Joey Ramone

popular name: Les Brown

date_of_death: January 4, 2001

age: 88

cause_of_death: Lung cancer

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Les Brown was an American musician, big band leader and composer best known for his nearly seven decades of work with the big band Les Brown and His Band of Renown (1938-2001). The Band of Renown began in the late 1930s, initially as the group Les Brown and His Blue Devils, led by Brown while he was a student at Duke University. During his tenure the band had ten number-one hit songs including "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm", "Sweet and Hot" and "Sentimental Journey" featuring Doris Day. Les Brown and the Band of Renown also performed with Bob Hope on radio, stage and television for almost fifty years. They did 18 USO Tours for American troops around the world, and entertained over three million people. Les Brown was the first president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Today the band performs under the direction of his son, Les Brown, Jr.

popular name: Aaliyah

date_of_death: August 25, 2001

age: 22

cause_of_death: Blunt force trauma (airplane crash)

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: In her heyday, it seemed like the Grammy-nominated singer was destined for a long career, having made the leap from music to modeling and acting. But sadly that career ended suddenly when she died in a tragically, yet totally preventable, plane crash in the Bahamas in 2001.

popular name: Bob Casale

date_of_death: February 17, 2014

age: 61

cause_of_death: Heart failure

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Bob Casale was a founding member of the influential new wave band Devo. Often referred to as "Bob 2" to distinguish him from bandmate Bob Mothersbaugh, Casale played rhythm guitar and keyboards, contributed backing vocals, and was a key part of Devo's sonic experimentation with synthesizers and sampling. He joined Devo in the early 1970s alongside his older brother Gerald Casale, one of the band's conceptual founders. Casale was known for his technical expertise and grounded demeanor, often serving as the stabilizing force within the band. He contributed to all of Devo’s studio albums, including their 1980 breakthrough Freedom of Choice, which featured the hit single "Whip It." Beyond his work with Devo, Casale worked as an audio engineer and producer, collaborating with Mark Mothersbaugh’s Mutato Muzika on numerous film, television, and commercial projects. He continued to perform with Devo during their reunions and later tours. Upon Bob Casale's unexpected passing, his grave can be found at Standing Rock Cemetery in Kent, Ohio.