Celebrity Hotel Deaths - Travel Chimp's Hospitality and Travel News Travel Chimp's Hospitality and Travel News A number of celebrities have died in hotel rooms, many of them at a very young age and with drugs as the main or secondary cause. Here's a list I've compiled. Norfolk Waterside Marriott Downtown, Norfolk, VA Former NBA player Moses Malone was found dead in his hotel room on the morning of Sept. 13, 2015. He was 60. A medical examiner determined the cause of death to be cardiovascular disease. Malone was a three-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and ABA All-Time Team . He went straight from Petersburg High School in Virginia to a 21-year career in professional basketball. By the time Malone retired after 19 seasons, he was the last former ABA player active and held numerous distinctions in both leagues, including a championship ring and NBA finals MVP trophy won with the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers .

A prolific offensive rebounder , he was nicknamed "Chairman of the Boards." According to Malone’s best friend Kevin Vergara, Malone saw a doctor about an irregular heartbeat less than week before his death. The doctor saw nothing wrong but gave Malone a heart monitor, which Malone was wearing when he died. Friends say that Malone didn’t drink or do drugs. He typically skipped sodas and fried food, choosing grilled chicken, fish and salad instead. “He was always very health minded,” said Vergara. “He’s vigorous about working out.” Malone was in Norfolk to attend the Still Hope Foundation Charity Golf Tournament. Although Malone had a reputation of not being very smart, Vergara said that wasn’t the real Malone. “He is very smart. He was a shy person, but when he got to know you he opened up. And he knows the game. He would have been a good coach.” Sunset Marquis Hotel, Los Angeles Dennis Sheehan, longtime tour manager for U2, died of an apparent heart attack in his hotel room on May 27, 2015. He was 68. Despite spending decades in a notoriously dirty business, Sheehan emerged with his reputation largely intact.

Over the years he helped manage Led Zeppelin and also worked with Iggy Pop, Patty Smith and Lou Reed. “We’ve lost a family member, we’re still taking it in,” Bono wrote on U2’s Web site. “He wasn’t just a legend in the music business, he was a legend in our band. He is irreplaceable.” Sheehan said in a 2008 interview, “I never drank until I was 30, I never did drugs and I was always honest. I think people knew my history at the time, and knew I was straight and had a sense of responsibility. I always got the job done regardless.” Born in England, Sheehan grew up in Ireland. He played in a band from 13 to 19, doing some professional touring. “On the U.S. Army bases we would play House of the Rising Sun and they would just throw money on the stage,” he said. “We’d play it a half a dozen times a night! It was good fun.” But then he made an unusual move — he stepped offstage. “At 19, I took my first job on the other side of the business,” he said in 2013.

The job was tour managing for soul greats Jimmy James and the Vagabonds. Sheehan didn’t miss the spotlight. “I had driven my own band around, and at that point I knew I wasn’t going to miss playing very much.” Of U2 he recently said, “The band works incredibly hard, and they go to extreme lengths to achieve what they want. With many bands, you get to a peak and that’s it. With U2 they are still climbing that mountain.” Hotel Room, St. Gallen, Switzerland Johnny Winter, an American blues rock guitarist known for his virtuoso slide-guitar solos and raspy vocals, was found dead in a hotel room outside Zurich on July 16, 2014. Winter was 70. Along with his brother, Edgar Winter, also a well known blues musician, the Texas-born Winter revered African-American blues tradition and began performing in his teens. Johnny, distinctive because he and brother Edgar were albino, broke into national fame in 1968, when Rolling Stone magazine dubbed him the hottest musician outside Janis Joplin. In 1969, he played the Newport Jazz Festival, where he performed with B.B.

King, one of his musical idols, and at Woodstock. He also produced albums for his idol, Muddy Waters, in the 1970s, helping to burnish the reputation of the legendary bluesman. Among Winter's best known songs was "Still Alive and Well", a blues rock stomper recorded after he resurfaced from heroin addiction in the 1970s. A new Winter album, on which Eric Clapton and Ben Harper appear as guests, is set to be released on Sept. 2. A boxed collections of his main tracks since the 1960s was released this year, complete with tributes from other performers who said he'd been a seminal influence on their careers. A prosecutor ordered an autopsy but the cause of death is still unclear. There was no indication of third-party involvement, and early indications pointed to a medically related incident. Article: ﻿﻿ One of Johnny Winter's final interviews ﻿﻿ Parking lot, Gainey Suites Hotel, Scottsdale, AZ James Brian Hellwig, better known as professional wrestler Ultimate Warrior, collapsed in the hotel parking lot while walking to his car on April 8, 2014. He was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead.

There were no signs of foul play, and an autopsy later found that he died from cardiovascular disease. He was 54. Hellwig admitted to being a heavy user of steroids during his professional wrestling career. Long-term steroid use is thought to weaken the heart muscle. He also had a family history of fatal heart attacks; his father died at the age of 57 and a grandfather at 52. Hellwig began his career as an amateur bodybuilder before moving into wrestling. His joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now World Wrestling Entertainment WWE) in 1987 and quickly went on to become one of the biggest WWE stars. Hellwig became WWE Champion on April 1, 1990, at WrestleMania VI by defeating Hulk Hogan in an epic encounter. He’s remembered for his many rivalries in the ring and for his trademark vivid face paint. Hellwig's death came just days after he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.Tributes poured in from throughout the wrestling world, including from his former rival Hulk Hogan. During one appearance on WWE’s weekly cable show Raw, Hellwig gave a poignant speech saying, "No man becomes a legend on their own.

