi Hendrix - rock and roll musician, respiratory arrest caused by barbiturate overdose
- Curt Hennig - professional wrestler, cocaine overdose
- Bil Henson - Adult film actor, accidential heroin overdose
- Gregory Herbet - musician, Blood, Sweat & Tears
- Bob Hite - musician, Canned Heat, heart attack
- Randy Jo Hobbs - musician
- El Duce Hoke - musician, drummer and singer in the Mentors, hit by train when alcohol intoxicated (disputed murder theories)
- Michael Holiday - singer
- Billie Holiday - jazz singer
- Hollywood Fats - musician
- Gary Holton - musician, Heavy Metal Kids, alcohol and morphine overdose
- James Honeyman-Scott - musician, the Pretenders, heroin overdose
- Shannon Hoon - musician, singer in Blind Melon, cocaine overdose
- Tim Hovey - actor
- Harold Hunter (31) - American professional skateboarder and actor, apparent cocaine overdose
- Phyllis Hyman - singer, suicide involving pills
I
J
- Lorri Jackson - musician
- Joëlle, American born French singer, drug overdose
- Anissa Jones - actress, accidential overdose of cocaine, angel dust, Quaaludes and Seconal
- Brian Jones - musician, the Rolling Stones, drowned, very likely due to alcohol and barbiturate intoxication
- Rob Jones (a.k.a. The Bass Thing) - musician - former bassist of The Wonder Stuff, heroin overdose
- Russell Jones (a.k.a. Ol' Dirty Bastard) - hip hop musician, accidential overdose, cocaine and prescription painkiller
- Janis Joplin - rock and roll and blues musician, heroin overdose
- Joachim Nielsen - musician, heroin overdose
K
- John Kahn - musician, Jerry Garcia Band, complications of heart disease, heroin, cocaine, and antidepressants found in his body
- Jeff Kaplan - musician, Kaleidoscope, drugs overdose
- Wells Kelly - musician, Orleans, heroin overdose
- Jack Kerouac - writer/poet, complications due to alcoholism
- Kenny Kirkland - musician, noted pianist, heroin overdose
- Hoi Klinskih - musician, Sector Gaza
- John Kordic - US hockey player, died during struggle with police after cocaine overdose
- Paul Kossoff - musician, Free, drug-related heart problems.
- Lance Krantz - musician, drummer of Detox
- Eddie Kurdziel - musician, Redd Kross, drug overdose
- Rick James - musician, pulmonary and cardiac failure caused by drug overdose
L
- Barbara La Marr - actress, drug-related death in Hollywood
- Karen Lancaume - French pornographic actress, overdose of medication (suicide)
- Carole Landis - actress, overdose of barbiturates (suicide)
- Peter Laughner - musician, Pere Ubu, acute pancreatitis
- Rudy Lewis - musician, the Drifters
- Jacob LeDoux - musician, Brooklyn Friends School, heroin overdose
- Bela Lugosi (73) - actor, drug-related heart attack
- Frankie Lymon - musician, doo wop singer, heroin overdose
- Phil Lynott - musician, Thin Lizzy, health breakdown caused by a heroin overdose,
M
- Billy Mackenzie - musician, the Associates, overdosed on prescription drugs (suicide)
- Mike MacTavish - musician, the Lost Souls
- Steve Marriott - musician, The Small Faces and Humble Pie, drug related fire
- Roger Martin - musician, liver failure from alcohol and drugs
- Big Maybelle
- Jad McAdam - musician, Lino
- David McComb, musciian, The Triffids, heroin overdose
- Jimmy McCulloch musician with Wings, guitarist, heroin overdose
- Pig Pen McKernan - musician, the Grateful Dead, gastrointestinal hemorrhage linked to alcohol abuse
- Robbie McIntosh - musician, Average White Band, heroin overdose
- Clyde McPhatter - singer
- Joe Meek - record producer
- Jonathan Melvoin - touring keyboardist for the Smashing Pumpkins, heroin overdose
- Mighty Spoiler - calypso music singer
- Miss Christine - musician, the GTO's
- Amedeo Modigliani - painter, alcohol poisoning
- Marilyn Monroe - actress, overdose of sleeping pills
- Matty Luv - musician, Hickey, heroin overdose
- Ken Montgomery - musician, D.O.A.
- Roy Montrell - session guitarist
- Keith Moon - musician, the Who, overdosed on anti-seizure medication
- Jim Morrison - musician, the Doors, heroin and alcohol (cause and fact of death disputed)
- Billy Murcia - musician, the New York Dolls, accidental suffocation after drugs and alcohol
- Brent Mydland - musician, keyboardist, of the Grateful Dead, drug overdose
- Modest Mussorgsky - classical composer, alcohol
N
- Papoose Nelson - blues musician
- Bradley Nowell - musician, Sublime, heroin overdose
O
- Hugh O'Connor - actor, of In the Heat of the Night TV series, suicide under influence of cocaine
- Lani O'Grady - actress, of Eight Is Enough
- Frank O'Keefe - musician, the Outlaws
- Johnny O'Keefe - musician, singer, heart attack after prescription drugs addiction
- Brian O'Leary - actor
- Christina Onassis - daughter of the billionaire Aristotle Onassis, pulmonary edema, caused by constant drug abuse and dramatic weight changes
- Charlie Ondras - musician, Unsane
- Malcolm Owen - singer, lyricist of the Ruts, heroin overdose
P
- Marco Pantani - cyclist, Tour de France winner; acute cocaine intoxication
- Charlie Parker - jazz musician
- Robert Pastorelli - American television actor, heroin overdose
- Gram Parsons - country musician, of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, overdose, purportedly of morphine and tequila
- Joe Pass - jazz musician
- Jon-Jon Paulos - musician, the Buckinghams
- Art Pepper - jazz musician
- Glenn Pereire - classical composer, alcohol
- Kristen Pfaff - musician, ex-member of Hole, heroin overdose
- Esther Phillips - musician, singer, liver failue due to alcohol and heroin dependency
- John Phillips - musician, of the Mamas and the Papas
- River Phoenix - actor, overdose of heroin and cocaine (speedball)
- Jeffrey Lee Pierce - musician, the Gun Club
- Rob Pilatus - musician, Milli Vanilli, drug overdose
- Dana Plato - actress, of Diff'rent Strokes, suicide - overdose of Vanadom and Vicodin.
