The Most Infamous Car Crashes in Music History
Andrew Koole
· 3 min read
There are many infamous plane crashes in music history. Some of the most iconic artists in history died this way, from Buddy Holly, Patsy Cline, and Otis Redding to Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Denver, Aaliyah, and three members of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
But collisions on the ground have also left their mark on the art form. Whether in a bus, in a car, or on a
motorcycle
, close calls and tragedies from traffic accidents have made a profound impact on a number of the world’s most famous artists.A close look at a few of these stories highlights how traumatic
car accidents
can be, whether or not they cause any fatalities. 
Car crash close calls that changed music history
A lot of very famous musicians have survived some scary crashes. But a few narrow escapes changed the course of their survivors’ careers forever.
Kanye West, for example, was a producer before a collision nearly killed him and caused his jaw to be wired shut.
WIUX
says the incident inspired West to drop the production gig and become a rapper. His first single, “Through the Wire,” launched his now enormous career.Bob Dylan’s infamous accident, on the other hand, happened in 1966, at the height of his popularity. The motorcycle crash forced Dylan to slow down to recover, a much-needed pause that some argue may have saved his life.
But perhaps the most inspiring result of a car accident in music history is the story of Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen, who lost an arm in a crash in 1984. Despite the odds, Allen relearned to drum for the band with his remaining limb.
MORE: The Top 5 Causes of Car Accidents
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Tragic accidents involving musicians
Sadly, not every incident involving musicians are survival stories for everyone involved. In some, people traveling with well-known artists lost their lives. In others, it was the musicians themselves who died.
Keith Moon, the drummer from the Who, was known as a wild and reckless person. One day in 1970, after a few too many drinks, he accidentally drove over his driver and bodyguard Neil Boland, killing him.
Grunge.com
says Moon pled guilty to the charges laid against him.In December 2006, R&B singer Brandy was in a devastating car accident involving four vehicles.
Huffington Post
says one of the other drivers died the following day from her injuries
.The legends we’ve lost to car accidents include Keith Godchaux of the Grateful Dead, Marc Bolan and Steve Currie of T. Rex, Duane Allman and Berry Oakley of the Allman Brothers, Metallica bassist Cliff Burton, and E.Y. "Yip" Harburg, the writer of “Over the Rainbow.”
Preparing for the unexpected
There are a lot of things you can do to avoid crashing your car. Following traffic laws and removing distractions while driving are the first things that come to mind, but buying a car with driver-assist features can help as well.
At the same time, not every accident is avoidable. But it helps to know that your
car insurance
covers you for any situation. You can find all the coverage you need by shopping with Jerry
. Jerry is a personal insurance broker that lives in your pocket. But don’t worry about buying tiny office furniture, Jerry is an app.
Once you download Jerry, just answer a handful of questions that will take you roughly 45 seconds to complete and you’ll immediately get car insurance quotes for coverage similar to your current plan. Jerry customers save an average of $879 a year.
