The 18 most shocking death of music stars and how they really died (Photos + Videos)

11. John Denver

Of all the people you’d expect to have a violent death, Denver was not one of them. Notable for his blond hair and glasses, Denver broke out in the 1970s as the star of folk music. His guitar and voice were known on hits like “Rocky Mountain High,” a sensitive but warm man who had an all-American sense of values to make him quite popular. Denver added to it with acting gigs like Oh, God! and numerous TV specials.

With twelve gold and platinum albums and a poet laurate, Denver was a huge part of Colorado culture as well as an advocate for nature causes. An avid pilot, Denver was trying out a new craft on October 12^th, 1997 when the craft crashed. It was a horrendous one, crushing his body to the point where they needed fingerprints to identify him. It was controversial as Denver had his flying license suspended after drunk driving. It was a bitter end to an otherwise truly good man and how you don’t have to be a major rocker to meet an early death.

10. Selena

Selena Quintanilla-Perez was on the verge of true greatness. At only 23 years old, she was being hailed as “the Queen of Tejano Music.” Born in Texas, she got into music early in her life, winning raves for her glorious voice and terrific style. As her popularity grew in both Texas and Mexico, she showcased a terrific style with her sexy outfits, called “the Tejano Madonna” and a huge fanbase. She won a Grammy in 1994 and was about to release her first English-spoken album and sure to take off majorly. But on March 31^st, 1995, Selena was shot dead by a former employee at a Texas hotel.

The Hispanic community was hit hard and deep, 60,000 fans showing up for her funeral and Texas was at half-mast for a week. Her album was a hit to show her great voice off, but hurting that she couldn’t live to enjoy it. She gained further fame when Jennifer Lopez (who bore a stunning resemblance to the singer) played Selena in a biopic that made Lopez herself a star. Yet it hurt to see such a shining talent silenced just as her true greatness was upon her.