Fields’ My Little Chickadee (1940), and in Bud Abbott and Lou Costello’s Comin’ Round the Mountain (1951), playing a nefarious witch who battles it out with the comedians. Upon Oz’s release, Burke was coming off a 1938 Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her performance in Merrily We Live (1938). She also acted in the Topper movies, the first of which starred Cary Grant and Constance Bennett as ghosts haunting Burke’s husband. She collaborated with George Cukor on Dinner at Eight (1933) and appeared in The Man Who Came to Dinner (1940). Jack Haley played the technically heartless but nevertheless sensitive Tin Man, the second companion to join Dorothy’s trek on the iconic yellow brick road. Bolger attended Garland’s funeral along with Harold Arlen, who composed “Over the Rainbow.” He was the last surviving star of the film.
John Belushi
Drug courts are now common, and the criminal justice system has become the most powerful force in the country supporting addiction treatment. Education is the key—not only teaching youth about the health dangers of specific drugs but also teaching about the disease of addiction. Finally, treatment programs should address general wellness and factors leading to addiction, including poverty, lack of education, impaired mental health, and abuse. The CDC said many people are unaware that their drugs are laced with fentanyl, and these accidental overdoses involving fentanyl have reportedly claimed the lives of stars like Cloud, Mac Miller, Lil Peep, Tom Petty and Prince.
Famous People Who Overdosed on Heroin
First exposed to alcohol years before he even turned 18, he eventually found himself in the throes of addiction. He also developed a drug addiction when he was prescribed Vicodin after a jet ski accident in 1997. His drug and alcohol abuse eventually impacted his work on “Friends,” forcing his costars to intervene. Renfro’s struggles had a major effect on his career, as major movie roles began drying up. In 2007, while on probation, he failed to enter a drug treatment program as instructed, which could have saved his life. Ultimately, less than a year after being scolded by the court, Renfro was found dead of a drug overdose after spending the night with some friends, who discovered him unconscious the following morning.
Notable Black People Who Have Died From Drug Overdoses
Actor Angus Cloud died of an overdose of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid that has claimed the lives of many, including stars like Cloud. These stories of these immensely gifted musicians and actors underscore how addiction is an indiscriminate foe that can claim even the most extraordinary lives. Each tale serves as a solemn reminder of the urgency to address the pervasive issues of substance abuse and mental health, particularly in high-pressure professions like the entertainment industry. Prince had been using potent opioids to relieve the pain caused by his intense stage performances as an athlete. Tragically, at the age of 57, he succumbed to an accidental overdose of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin.
- Cocaine, which is also known as the “party drug” is especially very popular among entertainers.
- Toxicology tests showed high amounts of cocaine and morphine in his system.
- Tragically, he passed away at the age of 37 due to an overdose of cocaine and barbiturates.
- 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.
Hailed as the leading figure of the emo rap scene of the mid-late 2010s, Lil Peep went on to inspire many youth subcultures. In his personal life though, he struggled with mental health conditions. Before his death at the age of 26, Mac Miller had a major impact as a rapper and songwriter.
- But she refused the Enquirer demand that she pose with a syringe in front of Belushi’s photo.
- Two of the more recent celebrity overdose deaths, Prince and Tom Petty, were a result of an overdose of a painkiller called fentanyl, adding them to a long list of opioid deaths in the United States.
- Known for his raw and emotive music that openly discussed issues like mental health and substance abuse, Lil Peep’s death is a harsh testament to the topics he addressed in his lyrics.
More From the Los Angeles Times
John Entwistle, the bassist of The Who, tragically passed away at the age of 57 due to a heart attack caused by excessive cocaine consumption. Amy Winehouse, aged 27, tragically lost her life due to excessive alcohol consumption. After a period of abstinence, she succumbed to alcohol poisoning as a result of binge drinking. Michael K. Williams, famous for portraying the character famous people that died from overdose Omar Little on HBO’s ‘The Wire’ from 2002 to 2008, passed away at the age of 54. The cause of death was determined to be a lethal mixture of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. Actress, singer, and dancer Dorothy Dandridge was one of the earliest African-American women stars to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
