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See Also
See Again
© Getty Images
0 / 33 Fotos
Lil Hardin Armstrong
- This jazz musician collapsed on stage during a performance at a memorial for her former husband, Louis Armstrong, in 1971.
© Getty Images
1 / 33 Fotos
Warne Marsh - Marsh was a saxophonist and member of band Supersax. He died on stage at Donte's, playing the song 'Out of Nowhere.'
© Public Domain
2 / 33 Fotos
Molière - One of the first stars who dropped dead on stage, this French actor and playwright suffered from tuberculosis and died during a performance of 'Le Malade Imaginaire.'
© Public Domain
3 / 33 Fotos
Lee Morgan
- A legend of jazz, Lee Morgan was killed by his common-law wife while performing in New York. Heavy snowfall halted the arrival of ambulances, and Morgan bled to death at the venue.
© Getty Images
4 / 33 Fotos
Mikaben
- Haitian singer Mikaben, real name Michael Benjamin, died in the middle of a concert in Paris on October 15, 2022, after collapsing as he made his way off stage, still in view of fans. It's suspected he suffered a heart attack. He was just 41 years old. The singer was appearing at the 20,000-capacity Accor Arena in Paris as a guest of famous Haitian group Carimi. The venue tweeted that he "died after suffering a seizure on stage and despite the efforts of emergency services," which rushed to him when he collapsed. Mikaben was a huge figure in Haiti's music scene and Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry tweeted, "I’m shocked by the sudden death of the young and very talented artist Michael Benjamin ‘Mikaben.'" Haiti-born rapper Wyclef Jean, of The Fugees, also called the singer “one of the most influential and inspirational young artists of our generation” in an interview with The Miami Herald newspaper.
© Getty Images
5 / 33 Fotos
Tiny Tim
- This strange singer was behind the horror hit, 'Tiptoe Through the Tulips.' He collapsed during a performance of the song at a benefit show, and died a few hours later.
© Getty Images
6 / 33 Fotos
Tommy Cooper - Welsh comedian Tommy Cooper had a heart attack and died on live TV, during a performance at 'Live from Her Majesty's' in 1984.
© NL Beeld
7 / 33 Fotos
Bruce Hampton
- Hampton collapsed on stage during a celebration of his 70th birthday. He died shortly after.
© Getty Images
8 / 33 Fotos
Sib Hashian - Sib Hashian was a drummer for Boston, who died in 2017, after collapsing in the middle of a performance aboard a cruise ship.
© Public Domain
9 / 33 Fotos
Alan Marshal - Alan Marshal was a prolific actor on film and stage. His final play was 'Sextette,' which was when he suffered a heart attack on stage.
© Public Domain
10 / 33 Fotos
Mark Sandman
- Front man of rock band Morphine, Mark Sandman suffered a heart attack on stage at the Giardini del Principe festival in Italy. He died en route to the hospital.
© Getty Images
11 / 33 Fotos
Detsl
- This Russian rapper died in 2019, suffering a heart attack after stepping off stage. He was 35.
© Getty Images
12 / 33 Fotos
Louis Vierne - Once the resident organist at the Notre-Dame Cathedral, Louis Vierne played to 3,000 people for his final concert. He ended up having a heart attack.
© Public Domain
13 / 33 Fotos
Darrell Abbott
- Also known as Dimebag Darrell, the Pantera and Damageplan guitarist was shot and killed by Nathan Gale, who snuck into a Damageplan concert in 2004.
© Getty Images
14 / 33 Fotos
Joseph Keilberth
- In 1968, Joseph Keilberth collapsed while conducting 'Tristan und Isolde.' Felix Mottl was another conductor who died in the exact same place in 1911.
