The list of celebrities who predicted their deaths is unfortunately long. Many of these deaths shocked the world into a state of disbelief, while others were met with more of an unsurprised sadness. Either way, one thing is clear: all these actors, musicians, athletes and other public figures saw their deaths coming long before everyone else. That is perhaps the saddest part of all. Some of these celebrity death predictions are eerily intricate and precise, while others are slightly vague but immensely foreboding. Musicians appear on this list the most by far. Rappers, rockers, and more appear to be especially talented at predicting their own deaths. It may have to do with the unique knowledge they have, or it could be simply the situations they frequently find themselves in. It's not all musicians though. Athletes, writers, and famous composers have also been successful in predicting their own deaths. Perhaps the most surprising though is the famous mathematician who was obsessed with death. Many of the people on this list died far too young. There are multiple members of the infamous "27 Club," on the list, as well as a few who were even younger than that when they died. These famous predicted deaths might have been foreseen by some, but they are tragic nonetheless.
The Prediction: Tupac Shakur's death is shrouded in mystery. In the lyrics of one song, he raps "I been shot and murdered, can tell you how it happened word for word." When asked where he saw himself in a few years, he was quoted as saying, "Best case, in a cemetery. Not in a cemetery, sprinkled in ashes smoked up by my homies. I mean, that’s the worst case.” What Happened: Tupac was shot and murdered during a drive-by in Las Vegas, though many speculate that he actually faked his own death.
The Prediction: John Lennon's death shocked the world, but Lennon himself may have seen it coming. Not long before he died, he recorded a song called 'Borrowed Time," in which he sings, "Living on borrowed time, without a thought for tomorrow." What Happened: Lennon was shot dead before the song even came out. It was later released posthumously.
The Prediction: When he was only 14, Kurt Cobain told a classmate that he would become a superstar musician, get rich and famous, and that he would kill himself, going out in a blaze of glory. What Happened: Cobain nailed all of it. He became wildly successful, rich, and famous. He also committed suicide inside his Seattle home.
The Prediction: Jimi Hendrix recorded a new song in 1965 with the lyrics:
Many things he would try
For he knew soon he’d die
Now Jimi’s gone, he’s not alone
His memory still lives on
Five years, this he said
He’s not gone, he’s just dead
What Happened: Hendrix died five years to the month after recording the song.
The Prediction: At the time of Mark Twain's predication, the last time Halley's Comet was seen was the year he was born. Because of this, he said that Haley's Comet not passing at the time of his death as well would be the greatest disappointment of his life. What Happened: The day after the arrival of Halley's Comet in 1910, Twain dropped dead of a heart attack at the age of 74.
The Prediction: To some of his friends and fans, Bob Marley was thought to be a bit of a psychic. According to rumors, Marley disclosed details of his death to his close friends, though there is no solid proof. What Happened: The details of his predictions are known only to those he supposedly told. One friend has said that Marley claimed he would die at the age of 36. Marley did indeed die at age 36.
The Prediction: Arnold Schoenberg, the Austrian composer and painter, was born on September 13 and pretty much from then on was deathly afraid of the number 13. He spent his life actively avoiding the dreaded number at almost any cost. When he turned 76 and was reminded that 7+ 6 =13, his fear was exacerbated even more. What Happened: On Friday July 13, 1951, at the age of 76, Schoenberg dropped dead.
The Prediction: Frank Pastore was a prominent baseball player and radio talk show host. During his morning show, Pastore commented on his love for motorcycles, but also added, "At any moment, especially with the idiot people who cross the diamond lane into my lane, without any blinkers – not that I'm angry about it – at any minute, I could be spread all over the 210." What Happened: That same day, just three hours later, Pastore was hit by a drifiting car on the 210 freeway and died from his injuries.
The Prediction: On September 26, 2011, Mikey Welsh, the former bass guitarist for the band Weezer, tweeted about a dream he had. In the dream, he died in Chicago of a heart attack. What Happened: On October 8, 2011, Welsh was found dead in his Chicago hotel room from a heart attack, likely the result of a drug overdose.
The Prediction: There is a lot of speculation around the death of the Notorious B.I.G. and how it may or may not have been in retaliation for Tupac's death. That aside, some of Biggie's lyrics where unfortunately foretelling, most notably the line, "I swear to God I feel like death is f*cking’ calling me.” What Happened: Biggie was gunned down in a drive-by shooting not long after rapping about death calling him.
The Prediction: The rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd released their album Street Survivors in 1977. The album had strong references to death and darkness including the song "That Smell," with the lines, "The smell of death surrounds you," and "Angel of darkness upon you." Their album cover also pictured the members of the band engulfed in flames. What Happened: Three members of the band and their manager died in a plane crash on October 20, 1977, three days after the release of Street Survivors.
The Prediction: William Thomas Stead, the famous writer and newspaper mogul, once wrote about tons of people dying on a ship with too few lifeboats. Another time, he wrote about scores of people dying when their ship crashed into an iceberg. What Happened: The Titanic happened. Stead boarded the fateful ship in 1912 and did not survive the sinking.
The Prediction: Warren Zevon wrote the lyrics, "Kickin’ asbestos in the factory / Punchin’ out Chryslers in the factory / Breathin’ that plastic in the factory," for the song "The Factory," about a man who dies of lung cancer. What Happened: Years later, despite having never worked in a factory, Zevon died of a very rare lung cancer most associated with asbestos and factory workers.