Famous musicians who died in the 80s
These successful musicians died in the 1980s and left a gap in the music industry.
Death be not proud!
The 1980s will always be remembered for producing some of the biggest stars, however, this is also a decade where the entertainment industry lost iconic musicians.
Bob Marley
Africa and the world lost one of the pioneers of reggae, the legendary Bob Marley, on 11 May 1981 after a battle with cancer.
During his career, which spanned from the 1960s, Marley sold more than 20-million records.
One of his most popular songs was 'One Love', where he promoted unity amongst the people of the earth.
John Lennon
The Beatles star John Lennon passed away on 8 December 1980.
Sadly, Lennon was assassinated at The Dakota Apartments in New York City.
At the time of his passing, the musician was 40 years old.
He had gained worldwide fame as the founder and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles.
READ: Remembering John Lennon's final words before he was murdered
Marvin Gaye
On 1 April 1984, Marvin Gaye took his last breath. The iconic musician died after being fatally shot by his father, Marvin Gay Sr. According to Smooth Radio, Gaye interfered in an argument between his parents, leading to his father shooting him twice.
Marvin created the Motown sound of the 1960s.
He released hits such as 'Sexual Healing' and 'Aint No Mountain High Enough'.
Cliff Burton
Metallica's bass player, Cliff Burton, died on 27 September 1986. He died in a bus accident while touring in Sweden.
Burton was head hunted by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich after hearing him play at the Whisky A Go Go club on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.
“I’d never seen anybody like him – his look, his mannerisms, his whole vibe. After we swapped numbers, I started going to work on him immediately," Lars said.
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