Every man's heart one day beats its final beat. His lungs breathe their final breath. And if what that man did in his life makes the blood pulse through the body of others and makes them believe deeper in something that's larger than life, then his essence, his spirit, will be immortalized by the storytellers, by the loyalty, by the memory of those who honor him, and make the running the man did live forever." Sheraton Hotel, Pittsburgh Actor and standup comedian John Pinette died of natural causes there on April 5, 2014. He was 50. Pinette had suffered from both liver and heart disease. Authorities did not suspect foul play and so an autopsy was not performed. A native of Boston, Pinette’s career began in the early ‘90s with roles in movies such as Junior, Dear God, Duets and The Punisher. He had a guest star role in the final episode of Seinfeld in 1998 and had his own special on Comedy Central in 2011. Pinette had to postpone several performances in 2013 when he checked into rehab for a prescription drug addiction.

He took a break from his comedy tour in early 2014 to recover from several surgeries after losing weight. Pinette wrote on Twitter in January, “I didn’t give myself enough time to heal this past fall and it has caught up with me. But I’m on the mend and I promise to hit the stage as soon as humanly possible.” Casablanca Hotel, Harlem, New York Former basketball legend Dean (The Dream) Meminger was found dead in a Harlem hotel on August 23, 2013, at the age of 65. Police reported a possible drug overdose. Meminger was a key backup on the Knicks’ 1973 NBA championship team, but also struggled with cocaine and crack addiction most of his adult life. Meminger was discovered fully clothed, unconscious and unresponsive around noon by staff at the Hamilton Heights Casablanca Hotel after he didn’t check out on time. Meminger’s gold championship ring was still on his finger. Emergency medical personnel arrived and pronounced him dead. Police said there were no signs of trauma and that the cause of death hadn't been determined. An investigation is ongoing. “There was white stuff oozing out of his nose,” according to one source.

“Looked like he had a seizure after he was using cocaine, but the medical examiner will have the final say.” A former New York City prep star at Rice High School, Meminger then led Marquette University to a 78-9 mark in three varsity seasons, averaging 18.8 points. He averaged 21.2 points as a senior in 1970-71 and was drafted 16th overall by the Knicks. During his basketball career, Meminger averaged 6.1 points in six seasons with the Knicks and Atlanta Hawks. Meminger almost burned himself to death in a 2009 four-alarm fire in the Bronx. He was found unconscious near his bed in a dilapidated hotel room, surrounded by crack pipes. He spoke openly over the years about his struggles with cocaine, and he even worked as a drug counselor while battling his own addiction. "Everyone at the New York Knicks' organization is saddened to hear the news of Dean Meminger's passing," said Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald in a statement. "From the day he was drafted by this franchise in 1971, Dean was a friend and close family member of this team.

On April 5, 2013, the 1973 world championship team was honored at Madison Square Garden on its 40th anniversary. There was no one prouder than Dean to be back on the court with his teammates. We send our heartfelt condolences to the entire Meminger family." 21st Floor, Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel, Vancouver, Canada “Glee” heart throb Cory Monteith was found dead there on July 13, 2013. An autopsy revealed his death was the result of a heroin and alcohol overdose. Monteith's body was discovered by staff members at the hotel after he missed his noon checkout time. The 31-year-old actor had a long history of drug problems. He attended 16 different schools growing up, including alternative programs for troubled teens. He eventually quit school at the age of 16. By that time, his drug and alcohol addiction was "out of control," and Monteith turned to petty crimes to fund his addictions. At age 19 he entered rehab after his mother and friends intervened. Most recently, he voluntarily entered rehab in March of 2013.

Monteith appeared on the Fox musical comedy show Glee since it began in 2009. On the show, Monteith played the star quarterback of the football team at an Ohio high school who is forced to join the glee club. After graduation, he comes back to town and helps direct a musical at the school. Monteith won a Teen Choice Award for top actor in a comedy in 2011. Prior to Glee, he made guest appearances on a number of television shows including Smallville, Supernatural, Flash Gordon, Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate SG-1. Frequent Glee director Adam Shankman reacted on Twitter by posting, "Goodbye my amazing and beautiful friend. The lights in my world just grew dimmer. The world just lost one of our best. I love u so much." Room 449, Boscolo Exedra Hotel, Rome, Italy Actor James Gandolfini died in Rome, Italy, around 10pm on June 19, 2013. The 51-year-old Sopranos star was in Italy to receive an award at the Taormina Film Festival.

