Let's see ... it was what?, 1977 when he "self destructed"? So, he was 42 when he left his last piece of Kingly evidence floating in the toilet. He has faired better than several contemporary and "more" modern singers and actors. Chris Farley was, what, 33 when he OD'ed? Zac Foley (of the group EMF [Unbelievable]) died at age 31 of inconclusive causes. Hank Williams (country legend) was dead at 29, presumably from some sort of mix of alcohol and prescription drugs. John Belushi was found dead at 33 from drug abuse. Terry Kath, a founding member of Chicago, was dead at 32 of an alcohol related shooting incident.
... need I go on?
BTW ... the death of Terry Kath is a senselessly tragic one. On the evening of January 23, 1978, after a party at a roadie's house, Kath, being a gun enthusiast, took a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and began cleaning it. When the roadie yelled for Terry to be careful, Kath removed the magazine to prove that the gun was not loaded, pointed the gun in the air and pulled the trigger, whereupon nothing happened. However, in his inebriated state, he forgot that some semi-automatic pistols have a built-in safety feature that prevents the discharge of a chambered round when the magazine is removed. When he reinserted the magazine, Kath put the gun to his temple and pulled the trigger, infamously saying, "Don't worry, it's not loaded".
... is it possible that "Tha Kang's" death may be written off as well?