Isley, O'Kelly
Music
Age 48
December 25, 1937 - March 31, 1986
George Washington Memorial Park / Paramus / New Jersey / USA / North America
The eldest of the Isley Brothers, Kelly started singing with his brothers at church when in 1944 he and his three younger brothers (Rudy, Ronnie and Vernon) formed The Isley Brothers and toured the gospel circuit. Following the de...
Jackson, Al Jr.
Music
Age 39
November 27, 1935 - October 1, 1975
New Park Cemetery / Memphis / Tennessee / USA / North America
Dubbed “The Human Timekeeper” for his impeccable rhythm and timing, Al Jackson, Jr. was a member of the seminal Stax Records house band Booker T. and the MG’s and provided the beat for the likes of Al Green, Sam & Dave, Otis...
Jackson, Mahalia
Music
Age 60
October 26, 1911 - January 27, 1972
Providence Memorial Park / Metairie / Louisiana / USA / North America
Known as the Queen of Gospel Music, Mahalia Jackson was an American gospel singer, widely considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century. With a career spanning 40 years, Jackson was integral to the developme...
Jacopucci, Angelo
Sports
Age 29
December 22, 1948 - July 22, 1978
Cimitero di Tarquinia / Tarquinia, Lazio / Province of Viterbo / Italy / Europe
Angelo Jacopucci was an middleweight Italian boxing champion who was affectionately called by his fellow citizens "brigetto" to underline his slender physical structure and agility. Upon winning the continental middleweight title,...
Jacquet, Illinois
Music
Age 81
October 30, 1922 - July 22, 2004
Woodlawn Cemetery / Bronx / New York / USA / North America
Although Illinois Jacquet may be best remembered as the tenor saxophonist who defined the screeching style of playing the instrument, his warm and sensitive tone may also be heard on countless jazz ballads and medium groove-tempo ...
Jam Master Jay
Music
Age 37
January 21, 1965 - October 30, 2002
Ferncliff Cemetery / Hartsdale / New York / USA / North America
Jam Master Jay was a musician and the DJ of the influential hip hop group Run-D.M.C. During the 1980s, Run-D.M.C. became one of the biggest hip hop groups and are credited with breaking hip hop into mainstream music. On October 30...
James, Rick
Music
Age 56
February 1, 1948 - August 6, 2004
Forest Lawn Cemetery / Buffalo / New York / USA / North America
Rick James was a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and funk master who let everyone know "I'M RICK JAMES BITCH!"
Janssen, David
Show Business
Age 48
March 27, 1931 - February 13, 1980
Hillside Memorial Park / Culver City / California / USA / North America
In addition to his great success as Richard Kimbel on the TV series The Fugitive, David Janssen was a talented and prolific actor starring in 4 television series, appearing in 44 feature films, 20 television movies, and countless ...
Jayne, Silas
Crime and their Victims
Age 80
July 3, 1907 - July 13, 1987
Cremated / North America
Notorious Chicago-based stable owner implicated in multiple disappearances and murders including the famous 1955 Peterson-Schuessler murder, involvement in the 1956 murder of the two Grimes sisters, and in the 1977 disappearance o...
Jennings, Waylon
Music
Age 64
June 15, 1937 - February 13, 2002
Mesa Cemetery / Mesa / Arizona / USA / North America
Waylon Jennings was the "outlaw" singer, songwriter and musician who was one of the founding pioneers of the Outlaw Movement in country music in the 1970s. A protégé of Buddy Holly and devotee of Hank Williams, he sold more than...
Johnson, Bunk
Music
Age 63
December 27, 1885 - July 7, 1949
St. Edward Cemetery / New Iberia / Louisiana / USA / North America
Willie "Bunk" Johnson was an prominent jazz trumpeter in New Orleans who lied and/or exaggerated his role in the development of jazz that historians have a difficult time understanding the truth from fiction. But what everyone agr...
Johnson, Howard
Business and Finance
Age 75
February 2, 1897 - June 20, 1972
Milton Cemetery / Milton / Massachusetts / USA / North America
Howard Johnson was an American entrepreneur, businessman, and the founder of an American chain of restaurants and motels under one company of the same name, Howard Johnson's. For three years he sold cigars,. and then in 1924, when...
Johnson, Judy
Sports
Age 89
October 26, 1899 - June 15, 1989
Silverbrook Cemetery / Wilmington / Delaware / USA / North America
William "Judy" Johnson was an American professional third baseman and manager whose career in Negro league baseball spanned 17 seasons, from 1921 to 1937. Slight of build, Johnson never developed as a power threat but achieved his...
Jolson, Al
Show Business
Age 64
June 9, 1886 - October 23, 1950
Hillside Memorial Park / Culver City / California / USA / North America
Jolson rose through the ranks of vaudeville as a comedian and a blackface “Mammy” singer. By 1920, he had become the biggest star on Broadway, but he is probably best remembered for his film career. He starred in "The Jazz Sin...
Jones, Brian
Music
Age 27
February 28, 1942 - July 3, 1969
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire / Cheltenham Cemetery and Crematorium / Europe
Long-time Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman said of Brian Jones, "He formed the band. He chose the members. He named the band. He chose the music we played. He got us gigs. ... he was very influential, very important, and then slo...
Jones, Sevilla
Crime and their Victims
Age 17
April 13, 1836 - January 13, 1854
New Boston Cemetery / New Boston / New Hampshire / United States / North America
In the 1800s Sevilla Jones was a 17-year-old girl who was shot dead by Henry Sargent one morning as she was walking to school with her younger brother. Henry loved Sevilla, and he believed that she had “given him encouragement....
Jones, Spike
Music
Age 53
December 14, 1911 - May 1, 1965
Holy Cross Cemetery / Culver City / California / USA / North America
Considered by many as the Father of Novelty Music, Spike Jones was the “Weird Al” Yankovic of the 1940s through the early 60s. A talented and serious musician and bandleader, Spike Jones and His City Slickers specialized in sp...
Joplin, Janis
Music
Age 27
January 19, 1943 - October 4, 1970
Cremated / USA / North America
A permanent member of the "27 Club" (rock stars who died at age 27) Janis Joplin was premier white female blues vocalist of the 1960s, who performed with a fierce and uninhibited musical style before dying of a drug overdose in a ...
Jürgens, Udo
Music
Age 80
September 30, 1934 - December 21, 2014
Der Wiener Zentralfriedhof / Simmeringer Hauptstraße 234 / Vienna / Austria / Europe
Udo Jürgens, was an Austrian composer and singer of German origin of popular music whose career spanned over 50 years. He won the Eurovision Song Contest 1966 for Austria, composed close to 1,000 songs, and sold over 104 million ...
Kaye, Danny
Show Business
Age 76
January 18, 1911 - March 3, 1987
Kensico Cemetery / Valhalla / New York / USA / North America
Danny Kaye, the rubbery-faced, gibberish-spouting comedian, was one of the world’s most successful entertainers of the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s. Kaye’s silly patter, funny walks and air of innocence and likability propelled hi...