CHECKING OUT TOO SOON...A ROCK 'N' ROLL WAY TO DIE...

There's been some classic 'deaths' as far as rock stars go, "live fast, die young, leave a good looking corpse!" Here's a list of the biggest names in rock who managed to quit while they were ahead. Also some interesting facts on what's the 'best' age to go, the 'safest' job in a band and the most/least common ways to hit the Highway To Hell or Stairway To Heaven...

Natural causes have been left out as far too many old codger rockers are due to shuffle off any time soon. To qualify, these artists have had to go before their time:

youngest vs. oldest
Sid Vicious, SEX PISTOLS - 21 (heroin overdose)
Freddie Mercury, QUEEN - 45 (AIDS related pneumonia)

most common age to go - 27
Brian Jones, ROLLING STONES - 27 (drowned in swimming pool)
Jimi Hendrix - 27 (choked on vomit from drugs overdose)
Janis Joplin - 27 (heroin overdose)
Jim Morrison, DOORS - 27 (drug induced heart failure)
Kurt Cobain, NIRVANA - 27 (shotgun suicide)
Peter Ham, BADFINGER - 27 (hanged himself)

most likely to go - GUITARIST!
Brian Jones, ROLLING STONES - 27 (drowned in swimming pool 1969)
Jimi Hendrix - 27 (choked on vomit from drugs overdose 1970)
Duane Allman, ALLMAN BROTHERS - 24 (motorcycle crash 1971)
Tommy Bolin, DEEP PURPLE - 25 (heroin overdose 1976)
Paul Kossoff, FREE - 25 (drug overdose 1976)
Steve Gaines, LYNYRD SKYNYRD - 28 (plane crash 1977)
Randy Rhoads, BLIZZARD OF OZZ - 25 (plane crash 1982)
Stevie Ray Vaughan - 35 (helicopter crash 1990)
Steve Clark, DEF LEPPARD - 31 (drugs and alcohol overdose 1991)
Steve Marriot, SMALL FACES - 44 (house fire 1991)
Dimebag Darrell Abbott, PANTERA - 32 (shot by fan 2004)
Peter Ham, BADFINGER - 27 (hanged himself 1975)
Marc Bolan, T.REX - 29 (car crash 1977)
John Lennon, BEATLES - 40 (shot by fan 1980)
Kurt Cobain, NIRVANA - 27 (shotgun suicide 1994)

least likely to go - KEYBOARDS - NONE!, so next likely - BASSIST
Berry Oakley, ALLMAN BROTHERS - 26 (motorcycle crash 1972)
Sid Vicious, SEX PISTOLS - 21 (heroin overdose 1979)
Cliff Burton, METALLICA - 24 (bus crash 1986)
Phil Lynott, THIN LIZZY - 36 (drug induced heart failure)

most common way to go - drug/alcohol overdose
Sid Vicious, Tommy Bolin, Janis Joplin, Layne Staley (Alice In Chains), Steve Clark
followed by next most common - vomit inhalation
John Bonham (Led Zeppelin), Bon Scott (AC/DC), Keith Moon (The Who), Jimi Hendrix
or plane/air crash
Steve Gaines and Ronnie Van Zant (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Randy Rhoads, Stevie Ray Vaughan

most common month is April and scarily, April 5th is VERY COMMON...!
Cozy Powell, April 5, 1998 (car crash)
Layne Staley, April 5, 2002 (drugs overdose)
Kurt Cobain, April 5, 1994 (gunshot suicide)
Gary Driscoll (Rainbow drummer before Cozy Powell) - April 5, 1987 (murdered in own home, still unsolved)
Peter Ham, April 24 1975 (hanged)
Steve Marriott, April 20, 1991 (house fire)

so, if you're the guitarist in a rock band, aged around 26 now,
do not, under any circumstance have a lot to drink or take any drugs or get on a plane next April 5th!