The festival issued a statement saying that "Gandolfini has been the American actor who best represented the Italian-American society thanks to his personality rich of contrasts, ambitions, anguish and humor. He has represented the golden age of television being at the same time a memorable movie actor." Gandolfini was in Italy with his son Michael, 13. The two had “a beautiful day out together” before returning to their hotel room. Michael later discovered his father in the bathroom apparently having a heart attack and called for help. The hotel staff immediately summoned an ambulance. The actor arrived at the Policlinico Umberto I hospital, which is approximately a three-minute drive from the hotel, in cardiac arrest. Resuscitation efforts continued for 40 minutes until he was pronounced dead. The actor won three Emmy Awards for his portrayal of New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano in HBO's "The Sopranos" for six seasons.

He was later cast as CIA director Leon Panetta in the Oscar-nominated "Zero Darky Thirty" and performed on Broadway in "God of Carnage." Gandolfini's other roles included the woman-beating mob henchman Virgil in True Romance, enforcer/stuntman Bear in Get Shorty, and the impulsive Wild Thing Carol in Where the Wild Things Are. Gandolfini produced the 2007 documentary Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq, in which he interviewed 10 injured Iraq War veterans. His second 2010 documentary Wartorn: 1861-2010 analyzes posttraumatic stress disorder and its impact on soldiers and families through several wars in American history, from 1861 to 2010. TV Guide ranked him 28 on its "50 Sexiest Stars of All Time" list in 2005. Room 434, Beverly Hilton, Los Angeles, CA Singer Whitney Houston was found dead at the age of 48 in the bathtub of her hotel room on Feb. 11, 2012.

The official cause of death was determined to be accidental drowning with cocaine and atherosclerotic heart disease as contributing factors. Toxicology results found she also had marijuana, Xanax, the muscle relaxant Flexeril, and the allergy medication Benadryl in her system. In 2009, the Guinness World Records cited her as the most-awarded female act of all time. Her awards include two Emmys, six Grammys, 30 Billboard Music Awards, and 22 American Music Awards. Houston was one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 170 million albums, singles and videos worldwide. Houston released seven studio albums and three movie soundtrack albums, all of which were diamond, multi-platinum, platinum or gold. She starred in several movies including The Bodyguard and Waiting to Exhale. Her last film, Sparkle, was released in 2012. Tragically, Houston's daughter, Bobbi Kristina, was found face down and unresponsive in her bathtub on January 31, 2015. Marijuana, alcohol, morphine and the cocaine byproduct benzoylecgonine were found in her system.

She never regained consciousness and spent her final months in hospital and hospice care. She died on July 26, 2015 at the age of 22. Room 609, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, FL Anna Nicole Smith died there at the age of 39 on Feb. 8, 2007. The former Playboy playmate overdosed on a combination of over-the-counter and prescription drugs less than five months after her son also died from a lethal combination of drugs. She had married oil business mogul J. Howard Marshall, 62 years her senior, resulting in speculation that she married the octogenarian for his money, which she denied. When he passed away, the matter of his inheritance ended up in a fierce court battle with his family. Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand David Carradine was found dead in his room there on June 4, 2009. He was 72. Carradine played a Shaolin priest in the 1970s TV series ‘Kung Fu’, but younger fans know him for his role in ‘Kill Bill’.

He was in Bangkok to shoot his latest film, Stretch. A police official said Carradine was found hanging by a rope naked in the room's closet, causing immediate speculation that his death was suicide. However, two autopsies concluded that the death was a result of "accidental asphyxiation." Carradine’s former wife Marina Anderson said David’s sexual interests included the practice of self-bondage. She claimed in her earlier divorce filing that, "It was the continuation of abhorrent and deviant sexual behavior which was potentially deadly.” Room 120, Hotel & Suites del Perque, Durango, Mexico John Franklin Candy was a Canadian actor and comedian. He rose to fame as a member of the Toronto branch of The Second City and its related Second City Television series. He appeared in a number of highly successful comedic films including Stripes, Splash, Cool Runnings, Summer Rental, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, Uncle Buck and Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Candy was reputedly the "most-burned potential host" of Saturday Night Live in that he was asked to host many times, only to be canceled by the SNL staff at the last minute.

Candy was filming the Western parody Wagons East! in March of 1994 when he died of a heart attack in his sleep at his hotel in Durango, Mexico, about 100 miles northwest of Mexico City. He was 43. On the last day of Candy's life, they filmed for long hours in stifling heat. Filming finally stopped around 10pm and Candy decided to have dinner. That was the last time anyone saw him. The next morning at 8am his bodyguard, Gustavo Populus, tried to phone Candy, but there was no answer. Populus went to Candy’s room and found Candy half in and half out of bed. He was wearing a long red and black checked nightshirt. It was obvious that Candy was dead. There were no signs of drugs or alcohol in the room. A doctor was called and officially pronounced Candy dead. It was later found that Candy had suffered a massive heart attack in his sleep. It was March 4, 1994. Candy's funeral took place on Wednesday, March 9th, at St. Martin of the Tours church, in Brentwood, California.

