Random Most Surprising Historical Celebrity Deaths (15 items)

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  (#9) Sam Cooke

  • Dec. at 33 (1931-1964)

  On December 11th, 1964, legendary R&B singer Sam Cooke was shot to death in the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles. The motel manager, Bertha Franklin, claimed to have shot Cooke in self-defense. According to her story, Cooke had taken a young woman to the motel against her will. After the woman fled from his room, Cooke barged into the manager’s office demanding to know her whereabouts. Allegedly, when Franklin told Cooke she did not know where the woman was, he violently attacked her, and she shot him in self-defense with a gun kept in the office.

  Over the years, this version of events has been called into question. Some suspect Franklin and the young woman with Cooke that night were conspiring against him to rob him. Due to the limited number of witnesses, what actually occurred remains unclear to this day.
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  (#11) Bob Crane

  • Dec. at 50 (1928-1978)

  Bob Crane was seen as the picture of normalcy as the star of the family friendly program Hogan’s Heroes. This made the bizarre details surrounding his death shocking to the public. Crane was bludgeoned to death on June 29th, 1978 in his apartment in Scottsdale, AZ. In the ensuing weeks, it came out that Crane was a fan of kinky sex, seduced many women, participated in orgies, and often filmed such endeavors.

  The most likely suspect was John Henry Carpenter, a friend of Crane’s who often helped Crane tape his exploits. Carpenter was believed to have been in love with Crane, and Crane was supposedly considering ending their relationship. While Carpenter was charged with the crime, a lack of evidence ultimately led to him being found “not guilty.”
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  (#14) Bobby Fuller

  • Dec. at 24 (1942-1966)

  Rock & roll star Bobby Fuller’s death on July 18th, 1966, was a mystery that remains debatably unsolved. Fuller was found dead of asphyxiation in the front seat of his mother’s car in Los Angeles, CA. The death may have been suicide or an accident, but some speculate Fuller was murdered. He had left his home earlier in the day, and his body was later found doused in gasoline.

  The most likely explanation is that the death was either a suicide or an accident. There were no signs of homicide according to coroner’s reports, but suspicious bruises generated theories that Fuller was actually murdered. Regardless of the cause, the death of an up-and-coming rock star at 23 left many Americans shocked.
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  (#12) William Frawley

  • Dec. at 79 (1887-1966)

  William Frawley was most famous for portraying the memorable Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy. Known as a curmudgeon with a drinking problem, Frawley was notoriously difficult to work with. On the set of I Love Lucy, his TV wife Vivian Vance frequently squabbled with the actor.

  Frawley died very publicly, dropping dead from a heart attack while walking home from a movie on March 3rd, 1966. Anecdotal reports surfaced stating Vance heard the news and proceeded to shout, “Champagne for everyone!”
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  (#3) Elvis Presley

  • Dec. at 42 (1935-1977)

  Elvis Presley’s health and weight fluctuations had been a popular tabloid subject for years before the singer was found dead in the bathroom of his Memphis estate on August 16th, 1977. While the death was initially reported as a heart attack, stories began to emerge about Presley’s drug use and how it may have contributed to the singer’s demise.

  Presley’s death was shocking as it came in the wake of a televised Vegas performance. Fans were shocked the star – whom they had just seen alive and healthy – had died, and had apparently been dealing with a drug problem for a long time.

  Over 100,000 people showed up to the public viewing of Presley’s body at his Graceland estate. The event attracted a wide array of mourners from all different ages and walks of life. The subsequent media coverage forced many people to reevaluate their view of the singer as his chronic health problems and struggles with addiction became public knowledge.
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  (#1) Sharon Tate

  • Dec. at 26 (1943-1969)

  In an event that marked the end of the ‘60s era of peace and love for many, the world was shocked when up-and-coming actress Sharon Tate was stabbed to death while nine months pregnant. Tate was found dead in her Los Angeles home, alongside five other bodies, on August 9th, 1969.

  In the ensuing weeks, it would emerge Tate had been a victim of the Manson family cult. The cult members, acting under the instructions of Charles Manson, were committing murders in order to start the apocalyptic race war Manson believed was coming.

  The deaths were incredibly shocking to the general public due to the seemingly random nature of the attack and the gruesome details. Tate had been stabbed multiple times and there was an “X” cut into her stomach. The killers had written words like “Pig” and “Helter Skelter” on the walls using the blood of the victims.

  The tragedy led to mass paranoia in Hollywood and was one of several tragic events that led to general disillusionment with the ‘60s counterculture.

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