Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday’s story may have been written in the stars, but unfortunately achieving success only cemented a sad end for the enormously talented jazz singer. Born in Philadelphia, Holiday had a tough childhood that included rape and prostitution. She had nearly a decade of success in the 1940s and performed a few comeback shows in the ’50s, however the experience was also filled with drugs, alcohol and a string of abusive relationships with men.
In 1959, at the age of 44, Holiday died the morning before she was to be arraigned for drug possession.
Jimi Hendrix
Guitarist Jimi Hendrix was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992, more than 20 years after his death. Hendrix is hailed as an icon who transformed the sound of rock and roll. The young musician saw success in the late ’60s and soon became the world’s highest-paid performer. Early in his short career Hendrix struggled with drug use. In 1970, he died from inhalation of vomit and barbiturate intoxication. He was 27.