Dan Aykroyd delivered the eulogy and mourners included Chevy Chase, Tom Hanks, Rick Moranis, Jim Belushi, Martin Short, George Wendt, Rhea Perlman, Bill Murray, and Ed Harris, along with John's widow Rosemary, and his two children. Room 100, The Chelsea Hotel, New York City Rock groupie Nancy Spungen was allegedly stabbed to death there by musician Sid Vicious on October 12, 1978. The former Sex Pistol was charged with Spungen’s death, but Vicious claims he was in a drugged stupor and couldn't remember what happened. Vicious killed himself a few months later on February 2, 1979, by overdosing on heroin. After his death, his mother found a suicide note in his pocket that read, "We had a death pact, and I have to keep my half of the bargain. Please bury me next to my baby in my leather jacket, jeans and motorcycle boots. Goodbye." Sadly, because Nancy was Jewish and Sid was not, they could not be buried together. Spungeon was 20, Vicious was 21.

According to the managing director of the hotel, people still request room 100. However, the room was demolished to become part of a larger suite more than two decades ago. The Chelsea Hotel was a haven for struggling artists for over 50 years. Article: ﻿ ﻿﻿NYPD secret transcript ﻿﻿﻿ Hotel Room, Frankfurt, Germany Rob Pilatus of the singing group Milli Vanilli died in a Frankfurt hotel room on April 2, 1998, at the age of 32. His death was caused by a heart attack due to an accidental overdose of an unspecified drug (possibly Methadone) and alcohol. Despite the enormous success of Milli Vanilli, singers Pilatus and Fab Morvan were a frequent target of rumors and allegations of on-stage lip-synching and not having sung on their albums. Eventually producer Frank Farian revealed the truth to reporters, that Pilatus and Morvan did not actually sing on the records and their voices were dubbed. The Grammy that Milli Vanilli had received was withdrawn four days later. In the years following, Pilatus struggled with substance abuse and suicide attempts. He served three months in jail for assault, vandalism, and attempted robbery.

He also spent six months in drug rehabilitation before returning to Germany from the United States. Bungalow 3, Chateau Marmont Hotel, Los Angeles Comedian John Belushi died there on March 5, 1982, at the age of 33. Belushi died from a speedball, a combined injection of cocaine and heroin. On the night of his death, he was reportedly visited separately by friends Robin Williams and Robert De Niro, each of whom left the premises, leaving Belushi in the company of others. Belushi was one of the original members of Saturday Night Live. Animal House and The Blues Brothers were his most famous films. Room 16, L’Hotel, Paris Irish playwright and poet Oscar Wilde died in room 16 on November 30, 1900, at the age of 46. A great deal of mystery surrounds his final days in the hotel. There are numerous reports as to the reason for his death, including syphilis and cerebral meningitis resulting from an ear infection. Considered one of the greatest wits to have lived, Wilde’s final words were reputedly, "My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death.

One or other of us has got to go". The hotel is now regarded as one of the best boutique hotels on the planet, and it exhibits many of Wilde’s mementos from his stay. Room 524, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Double Bay, Sydney Musician Michael Hutchence, age 37, was found dead at the Ritz on Nov. 22, 1997. He was the founder and lead singer of the rock band INXS. The coroner determined Hutchence hung himself, but it's also possible he died from autoerotic asphyxiation. The singer’s relationship with British TV presenter Paula Yates was cited as a cause of his depression. Yates had an affair with Hutchence while she was married to Live Aid organizer Bob Geldof. She had Hutchence’s daughter, which she named Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily Hutchence (known as 'Tiger') on July 22, 1996. Yates wrote in her police statement that Michael Hutchence was, "frightened and couldn't stand a minute more without his baby". Hutchence was last seen alive at 4:50 A.M.

while he was awaiting a phone call from London about whether Yates would be able to bring Tiger to Australia. Paula Yates herself died at age 41 of an accidental drug overdose on Sept. 17, 2000. It was her other daughter Pixie's 10th birthday. Article: ﻿ Michael Hutchence's final hours ﻿ The pantry of the Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles Presidential candidate Senator Robert F. Kennedy was shot there on June 5, 1968, by Sirhan Sirhan. Kennedy had just won the California Primary. He survived for nearly 26 hours, dying early in the morning of June 6. He was 42. Robert Kennedy, born in Brookline, Massachusetts, was United States Attorney General from 1961 to 1964, during the administration of his elder brother John F. Kennedy. He was elected to the U.S. Senate from New York in 1965 before entering the race for the Democratic nomination for president in 1968. As Attorney General, Robert Kennedy staunchly enforced established laws during the violence-prone days of civil rights unrest in the South.

His commitment to civil rights implementation and his Justice Department’s vigorous prosecution of organized crime, along with his later Senatorial efforts on behalf of the dispossessed and the poor had, by 1968 established him as a standard-bearer of suburban voters, blue-collar workers and members of minority groups. Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Hong Kong Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing was a film actor and musician from Hong Kong. He's considered one of the founding fathers of Cantopop (Cantonese popular music). In 2000, Cheung was named ‘Asian Biggest Superstar’ by China Central Television and voted/ranked 1st as ‘The Most Favorite Actor in 100 Years of Chinese Cinema’ in 2005. He was also voted #3 in CNN's "top five most iconic musicians of all time" behind Michael Jackson and The Beatles. Cheung suffered from depression and attempted suicide once in 2002. On April 1, 2003, at the age of 46, Cheung leapt from the 24th floor of the Mandarin Oriental hotel. His translated suicide note said, "Depression! Many thanks to all my friends.

