Lived To Tell the Tale: 4 Rock Stars Who Died and Were Brought Back to Life

It’s definitely a morbid thought, but far too many rock stars who have produced some of the most legendary music of their time have been taken from us far too soon. Fortunately, despite their haunting near-death experiences, these four rock icons came out alive. Let’s look at four famous rock stars who technically died but came back to life!

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1. Slash

Imagining a world without the rock guitar stylings of Slash is quite boring. Sadly, we came quite close to losing the famed Guns N’ Roses shredder years ago.

Slash, like many rock stars of his era, partied pretty hard for a while. You don’t streak across a golf course sober in most instances, anyway. Slash once spoke about how during one tour stop in San Francisco, he purchased a wealth of drugs and “took all of it.” 

While walking to the hotel elevator, he collapsed; and his heart stopped beating for an entire eight minutes before paramedics got there. Fortunately, he survived. However, he didn’t start taking his health seriously until 2001 when he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy.

2. Dave Gahan

Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan is unfortunately one of many rock stars from his era who died from an overdose but miraculously came back to life. Gahan had apparently earned the nickname “Cat” because he had so many near-death experiences at the height of his career.

One particular overdose in 1996 brought him frighteningly close to oblivion. Gahan had overdosed on a mix of several drugs at a hotel in Los Angeles. His heart had stopped for the whole of two minutes before paramedics were able to revive him.

When he came to, Gahan asked the paramedics if he overdosed. They responded “No, Dave, you died. You were actually dead.” Thankfully, Gahan eventually changed his ways.

3. Josh Homme

Josh Homme of Queens Of The Stone Age had to undergo a procedure back in 2010 to deal with a knee ailment. While under the knife, this rock star suffered complications from the anesthesia and began to choke. He actually flatlined and was dead for several minutes before doctors were able to revive him.

4. Phil Anselmo

This controversial rock star is another example of rock stars who died from drug overdoses and came back to life. After suffering a spinal injury in the 1990s, Anselmo began to self-medicate with everything from her**n to alcohol. 

In 1996, after performing in Texas with Pantera, Anselmo went into cardiac arrest after an overdose. According to the rock star himself, he died for “four to five minutes” before he was revived.

Photo by Daniel DeSlover/Shutterstock

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