© Getty Images
15 / 33 Fotos
Costa Titch
- South African rapper Costa Titch died suddenly on March 12, 2023, after collapsing on stage at a music festival, his family confirmed on Instagram. The 'Big Flexa' rapper, whose real name is Constantinos Tsobanoglou, was just 28. Footage on social media appeared to show Tsobanoglou, who had recently signed to Akon's music label, fall over on stage while performing at Ulta South Africa, in Johannesburg, before being lifted up by someone beside him. He tried to continue his performance but collapsed again. “It is with deep pain that we find ourselves having to acknowledge his passing at this time,” Tsobanoglou’s family said in a post on his Instagram. “We are thankful for those emergency responders and all those present in his last hours on this earth." The statement did not mention a cause of death. Tsobanoglou will be remembered as one of the biggest contemporary stars of amapiano music.
© Getty Images
16 / 33 Fotos
Big Pokey
- Houston rapper Big Pokey died at age 45 after a scary fall onstage which shocked the audience and ultimately took his life. The Texas-based MC, born Milton Powell, collapsed at a bar in Beaumont late on June 17, 2023, as video footage captured him with mic in hand, letting out a big breath, then tipping backward and passing out, TMZ reports. When he didn't get up, panic ensued and a nurse tried to administer aid until emergency services came and transported him to the hospital, where he eventually died.
© Getty Images
17 / 33 Fotos
Laudir de Oliveira
- Best known as a former member of Chicago, Oliveira (left) had a heart attack during a set in Rio de Janeiro in 2017.
© Getty Images
18 / 33 Fotos
John Taylor
- The revered jazz pianist had a heart attack at the Saveurs Jazz Festival in 2015. He died later at the hospital.
© Getty Images
19 / 33 Fotos
Brandon Lee
- Son of Bruce Lee, this actor died on set of 'The Crow,' when he was shot by a faulty prop gun.
© Getty Images
20 / 33 Fotos
Owen Hart - A hit wrestler during the '90s, Owen Hart fell 78 ft from the ceiling onto the ring at the Kemper Arena in Kansas. He was declared dead at the hospital.
© Public Domain
21 / 33 Fotos
Les Harvey
- In 1972, this musician (right) was electrocuted after touching a microphone. Harvey died from his injuries aged 27.
© Getty Images
22 / 33 Fotos
Leonard Warren
- Warren was a revered opera singer, who collapsed straight after performing 'Urna Fatale del Mio Destino' ('Fatal Urn of My Destiny') in New York.
© Getty Images
23 / 33 Fotos
William Ellsworth Robinson - Across the 19th and 20th century, this American magician performed as Chung Ling Soo. He died in 1918, after a gun was fired into his lung during a failed bullet-catch trick.
© Public Domain
24 / 33 Fotos
Mitsuharu Misawa
- This Japanese pro wrestler died in 2009, after injuring his spine during a match in Japan. He suffered a cardiac arrest, and later died.
© Getty Images
25 / 33 Fotos
Lasse Eriksson - Eriksson was once one of Sweden's most famous stand-ups. He died during his show, 'Fyra Lyckliga Man 2,' after collapsing on stage.
© Public Domain
26 / 33 Fotos
Eric Morecambe
- One half of famous comedy couple Morecambe and Wise, Eric had a heart attack right after stepping offstage at the Roses Theater in England.
© Getty Images
27 / 33 Fotos
P. C. Sorcar
- Sorcar was a hit magician in India, but died of a heart attack in Hokkaido, Japan, during a show in 1971.
© Getty Images
28 / 33 Fotos
Papa Wemba
- This Congolese musician collapsed during a performance in the Ivory Coast. He was 66.
© Getty Images
29 / 33 Fotos
Frederick Federici - The British bass-baritone suffered a heart attack after he sang his last note, collapsing through a trapdoor.
© Public Domain
30 / 33 Fotos
Sid James
- British actor Sid James, known for his numerous roles in the 'Carry On' films, collapsed on stage during the opening night of the play 'The Mating Season' in 1976. He had suffered a heart attack and passed away at the age of 62.
© Getty Images
31 / 33 Fotos
David Burns
- Broadway star David Burns was 68 when he died during a tryout performance of '70, Girls, 70' in Philadelphia.
© Public Domain
32 / 33 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 33 Fotos
Lil Hardin Armstrong
- This jazz musician collapsed on stage during a performance at a memorial for her former husband, Louis Armstrong, in 1971.
