Keep reading to find a running list (that we, hopefully, won’t need to update too often) of notable Black people who died following drug overdoses. On top of that, actor Michael K. Williams‘ overdose death in his Brooklyn penthouse on Sept. 6, 2021, was also attributed to fentanyl that was used to lace heroin. Even though Williams’ admitted fight with drug addiction was well documented, his death still caught people off guard. Prince died following an accidental fentanyl overdose in his Paisley Park residence on April 21, 2016. Hours before his death, the 57-year-old musician was seen walking into a doctor’s office. His bodyguard also picked up a prescription, a medication used to treat Prince’s opioid withdrawal, at Walgreens.
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The female singer that died of overdose singer Michelle Gayle, a friend of the family, said that Mr Winehouse was “devastated”. David Ruffin, who rose to fame as a member of the R&B group The Temptations, died from a drug overdose in 1991. Dinah Washington, a jazz, blues and R&B singer who enjoyed a successful career in the 1950s, died of an accidental prescription drug overdose in 1963. Lola Chantrelle “Gangsta Boo” Mitchell died of an accidental drug overdose on New Year’s Day 2023 following the consumption of a toxic blend of cocaine, fentanyl and liquor. The report of Rich Homie Quan’s death placed a spotlight on notable Black people who have died from drug overdoses. Winehouse’s doctor, Christina Romete, later told the court during an inquest regarding Winehouse’s cause of death that she saw the artist the evening before her death, PEOPLE reported at the time.
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Since it can be mixed with an opioid like fentanyl and go undetected, some celebrities have been unintentionally taking the opioid and overdosing by accident. The rapper was “foaming at the mouth, wasn’t breathing and had no heartbeat when his girlfriend called 911,” TMZ reported. While the official cause of death for the man born Dequantes Lamar was not immediately confirmed, the term “overdose” became a top trending topic on X, formerly Twitter, amid an outpouring of condolences. The 42-page coroner’s report also found Xanax, Benadryl, Flexeril and marijuana in her system, though they reportedly did not contribute to her passing. Authorities also detected other drugs in his system, including ephedrine, lidocaine, diazepam and midazolam.
Amy Winehouse found dead in London apartment; drug overdose suspected
A couple of years later — around 1943 — her opium habit evolved into a heroin addiction when the war caused opium shortages and heroin took its place on the market. Winehouse’s abuse issues grew and worsened in 2007, a year in which she canceled numerous shows in the UK and Europe, citing exhaustion or ill health. She was hospitalized in 2007 for a reported overdose of a cocktail of heroin, ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine, whiskey and vodka. “We are very sad to report that the Mitch Winehouse performance on Monday July 25th is canceled due to the unexpected death of his daughter, Amy Winehouse,” the club said on their website. The “Back To Black” singer — whose meteoric rise to fame has been dogged by her well-documented struggles with drug addiction — was found by paramedics around 4 p.m.
How did Amy Winehouse die?
- Suddenly Joplin was unrivalled as the leading female rock and blues singer of the era.
- “They’d seen their parents living a risk-averse lifestyle and Janis was desperate to avoid a life which would be diminished in the way theirs had been.
- Dr. Romete revealed the star had been prescribed a medication called Librium to help her deal with alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
Michael Jackson, the legendary “King Of Pop” music whose career spanned decades since he was a child alcoholism treatment performer, died in 2009 from an accidental overdose of propofol, a powerful sedative administered by the singer’s personal doctor. To be sure, drug overdoses aren’t a new phenomenon to entertainers. Michael Jackson and Prince both overdosed on opioids, but they are far from the only ones who died in that or a similar manner. Comedian Fuquan Johnson was one of two people who overdosed on cocaine laced with fentanyl at a party in Los Angeles on Sept. 2, 2021. Johnson’s death sparked widespread concern in the broader entertainment industry that more celebrities could be at risk of the same fate because so many of them use cocaine from possibly the same source.
- Early on she demonstrated an interest in the arts, but she was reportedly expelled from the Sylvia Young Theatre School for wearing a forbidden nose ring.
- Garland dealt with depression and addiction in the years leading to her death.
- In a written statement, Winehouse’s GP, Dr Christina Romete, said she saw her patient the night before her death.
- Ike Turner, a rock n’ roll pioneer who became infamous for his tumultuous marriage to Tina Turner, died of a cocaine overdose in 2008.
Who was Amy Winehouse?
She was such a lost soul, may she rest in peace,” British singer Lily Allen wrote. Last month she cancelled her European tour following a disastrous performance in Belgrade, Serbia where she gave an incoherent performance appearing disoriented and drunk. Other inquests conducted by Ms Greenaway have also been reheard. Det Insp Les Newman confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances over the death. The doctor’s statement also revealed Winehouse struggled with an eating disorder, where she made herself sick.
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Amy Winehouse collaborated with Tony Bennett on the album Body and Soul. It was released in 2011 after Winehouse’s death, and it won a Grammy for best pop performance by a duo or group. Amy Winehouse won a Grammy for the album Back to Black, released in 2006. It was honored with five Grammy Awards, including two (best song and best recording) for the song “Rehab.” After winning a scholarship to the Sylvia Young Theatre School at the age of 12, she began to write songs of her own and sing at weekends with jazz bands and the National Youth Orchestra, performing her songs at family parties and barmitzvahs. Comedian Fuquan Johnson was one of three people to overdose from a fentanyl-laced batch of cocaine that killed him and one other person in Los Angeles on Sept. 3, 2021.
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Her official cause of death was “alcohol- and drug-related complications.” The singer known as Lady Day was 44 years old when she died. Winehouse’s official cause of death was https://ecosoberhouse.com/ “alcohol toxicity.” At the time of her passing, Winehouse’s blood alcohol level was more than five times over the legal limit. Coroner Suzanne Greenaway ruled it “death by misadventure” and an “unintended consequence” of drinking too much alcohol. After the news was revealed in court, Winehouse’s parents, Mitch and Janis, shared a statement about the death of their daughter.
Her tempestuous love life and substance abuse problems stalled her recording career and drew media attention. Despite Winehouse’s many troubles, her remarkable musical talent was regarded as undeniable by fans and critics alike. Although she entered rehab, she did not remain long, and reports of substance use continued to follow her. Two years later Winehouse attempted a comeback tour, but it was canceled after the singer appeared to be intoxicated at the opening concert.
Amy Winehouse Foundation
Tragic singer Amy Winehouse died in July 2011 from alcohol poisoning, and she made a chilling confession to her doctor hours before her death. Her follow up three year’s later, Back to Black, became one of the biggest-selling records in 2006, and made history when it entered the American album charts at number seven, the highest position ever for a British female artist. A friend in the music industry heard the young Winehouse at one such event and decided to give her studio time to record some demos, which led to her signing a record deal with Island Records at the age of 18. Jimi Hendrix, widely hailed as the greatest rock n’ roll guitarist of all time, died following an accidental overdose on sleeping pills that prompted him to choke, or suffocate, on his own vomit while he slept. Frankie Lymon, an R&B singer who rose to fame as the lead singer in the 1950’s group The Teenagers, died of a heroin overdose in 1968 at the age of 25. Reports said he bought the heroin on a sidewalk in the Williamsburg neighborhood, but it was later determined the drug was laced with fentanyl.