Death By Music Podcast
290 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 days ago - ★★★★ - 22 ratingsThis show is for the morbidly curious music fan - it's a combination of true crime and music history. Death By Music Podcast covers death in the music industry, from overdoses to plane crashes to cold-blooded murder.
NEW EPISODES MONTLY! MINI episodes every Monday - topical music stories with a bit of off-topic chit chat. 100+ archived mini episodes are available on our Patreon!
Go to www.patreon.com/deathbypodcastteam for a $5/mo bonus content!
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
5.10 - The Ramones Part 1
June 28, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 45.9 MBHey ho, let's go right into episode 10 with another series, this time on The Ramones! Part one delves into the early lives of the original members, how they all met, and the formation of the band. Support the show
The History of Music Festivals & The First Bonnaroo | Mini 113
June 26, 2023 04:00 - 42 minutes - 29.6 MBAlex's radio stations (WNOB/WUSH/WROX) were all on site for this year's Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, so we thought it only appropriate to cover the history of music festivals and how Bonnaroo came to be. Support the show
10 Bands That Successfully Replaced Their Singers | Mini 112
June 19, 2023 04:00 - 26 minutes - 18 MBThis mini covers rock and metal acts that found success despite replacing the most visible member: the vocalist. What other bands do you know that apply? Support the show
The Story Behind "Billie Jean" By Michael Jackson | Mini 111
June 12, 2023 04:00 - 18 minutes - 12.5 MBMain episode content starts at 4:10. Today we discuss the grim backstory to Billie Jean, and also learn a bit about the science of twins. Support the show
The Story Behind "Smoke On The Water" By Deep Purple | Mini 110
June 05, 2023 04:00 - 18 minutes - 12.5 MBMain episode content starts at ~5:10. Another story behind a song! This one is quite autobiographical, and also involves Frank Zappa. Support the show
Jack Harlow to Give Deposition In Bartender's Murder | Mini 109
May 29, 2023 04:00 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MBMain episode content starts at 8:30. Back in 2021, a DJ shot and killed bartender and mother Kasmira Nash at a nightclub. Support the show
Guitar Distortion History & The Kinks | Mini 108
May 22, 2023 04:00 - 20 minutes - 14.4 MBIn our trivia episode we mentioned how The Kinks popularized guitar distortion... Learn a bit about the mechanics of it! Support the show
The Many Lineup Changes of AC/DC | Mini 107
May 15, 2023 04:00 - 19 minutes - 13.2 MBWe thought it was crazy that they'd had 12 drummers, but little did we know the lineup over the years has actually included 21 musicians! Support the show
5.9 - Bessie Smith
May 10, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 51.2 MBBessie was considered the Empress of the Blues, paving the way for black women and LGBTQ+ in the Jazz Age. She overcame an incredibly rough childhood and went on to become one of the greatest singers of her era. Support the show
A Brief History of Little Richard Grappling With His Sexuality & Religion | Mini 106
May 08, 2023 04:00 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MBMAIN EPISODE CONTENT STARTS AT 10:30. In a previous mini episode, we discussed the time that Little Richard quit Rock and Roll. Here, we go into his struggles with sexuality vs. religion, and the statements Richard has made throughout his life on the matter. Support the show
Story Behind The Song: "Black Betty" | Mini 105
May 01, 2023 04:00 - 18 minutes - 13 MBMade most famous by 70's rock band Ram Jam, "Black Betty" actually started out as a work song for African Americans at the turn of the 20th century and has a controversial past. Support the show
Music Trivia With A Special Guest | Mini 104
April 24, 2023 04:00 - 23 minutes - 16.2 MBWe decided to feature Alex's mom, Kathleen, on the show while she's in town visiting! She helped cultivate Alex's musical knowledge for years, so today we put it to the test with music trivia. Tally your score and share it in the Death By Music Podcast Fans Facebook group! Support the show
