12 Celebrities Who Overdosed Drugs
Who said being famous is easy? Most of your existence is a perpetual race to numb down your thoughts ‘I don’t look good enough,’ ‘My voice is terrible,’ ‘The next movie is going to suck.’
When being a shopaholic or an alcoholic fails, drugs become the only escape from reality. Welcome to the sad world where a couple of extra milligrams book you an early ticket to the other side.
1. Prince
We will start the list with a recent victim of an overdose, which is still fresh in our memories.
Prince is acclaimed as one of the most influential musicians of the last three decades, a period in which a lot of barriers fell.
Prince was praised for both singing and his stage performance. Many critics still have their hats raised in respect for Prince and his contribution to modern music.
Prince died of a drug overdose at his recording studio and home in Chanhassen, Minnesota, on April 21, 2016. Medical expertise revealed that intoxication with Fentanyl, a potent opioid analgesic, was the main factor to blame.
At the age of 57, Prince certainly would have had many successful years ahead of him.
2. Amy Winehouse
We are not able to describe with consistency and precision the genre of music that made Amy Winehouse famous. However, we can say that her voice was impressive.
Amy died at the age of 27, leaving the music world in a state of shock, and raising many questions regarding the real cause. It was established that alcohol poisoning was behind the tragic and early exit from the stage of life. Amy also had a close relationship with drugs.
“Rehab” is the signature song left behind by Amy Winehouse and it serves as a constant reminder of her inability to cope with addictions. Can it be that her last name (Winehouse) was premonitory?
3. Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was for a long time the most powerful sex symbol in Hollywood, and it remained engraved in pop-culture.
Many later singers and actresses used Marilyn as an inspiration, and the emancipation of blondes is linked to the power and influence gained by the beautiful woman.
In the spotlights, Marilyn was always radiating, but things were completely different when the curtain was down. Like most of us, Marilyn Monroe suffered from depression, anxiety, and had troubles coping with her high statute.
Drugs became the easiest escape, and it all ended in 1962 when Marilyn Monroe was found dead at her home in Los Angeles. Of course, conspiracy theories go as far as calling her a Soviet spy, but the most probable truth is that she was the first real star of the modern era.
4. Whitney Houston
It is common for artists and other famous people to end up dead following a drug overdose.
This can lead to only one conclusion. Being always followed by the spotlights and sharing every detail of your life with the others is not exactly easy.
Even if your name is Whitney Houston, you have no umbrella to keep you dry from the troubles of the soul.
Charts and hierarchies get confusing as they try to quantify the cream of the music industry. Some of the authorities in the field consider Whitney Houston the best female performer and the best-selling artist of all time.
The moment we heard that Whitney was found dead in her Beverly Hills home seems very far away. Constant use of cocaine was probably the main cause behind the heart failure she suffered.
5. Anna Nicole Smith
You might ask why we add a Playboy model in this list, which thrives on prominent and first-class artists.
We chose Anna Nicole Smith because she often received undeserved fame. It backfired, and all her familial problems became front-page news in tabloids, making her existence miserable.
Anna Nicole Smith was found dead in a hotel room, and the autopsy revealed that an overdose of prescription drugs was the invisible killer.
But death was by no means the lowest point in Anna’s life. Marrying J. Howard Marshall was clearly not an act of love, and the death of her 20-years-old son, Daniel, was probably the last drop that filled the glass
6. Elvis Presley
Elvis was the most influential artist of the 20th century.
Many later stars claimed direct paternity and inspiration from him. Although the heritage of Elvis is one we cherish even today, an incredible controversy marked the end of his life.
Elvis’s death is probably the best-documented death of a celebrity from a drug overdose. An impressive number of different drugs (14) were found in the blood of the artist, indicating that intake on a daily basis was the norm.
It seems evident that the person to blame in such scenario is not only the end user but also the physician which overlooks such a habit.
7. River Phoenix
For most of you, it is highly likely that the name River rings no bell.
Indeed, the artist had a very short career, and he died before reaching the age of 24. You can compare the life of River Phoenix with a fuse which was cut too short.
The American actor received acclaims for his performance as a gay hustler in “My Own Private Idaho.” Keep in mind that we are talking about 1991, the year of the release, and that a lot of prejudice was attached.
If in 2016 we still have mass killings generated by hate against sexual minorities, going back 25 years and putting forward such a theme is simply hard to conceive.
Phoenix collapsed and died of drug-induced cardiac arrest on a sidewalk outside the West Hollywood nightclub The Viper Room, at the tender age of 23. Hollywood lost a teen idol, and serious question marks attach to the way new generations cherish their freedoms.
8. Heath Ledger
Ledger’s death probably the most devastating event to happen in Hollywood in recent years.
Although the final report concluded that Heath Ledger abused the drugs prescribed, some voices still hold firmly the theory of suicide. The death came as a confirmation that stars rely on sedatives and other drugs to balance their professional and personal lives.
Life in the spotlight in not for everyone and the strain is immediately visible.
The Australian actor left the stage in style, with his incredible performance as the Joker, in “The Dark Knight.” Many posthumous awards came his way, and we can all agree Ledger deserved them.
9. Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin was an incredible artist, who gave an incredible boost to the music industry in general.
Most of us were born too late to experience firsthand the effervescence of the decades following WWII, during which artists were pioneering and experimenting with their tunes.
If you get to know the musical background of the period in which Janis performed, the song “Piece of My Heart” is defining.
Unfortunately, Janis died from a drug overdose at the height of her career. Cheap Thrills might be Sia’s latest songs, but the name was first used to label the second album produced by Janis Joplin and her band – Holding Company.
10. Alexander McQueen
We will make a small detour from the world of stage celebs to expand the area of selection for unfortunate deaths caused by drug abuse.
Alexander McQueen was a British fashion designer who received widespread acclaim for his impressive work and original ideas. He committed suicide, a decision which came at the end of a long struggle with depression, anxiety, and drug use.
Although being high-profile in your industry might sound like the recipe for success, the road that leads there is paved with feelings from the empty half of the cup
11. Michael Jackson
What can we add about Michael Jackson’s death that you don’t already know?
The King of Pop surprised us all when he exited the stage of life much too early, at the age of 50. Guinness World Records calls Michael Jackson the biggest entertainer in history but I think we can agree on the fact that Michael never reached his full potential.
It I enough to look now at the boost the Internet gives to younger stars and at how easy it is for them to become viral. Michael climbed the ladder from anonymity to fame in the old fashion, and the intense struggle left its marks.
Cardiac arrest was the cause of death. However, a human heart is highly unlikely to give in after just five decades of existence. Drug overdose brought an end to a career which still had heights to explore.
12. Jimi Hendrix
Careers that are the brightest fade away quickly.
Jimi Hendrix fits the pattern and specialists regard him as the best instrumentalist in the history of rock music. Like others reaching the same fame, Jimi Hendrix needed an escape from reality and to forget the scale of his success.
Drug abuse was a constant occupation at the time when Jimi became a superstar. Friends and those close to him often used to describe how substances were able to transform an artist singing about love, into a violent and unpredictable individual. Jimi died in 1970 due to barbiturates intoxication.
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