Richardson, J. P.
Music
Age 28
October 24, 1930 - February 3, 1959
Forest Lawn Memorial Park and Funeral Home / Beaumont / Texas / USA / North America
J.P. Richardson (aka The Big Bopper) was a Texas disk jockey, musician and singer known for his big hit singles "Chantilly Lace" and "White Lightning". Richardson was killed in a plane crash in Clear Lake, Iowa in 1959 along with ...
Toto the Dog
Famous Animals
Age 11
November 17, 1933 - September 1, 1945
Hollywood Forever Cemetery / Los Angeles / California / USA / North America
Terry was a two-year-old female Cairn who played the iconic animal in the Wizard of Oz film, which was based on Frank L. Baum’s classic book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In addition to appearing as Toto in the film The Wizard of ...
Buchanan, Roy
Music
Age 48
September 23, 1939 - August 14, 1988
Columbia Garden Cemetery / Arlington / Virginia / USA / North America
Roy Buchanan was an blues guitarist and a pioneer of the Telecaster sound, Buchanan worked as a sideman and as a solo artist, with two gold albums early in his career and two later solo albums that made it to the Billboard chart. ...
Ramone, Johnny
Music
Age 55
October 8, 1948 - September 15, 2004
Hollywood Forever Cemetery / Los Angeles / California / USA / North America
Johnny Ramone was the hard right conservative punk with an affinity for serial killers and nazi memorabilia. But without his discipline, anger and guitar - there would be no Ramones. His wife, Linda, as well as rock stars such as ...
Gulden, Charles
Business and Finance
Age 72
September 23, 1843 - August 15, 1916
Woodlawn Cemetery / Bronx / New York / USA / North America
Charles Gulden is known as "The Father of American Mustard" and the founder of Gulden's. Gulden's is the third largest American manufacturer of mustard, after French's and Grey Poupon. It is the oldest continuously operating musta...
Genna, Peter
Crime and their Victims
Age 67
January 1, 1880 - May 13, 1948
Mt. Carmel Catholic Cemetery / Hillside / Illinois / USA / North America
Peter and Sam Genna arrived to Chicago in April of 1906, having been sponsored by a brother in law and both being described as farmhand/laborers. Their four brothers would later follow them to America where they would form a power...
Goodman, Benny
Music
Age 77
May 30, 1909 - June 13, 1986
Long Ridge Union Cemetery / Stamford / Connecticut / USA / North America
American jazz clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". Benny Goodman led one of the first integrated jazz groups and help start the careers of many jazz musicians including Lionel Hampton, trumpeters Ziggy Elman an...
Greenberg, Hank
Sports
Age 75
January 1, 1911 - September 4, 1986
Hillside Memorial Park / Culver City / California / USA / North America
Standing at six-foot-four, 215-pound Hank Greenberg was a baseball legend who played first base and outfield for the Detroit Tigers from 1930 to 1946. Greenberg, who was the American League's most valuable player in 1935 and 1940,...
Belvin, Jesse
Music
Age 27
December 15, 1932 - February 6, 1960
Evergreen Cemetery / Los Angeles / California / USA / North America
As author of the best known do-wop hit “Earth Angel” and “Good Night My Love,” Jesse Belvin was one of the premier voices of the West Coast black vocal music before his life (and that of his driver and wife) was cut short ...
Shore, Dinah
Show Business
Age 77
February 29, 1916 - February 24, 1994
Hillside Memorial Park / Culver City / California / USA / North America
Known for her sunny disposition and Southern charm, Dinah Shore rose from a successful recording artist with her sultry renditions of "Blues in the Night," "I’ll Walk Alone," and "Buttons and Bows," to a household name with her ...
Hayes, Woody
Sports
Age 74
February 14, 1913 - March 12, 1987
Union Cemetery / Columbus / Ohio / USA / North America
Head Coach of The Ohio State Buckeyes with five national championships during his twenty eight years of coaching. His stellar career came to an abrupt halt when at the 1978 Gator Bowl against Clemson, Coach Hayes punched one of th...
Toland, Gregg
Show Business
Age 44
May 29, 1904 - September 28, 1948
Hollywood Forever Cemetery / Los Angeles / California / USA / North America
Gregg Wesley Toland was an American cinematographer known for his innovative use of techniques such as deep focus, examples of which can be found in his work on Orson Welles' Citizen Kane (1941), William Wyler's The Best Years of ...
Liberace
Show Business
Age 67
05/16/1919 - 02/04/1987
Forest Lawn Memorial Park – Hollywood Hills / Los Angeles / California / USA / North America
Liberace was an American pianist, singer, and actor. He had a successful career spanning four decades of concerts, recordings, television, motion pictures, and endorsements. At the height of his fame from the 1950s to 1970s, Liber...
Big Maybelle
Music
Age 47
May 1, 1924 - January 23, 1972
Evergreen Memorial Park / Bedford Heights / Ohio / USA / North America
Her impressive stature matching the sheer soulful power of her massive vocal talent, Big Maybelle was one of the premier R&B chanteuses of the 1950s. Her deep, gravelly voice was as singular as her recorded output for Okeh and S...
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 ...