Mick Mars vs. Mötley Crüe | Mini 103
April 17, 2023 04:00 - 23 minutes - 15.9 MBMain episode content starts at 7:30. Whose side are you on? Mick Mars sues his bandmates of 41 years after they try to remove him from their various businesses. Support the show
Mini Music News: Dee Snider Hates MTV Unplugged, Oasis Keeps Fighting Amidst Reunion Rumors, KISS Band Drama | Mini 102
April 10, 2023 04:00 - 31 minutes - 21.8 MBATTENTION: We are going to take a month-long break from full episodes. Skip to 5:45 for main episode content. This mini covers several updates on recent mini-episodes we've had. Support the show
5.8 - Chester Bennington (Linkin Park) Part 2
April 05, 2023 04:00 - 59 minutes - 40.8 MBAfter reaching sobriety, Chester Bennington kept very busy with multiple musical projects in addition to Linkin Park - and with his growing family. Unfortunately, he was still fighting with his demons every single day. [email protected] . Listen to the playlist for this episode at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6DkeKfm2c4L27nbOmD8R46?si=174a412373d84a2b . Support the show
The Story Behind "Layla" by Derek & The Dominos | Mini 101
April 03, 2023 04:00 - 14 minutes - 10.1 MBThis song brought Duane Allman into the studio with Eric Clapton, and details Clapton's love for George Harrison's wife Pattie. Support the show
Why Oasis Broke Up | Mini 100
March 27, 2023 04:00 - 21 minutes - 14.6 MBSkip to 6:37 for main episode content. A few weeks ago, we talked about Oasis' ruined MTV Unplugged performance, which led us to wondering why exactly they broke up in the first place. We discuss various incidents between the feuding brothers. Support the show
RIP Wayne Swinny (Saliva) - Alex talks to 95.7 The Hog, WHOG
March 23, 2023 14:00 - 6 minutes - 4.7 MBAlex reunites with The Morning Hog on 95.7, sharing stories about Wayne Swinny, an important, hilarious, and genuine friend. Wayne was the lead guitarist and a founding member of Saliva, and passed away on 3/22/2023. Support the show
5.7 - Chester Bennington (Linkin Park) Part 1
March 22, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 53.9 MBA little check-in first with our new listeners - main episode content starts at 13:30. Chester Bennington was the singer and songwriter for legendary nu-metal band Linkin Park, who had the best selling debut album of the 2000's (Hybrid Theory). This episode details his *tw* abusive childhood, substance abuse, and transition from Grey Daze to Linkin Park. [email protected] . Listen to the playlist for this episode at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6DkeKfm2c4L27nbOmD8R46?si=9c26...
A Brief History of CBGB | Mini 99
March 20, 2023 04:00 - 23 minutes - 16.2 MBSkip to 7:00 for main episode content! CBGB was a punk music mecca, and today we hear founder Hilly Kristal's history of the club. Support the show
The History of MTV Unplugged | Mini 98
March 13, 2023 04:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MBWe talked about MTV's worst contests of the 1980's, now it's time to give them some praise for arguably the best thing MTV ever did - their Unplugged series. Support the show
5.6 - Sister Rosetta Tharpe
March 08, 2023 05:00 - 1 hour - 48.8 MBThis groudbreaking guitarist combined electric guitar with spiritual music, becoming a pioneer of the rock and roll scene to come. [email protected] . Listen to the playlist for this episode at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/22ZIrcAoLY9zqJtHJZTy7G?si=db2887722e5b46fc . Support the show
The Silent Composition: John Cage's 4'33" | Mini 97
March 06, 2023 05:00 - 22 minutes - 15.2 MBFour minutes and thirty-three seconds of silence... But this classical composition is SO much more. Plus the gang discusses anechoic and sensory-deprivation chambers. Support the show
Frank Sinatra's FBI Files | Mini 96
