Gene Clark was a gifted songwriter and singer, famous for co-founding the Byrds in 1965. He suffered from anxiety and other possible mental health problems, self-medicating himself with alcohol and drugs. A lifetime of alcoholism lead to his death from hepatitis and complications from drinking in 1995. In 1959, under the treatment of a doctor in Canada, Flynn succumbed to a heart attack at the age of 50. Doctors cited heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver as the main causes. The football coach unfortunately passed away on 31st October 2022 due to his habitual drinking habits.

Jack Kerouac was a writer and poet, famous as a key voice of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. Veronica Lake, with her iconic peek-a-boo blonde hair, was particularly well-known for playing film noir femme fatales in the 1940s. In real life, her drinking, most likely a form of self-medication for her issues with mental illness, led to her end in 1973 at age 50. Fame can come at a cost and what many of these notable people have in common was a public face and an inability to cope with fame and money. Something else these stars have in common was that their flames burned out young, living hard lives and dying directly, or indirectly, due to their drinking.

Jack Kerouac

A staple of film noir and Westerns, Alan Ladd enjoyed a great deal of success in the 1940s and 1950s in such film classics as The Blue Dahlia and Shane. Suffering from chronic insomnia, Ladd would induce sleep with sleeping pills and rye. In 1964, at the age 50, Ladd suffered a cerebral edema caused by an acute overdose of alcohol, barbiturates, and tranquilizers containing depressants. A successful British actor in films and television, Ian Hendry appeared in Get Carter and The Avengers. Turning to alcohol later in life, Hendry suffered a fatal a stomach hemorrhage in 1984.

Peter Cook

  • Keith indulged in alcohol when he became a sensation, and this regular drinking took away his life.
  • Actor and comedian Verne Troyer, best known for his role as Mini-Me in the Austin Powers films, battled alcoholism throughout his life.
  • Married twice to Elizabeth Taylor, Burton’s excessive drinking was legendary, as was his volatile relationship with Taylor.
  • Beiderbecke’s musical genius was overshadowed by his battle with addiction.
  • Kevin Lloyd was one of those actors who indulged in alcohol, and this took away his happy life.
  • Best’s exceptional talent was overshadowed by his struggles with addiction.

He got addicted to alcohol when he could not deal with his life problems. Due to this, he also damaged his liver and needed a liver transplant. Sadly, he died of liver cancer on 13th August 1995 at the age of 63. This article lists notable people in alcohol-related deaths who died of short- or long-term effects of alcohol consumption. Deaths caused indirectly by alcohol, or driving under the influence, are not listed here. During a break, while filming ‘Gladiator,’ English actor Oliver Reed died of a heart attack (2000).

  • This list of celebrities who died from alcoholism includes information like the victim’s hometown and other biographical information when available.
  • The County Attorney was praised for her unbiased opinions on varied matters.
  • A staple of film noir and Westerns, Alan Ladd enjoyed a great deal of success in the 1940s and 1950s in such film classics as The Blue Dahlia and Shane.

Another Country Bans Dolphinariums, Ending Captivity by 2037

His alcoholism prematurely aged him—he was known to put back two liters a day. The multitalented figure who passed away in his 50s was Peter Cook. Though he was a versatile artist, but he was loved widely for his comedic timing.

Hollywood Still Told These Successful Actors They Were Too Ugly For A Role

Thomas’ lyrical works reflected his inner turmoil, and his addiction ultimately cost him his life. His story serves as a cautionary tale for creatives wrestling with substance abuse. Fitzgerald’s tragic demise exemplifies how addiction can claim even the brightest talents.

Famous People Who Died of Alcoholism

Unfortunately many famous people’s lives have been cut short because of alcoholism, including actors, musicians and athletes. Brian tragically died on 10th February 1997, and the news of his passing left everyone in mourning. The singer passed away due to renal failure that caused complications owing to alcoholism, which was the result of his addiction to alcohol. Richard Burton passed away on 5th August 1984, and the news shook his fans to the core. At the time, the actor was 58 years old and died due to his long addiction to alcoholism.

She was diagnosed with cirrhosis, and after this, she stopped drinking. However, it was too late for the singer, and she tragically passed away at the age of 44. Writers are known for their sometimes dramatic deaths, often linked to drug overdoses or psychotic breaks. However, alcoholism also has played parts in the demises of some of the most famous of character creators. Scott Fitzgerald, this list confronts the deaths of some of the greats that succumbed to alcoholism.

Jamerson played on twenty-three Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits, as well as fifty-six R&B number-one hits. A long-time alcoholic, Jamerson died of cirrhosis of the liver, heart failure and pneumonia in 1983, at the of 47. He suffered severe liver damage as the years went on, leading to his passing in 1995 at the age 57. Michael Elphick was a well-known British character actor, known for roles in The Elephant Man and Gorky Park.

Due to this, he was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and kidneys. His actual cause of death was cerebral haemorrhage exacerbated by years of heavy drinking. Big Mama Thornton was a blues and R&B singer and songwriter, the first to record Leiber and Stoller’s “Hound Dog,” which was written for her. Her longstanding alcohol abuse led to her death in 1984 of liver failure at the age of 57.

She fell off the wagon and was imprisoned for drug possession, dying in a New York hospital in 1959 at the age of 44. Richard Burton was a Welsh actor as famous for his personal life and hard living as he was for his acting. Married twice to Elizabeth Taylor, Burton’s excessive drinking was legendary, as was his volatile relationship with Taylor.

The player sadly passed away on 25th November 2005 at the age of 59. Best developed a severe drinking habit, due to which he had to undergo a liver transplant. However, his health kept on declining, and he tragically died one day. Billie Holiday famous people who died from alcoholism was known for her pop and jazz performances on the stage. The singer died on 17th July 1959 when she caught a liver and heart disease due to her alcohol addiction.

A dope user and a heavy drinker, in 1973 Parsons consumed copious amounts of alcohol, barbiturates, and morphine, then fell unconscious. A long-time alcoholic, Cassavetes passed from complications of cirrhosis of the liver in 1989, at the age of 59. A founding member of the Grateful Dead, keyboardist Ron “Pigpen” McKernan was a blues purist whose role in the band diminished over time. As his drinking got worse and worse, liver damage forced him to stop touring. David Cassidy was a teen idol on The Partridge Family in the early. In 2017, he was hospitalized with liver and kidney failure at the age of 67.

The popular musician had a charismatic stage presence, which was loved by many. Gary Moore regrettably passed away on 6th February 2011 due to a heart attack, which was induced by his drinking habit. The musician indulged himself in alcohol when his career experienced downfall.