lots of talented artists, musicians, athletes, and politicians died far too young. its a somber subject, but who are the "top" talented people who were gone before their time? there are lots of obvious choices and a few who are more obscure.
here's some of my list:
Thin Lizzy front man Phil Lynott. Died of organ failure from drug use.
Len Bias. destined to NBA royalty but died of coke overdose just as he was drafted by the Celtics.
Sam Cooke...one of the greatest voices ever. first black artist to top both black and white charts simultaneously. mistakenly shot to death by hotel manager, but many believe he was executed by mafia.
Mitch Hedberg...i saw this guy perform a few times in San Francisco & he was awesome. well-respected for his style and unique perspective, many current comics rank he was one of the best ever. died of alcoholism.
