Random Most Surprising Historical Celebrity Deaths (15 items)

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  (#3) Elvis Presley

  • Dec. at 42 (1935-1977)

  Elvis Presley’s health and weight fluctuations had been a popular tabloid subject for years before the singer was found dead in the bathroom of his Memphis estate on August 16th, 1977. While the death was initially reported as a heart attack, stories began to emerge about Presley’s drug use and how it may have contributed to the singer’s demise.

  Presley’s death was shocking as it came in the wake of a televised Vegas performance. Fans were shocked the star – whom they had just seen alive and healthy – had died, and had apparently been dealing with a drug problem for a long time.

  Over 100,000 people showed up to the public viewing of Presley’s body at his Graceland estate. The event attracted a wide array of mourners from all different ages and walks of life. The subsequent media coverage forced many people to reevaluate their view of the singer as his chronic health problems and struggles with addiction became public knowledge.
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  (#9) Sam Cooke

  • Dec. at 33 (1931-1964)

  On December 11th, 1964, legendary R&B singer Sam Cooke was shot to death in the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles. The motel manager, Bertha Franklin, claimed to have shot Cooke in self-defense. According to her story, Cooke had taken a young woman to the motel against her will. After the woman fled from his room, Cooke barged into the manager’s office demanding to know her whereabouts. Allegedly, when Franklin told Cooke she did not know where the woman was, he violently attacked her, and she shot him in self-defense with a gun kept in the office.

  Over the years, this version of events has been called into question. Some suspect Franklin and the young woman with Cooke that night were conspiring against him to rob him. Due to the limited number of witnesses, what actually occurred remains unclear to this day.
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  (#4) Buddy Holly

  • Dec. at 23 (1936-1959)

  Buddy Holly died in a tragic plane crash on February 3rd, 1959 – a date that would come to be known as “the day the music died.” In addition to killing Holly, the crash also resulted in the deaths of musical icons Richie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson. While on tour, Holly hired a plane after getting tired of traveling via bus. The plane tragically crashed while en route to Fargo, ND, and the bodies of Holly, Valens, and Richardson were found scattered among the wreckage.
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  (#11) Bob Crane

  • Dec. at 50 (1928-1978)

  Bob Crane was seen as the picture of normalcy as the star of the family friendly program Hogan’s Heroes. This made the bizarre details surrounding his death shocking to the public. Crane was bludgeoned to death on June 29th, 1978 in his apartment in Scottsdale, AZ. In the ensuing weeks, it came out that Crane was a fan of kinky sex, seduced many women, participated in orgies, and often filmed such endeavors.

  The most likely suspect was John Henry Carpenter, a friend of Crane’s who often helped Crane tape his exploits. Carpenter was believed to have been in love with Crane, and Crane was supposedly considering ending their relationship. While Carpenter was charged with the crime, a lack of evidence ultimately led to him being found “not guilty.”
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  (#5) James Dean

  • Dec. at 24 (1931-1955)

  While James Dean only made three movies, he was on his way to becoming a major Hollywood star. Popular with fans and critics alike, the public was devastated when the 24 year old died in a car accident on September 30th, 1955. A lover of fast cars, Dean was speeding in a recently purchased Porsche when he struck another car in a Cholame, CA, intersection.

  Dean died in the accident, likely instantly, and the public was left stunned by the death of an up-and-coming icon.
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  (#13) Ramon Novarro

  • Dec. at 69 (1899-1968)

  Film and television actor Raman Novarro was murdered in his own home on October 30th, 1968. Novarro invited a pair of brothers into his Los Angeles home. A closeted homosexual, Novarro occasionally covertly paid young men for sex. The day turned tragic when – in hopes of robbing the actor – the brothers violently beat Novarro to death before ransacking his home. Novarro allegedly recited a “Hail Mary” in terror shortly before his death. 

  The death shocked Hollywood and not just because of the violent nature of the crime. Novarro’s personal life hit headlines in trial, as he was outed to the public as gay. The murderers were only lightly punished. While the brothers were found guilty, they served minimal prison time. One was out in six years, while the other was out in nine.

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