Unusual Deaths from Natural Causes

Death is inevitable… but it sometimes strikes in strangely spectacular ways. Here is a collection of remarkable cases, all due to natural causes, where fate took some truly unexpected turns.

1923 — Frank Hayes, jockey

Frank Hayes died of a heart attack during a horse race. His mount, Sweet Kiss, crossed the finish line first, making Hayes the only jockey to win a race posthumously.

1943 — Alexander Woollcott, critic

He collapsed from a heart attack during a live radio broadcast while discussing Adolf Hitler.
1958 — Gareth Jones, British actor
Jones died during a makeup break between scenes of a live television show. Director Ted Kotcheff had to improvise to finish the broadcast without him.

1959 — Boris Vian, writer and musician

On June 23, during the premiere of I Spit on Your Graves, a film adaptation of his novel — which he strongly disapproved of — Vian collapsed in the screening room after the opening minutes. He died of a heart attack en route to the hospital.

1960 — Leonard Warren, baritone singer

Warren collapsed on stage at the Metropolitan Opera in New York while performing La forza del destino. Legend says his final line was “Morir? Tremenda cosa.” (“To die? A terrible thing.”)
Others claim he finished the aria with “Gioia, o gioia!” (“Joy, oh joy!”).

1969 — Pavel Apostolov, music critic

A lifelong opponent of Dmitri Shostakovich, Apostolov died during the premiere of the composer’s 14ᵗʰ symphony.

1984 — Tommy Cooper, comedian and magician

He suffered a fatal heart attack live on air during Live from Her Majesty’s. At first, the audience thought it was part of the act.

1987 — Dick Shawn, comedian

He collapsed on stage while impersonating a politician. The audience laughed, thinking it was a gag — until they realized he wasn’t getting back up.

1992 — Father Gaston Hurtubise

During the Charismatic Congress in Ottawa, he concluded a sermon on “the heart of God” before collapsing from a massive heart attack. His final words were: “Thank you, Lord!”

1996 — Johnny “Guitar” Watson, musician

He died on stage at the Blues Café in Yokohama, Japan, during a live performance.

1999 — Mark Sandman, singer and bassist of Morphine

On July 23, Sandman collapsed on stage during a concert in Palestrina, near Rome. He was declared dead shortly after, at age 46, from a heart attack.

1999 — Grover Washington Jr., jazz saxophonist

Washington suffered a fatal heart attack on December 17 while recording CBS’s Saturday Early Show.

(Source: Wikipedia)