Many thanks to Professor Felice Lieh-Mak (Cheung's last psychiatrist). This year has been so tough. I can't stand it anymore. Many thanks to Mr. Tong. Many thanks to my family. Many thanks to Fei-Fei (actress Lydia Shum Din-ha). In my life I did nothing bad. Why does it have to be like this?" Room 105, the Landmark Motor Hotel, Hollywood, CA Singer/songwriter Janis Joplin was found dead in this hotel at age 27 on the floor beside her bed on Oct. 4, 1970. The cause of death was an accidental heroin overdose. Joplin had an incredibly unique voice and broke down many barriers with her style and attitude. She’s also credited for bringing tattoos into the mainstream. It’s believed that her heroin was stronger than normal as several other users in the area also overdosed that week. Her death sent shockwaves around the world as Jimi Hendrix died only a few weeks earlier after an accidental overdose of sleeping pills.

The Landmark Motor Hotel is now called the Highland Gardens Hotel, and it’s still home to up-and-coming actors attracted by its central location just off the Sunset Strip. Room 858, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas Rock legend John Entwistle died there on June 27, 2002. Entwistle was best known as the bass guitarist for the rock band The Who. June 27 was the day before the scheduled first show of The Who’s 2002 U.S. tour. He had gone to bed that night with a stripper/groupie, Alycen Rowse, who woke at 10 A.M. to find Entwistle dead. It was determined he died at age 57 of a heart attack induced by cocaine. Second Floor Balcony, Lorraine Hotel, Memphis, TN Dr. Martin Luther King was shot and killed as he stood on the balcony outside his hotel room, #306, at 6:01 P.M. on April 4, 1968. King, 39, was in Memphis to support the black sanitary public works employees.

He supposedly chose the Lorraine, which had welcomed such prominent guests as Cab Calloway and Count Basie, because of its significance to the black community of Memphis. King's last words were reportedly made to musician Ben Branch. King said, "Ben, make sure you play 'Take My Hand, Precious Lord' in the meeting tonight. Play it real pretty." Two months after King's death, escaped convict James Earl Ray was captured at London’s Heathrow Airport while trying to leave the U.K. on a false Canadian passport in the name of Ramon George Sneyd on his way to white-ruled Rhodesia. He was later convicted of King's murder. The Lorraine Hotel was converted into the National Civil Rights Museum in 1991. Room 22, Samarkand Hotel, London Jimi Hendrix died in room 22 on Sept. 18, 1970. Hendrix is generally regarded as the greatest electric guitar player of all time. Hendrix had spent the prior evening at a party before being picked up by girlfriend Monika Dannemann and driven to her flat at the Samarkand Hotel.

Dannemann claimed that Hendrix, unknown to her, had taken nine of her prescribed sleeping pills. The normal medical dose was half a tablet, but Hendrix was unfamiliar with this very strong German brand. An autopsy found that the 27 year old Hendrix had asphyxiated in his own vomit, mainly red wine, which had filled his airways. Monika Dannemann committed suicide in 1996 after being found guilty of contempt of court for repeating a libel against Kathy Etchingham, who had been a friend of Hendrix in the 1960s. Regency Hotel, Los Angeles Described by People magazine as the "Drag Queen of the Century", Divine (born Harris Glenn Milstead) performed female roles in both cinema and theater and also appeared in women's clothing in musical performances. Even so, he considered himself to be a character actor and performed male roles in a number of his later films.

He also had a successful career as a disco singer during the 1980s, at one point being described as "the most successful and in-demand disco performer in the world." On March 7, 1988, three weeks after the movie 'Hairspray' was released nationwide, Divine was staying at the Regency Hotel and was scheduled to film a guest appearance as Uncle Otto on the Fox network's television series ‘Married... with Children’ in the second season wrap-up episode. After spending all day at the studios in rehearsals, Divine returned to his hotel where he dined with friends at the hotel restaurant before returning to his room. He died that evening in his sleep of an enlarged heart at age 42. The Ritz Hotel, Paris Coco Chanel was an influential French fashion designer and founder of the famous brand Chanel whose modernist thought, practical design, and pursuit of expensive simplicity made her an important and influential figure in 20th-century fashion. She was the only fashion designer to be named on Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century.

On January 10, 1971, 87 year old Chanel was tired and ailing but continued to adhere to her usual schedule. She died later that day of natural causes at the Hotel Ritz where she had resided for more than thirty years. She had gone for a long drive in the afternoon and, not feeling well, had retired early to bed. She was working on her collection to be presented in the spring fashion shows that month. Chanel dominated the Paris fashion world in the 1920s, and at the height of her career was running four business enterprises: a fashion house, a textile business, perfume laboratories and a workshop for costume jewelry that altogether employed 3,500 workers. Ocean View Motel, San Francisco, CA On May 25, 1996, Bradley Nowell, lead singer for the punk band Sublime, died of a heroin overdose just hours before the group was to perform a sold-out concert. Nowell was 28. Sublime had embarked on a drug-fueled five-day tour through Northern California just days after Nowell's marriage to Troy Dendekker on May 18, 1996.

