If you could choose one dead rock star to still be alive who would it be?

[kj_jive]

Hmm...I'm gonna go with Keith Moon.  Layne Staley is a dangerously close second though.

[Acquiesce]

What a hard decision. There are so many musicians that I  love and respect that have passed on. Keith Moon, John Entwistle, John Lennon, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, Randy Rhoads, John Bonham, Bon Scott are some of my favorites.

I guess if I had to choose it would be between Keith Moon and John Entwistle because The Who are a big favorite of mine.

Randy Rhoads would be another choice because he died so young and could have contributed so much more to the music world. Most of the artists I mentioned made major contributions even though their life was cut short.

[Cornell]

This is too hard to do.  I would struggle between John Lennon, Freddie Mercury, Bon Scott and Shannon Hoon.  So, I narrowed it down to 4. 

[LionGoddess]

Dizzy good choices with Randy and Rhoads. Randy is one of my fav drummers ever. I would have to say Layne Staley and Cliff Burton. Alice In Chains is one of my favorite bands and I would have loved for Layne to have pulled himself together. Cliff because he seemed so cool and since I am so young (22) I would have loved to see Metallica with him. Also I like to think that Metallica wouldn't suck so much if Cliff were still around. Whether thats true or not who knows.

[Izzy]

Freddy Mercury - Queen were reaching their peak...and then he died

[Hammy]

Shannon Hoon - One of the few 'great' rockstars who's died who was actually better than many thought, Hendrix, Mercury & Cobain were and are overated and i would not rush to get them back.

[Walk]

Chuck Schuldiner of Death was taken from us so soon. I loved his Control Denied side project, and Death was really changing their sound before he died. Death wasn't pointless br00tal Cannibal Corpse style metal. It was so much better than everything else.

When he died, he left his family deep in debt from medical bills. Hendrix and Cobain left millions of dollars. Chuck was just underrated because mainstream listeners don't like harsh vocals.

And, to be completely honest, Zeppelin fell apart at the perfect time. Their later albums just weren't as good as the early stuff. If Jon Bonham didn't die, they would have fallen even deeper into mediocrity.

[Gunner80]

Freddie Mercury for sure.

[Captain Obvious]

Agree with above poster for Layne Staley. hat band was so good, and yet, so underrated and overshadowed. Even after his death, I haven't seen much extensive coverage. Rarely do I ever hear his name mentioned on the anniversary of his death...what a shame.  I'm not sure if it would be possible for Layne Staley to overcome heroin. Apparently, there is a book by some woman who claims to be the last person to interview Layne Staley (over the phone) while he lived in his apartment, and judging by those interviews, It would take no less than a miracle.

If Im not mistaken, Shannon Hoon died of a cocaine or heroin overdose while the band was on tour sometime in 94, or 95 Im not completely sure about the year. But I guess the morning of a show, the band found him lifeless in his tour bus I believe.

That's correct, they found him in the tour bus just hours before a show on October 21, 1995. It was a cocaine overdose. Just three months after his daughter Nico Blue was born 

I can't believe that he's gone. He died so young, and had so much more to offer. If there is someone here who hasn't listened to Blind Melon yet...well, you really should.

Yeah, I believe on pop-up video, they say that the band has actually hired a bodyguard to make sure Hoon doesn't OD and that very shortly after, he died.

[Lord Blackadder]

Freddie Mercury definatly. They don't make people like him anymore. Same with Lennon but Freddie was just amazing. (all you NON Queen/Freddie fans will find this out if you buy the forthcoming Live Aid dvd. Watch Queen's performance and you will be converted).

[Lady Livin]

Apparently, there is a book by some woman who claims to be the last person to interview Layne Staley (over the phone) while he lived in his apartment . . .

I've heard nothing but negative reviews about that book, and that's a shame. Someone seriously needs to do him justice. Heard the Mike Starr book was awful, too.

[MadmanDan]

Hendrix, Mercury  were and are overated and i would not rush to get them back.

Holy shit,how can you say that??? Apart from the fact that they both were brilliant unique musicians,without Hendrix there wouldn't be any Slash and without Freddie there wouldn't be any Axl,not the way we know them,anyway.

[Lady Livin]

just because they're conventional, doesn't mean they're overrated.

[N.I.B]

certainly not kurt!! don't get me wrong cos i really like the guy but he wanted to die... he killed himself... he was in misery... i wouldn't want to bring someone who is resting in peace back to misery they didn't want.

Courtny killed him. the evidence points to her.

[Dizzy]

Courtny killed him. the evidence points to her.

Oh christ, yet another who believed everything that crappy Kurt and Courtney spewed.  That movie was nothing but fabricated bullshit made up to damage Courtney's reputation.  I'm no Courtney Love fan, but she did not kill Kurt.

[Mr. Dick Purple]

Hendrix & Mercury were and are overated and i would not rush to get them back.

How In God sakes Mercury is overrated??, tell where so I can go there to live in perfect armony

[Skeletor]

Hendrix & Mercury were and are overated and i would not rush to get them back.

How In God sakes Mercury is overrated??, tell where so I can go there to live in perfect armony

I think in this case it means the guy just didn't like Freddie's music, so that's why he's "overrated".

[2NaFish]

Stevie Ray Vaughan. He'd just cleaned himself up properly and was really looking to expand his playing. Alot of the people mentioned already were given the chance to prove themselves and most had probably already peaked artistically by their death; SRV was in the ascendency creatively leading up to his death and i really wish he'd had the chance to go on cos i think he would've gone on the be a real legend.

Other than that i'd wish Bonzo had never died, for obvious reasons.

[darkdays_01]

There are so many but off the the top of my head theses guys really stand out:

Steve Clark , Kurt Cobain , and Bon Scott, I know many people like Brian Johnson but minus Back In Black,  AC/DC really only have a handful of decent stuff after that, alot of filler going on there.

[DEAD HORSE]

I would Choose Cliff Burton . just for three reasons: 1-He died young , 2 he had an entire carrer ahead with Metallica  And 3  HE was The best Bass Player on earth. and if you want a 4 reason , well he was the motor that kept going Metallica .