Joey Ramone

popular name: James Booker

date_of_death: November 8, 1983

age: 43

cause_of_death: Renal failure related to chronic abuse of heroin and alcohol

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Booker was a New Orleans rhythm and blues keyboardist whose unique style combined rhythm and blues with jazz standards. Musician Dr. John described Booker as "the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced." Flamboyant in personality and having an extraordinary technical facility, he was known as "the Black Liberace" as well as "The Piano Prince of New Orleans". Booker's two-fisted, syncopated keyboard style was a major influence on New Orleans rhythm-and-blues in the 1950's and 1960's, and he was known in New Orleans as a flamboyant pianist who was likely to toss a Chopin etude into the middle of a boogie-woogie. He had a hit with ''Gonzo,'' an organ instrumental, in 1960, and played on stage and in recording sessions for Wilson Pickett, Lloyd Price, Aretha Franklin, Bobby ''Blue'' Bland, B. B. King, Ringo Starr, the Coasters, the Doobie Brothers and others. But his career was largely confined to New Orleans. And despite his legendary consumption of drugs and alcohol (he lost his left eye to drug abuse) he is considered by most the finest, wildest and most unpredictable pianist of his time.

popular name: Keith Emerson

date_of_death: March 11, 2016

age: 71

cause_of_death: Self-Inflicted gunshot wound to the head

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Keith Emerson was an English keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer who was perhaps best known as one-third of Emerson, Lake and Palmer. He played keyboards in a number of bands before finding his first commercial success with the Nice in the late 1960s. After leaving the Nice in 1970, he was a founding member of Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP), one of the early progressive rock supergroups. Emerson, Lake & Palmer were commercially successful through much of the 1970s, becoming one of the best-known progressive rock groups of the era. He proved, without a shadow of doubt, that through his work with the Nice and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, who were both able to demonstrate that pop, classical music and jazz could not only co-exist but feed fruitfully off each other. Emerson reached a summit of success with ELP in the early 70s, when the group achieved a string of hit albums including Tarkus and Brain Salad Surgery, exploiting cutting-edge musical technology alongside outrageous showmanship. Emerson was a pioneer in the use of the Moog synthesiser and was the first musician to take the instrument on tour. Emerson remained active with ELP reunions and his own solo material. Suffering from depression, health and marital problems he took his own life at his home in Santa Monica, California.

popular name: Francesco Tamagno

date_of_death: August, 31, 1905

age: 54

cause_of_death: Cerebral Hemorrhage

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Francesco Tamagno (1850-1905) was considered the greatest dramatic tenor of his generation. During the last quarter of the 19th century, this legendary singer captured the attention of audiences everywhere with his performances in opera and concert. Born in Turin to a wine merchant and tavern keeper, Tamagno showed early promise as a singer, but was refused entry to the Turin Conservatory when he first applied at the age of seventeen. Not to be dissuaded, the young tenor repeatedly auditioned for the Teatro Regio in his hometown. Eventually he was accepted into the chorus and began studying with celebrated composer and teacher Carlo Pedrotti (1817-1893). The most famous heroic tenor of his age, Tamagno went on to perform in 26 countries, gaining renown for the power of his singing, especially in the upper register. Tamagno was among the rare species of singers known as a tenore robusto or tenore di forza, and critics likened the sound of his voice to that of a trumpet or even a cannon. Tamagno's vocal range extended up to high C-sharp during his prime. Best known as the creator of the protagonist's part in Verdi's Otello at La Scala, Milan in 1887, he also was the first Gabriele Adorno in Verdi's 1881 revision of Simon Boccanegra, a far more lyrical assignment than the "Moor of Venice". He participated in the premiere of Verdi's Italian-language version of Don Carlos when it was staged at La Scala in 1884, singing the eponymous role of the Infante of Spain. Five other operas in which Tamagno created leading roles were Carlos Gomes' Maria Tudor (in 1879), Amilcare Ponchielli's Il figliuol prodigo (1880) and Marion Delorme (1885), Ruggero Leoncavallo's I Medici (1893) and Isidore de Lara's Messaline (1899). Unfortunately, Tamagno’s career was not destined to be a lengthy one. As far back as 1887 (during rehearsals for the premiere of Otello), the tenor was suffering from chest pains and shortness of breath. Acute hypertension coupled with arteriosclerosis, eventually caused Tamagno to curtail his activities. After the turn of the century, the fifty year old singer had cut back his stage appearances markedly and began concentrating on concert work. His final performance seems to have been a recital in Turin in March of 1905. Several weeks later, the tenor suffered a serious heart attack and spent the summer convalescing at his villa in Varese. In mid-August, however, Tamagno suffered a massive stroke from which he never recovered. Paralyzed, the great tenor lingered for two weeks before dying from a second stroke on August 31. He was only fifty-four years old. Upon his death, he was laid to rest at Cimitero Monumentale di Torino in Turin, Piemonte, Italy.