February 27, 2023 05:00 - 19 minutes - 13.5 MBAfter his death, Frank Sinatra's FBI files covering 40 years of his life were declassified. Support the show
5.5 - Frank Sinatra Part 2
February 22, 2023 05:00 - 59 minutes - 41.1 MBIn Sinatra Part 2, Frank gets married three more times, gets kicked out of multiple casinos for his gambling debts and violence, and he also has some of the most successful albums of his career. Listen to the playlist at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1aFnvV8Q7uFurLSZwbMdVL?si=89f39de7b94b47f4 . [email protected] . Support the show
Garth Brooks' Emo Alter Ego, Chris Gaines | Mini 95
February 20, 2023 05:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MBIn the early 2000's, country music legend Garth Brooks shaved his goatee into a soul patch and put on some eyeliner to become a very strange, sad boy. Support the show
MTV's Most Insane Contests of the 1980's | 94
February 13, 2023 05:00 - 35 minutes - 24.3 MBFrom giving away a pink house in Indiana across the street from a toxic waste dump, to nearly losing a winner after a bender with Van Halen... MTV was doing some crazy contests in the 80's. Support the show
5.4 - Frank Sinatra Part 1
February 08, 2023 05:00 - 59 minutes - 41.2 MBSinatra went from a childhood of being beat up to one of the best-selling musicians of all time. Part one covers his childhood, rise to fame playing with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, and his activism, [email protected] . Listen to the accompanying playlist for this episode at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1aFnvV8Q7uFurLSZwbMdVL?si=8530c9a39fa141c0 . Support the show
Bone Music: Russian X-Ray Records | Mini 93
February 06, 2023 05:00 - 21 minutes - 15 MBIn post-WWII Russia, citizens were only allowed to have music by Russian composers, which fueled a black market of illegal recordings on old x-rays. Support the show
Infamous Classical Piano Duels Part 2 | Mini 92
January 30, 2023 05:00 - 21 minutes - 14.6 MBOur first true minisode series, this covers part two of infamous piano duels featuring Beethoven, Lizst, Woelfl, and more. Support the show
5.3 - Marilyn Monroe Part 2
January 25, 2023 05:00 - 1 hour - 46 MBPart two covers Marilyn's later film career as well as her relationships with Joe DiMaggio, Arthur Miller, and the Kennedy family. We go into what happened the day leading up to her death, and Jake hits a conspiracy theory take. [email protected] . Listen to the accompanying playlist on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5fcFGNMIJEgZMdiK0F4Kyg?si=7525201493914f8b Support the show
Infamous Classical Piano Duels Part 1 | Mini 91
January 23, 2023 05:00 - 18 minutes - 12.7 MBWho knew classical piano duels could be so entertaining? We cover infamous duels between Beethoven, Daniel Steibelt, Louis Marchand, Johann Sebastian Bach, Mozart, and Muzio Clementi. Support the show
Lisa Marie Presley Dies At 54 | Mini 90
January 16, 2023 05:00 - 30 minutes - 20.8 MBThis past week we lost musician and daughter of Elvis, Lisa Marie Presley. The gang reads a piece on her life from the New York Times. Support the show
5.2 - Marilyn Monroe Part 1
January 04, 2023 05:00 - 1 hour - 45.1 MBThough she's known more for her acting than her singing, the team decided to cover Marilyn for the kickoff to season 5! She overcame a devastating childhood and a debilitating disease to become one of the most famous icons Hollywood has ever seen. [email protected] . Listen to the accompanying playlist on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5fcFGNMIJEgZMdiK0F4Kyg?si=7525201493914f8b Support the show
Did Jared Leto Start A Cult? | Mini 89
January 02, 2023 05:00 - 25 minutes - 17.8 MBA few years back, Thirty Seconds To Mars posted photos from their Mars Island retreat that had people wondering... Is Jared Leto making his grand transformation into a cult leader? Support the show
5.1 - Robert Johnson
