The Dead Musicians Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
1 min
The Dead Musicians Quiz
Image: Gai Terrell/Redferns/Getty Images

About This Quiz

So many musicians died at age 27 that there's a "club" for them. See how much you know about dead musicians.
Which of these musicians is not a member of the infamous 27 Club?
Jimi Hendrix
Kurt Cobain
John Lennon
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

John Lennon was killed at the age of 40 when he was shot by a crazed fan. In addition to Hendrix and Cobain, other members of the 27 Club include Jim Morrison, Amy Winehouse and Janis Joplin.

In the five years after his death in 2009, Michael Jackson earned more than Taylor Swift, Kanye West and Jay Z combined.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jackson earned $700 million in the five years after his death, more than Swift, West and Jay Z combined during the same period.

Which of these three artists did not die in a 1959 plane crash in Iowa?
Ritchie Valens
Don McLean
Buddy Holly
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper all died in a 1959 plane crash. Don McLean later immortalized them in his song "American Pie."

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What illness claimed singer Karen Carpenter at age 32?
anorexia
cancer
cystic fibrosis
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Carpenter, who rose to fame with her brother as The Carpenters, died of heart failure after years of struggling with anorexia.

What disease claimed the lives of both Eva Cassidy and Bob Marley?
malaria
lung cancer
melanoma
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Eva Cassidy lost her battle with melanoma at age 33, while Bob Marley died of the disease at age 36.

What killed Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes?
car crash
house fire
overdose
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Lopes, of the girl group TLC, died in a Honduras car crash in 2002 at the age of 30.

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Who killed John Lennon?
John Wayne Gacy
John Floyd Thomas
Mark David Chapman
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Lennon was killed in 1980 by deranged fan Mark David Chapman.

More than 50 percent of the deaths of rap and hip-hop stars are attributed to homicide.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Just over half of all rappers and hip-hop stars who die are victims of homicide. When you look at blues and gospel, the homicide rate is only 3.5 to 3.6 percent and drops to 2.9 percent for pop stars.

How much did Elvis Presley earn in 2014 — nearly 40 years after his death?
$55 million
$5 million
nothing
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Presley's estate earned $55 million in 2014 thanks to licensing, music sales and Graceland admissions.

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Who killed singer Selena in 1995?
Selena's fan club president
Selena's husband
a stranger
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Yolanda Saldivar killed Selena in 1995. Saldivar not only managed the singer's fan club but also managed her Texas boutiques.

You Got:
/10
Gai Terrell/Redferns/Getty Images