On the morning of May 25, in San Francisco, drummer Bud Gaugh awoke to find Nowell lying half-way across a bed, with his knees and feet on the floor. Gaugh first assumed Nowell had been too intoxicated to get into bed, but then he noticed a green film around his mouth, and it became apparent that Nowell had overdosed on heroin. Gaugh called for paramedics, but Nowell had died several hours earlier and was pronounced dead at the scene. Nowell was cremated and his ashes were spread over his favorite surfing spot in Surfside, California. A headstone was placed at Westminster Memorial in Westminster, California in his memory. The Chelsea Hotel, New York The great Welsh poet and writer Dylan Thomas died tragically at the age of 39 in Nov. 1953. Thomas was visiting New York and staying at the Chelsea Hotel. In addition to being an alcoholic, he also had lung problems and a history of blackouts. In the days before his death, he went on a drinking binge and even boasted he drank "18 straight whiskies; I think it's a record." He began feeling ill. A doctor examined him three times Nov.

4, and injected the poet with three doses of morphine, which further affected Thomas's breathing. By midnight the next day, his breathing worsened. Thomas didn’t die in the hotel, but he slipped into a deep coma and was taken to St. Vincent’s hospital. The physician on duty noted, "Impression upon admission was acute alcoholic encephalopathy damage to the brain by alcohol, for which the patient was treated without response." Doctors also found widespread bronchitis and pneumonia. The pneumonia worsened and Thomas died, still in a coma, at noon on Nov 9. The cause of death was determined to be swelling of the brain, caused by pneumonia reducing the supply of oxygen. Smoking, drinking, poor diet and sleeping problems were contributing factors. Number 132A, Winfield Place Apartments, Scottsdale, Arizona Actor Bob Crane was found dead in his room on June 29, 1978, at the age of 49. He had been brutally murdered. From 1965 to 1971, Crane starred in the TV comedy ‘Hogan’s Heroes’ set in a World War II German concentration camp.

During that time, he became friends with John Henry Carpenter, who worked in the video department at Sony Electronics and had access to early video recorders. They began to hang out together, usually at bars and strip clubs. Carpenter frequently filmed Crane's sexual escapades with women. In 1978, Crane was appearing at the Windmill Dinner Theatre in Scottsdale. On the night of June 28, Crane allegedly called Carpenter and told him their friendship was over. The next day, Crane was discovered bludgeoned to death with a weapon that was never found but was believed to be a camera tripod. His face was so badly beaten, he was unrecognizable. There was also an electrical cord tied around his neck. Police suspected Carpenter, but there wasn’t enough evidence to bring him to trial. The case was reopened in 1992. Carpenter was put on trial in 1994 and was found not guilty. Carpenter maintained his innocence until his death on Sept. 4, 1998, and Crane’s murder remains officially unsolved. One alternate theory is that a Mafia boyfriend or husband of one of his many female conquests murdered Crane.

Raffaello Hotel, Chicago Mikey Welsh, former bassist for the band Weezer, was found unconscious and not breathing on Oct. 8, 2011, in his hotel room. Though authorities suspected a drug overdose, no cause of death was determined. Welsh said in a 2007 interview, “Basically, a lifetime of doing drugs and being undiagnosed as having disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and borderline personality disorder finally caught up with me when I was 30 years old.' Welsh then dedicated himself to his love of painting. He moved to Burlington, Vermont, with his wife and two daughters where he worked on large-scale figures and abstracts. He predicted his own death on Sept 26 writing on Twitter, “dreamt i died in chicago next weekend (heart attack in my sleep). need to write my will today.” He then added, “correction - the weekend after next.” Along with this, he also suggested a prescience of events to come on his Facebook page.

Showcasing one art piece, he wrote that it was available for $250 “if i am still alive at time of purchase, price to increase exponentially if i expire prematurely.” Welsh was 40. Hotel Ambassador, New York City Rudolph Valentino (born Rodolfo Alfonso Raffaello Pierre Filibert Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguolla) was an Italian actor who starred in several well-known silent films in the 1920s including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle, and The Son of the Sheik. Valentino was an early pop icon and sex symbol known as the "Latin Lover" or simply as "Valentino". His early death at age 31 caused mass hysteria among his female fans and propelled him to iconic status. During his short career, Valentino's popularity soared as he went from being a five-dollars-a-day extra to a $200,000 per-movie star at the height of his career.

While traveling across country to promote his last movie, The Son of the Sheik, Valentino collapsed at the Hotel Ambassador in New York on August 15, 1926. He was rushed to Polyclinic Hospital for severe abdominal pains. X-Rays confirmed a large perforated ulcer. Surgery was performed to clean the abdomen cavity of the infection, but within days his gut was swollen, bruised and blotchy. Further X-rays were taken and revealed pleurisy, and all hopes of recovery were lost. There’s speculation that Valentino’s death may have been hastened due to his own celebrity. The surgeons were reportedly so freaked out by the fact that the great "Valentino" was in their midst that they were terrified of being the person to operate on him. They were said to have procrastinated for several hours, dramatically worsening Valentino’s condition. Valentino died at 12:10pm on August 23, 1926 at age 31. The events after the actor's death was a drama in itself as suicides of several despondent fans were reported. Two women attempted suicide outside the hospital. Another person in London took poison in front of a photograph of Valentino.

