Texas has lost many musical legends throughout history; some have died tragically due to illnesses, some due to accidents, and some have died during a performance. While it doesn’t happen very often, it DOES happen in the world of entertainment (Les Harvey, Tiny Tim & Tommy Cooper are some examples of this).
Some huge names from Texas have also died during a show & here are some musicians we still miss…
Johnny “Guitar” Watson (February 3, 1935 – May 17, 1996)
John Watson Jr. was born in Houston, Texas, but we know him better as Johnny “Guitar” Watson. He became well known for his guitar playing while playing funk, soul & rhythm & blues.
On May 17, 1996, Johnny suffered a heart attack while performing at a blues club in Yokohama, Japan. He collapsed on stage & died shortly after. He was 61 years old. Johnny was interviewed less than a week before his death, saying he felt great. We continue to remember Johnny & his amazing skills many years later
Dimebag Darrell (August 20, 1966 - December 8, 2004)
Perhaps the most well known case of a musician dying on stage is the former Pantera guitarist, Dimebag Darrell from Ennis, Texas. Anyone who’s listened to Pantera (myself included) knows just how incredible his playing WAS & still is to this day…