Joey Ramone

popular name: Sonny Bono

date_of_death: January 5, 1998

age: 62

cause_of_death: Massive head injuries caused by skiing into a tree

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Singer, songwriter, actor and entertainer Sonny Bono began his career struggling to write songs while working as a waiter, a construction worker, a truck driver and a butcher's helper. In his 20's he immersed himself in the music business as a songwriter and singer with Specialty Records, where he worked with Sam Cooke and Little Richard. Soon he teamed up with the legendary record producer Phil Specter, where he wrote songs (''You Bug Me, Baby,'' and ''Needles and Pins'') and sang background for groups like the Righteous Brothers. The turning point of his career took place when the exotically beautiful 16-year-old named Cherilyn Sarkisian, who called herself Cher, drifted into his life. The pair first achieved fame with two hit songs in 1965, "Baby Don't Go" and "I Got You Babe". The couple's career as a duo ended in 1975 following their divorce. In the decade they spent together, Sonny and Cher were nominated for two Grammy Awards and sold over 40 million records worldwide. Rolling Stone ranked them No. 18 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time. Sadly, it was on January 5th, 1998 when Sonny took off alone snow skiing and later slammed into a tree. Bono's body was found late Monday afternoon in a narrow, wooded area between two ski runs at the Heavenly Ski Resort. He died instantly from massive head trauma.

popular name: Frédéric Chopin

date_of_death: October 17, 1849

age: 39

cause_of_death: Pericarditis - a rare complication of tuberculosis that causes swelling of the membrane surrounding the heart

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Frederic Chopin was a Polish-born pianist and composer of matchless genius in the realm of keyboard music. As a pianist, his talents were beyond emulation and had an impact on other musicians entirely out of proportion to the number of concerts he gave — only 30 public performances in 30 years. No one before or since has contributed as many significant works to the piano's repertoire, or come closer to capturing its soul.

popular name: Sergei Rachmaninoff

date_of_death: March 28, 1943

age: 69

cause_of_death: Melanoma

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Sergei Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor and is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music. Rachmaninoff’s music is known for its complexity and the rich melodies that take audiences on a journey of soaring, expansive emotions. His various piano concertos bear testament to a mastery and knowledge of that instrument’s nuances that puts him among the greatest artists in classical music. He didn’t have that one distinctive piece that makes a connection to his music easy, such as Ludwig von Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 5,” Pyotr Illich Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” or Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.” Rachmaninoff’s signature piece, his “Piano Concerto No. 2,” is considered the greatest piano concerto ever written—an intense display of piano virtuosity that illustrates the composer’s depth and breadth better than anything in his repertoire. His early fame came with the Prelude in C-sharp Minor, but his first symphony's failure in 1897 led to a deep depression and creative crisis. He eventually recovered and made a triumphant return with his Piano Concerto No. 2, which remains one of his most beloved works. Rachmaninoff became internationally known for his virtuosic piano playing and deeply expressive compositions, including the Piano Concerto No. 3, Symphony No. 2, and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. After leaving Russia due to the 1917 Revolution, he settled in the United States, where he focused more on performance and conducting, composing less frequently. His final major work, Symphonic Dances, reflects a nostalgic and reflective tone. Upon his death, he was interred at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York.