It's one of those great "What If?" stories of American pop music. Unfortunately, we'll never know what would have happened for Buddy Holly after his life was tragically cut short in a plane crash at the age of just 22.
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Johnny Cash started out poor, born in Arkansas as the fourth of seven children (four boys, three girls). As it turns out, losing his a sibling had a profound impact on him.
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Only half of the emperor of China actually died in office. And that's just the beginning. This is the tragic history of Chinese emperors.
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Fame may make some people rich, but it doesn't make them any more valuable. Doors frontman Jim Morrison didn't reach the apex of his fame until long after he was no longer alive to reap the immense wealth that would have come with it.
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The year was 1991, and Willie Nelson's son, William Hugh Nelson Jr., was 33 years old. On Christmas Day, Billy Nelson was found dead in his home.
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The Rat Pack is the epitome of old-school cool, but there was a lot of turmoil and sadness behind the scenes. This is the tragic history of the Rat Pack.
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Ludwig van Beethoven is one of the most famous composers ever, but his life was full of heartbreak and loss. Here are some of the unhappy details of the tragic real-life story of Beethoven.
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Gypsy Rose Blanchard said she felt freer in prison than she did growing up with her mother. This is the story of her tragic childhood.
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Tibet's fate has been largely down to the fact that it lies adjacent to China. That's a recipe for turmoil and tragedy. This is the tragic truth about Tibet.
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Charles Lindbergh was a household name when his son, Charles Lindbergh, Jr. was kidnapped. This is the tragic true story of the Lindbergh baby kidnapping.
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The Romanovs were assassinated in 1918, but that’s just the final act of their heartbreaking story. From troubled romances to major health issues, here’s the tragic real-life story of the Romanovs, the last imperial rulers of Russia.
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If you're not familiar with the name Randy Rhoads, chances are you've still heard him play. Rhoads was the virtuoso guitar player who shredded on Ozzy Osbourne's first two solo records, and a major part why the Ozzman managed to pick himself up from the slump he'd been in ...
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As hilarious as his public persona was, in many ways he was the archetypal sad clown. This is the tragic real-life story of Chris Farley.
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Frida Kahlo is one of the most admired artists of the 20th century. But Kahlo's artistic genius came at a price. Her personal life was marred with tragedy, loss, illness, infidelity, and chronic pain that plagued her throughout her time on Earth. This is the tragic real-life story of Frida Kahlo.
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Florence Nightingale invented the modern nursing profession and changed the course of public health forever. But the woman who did so much to improve health care spent much of her own life sickly, reclusive, and averse to media attention. This is the tragic life of Florence Nightingale.
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Mozart was a genius with a gross sense of humor, an inability to handle money, and a life filled with tragedy right up to his dying moments. Here are a few heartbreaking facts about him you might not know.
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Sam Cooke gave us such standards as "Another Saturday Night" and "Wonderful World." And then in the space of a single evening, it all went south.
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It's cliche to compare the life of a country music star to the events of a country music song, but the real-life life story of Randy Travis sounds like it was ripped from a tragic ballad.
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There are few bands as iconic as The Who. Here is the tragic real-life story of The Who.
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Florence Lawrence is often labeled as the first movie star in history, but in her personal life, she struggled against depression, heartbreak, and disease.
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Bon Jovi is a household name. But the members of this group have suffered their fair share of setbacks. Here’s the tragic real-life story of Bon Jovi.
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There's no question that Ernest Hemingway was one of the 20th Century's professional manly men. So it's a shame that he met such a sad end.
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Born in 1898 in Brooklyn, Jacob Bruskin Gershowitz (for such was his name) was identified early as a genuine musical prodigy. Here's how he died.
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Rush's songs speak to the mind and the heart. The band also sings from a place of empathy, as its individual members have endured a lot of pain and struggle over the years. Here's the tragic real-life story of Rush.
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Who among us, some idle summer afternoon, hasn't thought, "Wouldn't it be cool to be King (or Queen)?" Or just royal. For Margaret Tudor, it may have contributed to her death.
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You might remember Phil Hartman from SNL, The Simpsons, or NewsRadio. But his life was beset with heartbreak, and it ended with an unspeakable tragedy. Here's a look at the all-too-brief and incredibly tragic life of Phil Hartman.
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Apparently he was a pretty fair soldier, but as a domestic terrorist, he was lacking. Guy Fawkes, born in 1570 in York, England, didn't even start out Catholic -- but by the end of his tragic life, he would be sentenced to death as one.
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