A boy in New York is said to have died on a bed covered with Valentino photos. Polish actress Pola Negri, claiming to be Valentino's fiancée, collapsed in hysterics while standing over Valentino's coffin. Valentino’s first funeral was in New York in what was described as a "carnival setting". More than 100,000 fans filed past his open casket at the Frank E. Campbell funeral home. Windows were smashed as fans tried to get in and an all-day riot erupted on August 24. Over 100 mounted officers and NYPD's Police Reserve were deployed to restore order. A phalanx of officers would line the streets for the remainder of the viewing. The body was then taken by train across the country for a second funeral held on the West Coast. Valentino had no final burial arrangements and so his friend June Mathis offered a crypt she had purchased for a husband she had since divorced. She thought this would be a temporary solution; however, she died the following year and Valentino remained in the adjoining crypt. The two are still interred side by side at the Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery (now the Hollywood Forever Cemetery ) in Hollywood, California .

Days Inn, Corpus Christi, TX On March 31, 1995, Mexican American singer-songwriter Selena went to Yolanda Saldivar’s room at the Days Inn in Corpus Christi to pick up some documents that Selena needed for tax purposes. Saldivar had already been fired for embezzling funds as the head of Selena’s fan club and manager of her clothing boutiques. At 11:49 A.M. Saldívar drew a gun from her purse and pointed it at Selena. As the singer turned to leave the room, Saldívar shot her once on the right lower shoulder, severing a major artery. Critically wounded, Selena ran towards the lobby to get help, leaving behind her a trail of blood 392 feet long with Saldívar chasing after her and calling her a "bitch". Selena collapsed on the floor as the desk clerk called 911. Selena began holding her chest and screaming "Help me! Help me! I've been shot!" She died at the age of 23 shortly after reaching the hospital. Saldívar was quickly cornered in the hotel’s parking lot.

She held off SWAT teams for nearly 10 hours by sitting in a pickup truck with a gun to her head. Police were finally able to coax her out and placed her under arrest. She is serving a life sentence but will be eligible for parole after 30 years. Regency Hotel, New York City On July 12, 1996, Smashing Pumpkins keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin died in his NYC hotel room at age 34. Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin and Melvoin were injecting heroin into their veins and drinking alcohol. Then came the lethal dose, Melvoin collapsed and Chamberlin fell unconscious as well. According to police reports, Chamberlin awoke at 3:30 A.M. and tried to rouse Melvoin but was unsuccessful. Chamberlin called the bands' security manager who tried to revive Melvoin by putting him in the shower. They called 911 soon after, and paramedics later pronounced Melvoin dead at the scene. Chamberlin was subsequently arrested and charged with heroin possession. The rest of the band was also questioned but not charged. Chamberlin was subsequently fired from the band.

According to band members, there had been previous overdoses by both Melvoin and Chamberlin. Melvoin had already been fired, but was continuing to play until the end of the tour leg. Room 3327, Hotel New Yorker, New York City Born in the village of Smiljan, in the province of Lika, Croatia, “Mad Scientist” Nikola Tesla almost single-handedly developed the alternating current (A/C) system including generation, transmission and utilization that is still used today. He sold the patent rights to his A/C system to George Westinghouse. In 1891 Tesla invented the Tesla coil, an induction coil widely used in radio technology. In 1900, Tesla began construction on Long Island of a wireless broadcasting tower. The project was funded with $150,000 capital from financier J. Pierpont Morgan. The project was abandoned when Morgan withdrew his financial support. Tesla's work shifted to turbines and other projects, but his ideas remained on the drawing board due to a lack of funds. Tesla's notebooks are still examined by engineers in search of unexploited ideas.

Tesla lived the last ten years of his life in a two-room suite on the 33rd floor of the Hotel New Yorker. Near the end of his life, Tesla showed signs of encroaching senility, claiming to be visited by a specific white pigeon daily. Several biographers note that Tesla viewed the death of the pigeon as a "final blow" to himself and his work. Tesla died on Jan 7, 1943 at age 86 alone in room 3327 from heart thrombus. Hundreds of admirers attended his funeral, mourning the loss of a great genius. At the time of his death, Tesla held over 700 patents. Mondrian Hotel, West Hollywood, CA American rapper and music producer Chad Lamont Butler, known by his stage name Pimp C, is best known for his work with Bun B as a founding member of the Underground Kingz (UGK) and is widely considered a pioneer of the signature Houston, Texas scene and sound. He died at age 33 on Dec. 4, 2007, in a Los Angeles hotel from an accidental overdose of a homemade drink, nicknamed "syrup," that is popular in Southern hip-hop culture.

Syrup is typically made of prescription-strength cough syrup (containing promethazine and codeine) mixed with benign ingredients like soda or candy. In Pimp C's case, his overdose combined with his sleep apnea prevented him from breathing, leading to his death. A long proponent of syrup, Pimp C was featured on the 2000 Three 6 Mafia song "Sippin' on Some Syrup," which helped introduce the public to the practice of drinking cough syrup as an alternative to alcohol. Palazzo Vendramin Calergi, Venice German composer and poet Richard Wagner died at the Palazzo Vendramin Calergi palace in Venice in 1883. Wagner and his family were vacationing there for the winter. His death inspired Thomas Mann's novella "Death in Venice," first published in 1912. Wagner is best known for his complex operas such as Tristan and Isolde. His use of leitmotifs, a recurring theme associated with a particular character or place, greatly influenced 20th and 21st century film scores.

