Fame is an intriguing concept. People get famous for many reasons. For some, it’s a single moment that led them to be viral on the internet. Take Tessica Brown, the "Gorilla Glue Girl," for instance. A sister was just sharing her predicament with her few followers, and the next thing we know, she has a manager and all. Fascinating, isn’t it?
The other side of fame is born out of sheer hard work. It’s the result of years of toil, and more years of being underestimated. Essentially, it’s a product of persistence and determination. It’s the kind that births legends like Jay-Z. Believe it or not, there was a time when no one knew Jay-Z, Kevin Hart, or Ryan Seacrest. What’s heartbreaking, however, is that sometimes, years of tough labor can be cut short by fate. Death has in the past robbed us of rising stars who had promising futures ahead.
10 Rob Knox
Rob Knox began acting at the age of 11. His entry into the field was a small role on The Bill, an ITV production. In 2008, Rob Knox was stabbed outside a bar in London. His assailant, Karl Bishop, was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2009. Knox's last acting role was as Marcus Belby in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The film was released posthumously.
9 XXXTentacion
Born Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy, XXXTentacion had a short-lived career that gained a cult-like following, including the adoration of Billie Eilish. The themes of most of his songs were extremely dark, but he did not confine himself to a single genre. The rapper, whose career debuted on Soundcloud, was robbed at gunpoint in 2018 and shot multiple times. Paramedics arrived at the scene after the shooters fled. Upon arrival at the hospital, he was pronounced dead.
8 Heather O’Rourke
Born in 1975, Heather O’Rourke was a child star who was discovered by Hollywood producer Steven Spielberg. At the time, Spielberg was looking for a ‘beautific four-year-old child…every mother’s dream’ when he spotted Heather and her mum as they were having lunch. He offered her a role in Poltergeist, a 1982 horror film. In 1988, she experienced flu-like symptoms that triggered cardiac arrests. It was later established that she suffered from congenital stenosis of the intestine, which eventually led to her death.
7 Lee Thompson Young
While Lee Thompson Young had amassed significant acting experience at the time of his death, he was yet to get a breakout role. His life as an actor began in 1998 when he starred in The Famous Jett Jackson. He later appeared in several movies, including Five Year Plan, and voiced some characters. In 2013, the actor didn’t show up at work. Upon a visit to his apartment, he was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
6 Zach Sobiech
Zachary David Sobiech was a musician from Minnesota. He was in a band called ‘A Firm Handshake’, with whom he released an EP titled Fix Me Up. He began writing music when he was diagnosed with cancer. His debut, and only song as a solo artist, ‘Clouds’ was well received on YouTube, and charted on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2013, he died from cancer-related complications a few days before his 18th birthday.
5 Juice Wrld
Juice Wrld’s career as a rapper began on SoundCloud when he released his first single, ‘Forever’. At the time, he called himself JuicetheKidd. In 2017, he released his debut extended play, which was followed by other subsequent releases. His 2018 single ‘Lucid Dreams’ was number two on Billboard Hot 100. In 2019, while aboard a private jet, Juice Wrld allegedly swallowed Percocet pills that resulted in convulsions, and ultimately, his untimely death.
4 Lil Peep
Born Gustav Elijah Ahr, Lil Peep had an affluent background. His parents were graduates of Harvard University, who divorced when he was in his teens. Lil Peep began making music under the pseudonym ‘Trap Goose’. While he pursued his career, he was homeless on and off. His big break came when he released ‘Star Shopping’ and eventually, a 2016 mixtape subbed ‘Hellboy’. He continued to thrive until he died from an overdose in 2017.
3 Pop Smoke
Prior to his death, his rise to fame was catapulted by his singles ‘Welcome to the Party’ and ‘Dior’ that got released in 2019. Pop smoke’s career was extremely short but he’d amassed a huge following that mourned his death and continues to do so. The Brooklyn -born rapper was gunned down during a home invasion in 2020. . Most recently, it was revealed that rapper Pop Smoke’s assailant was a 15-year-old.
2 Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley’s early beginnings were humble. He spent his formative years as a musician playing the guitar and singing background vocals for different bands, all while he held a job at a hotel. He made a public singing debut in 1991. Later, he grew popular by performing at clubs and cafés, attracting the attention of record labels. He eventually signed a deal with Columbia Records. Jeff’s debut album, Grace, was released in 1994. In May of 1997, he drowned by accident at the age of 30.
1 Christina Grimmie
Grimmie’s career began in 2009 when she regularly posted covers of songs on YouTube. She later released an EP, which was followed by her debut studio album, With Love. The album was released when she clocked two million subscribers on her YouTube channel. Christina got mainstream attention when she had one of the most epic auditions on season 6 of The Voice. She placed third in the competition. Her time in the limelight was cut short when she was gunned down at a concert in Orlando.Florida. Kevin James Loibl, the assailant who was obsessed with her, then turned the gun on himself.