7 Famous People Who Tragically Died in Louisiana
You oftentimes see celebrities who were born in Louisiana, but what about those who died in our great state?
Seven Famous People Who Died in Louisiana
To narrow down this list and avoid the obvious choices of "Well, duh! They’re from here," we've focused on celebrities who weren't actually born in Louisiana but ended up passing away in the state.
It’s interesting to note that many famous individuals tend to return to their birth states as they grow older or when they sense the end of their lives approaching. However, there are always exceptions, especially in cases of sudden or unexpected deaths. In fact, most of the celebrities on this list met with such unanticipated fates.
You might already know that some of these well-known personalities died in Louisiana, but there are definitely a few names that could surprise you. Their stories add another layer to Louisiana's rich history, showcasing how this state has touched the lives of many, even in their final moments.
So, if you were expecting more buildup or suspense, you won’t find it here. Instead, let’s cut to the chase. Here are seven famous individuals who took their last breaths in the vibrant and culturally rich state of Louisiana.
Jim Croce
Jim Croce, born in South Philadelphia in 1943, was a folk and rock singer-songwriter who reached widespread fame as two of his songs, "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" and "Time In A Bottle," reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the latter of which came after his death.
Between 1966 and 1973 Croce released five studio albums.
He and five others died in a tragic plane crash in Natchitoches, Louisiana, on September 20, 1973, at the age of 30.
His wife, Ingrid Croce, was his first songwriting partner and continued to write and record after his death. Also, his son A.J. Croce, who looks just like him, became a singer-songwriter in the 1990s.
Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield, born Vera Jayne Palmer in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania in 1933, was an American actress in film, theatre, and television. She was also a nightclub entertainer, a singer, and one of the early Playboy Playmates. She became a sex symbol in the '50s and '60s alongside Marilyn Monroe.
Mansfield was well known for her "wardrobe malfunctions" that she would often facilitate.
Her film career was short-lived, but she did have several box office successes, even earning a Golden Globe for the 1956 film The Girl Can't Help It.
The sex-comedy Promises! Promises! established Mansfield as the first major American actress to perform in a nude scene in a post-silent era film.
She married three times, all of which ended in divorce, and had five children. She was allegedly intimately involved with numerous high-profile men, including brothers Robert and John F. Kennedy.
After an appearance in Biloxi, Mississippi on June 28, 1967, Mansfield, Sam Brody (her attorney companion), their driver, and three of Mansfield's children left the city and headed toward New Orleans for an appearance there the next day. At around 2:25 a.m. on June 28, in Slidell, the car they were in crashed at high speed into the rear of a tractor-trailer that had slowed behind a truck spraying mosquito fogger. The semi-trailer was shrouded by insecticide fog. The three adults in the front seat died instantly. The children, asleep in the rear seat, survived with minor injuries. She was 34.
You may have heard of the "Mansfield bar" on tractor-trailers. After her death, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommended requiring an underride guard (a strong bar made of steel tubing) on all tractor-trailers.
Bonnie and Clyde
Famous criminals Bonnie Parker, born in Rowena, Texas in 1910, and Clyde Barrow, born in Ellis County, Texas in 1909, traveled around the central, and southern US with their gang, the Barrow Gang, during the Great Depression.
Their exploits garnered the attention of the American press and its readers during the "public enemy" era, mostly for their bank robberies. However, they actually preferred to rob small stores and rural gas stations. Contrary to popular belief, the two never married.
They are believed to have murdered at least nine police officers, and several civilians in their nearly two-year life of crime.
They were eventually ambushed and shot to death in Bienville Parish on May 23, 1934. Parker was 23, Barrow 25.
Several movies and television shows portray Bonnie and Clyde. The most notable was the 1967 hit Bonnie and Clyde which featured Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway in the title roles. The movie glamourized the pair and had a romantic aura to it that helped to revitalize interest in the two criminals.
The 2019 Netflix movie The Highwaymen, starring Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson, depicted the manhunt from the point of view of the lawmen who pursued them.
Percy Sledge
Percy Sledge, born in Leighton, Alabama in 1940, was an R&B, soul, and gospel singer who is most famous for his song, "When A Man Loves A Woman."
He worked as a hospital orderly in the early 60s. He achieved his biggest fame in the late 60s and early 70s with a series of emotional soul songs.
He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
He passed away on April 14, 2015, at his home in Baton Rouge at the age of 74, after a battle with liver cancer.
Bobby Sheehan
Bobby Sheehan, born in Summit, New Jersey in 1968, is best known as a founding member, and bass player of Blues Traveler.
Sheehan had his own group of fans at Blues Travelers shows called FOB (Front of Bob) that would always meet in front of him at live shows.
He died of an accidental overdose of heroin, cocaine, and Valium in New Orleans on August 20, 1999. He was 31.
Shannon Hoon
Shannon Hoon, born in Lafayette, Indiana in 1967, was best known as the lead singer of Blind Melon. Their hit "No Rain" catapulted them to fame, along with "The Bee Girl" who accompanied the video for the song.
Hoon entered rehab before the birth of his daughter. When Blind Melon was going on tour to support their album, "Soup" a drug counselor went with them on the road. However, the drug counselor was unable to keep Hoon from relapsing, so he was dismissed days before his death.
After a disappointing show in Houston, Hoon went on an all-night drug binge. The next day, October 21, 1995, their sound engineer went to wake Hoon as they were to play a show at Tipitina's in New Orleans. He was unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene. His death was attributed to a cocaine overdose. He was 28.
After his death, several books were written about Hoon, and a documentary titled All I Can Say was released at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2019 composed mostly of footage he shot on a handheld camera from 1990 to 1995. It was released on streaming platforms in June 2020. Hoon was given a co-directing credit.
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