He was greatly admired by Adolf Hitler, who often visited Wagner's relatives in Bayreuth in northern Bavaria during his rise to power. By 1883, Wagner had had increasingly serious angina attacks for 20 years. On Feb. 13, Wagner was writing some notes for a new Opera. He wrote “the role of woman in its progressive improvement proceeds and progresses only by ecstatic conviction. Love. Tragic… “. The pencil fell out of his hands and he began to lose consciousness. His maid heard him say, “my wife… a doctor.” Cosima, his wife, located in the adjacent room, ran off for help. When Dr. Friedrich Keppler entered the room, it was obvious that Wagner had died at the age of 69. Warwick de Berri Hotel, Paris Singer Robert Allen Palmer was known for his distinctive voice and his eclectic mix of musical styles on his albums, combining soul, jazz, rock, pop, reggae and blues. He found success both in his solo career and in the musical act Power Station, and had Top 10 songs in both the US and the UK.

His iconic music videos "Simply Irresistible" and "Addicted to Love" featured identically dressed women dancing with pale faces, dark eye makeup and bright red lipstick. Palmer moved to Lugano, Switzerland, in 1986, and became a naturalized citizen of Switzerland in 1993. A heavy smoker, he died in Paris from a heart attack on Sept. 26, 2003, at the age of 54. Paris Ritz, Paris Pamela Churchill Harriman was an English-born socialite who was married and linked to several important and powerful men. In later life, she became a political activist for the U.S. Democratic Party and a diplomat. Harriman became a United States citizen in 1971. In 1980, the National Women's Democratic Club named her "Woman of the Year". President Bill Clinton appointed her U.S. Ambassador to France in 1993. The Dayton Agreement putting an end to the war in Bosnia was signed in Paris in 1995 while she served as ambassador.

Harriman died on Feb 5, 1997, at American Hospital, Neuilly-sur-Seine, after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage while swimming at the Paris Ritz one day earlier. She was 76. The morning after her death, President Jacques Chirac of France placed the Grand Cross of the Légion d'honneur on her flag-draped coffin. She was the first female foreign diplomat to receive this honor. President Clinton, in further recognition of her contributions and significance, dispatched Air Force One to return her body to the United States and spoke at her funeral at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Room 210, Hotel Prins Hendrik, Amsterdam, Netherlands Born in Oklahoma in December 1929, Chet Baker was a jazz singer and trumpeter who first gained fame in the early 1950s and who for the rest of his life was better known as a heroin addict. Baker had a deep and instinctive ear for music, playing trumpet in high school, the army, and junior college bands.

In 1949 he was present at an all-night music session in Los Angeles with Charlie “Bird” Parker and shot up heroin for the first time. In 1955, he went on an eight-month European tour, the longest for an American jazz musician up to that date. But in the late 1950's, heroin addiction began to take its toll on his career. He was arrested repeatedly through the rest of that decade and 1960's on narcotics-related charges, both in the United States and in Europe. In the early 1960's he was jailed for 16 months in Italy, and he was deported by Great Britain, Switzerland and Germany. In a 1968 drug deal gone bad, Baker received a beating that left him near death. He stopped performing for two years while recovering and turned to methadone. When he began performing again in the 1970's, critics praised his firmer tone and more aggressive solos, and he toured again through the 1970's and 1980's.

At about 3 o’clock in the morning on May 13, 1988, Baker was found dead on the Prins Hendrikkade, near the Zeedijk, the street below his second-story room of the Hotel Prins Hendrik in Amsterdam with serious wounds to his head. Heroin and cocaine were found in his hotel room, and an autopsy also found these drugs in his body. There was no evidence of a struggle, and so his death was ruled an accident. Baker was 58. Motel Room, Joshua Tree, California Gram Parsons was a guitarist and pianist best known for being a member of several notable bands in the late 1960s and early 1970s including the International Submarine Band, The Byrds, and The Flying Burrito Brothers. Before he was scheduled to leave on tour in October 1973, Parsons decided to travel to Joshua Tree National Monument in southeastern California, a place be had come to love. On Sept. 19, 1973, Parsons died in his motel room from an overdose of morphine and alcohol. He was 26.

Parson’s body was prepared for a trip to New Orleans for burial, but it was stolen from the Los Angeles International Airport by two of his friends who wanted to honor Parsons’ wish to be cremated at Joshua Tree. They drove to Joshua Tree in a borrowed hearse where they attempted to cremate Parsons’ body by pouring five gallons of gasoline into the open coffin and throwing in a match. An enormous fireball erupted. The two were arrested several days later. Since there was no law against stealing a dead body, the two were only fined $750 for stealing the coffin. They were not prosecuted for leaving 35 lbs of Parsons’ charred remains in the desert. Create a free website

Question: In which Hollywood hotel was singer Janis Joplin found dead of an accidental heroin dose?
Answer: Landmark Motor Hotel