December 28, 2022 05:00 - 53 minutes - 37 MBFROM OUR PATREON 27 CLUB SEASON, ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 14, 2021. Get to www.patreon.com/deathbypodcastteam to hear the whole season for $5 a month. Our first episode in the 27 Club series, the infamous Robert Johnson who sold his soul to the Devil at the crossroads and had a mysterious premature death. Listen to the accompanying playlist on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4mkv3gNYUwR00GUGHScKK6?si=89ad86d3654841b5 Support the show
Taylor Swift, The Most Stalked Celebrity? | Mini 88
December 26, 2022 05:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MBToday we cover the recent leak of Taylor Swift's flight logs and some of her notable stalkers. Support the show
Clare Torry, The Unknown Singer On Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon | Mini 87
December 19, 2022 05:00 - 17 minutes - 11.8 MBClare laid down vocals on an album that would go on to sell 45 million copies... But had to fight to get proper credit and compensation. Support the show
When Rick Allen (Def Leppard Drummer) Lost His Left Arm | Mini 86
December 12, 2022 05:00 - 27 minutes - 18.8 MBToday we talk about the time Rick Allen lost his arm in a car accident, and came back to create Def Leppard's biggest album yet. Support the show
Radio DJ Condemned For Playing Van Halen's Jump At Worst Possible Time | Mini 85
December 05, 2022 05:00 - 14 minutes - 9.89 MBTW: Suicide - but, she survives. DJ is a dick. Support the show
CASSIE'S BACK! Lizzo Let's A Fan Wear Her Dress On Red Carpet | Mini 84
November 28, 2022 05:00 - 24 minutes - 17.2 MBCassie returns to recording with us to talk about Lizzo, whom we just got tickets to see in 2023. Support the show
David Lee Roth Almost Breaks Up A Marriage | Mini 83
November 21, 2022 05:00 - 14 minutes - 9.8 MBThis time, he wasn't actually trying to. Support the show
The Dark Side Of Motown | Mini 82
November 14, 2022 05:00 - 44 minutes - 30.5 MBMotown was a wildly successful label, but tragedy seemed to follow the artists signed to it. Support the show
Bono Apologizes for U2's iTunes Album Release | Mini 81
November 07, 2022 14:00 - 30 minutes - 20.9 MBBack in 2014, U2 went where no band had gone before by partnering with iTunes to drop their album into every iTunes subscriber's library. Now, in a recent memoir, Bono apologizes for the stunt. Support the show
The Tin Man's Lungs Failed From Toxic Silver Paint | Mini 80
October 31, 2022 04:00 - 15 minutes - 10.5 MBFirst, the production team from Wizard of Oz painted the Tin Man with aluminum dust that caused him respiratory distress and resulted in hospitalization. Then they added insult to injury by firing him. How dare his lungs fail! Support the show
Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath Set His Bandmate (Bill Ward) On Fire | Mini 79
October 24, 2022 04:00 - 33 minutes - 22.8 MBYou make a friend. Do you: a) go to lunch with them, b) ask them to be in your band, c) dump a can of paint all over their body, d) light them on fire, or e) all of the above? Support the show
When Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin Bought Aliester Crowley's House | Mini 78
October 17, 2022 21:00 - 28 minutes - 19.3 MBJimmy Page owned the infamous Boleskin house for several decades and reportedly had some pretty weird stuff happen. Support the show
Screamin' Jay Hawkins and His 56 Children | Mini 77
October 10, 2022 04:00 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MBToday we spoke about listener Garrett's suggestion - pioneer shock-rocker Screamin' Jay Hawkins and his litter of offspring. We can't think of anything more terrifying to cover this October! Support the show
2001 School Shooting Misattributed to Linkin Park Lyrics | Mini 76
October 03, 2022 04:00 - 22 minutes - 15.5 MBBack in 2001, a school shooter was allegedly "inspired" by Linkin Park lyrics from their Hybrid Theory album. Support the show
How Kris Kristofferson Went From Janitor to Hit Songwriter | Mini 75
September 26, 2022 04:00 - 21 minutes - 14.9 MBWith a little help from Johnny Cash, June Carter-Cash, and a perfectly timed helicopter entrance, Kris Kristofferson finally made it in the world as a songwriter. Support the show