While Rock Hudson radiated light on screen, he had to keep the public in the dark about his sexuality. Otherwise, the prevailing homophobia of the era would eclipse his career. They found out in 1985, when the actor announced he's be diagnosed with AIDS. This is the tragic death of Rock Hudson.
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Poets Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton captivated the world with their words and their tragic endings. But through an inspirational professional relationship, they also captivated each other.
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Prince was practically worshipped by millions, but real life is rarely a fairy tale. Let's take a look at the tragic real-life story of Prince.
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Andy Kaufman was a true original, and there has never been anyone else like him. While Kaufman's life ended in tragedy, the stories he created on the way there are unforgettable.
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It's cliche to compare the life of a country music star to the events of a country music song, but the real-life life story of Randy Travis sounds like it was ripped from a tragic ballad.
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Danny DeVito is in a class all his own, and that's "national treasure that must be protected at all costs." It doesn't matter when you grew up, there's something he's been in that's shaped your childhood. But there's a lot of tragedy in his past. This is the tragic real-life story of Danny DeVito.
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Hank Williams, the country legend, didn't have the opportunity to live in the world long. He picked up a drinking habit as a teen he would never be able to beat. But in the short amount of time he had, Williams gave the world a series of hits. This is the tragic real-life story of Hank Williams.
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Chief O'Brien's rise from random bridge guy to main cast member wasn't easy. This mild-mannered transporter chief has a biography that would make a Vulcan weep. Get the violins ready because we're about to dive into Chief O'Brien's tragic Star Trek timeline.
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Waylon Jennings sang about heartbreak, hard luck, and hard choices. And as it turns out, he knew all about that stuff, as he lived a tough life marked with pain, struggle, and loss. Here's a look at the tragic, ramblin' life of Waylon Jennings.
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Behind Louis Armstrong's career, success, and fame, there was tragedy. The man nicknamed Pops and Satchmo didn't have an easy life by any stretch of the imagination, and even as he was taking to the stage and wowing fans, he struggled. Here's the tragic real-life story of Louis Armstrong.
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No doubt she knew the job was dangerous when she took it. After all, Catherine of Aragon was no stranger to palace intrigue -- she was the daughter of Spanish royalty, after all. But Catherine of Aragon's life would take a tragic turn as the years wore on.
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On a film set, sometimes a stunt seems minor and like no big deal. If the actor is feeling bold and the production's insurance will cover it, it's probably fine, right? But sometimes, accidents can happen and actors can end up majorly hurt. Here are actors who were tragically injured on set.
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John Panozzo started drumming at age 8, tutored by an uncle who helped shape a style that eventually resulted in Styx, a legendary arena-rock band of the 1970s and '80s.
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Country music is about patriotism, small town values, cheatin' hearts, farms and dogs and -- Waylon Jennings, whose lifetime of substance abuse over the course of a remarkable music career pretty much guaranteed he'd die painfully, and probably much too soon.
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Joshua Tree National Park's got death, despair, stifling heat, and a dark and sinister past. Joshua Tree is in the Mojave Desert, the only place on Earth where you'll find the giant yucca plants called "Joshua Trees." The park's history is full of tragedy. This is the tragic history of Joshua Tree.
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The Dalai Lama has been reborn again and again, in order to keep returning to help all living beings. This is the tragic real-life story of the Dalai Lama.
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Marrying Henry VIII was the worst thing that could possibly happen to you. After all, the dude was a homicidal monster. So who were the women unlucky enough to be queen of England between the years 1509 and 1547? Well, here’s the tragic truth of Henry VIII’s six wives.
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Johnny Cash started out poor, born in Arkansas as the fourth of seven children (four boys, three girls). As it turns out, losing his a sibling had a profound impact on him.
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Only half of the emperor of China actually died in office. And that's just the beginning. This is the tragic history of Chinese emperors.
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Fame may make some people rich, but it doesn't make them any more valuable. Doors frontman Jim Morrison didn't reach the apex of his fame until long after he was no longer alive to reap the immense wealth that would have come with it.
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Ludwig van Beethoven is one of the most famous composers ever, but his life was full of heartbreak and loss. Here are some of the unhappy details of the tragic real-life story of Beethoven.
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Gypsy Rose Blanchard said she felt freer in prison than she did growing up with her mother. This is the story of her tragic childhood.
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The Romanovs were assassinated in 1918, but that’s just the final act of their heartbreaking story. From troubled romances to major health issues, here’s the tragic real-life story of the Romanovs, the last imperial rulers of Russia.
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If you're not familiar with the name Randy Rhoads, chances are you've still heard him play. Rhoads was the virtuoso guitar player who shredded on Ozzy Osbourne's first two solo records, and a major part why the Ozzman managed to pick himself up from the slump he'd been in ...
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Frida Kahlo is one of the most admired artists of the 20th century. But Kahlo's artistic genius came at a price. Her personal life was marred with tragedy, loss, illness, infidelity, and chronic pain that plagued her throughout her time on Earth. This is the tragic real-life story of Frida Kahlo.
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Florence Nightingale invented the modern nursing profession and changed the course of public health forever. But the woman who did so much to improve health care spent much of her own life sickly, reclusive, and averse to media attention. This is the tragic life of Florence Nightingale.
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Mozart was a genius with a gross sense of humor, an inability to handle money, and a life filled with tragedy right up to his dying moments. Here are a few heartbreaking facts about him you might not know.
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