© Getty Images
1 / 33 Fotos
Warne Marsh - Marsh was a saxophonist and member of band Supersax. He died on stage at Donte's, playing the song 'Out of Nowhere.'
© Public Domain
2 / 33 Fotos
Molière - One of the first stars who dropped dead on stage, this French actor and playwright suffered from tuberculosis and died during a performance of 'Le Malade Imaginaire.'
© Public Domain
3 / 33 Fotos
Lee Morgan
- A legend of jazz, Lee Morgan was killed by his common-law wife while performing in New York. Heavy snowfall halted the arrival of ambulances, and Morgan bled to death at the venue.
© Getty Images
4 / 33 Fotos
Mikaben
- Haitian singer Mikaben, real name Michael Benjamin, died in the middle of a concert in Paris on October 15, 2022, after collapsing as he made his way off stage, still in view of fans. It's suspected he suffered a heart attack. He was just 41 years old. The singer was appearing at the 20,000-capacity Accor Arena in Paris as a guest of famous Haitian group Carimi. The venue tweeted that he "died after suffering a seizure on stage and despite the efforts of emergency services," which rushed to him when he collapsed. Mikaben was a huge figure in Haiti's music scene and Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry tweeted, "I’m shocked by the sudden death of the young and very talented artist Michael Benjamin ‘Mikaben.'" Haiti-born rapper Wyclef Jean, of The Fugees, also called the singer “one of the most influential and inspirational young artists of our generation” in an interview with The Miami Herald newspaper.
© Getty Images
5 / 33 Fotos
Tiny Tim
- This strange singer was behind the horror hit, 'Tiptoe Through the Tulips.' He collapsed during a performance of the song at a benefit show, and died a few hours later.
© Getty Images
6 / 33 Fotos
Tommy Cooper - Welsh comedian Tommy Cooper had a heart attack and died on live TV, during a performance at 'Live from Her Majesty's' in 1984.
© NL Beeld
7 / 33 Fotos
Bruce Hampton
- Hampton collapsed on stage during a celebration of his 70th birthday. He died shortly after.
© Getty Images
8 / 33 Fotos
Sib Hashian - Sib Hashian was a drummer for Boston, who died in 2017, after collapsing in the middle of a performance aboard a cruise ship.
© Public Domain
9 / 33 Fotos
Alan Marshal - Alan Marshal was a prolific actor on film and stage. His final play was 'Sextette,' which was when he suffered a heart attack on stage.
© Public Domain
10 / 33 Fotos
Mark Sandman
- Front man of rock band Morphine, Mark Sandman suffered a heart attack on stage at the Giardini del Principe festival in Italy. He died en route to the hospital.
© Getty Images
11 / 33 Fotos
Detsl
- This Russian rapper died in 2019, suffering a heart attack after stepping off stage. He was 35.
© Getty Images
12 / 33 Fotos
Louis Vierne - Once the resident organist at the Notre-Dame Cathedral, Louis Vierne played to 3,000 people for his final concert. He ended up having a heart attack.
© Public Domain
13 / 33 Fotos
Darrell Abbott
- Also known as Dimebag Darrell, the Pantera and Damageplan guitarist was shot and killed by Nathan Gale, who snuck into a Damageplan concert in 2004.
© Getty Images
14 / 33 Fotos
Joseph Keilberth
- In 1968, Joseph Keilberth collapsed while conducting 'Tristan und Isolde.' Felix Mottl was another conductor who died in the exact same place in 1911.
© Getty Images
15 / 33 Fotos
Costa Titch
- South African rapper Costa Titch died suddenly on March 12, 2023, after collapsing on stage at a music festival, his family confirmed on Instagram. The 'Big Flexa' rapper, whose real name is Constantinos Tsobanoglou, was just 28. Footage on social media appeared to show Tsobanoglou, who had recently signed to Akon's music label, fall over on stage while performing at Ulta South Africa, in Johannesburg, before being lifted up by someone beside him. He tried to continue his performance but collapsed again. “It is with deep pain that we find ourselves having to acknowledge his passing at this time,” Tsobanoglou’s family said in a post on his Instagram. “We are thankful for those emergency responders and all those present in his last hours on this earth." The statement did not mention a cause of death. Tsobanoglou will be remembered as one of the biggest contemporary stars of amapiano music.
