No matter what they say, celebrities live very different lives than the rest of us. Many spend time jet setting around the world, staying in or even living in fancy hotels, and living a life of luxury most people can only imagine.
From time to time, things go horribly wrong and celebrities experience tragedies that many of us would never imagine either. When things go wrong, they can go very, very wrong; like it did for these celebrities who each died in a hotel, often alone and under tragic circumstances.
Samarkand Hotel-Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix, though only 27 at the time of his death, is largely regarded even today as the most influential guitarist in history, and potentially the greatest guitarist in rock music of all time. He rocketed to fame in 1967 and quickly was ranked among the most well paid and well regarded musicians at the time. He headlined the Woodstock festival, becoming an icon of the rock and hippie movements.
At the height of his career, Hendrix suffered from personal doubts, fatigue and exertion from overworking. After a day of partying with friends, he was found on September 18, 1970 in his room in the London Samarkand Hotel, dead from an apparent suffocation from his own vomit while intoxicated with barbiturates and other drugs.
It was later revealed that he had ingested nearly ten times the recommended dose of medicines, and his death was investigated for criminal activity, but Scotland Yard never pursued the case.
The Landmark Hotel-Janice Joplin
By the time of her death in 1970 at age 27, Janice Joplin was one of the most famous musicians of her time, having five number one hits and performing at Woodstock in her short career. Even now, she is one of the best selling artists of all time.
Joplin died in her room in the Landmark Hotel in Hollywood, where she was staying while recording an album. She died of an overdose of heroin and alcohol. Several other people who bought heroin from the same supplier died that week, and it is therefore assumed that the batch was more potent than intended.
Joplin’s death was more tragic because it came just days after the untimely death of Jimi Hendrix, also from a drug overdose.
The Chateau Marmont-John Belushi
John Belushi was a comedian and actor, one of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live and one of the most famous actors of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
On March 5, 1982, Belushi was found dead in his hotel room in the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles California. Aged 33, he died of a drug overdose and was discovered by his personal trainer. He had been partying with different friends, including Robin Williams, Robert Di Nero and Catherine Evelyn Smith. Smith later pled guilty to manslaughter for having injected Belushi with the drug cocktail that led to his death.
Beverly Hills Hilton-Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston was a famous American singer and actress in the 1990s and 2000s. Her amazing vocal range and tone, as well as stage presence and persona, made her an absolute sensation. Her performance in the Bodyguard movie in 1992, and hit single from that movie, I Will Always Love You, guaranteed her legacy in pop music. That song and album still hold records for sales even today.
On February 11, 2012, Houston was staying at the Beverly Hills Hilton in advance of her performance at the Grammy Awards when she was discovered in her hotel room’s bathtub unconscious. She was later pronounced dead and was found to have several drugs in her system.
Her death had a profound and negative impact on her family, and only three years later, Bobbi Kristina Brown died after long complications from a bathtub accident, tragically similar to her mother’s death.
Fairmont Pacific Rim-Corey Monteith
Corey Monteith was a Canadian actor who rose to fame as part of the ensemble cast of the hit television show Glee. His career also included movies such as Final Destination 3. He was also famous for his relationship with fellow Glee alum Lea Michele.
Monteith was open about his struggles with substance abuse as a young teen, and the problems recurred in 2013. He checked himself into rehab, and appeared to have beaten the problem once again.
However, on July 13, 2013, he was found in his hotel room at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver Canada, dead from an apparent drug overdose. An autopsy ruled the death an accident as there were no signs of foul play and Monteith had several drugs including heroin and alcohol in his system.
While celebrities often appear to lead lives of glamour and happiness that most people envy, their fame often comes with sadness, addiction and tragic consequences that no one ever seems to expect, and their deaths are sad reminders that addiction, suffering and pain can reach even the most successful and talented among us.