Side Trips

Six feet under, and still a draw

By JANET K. KEELER
Published August 7, 2005

[Getty Images 2002]

Each year, thousands of people file by the grave of Elvis Presley in Memphis to commemorate his death. He died Aug. 16, 1977.

	[Getty Images 2000
	Flowers, candles and notes are routinely left at the grave of Jim Morrison at Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris.

The most popular of all rocker resting places has to be Graceland, in Memphis, where Elvis Presley is buried. (Presleyphiles will know he was originally interred at Memphis' Forest Hills Cemetery-Midtown, next to Mama. She, too, has been moved to Graceland.)

Thousands of people visit Graceland annually to pay respects to Presley, who died 28 years ago this month. The same is true for the Paris grave of Jim Morrison, lead singer of the Doors, who overdosed in 1971.

If you're interested in a pilgrimage to your favorite departed singer's grave, you can get the who and where at www.findagrave.com The site lists thousands of grave sites, rockers' just a small part of them. Unfortunately, the site doesn't include which sites are open to the public; you'll need to check ahead. Or perhaps be satisfied with a virtual visit via the site's photos.

Many contemporary musicians have been cremated, with their ashes scattered over water and land, or given to family or friends. Among those are Michael Hutchence of INXS, Janis Joplin (Pacific Ocean), George Harrison (Ganges River, India), John Lennon, Tupac Shakur, Notorious B.I.G., Maurice Gibb, Jerry Garcia (Ganges River and San Francisco Bay), Marvin Gaye and John Denver (Rocky Mountains).

Some notable musicians and their final (in most cases) resting spots, according to the Web site:

DUANE ALLMAN, founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, killed in a 1971 motorcycle accident; Rose Hill Cemetery, Macon, Ga. Ironically, BERRY OAKLEY, the group's bass player, also died in a motorcycle crash one year later, a block from where Allman was killed. Allman and Oakley are buried side by side.

JIM CROCE (Bad, Bad Leroy Brown, You Don't Mess Around with Jim), killed in a plane accident in 1973; Haym Salomon Memorial Park, Frazer, Pa.

JIMI HENDRIX, flamboyant and electrifying guitar player, died of a drug overdose in 1970; Greenwood Memorial Park, Renton, Wash.

RONNIE VAN ZANT, STEVE GAINES AND CASSIE GAINES, members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, killed in a 1977 place crash; Jacksonville Memory Gardens, Orange Park. This is the original burial spot but vandalism in 2000 forced relocation of the graves to a secret location. The grave markers are still there, however.

LEON WILKESON, Lynyrd Skynyrd bass guitarist, survived the crash but died of natural causes in 2001; Riverside Memorial Park Cemetery, Jacksonville.

LUTHER VANDROSS, soulful, romantic balladeer, died in July from complications of a stroke; George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus, N.J.

RICKY NELSON, Ozzie and Harriet's singing son, died in a 1985 New Year's Eve plane crash; Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles.

LISA "LEFT EYE" LOPES, member of the pop group TLC, died in a 2002 car accident; Hillandale Memorial Gardens, Lithonia, Ga.

BUDDY HOLLY (sometimes Holley), seminal rocker, died in a 1959 plane crash with RITCHIE VALENS and the BIG BOPPER; City of Lubbock Cemetery, Lubbock, Texas. Valens is buried at San Fernando Mission Cemetery, Mission Hills, Calif., and the Bopper (J.P. Richardson) is at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Beaumont, Texas.

AALIYAH, young hip-hop artist, died in a 2001 plane crash; Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum, Hartsdale, N.Y.

SELENA, Hispanic singing icon, murdered by her fan club president in 1995; Seaside Memorial Cemetery, Corpus Christi, Texas.

THE RAMONES, three members of the pioneering punk rock group, died within three years of each other. Johnny and Dee Dee are at Hollywood Forever in Hollywood, Calif., and Joey is buried in Hillside Cemetery in Lyndhurst, N.J.

[Last modified August 5, 2005, 10:28:03]