Though it may not seem like it at first, when you think about it the 1990s were a tumultuous time in music. It was an era of genre explosions, from alternative rock to grunge to rap, boy band pop and more. If you could think about it, there was a song for it.
But part of that tumult meant tragedy, too. Throughout the decade there were many big names who passed away suddenly and far too soon. Here below, we wanted to explore the lives and deaths of a handful of artists, names you continue to hear about to this day.
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[RELATED: Nirvana’s Former Soundman Craig Montgomery Talks Music Festivals with Grunge Icons]
Kurt Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994)
A member of the notorious “27 Club,” Kurt Cobain was the frontman for the incredibly popular and culture-shaking grunge band Nirvana. But at the same time, Cobain seemed allergic to fame. While he’d always seemed to want it, once he got it, he recoiled and holed up in an apartment building, inundating himself with drugs after the release of his band’s seminal sophomore LP Nevermind. It was in that apartment in Seattle that he apparently shot himself. According to his wife Courtney Love, Cobain had been suicidal and even locked himself in a room with a gun. After his death, a suicide note was found addressed to his childhood imaginary friend Boddah.
Tupac Shakur (June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996)
The passionate rapper Tupac Shakur fell victim to the East Coast-West Coast rap battle of the 1990s and his life was cut way too short. After bursting on the scene in the 1990s, Shakur’s life was filled with highs and lows, including a prison sentence, myriad hit songs and several gunshot wounds, including those that eventually killed him. Perhaps the most influential artist of the 1990s, Shakur was gunned down in a car on September 7, 1996, while in Las Vegas for a Mike Tyson boxing match. He died in the hospital several days later from internal bleeding. His death has since been mired in controversy—who killed him, who set up the murder, and why? But no matter what the answers to those questions are, the world lost one of the most thoughtful and passionate artists of his day.
The Notorious B.I.G. (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997)
The other big name casualty of the East Coast-West Coast rap battle, Chris Wallace (aka The Notorious B.I.G.) was one of the most versatile and compelling lyricists of his time. Perhaps the best pure rapper and rhymer ever, Wallace was murdered months after his former friend-turned-rival Tupac Shakur was killed. He was shot to death in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles and the artist died at just 24 years old. With hope, no rap battle will lead to such tragedy again.
Stevie Ray Vaughan (October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990)
One of the greatest guitar players to ever live, the Dallas-born Stephen Ray Vaughan rose to fame with his nimble playing and blues-rock sensibilities. But it was after a gig on August 27, 1990, that Vaughan and other musicians got into a helicopter at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin, when tragedy struck. The helicopter took off in reported foggy conditions and soon crashed into a nearby ski hill not long after takeoff, killing all on board. It was a sad end to one of the best electric six-string players ever. Vaughan was just 35 years old.
Andrew Wood (January 8, 1966 – March 19, 1990)
A grunge icon who never got the shine and attention he deserved, Andrew Wood was a significant artist in Seattle, helping to hone the sound that would make the region famous. He was roommates with Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell and when Wood died of a drug overdose on March 19, 1990, just days before his band Mother Love Bone released their debut LP Apple, Cornell soon after put together the tribute band Temple of the Dog to celebrate Wood’s life. A ball of energy and charisma, Wood died far too young. He was just 24 years old.
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