Great Entertainers Who Died Too Young

Yesterday was the 9 year anniversary of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes' death. She passed away in 2002 at the tender age of 31. By no means did she get the chance to live the life intended for her. She was a member of the world-class R&B group "TLC" which produced hits such as "Waterfalls", "No Scrubs", and a personal favorite of 1161 Ashby "Creep". And much like everybody has their ups-and-downs throughout life, Left Eye had hers in 1994 when she set fire to NFL wide receiver Andre Rison's mansion. Blame was placed on drugs and alcohol, but maybe there was a little bit of crazy in her. Regardless, these 5 others died way before they made the impact they could have in the entertainment business.

Aaliyah (1979-2001)

If it weren't for Aaliyah, Timbaland would still be considered just a boot for ghetto white people. Instead, this song gave him the courage and power to produce "Shock Value 2" which is a must-have album, if only for 3 of its songs. Aaliyah was a beautiful, young singer/actress who lost her life because of a miscalculation. The plane she was set to take off from was carrying too much cargo and a pilot who didn't have proper flying credentials. The plane then unfortunately crash-landed shortly after take-off, killing all of its passengers. A truly sad day in the music world.

Kurt Cobain (1967 - 1994)

I really like Nirvana. To this day, their music is timeless. I feel like I'm selling their music on an infomercial. But they truly paved the way for Grunge music to make it into the mainstream. And I know most people like Pearl Jam better, but Nirvana trounced them. Kurt Cobain allegedly died from a shotgun blow to the head, self-inflicted. However, anybody who knows anything about music and life should know that Courtney Love had something to do with it. I'm not saying she pulled the trigger, but something was fishy about the whole situation. I know he had serious issues with drugs as well as an internal health problem that couldn't be diagnosed, but I find it hard to accept that someone with so much talent would take their own life. Kurt Cobain was on the path to becoming a rock legend.

Heath Ledger (1979 - 2008)

No, Heath Ledger wasn't known for his singing ability, but by golly he took my breath away with this performance. "10 Things I Hate About You" was one of the great chick flicks of the late 1990s. I've seen it more than 20 times and I'm a boy, so what does that tell you? This is the only time a Shakespearean play is bearable to watch. And who could forget his memorable take as "The Joker" in "The Dark Knight"? Some say that his role in that film ultimately led to his death, but that assertion is beyond preposterous. Why didn't Christian Bale kill himself after "American Psycho"? Or Brad Pitt after "Fight Club"? These guys played sinister roles that should have shook the very ground they walk on, yet they are still here making movie after movie. Maybe it legitimately was an accidental overdose, or maybe foul play should be suspected. But by no means should we allude to the fact that he played an incredible, dark part in a fantastic movie.

Pat Tillman (1976 - 2004)

Pat Tillman is an American hero. The man died serving our country, all while giving up his place as an NFL player. He should be commended for his brevity, patriotism, and courage. Whether you agree with the ongoing war or not, as an American, you have to respect what these men and women do each and every day of their lives to protect our freedom. Pat Tillman, you truly are an American hero.

Chris Farley (1964 - 1997)

"That Veronica Vaughn is one hot piece of ace. I know from experience." The audio quality is shit, but if you don't know where that clip is from you should be shot on the spot. I had to pick one of Farley's clips from my all-time favorite movie as opposed to the other countless hilarious clips of him. He too suffered from the temptations of drugs and alcohol and it's a terrible shame because he was sooooo funny and talented. "Tommy Boy" and "Black Sheep" are phenomenal films as well as the Beverly Hills Ninja series. A true artist in every sense of the word and funny like no other. It broke my heart to hear about his death as he was one of my favorite comedians/actors. Oh Chris Farley. I hope you are in a better place.

It's hard to narrow down celebrities that have died at a young age. It seems rampant in Hollywood. However, I chose some of my favorite entertainers. And no matter how hard you try, you can't put a price on a human life. For all the others that I may have missed, sorry guys and gals. Enjoy your Tuesday folks. "I am better than you."

The Top 10 Greatest Songs Of The 90s. And By 90s I Mostly Mean 1996-1999. (Part 1)

I really like 90s music. It's as if I'm living in the past and I can't get unstuck. So I sit in my room and listen to my iTunes. And when I'm not listening to that I put on Pandora. By the way, Pandora really sucks dick now. They have commercials for soap.com literally every other song. I don't want to hear about code soap guy anymore. It ruined the integrity of the website. But back to business. Anyone who has the ability to listen to music should know that the 90s provided some of the best music ever recorded in the history of the Earth. Bands like Nirvana, Third Eye Blind, and The Backstreet Boys dominated the airwaves. So I give you the honor of reading the Top 10 Greatest Songs of the 90s. And by 90s I mean mostly from 1996-1999.

10. Duncan Sheik - "Barely Breathing"

First of all, what is a Duncan Sheik? I know it isn't his name because noone would allow their child to go through that daily living hell. However, this song is one of my personal favorites. Lyrically, it's fascinating, relaying the pains of an ended relationship. Marvelous Duncan. The guitar tickles my eardrums and his voice is like a virgin goddess. It's a real shame that he decided to quit making popular music and start a Tony-award winning career on Broadway. Heard of Spring Awakening? Me neither.

9. Paula Cole - "I Don't Want To Wait"

If the first thing you think of isn't Dawson's Creek, you are totally full of shit and an asshole. This song represents the greatest drama produced for teenagers and young adults for the year ending 1998. Katie Holmes in her prime and a dieseled James Van Der Beek. Beautiful. I'm also pretty confident that Ms. Cole and her hairy armpits won a Grammy for this love ballad. And in all honesty, if it wasn't the theme song for the aforementioned cult classic drama, I wouldn't have included it in this list. But today you get a reprieve Paula. You're welcome.

8. Sugar Ray - "Fly"

Perhaps a guilty pleasure to like Sugar Ray. Or perhaps it's the ability to hear what good music sounds like. Mark McGrath probably got more than a handful of girls and guys to drop their panties in the late 90s. The music was so generic and bland that it had mass appeal. There was nothing special about Sugar Ray. McGrath has a shitty voice, but it all came together for everyone's enjoyment. Plus, how could you not like a former host of Entertainment Tonight and currently, Don't Forget the Lyrics!

7. Ricky Martin - "Livin' La Vida Loca"

It's not possible to bypass Ricky Martin on this list. This song made it socially acceptable to enjoy listening to Latin music again. It was previously banned after the whole Selena incident and movie that Jennifer Lopez ruined. But thanks to Ricky Martin, "Upside inside out. She's livin la vida loca." I don't know what the fuck that means, but it doesn't take away from blowing my mind. And did you see those sweet leather pants/assless chaps he's wearing? Incredible to have so much audacity. I'm also not surprised that he is a homosexual, not that there's anything wrong with that.

6. Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Under The Bridge"

So I included one song not from the Golden Age of music. But that's ok, this song rocks my socks. Any time you can open up to the masses about something that's really sensitive and personal, I have to give my respects. True story, it's said that Anthony Kiedis wrote this song in his journal as a poem only to be discovered by his agent. His agent in turn asked him to write music to it because it was a sure-fire hit. Hesitant at first, he finally obliged and well as they say, the rest is history. He's not the first person to suffer from drug addiction, and certainly he won't be the last. But to tell everyone and their mother about it, I'm impressed. You win 6th place.

(To be continued tomorrow.)