Who is the greatest musician who died before reaching his full potential?

@OldHippie How the hell did I forget Bon Scott, Marc Bolan, and Jim Croce?

Families, fans and friends of the deceased would beg to differ on the ''tragic'' nature of deaths regardless of how.

Randy was a good post as he definitely was one cruelly denied that chance.

Though none of these names qualify as "greatest" they all died with music left in them.

Sam Cooke
Otis Redding
Harry Chapin
Tommy Bolin
Pete Ham
Brian Jones
Berry Oakley
Paul Kosoff
Ricky Nelson
Patsy Cline
Hank Williams

Dave78 said:

I don't know if Randy Rhodes is the greatest musician who died before reaching his full potential or not, but he's the one who comes to mind.

He seemed to me to be rather one-dimensional on Ozzy's first two solo albums, and I'll always wonder if he would have matured as a songwriter and guitar player. Joe Satriani got better with each successive album, and I've always thought George Lynch's best work was in the 90's after Dokken imploded, so who knows what would have come from Randy later on in the 80's and beyond?

I know he taught classical guitar so he can play, I just didn't hear it on record -- save for the two songs "You Can't Kill Rock and Roll" and "Tonight".

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Just yesterday, before posting here I read that RR told Ozzy he wanted to take some time off after the tour to get a formal education (degree) in classical guitar:

From Wikipedia:
Around this time, Rhoads remarked to Osbourne, bandmates Aldridge and Sarzo, and friend Kelly Garni that he was considering leaving rock for a few years to earn a degree in classical guitar at UCLA. In the documentary Don't Blame Me, Osbourne confirmed Rhoads' desire to earn the degree and stated that had he lived, he did not believe Rhoads would have stayed in his band.

So, who knows what he would've been doing after that experience!

As for classical in his music, it's there... you just need to listen for it. The writing and musical phrasing of the song "Diary Of A Madman" (esp the ending) is very classical. Also "Revelation / Mother Earth", not only the actual classical guitar through most of the song, but when the electric guitar transitions to the final segment and through to the end is symphonic!

No, Randy Rhoads isn't "the greatest musician who died before reaching his full potential", but he is certainly one of the best. Randy's playing was wild and untamed. In his solos, he was often getting ahead of himself. He needed a couple more years and albums to really rein in and control the fire within.

Imagine... Cliff Burton and Randy Rhoads in a band together!

Speed King said:

Though none of these names qualify as "greatest" they all died with music left in them.

Sam Cooke
Otis Redding
Harry Chapin
Tommy Bolin
Pete Ham
Brian Jones
Berry Oakley
Paul Kosoff
Ricky Nelson
Patsy Cline
Hank Williams

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wow @Speed King awesome list...

as above and add:
Robert Johnson
John Bonham
Marc Bolan
Rory Gallagher
Jerry Garcia
Charley Patton
Howlin` Wolf
Miles Davis
John Coltrane

I just realized nobody mentioned anything about Ritchie Valens, a pioneer of Chicano rock music. He died when he was only 17.

The day the music died.

Cadleson said:

I just realized nobody mentioned anything about Ritchie Valens, a pioneer of Chicano rock music. He died when he was only 17.

The day the music died.

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I thought about Ritchie Valens. Buddy Holly, too. They both had upside potential, but I also think they both would have become victims of the British Invasion in the early 60's. I think The Beach Boys were about the only American band that held their own to the likes of The Beatles, The Kinks, The Animals and The Rolling Stones.

And I'm not sure if the British Invasion also knocked Elvis off his perch, but I think maybe that's when doing movies was a more lucrative venture for him. I think. I'm not sure. I didn't look it up. And I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night either.

Being from the UK, I'm going to say Ian Curtis who died at the age of 23. he was the founder, lead singer and songwriter of Joy Division - a highly influential act of the post-punk generation.
The band scored a classic hit single with Love Will Tear Us Apart in 1980 and I'm sure they would have been an even bigger band than the one they became without Curtis - New Order.

I found an article by google search, hope it will help you :
http://www.news.com.au/entertainmen...g/news-story/bade8e33be374cd7e864c2b9766e2971

Kurt Cobain and Jeff Buckley are the first 2 that come to mind. Chester Bennington (my avatar) is another one.