Joey Ramone

popular name: Lemmy Kilmister

date_of_death: December 28, 2015

age: 70

cause_of_death: Prostate cancer, cardiac arrhythmia, and congestive heart failure

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Inspired by the Beatles and worked as a roadie for the Jimi Hendrix Experience in the 1960s, Lemmy Kilmister was the pure embodiment of the rock 'n' roll spirit. A fixture at the Rainbow on Hollywood Blvd when not on the road, Lemmy had his first taste of success as a member of Hawkwind, where he developed a distinctive bass style and sang lead vocals on the 1972 hit "Silver Machine." In 1975, Kilmister founded Motorhead, a band that has had an enormous influence on the heavy metal genre, largely because of Kilmister's furious bass playing, guttural vocals and innovative songwriting. His unique style brought punk influences to heavy metal, resulting in metal classics such as "Ace of Spades" and "Overkill." Kilmister also co-wrote songs for Ozzy Osbourne's 1991 album, "No More Tears," including the No. 2 hit "Mama, I'm Coming Home" and the Grammy-winning "I Don't Want To Change the World." The intimidating warrior with a wart and rasping voice, always with a bottle of whiskey in his hand and a cigarette in his mouth was also a really kind guy; one of the nicest in the business.

popular name: Darby Crash

date_of_death: December 7, 1980

age: 22

cause_of_death: Suicide - intentional heroin overdose

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Darby Crash was an American punk rock vocalist and songwriter who co-founded the seminal Los Angeles punk band the Germs. As the lead "singer" a typical show featuring Crash would consist of a wretched version of the Archies' "Sugar, Sugar" (complete with Crash pouring sugar over the audience), food fights, a revolving door of untalented musicians, and a lead singer so loaded on smack he would smear the audience with blood from self-mutilation. All of this and more was beautifully captured in Penelope Spheeris's landmark 1981 film The Decline and Fall of Western Civilization.

popular name: Richard Berry

date_of_death: January 24, 1997

age: 61

cause_of_death: Aneurysm complications

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Richard Berry's contribution to the world of music does not include a discussion of tonality or form; he did not conduct the Boston Symphony Orchestra, he didn't invent a new form of music and he never had a #1 hit record. Rather Richard Berry wrote and recorded a simple but indelible three-chord, famously slurred song that encouraged even the most tone deaf among us to sing along. Richard Berry wrote what has become the cornerstone of rock 'n' roll. Richard Berry wrote "Louie, Louie". Richard is buried at Inglewood Memorial Park in Inglewood, California.