Five times rock stars were almost murdered
Notoriety in the world of rock ‘n’ roll brings with it many great things. For instance, rock stars enjoy riches and popularity, and are able to indulge in basically any vice that might remotely appeal to them. However, this notoriety should come with a warning label, as while some people enjoy luxuries, others find their lives threatened as a result of their fame.
There are a number of rock stars who have had their lives threatened. A lot of the time, these threats are empty, delivered by psychotic minds in the heat of the moment. However, there are some instances where the threat is much more than words. For instance, one of the most infamous examples is John Lennon, who was murdered in the street.
While Lennon is a tragic example of artists getting threatened, there have been a number of other instances where people have tried (unsuccessfully) to kill an artist. The reasons vary, from revenge to war to being convinced that an artist is possessed by a witch.
Thankfully, the attempts detailed below weren’t successful, and the artists in question were able to live lives outside of the actions of third parties. However, it’s still interesting how many famous rock stars came close to being murdered by someone. Here, we will discuss five of the most famous cases where rock stars were nearly murdered.
Five rock stars who were nearly killed:
Mick Jagger
One of the Rolling Stones’ most infamous gigs was their 1969 show at Altamont. The show was free and subsequently completely overcrowded. Every security team said the gig shouldn’t go ahead and wouldn’t work the show. As a result, the band hired the Hell’s Angels to do security, and it was as much of a disaster as you think it was, with one fan even passing away.
Mick Jagger blamed the Hell’s Angels after the show, which angered the motorcycle group and made them decide to kill the frontman. Jagger had a lucky escape, as a storm on the night of the attempted assassination sunk the gang’s boat before it reached Mick Jagger’s property.
“Their plan involved making entry into his Long Island property, going by boat,” said FBI agent Mark Young when discussing the attempt on Jagger’s life. “As they gathered the weaponry and their forces to go out on Long Island Sound, a storm rolled up, which nearly sunk the watercraft they were in – and they escaped with their own lives.”
Rod Stewart
While most rock stars have had attempts on their life made as a result of their success, Rod Stewart was a bit different, as he was almost murdered when he was a child, born during World War II. German bombing coming down on his house nearly murdered the soul singer before he had a chance to say his first words.
Stewart has spoken about how close he was to death at such an early stage. “I nearly didn’t make it, because 20 minutes before I was born a V2-rocket dropped on the local police station,” he said in an interview with the BBC. “I think my mum must’ve gone ‘Ooh, he’s out’.”
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley took potential threats on his life very seriously. He would always carry a gun in his waistband with the intention of firing back if anyone shot at him. He also told his security guards that if he was ever assassinated, they should kill the assassin before the police had a chance to step in.
One night, when he was playing in Vegas, he felt a particular threat on his life, as he had been receiving phone calls about a potential kidnapping and murder plot. He took to the stage with trepidation and wouldn’t let his eyes leave the audience. Nothing came of the calls, but Elvis still considered a near miss.
Jimmy Buffet
Jimmy Buffet was renowned for making songs with feel-good themes that people enjoyed listening to and immersing themselves in. As such, when he penned a track about an attempted murder, it turned a few heads. Turns out, the song was a true story about an attempt on the singer’s life which had happened a few months before.
Buffet was heading to Jamaica for some rest and relaxation when things took a turn for the worst. He was flying to the country with a star-studded plane, which authorities mistook for a drug-smuggling aircraft. As such, they opened fire on the plane once it landed, and Buffett was lucky to escape with his life.
George Harrison
The sheer mass of The Beatles meant that some of their fans’ obsessions became incredibly unhealthy. John Lennon is the most notorious example, but George Harrison was also threatened by a fan.
One schizophrenic fan believed that Harrison was a witch and so broke into his home with a knife and the intention to kill the singer. This led to an altercation between the two, which Harrison’s wife, Olivia, managed to break up by hitting the intruder over the back of the head. Harrison was stabbed in the process, but he managed to pull through.