© Getty Images
16 / 33 Fotos
Big Pokey
- Houston rapper Big Pokey died at age 45 after a scary fall onstage which shocked the audience and ultimately took his life. The Texas-based MC, born Milton Powell, collapsed at a bar in Beaumont late on June 17, 2023, as video footage captured him with mic in hand, letting out a big breath, then tipping backward and passing out, TMZ reports. When he didn't get up, panic ensued and a nurse tried to administer aid until emergency services came and transported him to the hospital, where he eventually died.
© Getty Images
17 / 33 Fotos
Laudir de Oliveira
- Best known as a former member of Chicago, Oliveira (left) had a heart attack during a set in Rio de Janeiro in 2017.
© Getty Images
18 / 33 Fotos
John Taylor
- The revered jazz pianist had a heart attack at the Saveurs Jazz Festival in 2015. He died later at the hospital.
© Getty Images
19 / 33 Fotos
Brandon Lee
- Son of Bruce Lee, this actor died on set of 'The Crow,' when he was shot by a faulty prop gun.
© Getty Images
20 / 33 Fotos
Owen Hart - A hit wrestler during the '90s, Owen Hart fell 78 ft from the ceiling onto the ring at the Kemper Arena in Kansas. He was declared dead at the hospital.
© Public Domain
21 / 33 Fotos
Les Harvey
- In 1972, this musician (right) was electrocuted after touching a microphone. Harvey died from his injuries aged 27.
© Getty Images
22 / 33 Fotos
Leonard Warren
- Warren was a revered opera singer, who collapsed straight after performing 'Urna Fatale del Mio Destino' ('Fatal Urn of My Destiny') in New York.
© Getty Images
23 / 33 Fotos
William Ellsworth Robinson - Across the 19th and 20th century, this American magician performed as Chung Ling Soo. He died in 1918, after a gun was fired into his lung during a failed bullet-catch trick.
© Public Domain
24 / 33 Fotos
Mitsuharu Misawa
- This Japanese pro wrestler died in 2009, after injuring his spine during a match in Japan. He suffered a cardiac arrest, and later died.
© Getty Images
25 / 33 Fotos
Lasse Eriksson - Eriksson was once one of Sweden's most famous stand-ups. He died during his show, 'Fyra Lyckliga Man 2,' after collapsing on stage.
© Public Domain
26 / 33 Fotos
Eric Morecambe
- One half of famous comedy couple Morecambe and Wise, Eric had a heart attack right after stepping offstage at the Roses Theater in England.
© Getty Images
27 / 33 Fotos
P. C. Sorcar
- Sorcar was a hit magician in India, but died of a heart attack in Hokkaido, Japan, during a show in 1971.
© Getty Images
28 / 33 Fotos
Papa Wemba
- This Congolese musician collapsed during a performance in the Ivory Coast. He was 66.
© Getty Images
29 / 33 Fotos
Frederick Federici - The British bass-baritone suffered a heart attack after he sang his last note, collapsing through a trapdoor.
© Public Domain
30 / 33 Fotos
Sid James
- British actor Sid James, known for his numerous roles in the 'Carry On' films, collapsed on stage during the opening night of the play 'The Mating Season' in 1976. He had suffered a heart attack and passed away at the age of 62.
© Getty Images
31 / 33 Fotos
David Burns
- Broadway star David Burns was 68 when he died during a tryout performance of '70, Girls, 70' in Philadelphia.
© Public Domain
32 / 33 Fotos
Stars who died in front of their fans
There one minute, gone the next...
© Getty Images
Believe it or not, there are plenty of performers who have died on stage through the years. Whether it's dropping dead during a set or suffering a heart attack that later takes their life, it's surprisingly more common than you'd think.
From jazz greats to world-class magicians, check out this list of stars who dropped dead on stage.
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