- Elvis Presley - singer, heart attack brought on by overdose of barbituates.
- Freddie Prinze - comic, actor (Chico and the Man), self-inflicted gunshot wound while under the influence of Quaaludes
Q
- Robert Quine - musician, guitar player, Richard Hell & the Voidoids, suicide by herion overdose
- Glenn Quinn (33) - actor, heroin overdose
R
- Dee Dee Ramone - musician, the Ramones, heroin overdose
- Alex Ramsdell - jazz pianist
- Chris Rasmussen - Comedian, hung with lethal amount of cocaine in system (believed to be murder/cops still say suicide)
- Johnnie Ray - musician, liver failure caused by alcoholism
- Wallace Reid - actor, flu caused by morphine addiction
- Elis Regina - singer, drug interaction
- Rob Graves Ritter - musician, Thelonius Monster, Gun Club, the Bags, 45 Grave
- Rachel Roberts - British actress - barbituates overdose (suicide)
- Peter Rosen - musician, War
- Michael Rudetski - musician, keyboardist, Culture Club, heroin overdose
- David Ruffin - musician, the Temptations, drug overdose
S
- Stefanie Sargent - musician, 7 Year Bitch, drug overdose
- Bon Scott - musician, AC/DC, Aspiration brought on by alcohol intoxication
- George Scott III - musician, bass guitarist
- Phil Seaman - musician, singer
- Jean Seberg - actress
- Edie Sedgewick - actress
- Nerine Shatner - wife of actor William Shatner, drown in swimming pool when intoxicated and traces of valium in bloodstream
- Will Shatter - musician, Flipper, heroin overdose
- Eddy Shaver - musician, Shaver
- Bobby Sheehan - musician, Blues Traveler, drug overdose
- Eric Show - baseball player, cocaine and heroin overdose (speedball)
- Judee Sill - musician
- Don Simpson - film producer, heart attack, reports of 20 drugs in his body at time of death
- Hillel Slovak - musician, Red Hot Chili Peppers, heroin overdose
- Richard Sohl - musician, The Patti Smith Group
- Epic Soundtracks - musician, Swell Maps
- Layne Staley - musician, Alice in Chains, cocaine and heroin overdose (speedball)
- Joey Stefano (26) - pornographic actor, overdose of cocaine, morphine, heroin and ketamine
- Willian Stewart - doo wop singer, of Johnny Bragg & the Prisonaires
- Neil Storey - musician, the Dragon, drug overdose
- Rory Storm - musician, suicide - sleeping pills overdose
- Screaming Lord Sutch - singer, suicide following Prozac overdose
T
- Vinnie Taylor - musician, Sha Na Na, heroin overdose
- Gary Thain - musician, Uriah Heep, drug overdose
- Jason Thirsk - musician, Pennywise, suicide after depression and alcoholism treatment
- Johnny Thunders - musician, the New York Dolls, alcohol and methadone poisioning
- Dylan Thomas - poet, "an alcoholic insult to the brain."
- Georg Trakl - playwright, cocaine overdose
- Steven James Turner - musician, Clock DVA
- Dick Twardzick - pianist
U
- Enrique Urquijo - Spanish singer, drug overdose
V
- Townes Van Zandt - folk musician
- Lupe Vélez, actress, secobarbital overdose (suicide)
- Sid Vicious (21) - musician, the Sex Pistols, heroin overdose
- Gene Vincent - rock and roll musician, liver damage caused by alcohol
W
- Jeremy Michael Ward, musician, The Mars Volta, apparent heroin overdose
- Dinah Washington, musician, overdose of diet pills and alcohol
- Brett Whiteley, artist, heroin overdose
- Keith Whitley, country musician, alcohol poisoning.
- Danny Whitten - musician, Crazy Horse, drug overdose or drugs with alcohol (disputed)
- Alan Wilson - musician, Canned Heat, drug overdose (possible suicide)
- Hank Williams, musician, drugs and probably alcohol
- Kenneth Williams - actor, author & comedian of Carry On fame, overdose of barbiturates (accidental or suicide)
- Andrew Wood - musician, Mother Love Bone, heroin overdose
- Natalie Wood - actress, drowned when intoxicated
X
Y
- Paula Yates (40) - British TV presenter & author, partner of deceased INXS star, Micheal Hutchence, drug overdose