The tragic stories behind these one-hit-wonders

Fame can be fleeting, especially in the music world where some artists achieve stardom with a single hit before fading into obscurity. Despite countless hours of dedication—taking lessons, developing a style, forming a band, and playing gigs—the abrupt end of their journey can feel like a tragedy. Sadly, for some one-hit-wonder artists, the heartache doesn’t stop there.

If you’re curious to discover the tragic stories behind these artists, from health challenges to mental illness, click through this gallery now.

Shannon Hoon of Blind Melon

Blind Melon gained popularity in the early 1990s and because known for their eclectic sound blending alternative rock, psychedelic influences, and elements of folk. Their most famous song 'No Rain' turned Blind Melon into a household name.

The band's success was cut short when lead singer Shannon Hoon died from a drug overdose in 1995, just months after the release of their second album, 'Soup.' The tragedy significantly impacted the band's trajectory.

Charles Pettigrew of Charles and Eddie

Soul and R&B duo Charles and Eddie shot to fame with their chart-topping hit 'Would I Lie to You?' The pair followed up with a second album, but it didn't achieve the same level of success as their debut, and eventually, Charles and Eddie parted ways.

Pauly Fuemana of OMC

Hailing from New Zealand, OMC (Otara Millionaires Club) became best known for their single 'How Bizarre,' released in 1995. The song was an international hit, but the group struggled to replicate that success in subsequent years.

Scatman John

Scatman John, or John Larkin as he was formally known, burst into the charts in 1995 with his catchy hit 'Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop).' While he released other songs, none achieved the same level of widespread recognition and commercial success as 'Scatman.'

Less than five years after his massive pop breakthrough, Scatman John died of lung cancer, which had reportedly spread to his brain. He was only 57 years old.

DJ E-Z Rock of Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock

Hip hop duo Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock reached number one on the dance charts with 'Get On the Dance Floor,' but they are probably best known for their 1988 hit 'It Takes Two,' which is still sampled and used on soundtracks to this day.

The Singing Nun

In 1963, Belgian nun Jeanine Deckers, known as The Singing Nun (pictured far left), shot to the top of the US charts with her song 'Dominique,' sung entirely in French. In 1964, after an appearance on 'The Ed Sullivan Show,' Deckers suffered a crisis of faith and left her convent.

Andy Fraser of Free

British rock band Free were known for their hit song 'All Right Now,' which became a classic and is often associated with the early 1970s rock scene. While the band released other songs, none matched the iconic status and widespread recognition of 'All Right Now.'

B.W. Stevenson

B.W. Stevenson is best known for his 1973 hit 'My Maria,' which reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. After achieving some success in the '70s, Stevenson's career waned in the '80s, but he continued to perform and write music.

Ray Smith

Ray Smith and his band, the Rock 'n' Roll Boys, achieved their first US hit with 'Rockin' Little Angel.' Follow-up songs flopped, and Smith and the band never had another hit single. Frustrated and dejected over his inability to find lasting work as a musician, Smith committed suicide at the age of 45 in 1979.

Jennifer Paige

In the mid-2000s, Paige and her family moved to the Nashville area. Toward the end of 2007, her mother fell ill and died at the age of 58 after a 10-day hospital stay. About two weeks later, Paige's father also became unwell and passed away. She lost both of her parents in less than three weeks.

Blu Cantrell

In 2014, Cantrell made headlines—not for her music this time, but for a serious health issue. She was spotted walking down the middle of a street in Santa Monica, California, claiming she had been exposed to "poisonous gas." Police were called, and Cantrell was escorted to a medical facility for a psychological evaluation.

Tiny Tim

While performing at a ukulele festival in 1996, Tiny Tim suffered a heart attack on stage. After an 11-day hospitalization, he returned to performing. Two months later, during a benefit concert, he fainted. Tiny Tim was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared dead from cardiac arrest aged 64.

Tommy Page

Page changed careers and became a successful businessman. During his time at Warner Bros. Records, he helped launch the careers of Alanis Morissette and Green Day. Unfortunately, Page struggled with his mental health and committed suicide at the age of 46 in 2017.

Del Shannon

In February 1990, Shannon committed suicide. After years of suffering from alcoholism and depression, Shannon was prescribed Prozac. It was shortly after this he took his own life with a .22 caliber rifle.