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Rock and roll is a dangerous business. It’s killed plenty of people. A few have even died onstage. And then there are these 10 rock stars who ALMOST bit it in the middle of a show:
1. Alice Cooper. He’s FAKE died countless times over the course of his career. But once, his phony guillotine almost sliced his neck for real, and he’s almost accidentally hung himself multiple times.
2. Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler. He got BAD food poisoning during a 1995 solo tour. He ended up leaning against the amps to play, and even started hallucinating. They rushed him to the hospital, and the tour was scrapped.
3. James Hetfield. During a 1992 co-headlining tour with Guns N’ Roses, James was severely burned by pyrotechnics. He got second- and third-degree burns on his arm, his hand, and the side of his face. If he’d been a few inches closer to the flame, that could have been it.
4. R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry. He had an aneurysm rupture during a show in 1995. He later said it felt like a bowling ball had hit him on the head. He left the band in 1997.
5. Keith Richards. We all know this man will never die, but the Reaper gave it his best shot in 1965. Keith got a shock from an ungrounded microphone that knocked him off his feet. He was carried off the stage, semiconscious.
6. Thom Yorke from Radiohead. During a 1993 performance at MTV’s Beach House, Thom jumped into the pool mid-song. Then he got out and tried to resume singing, but a stagehand kicked the mic away before he could grab it and electrocute himself.
7. Ace Frehley. Yet another electrocution story. During a KISS show in 1976, Ace grabbed a metal handrail on a flight of stairs, completing an electrical circuit with his guitar. He says he would have died if he wasn’t able to let go.
8. Frank Zappa. During a 1971 show in London, a “fan” rushed the stage and pushed Zappa into the orchestra pit. He fell 15 feet to a concrete floor, suffering multiple injuries . . . including a crushed larynx. The attacker was jealous of Zappa because his girlfriend was a huge fan.
9. Krist Novoselic. This one happened on live TV, during the 1992 VMAs. As Nirvana was finishing up “Lithium”, Krist threw his bass as high in the air as he could. He tried to catch it, but it came down on his HEAD, giving him a deep gash and a concussion.
10. Patti Smith. During a 1977 show in Tampa, she slipped, fell off the stage and broke her neck. She needed months of physical therapy before she could return to the stage.
