Only The Good Die Young...

"They say there's a heaven for those who will wait
Some say it's better but I say it ain't
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
Sinners are much more fun...
And only the good die young"

Thank you Billy Joel!

It's amazing how many promising young actors and muscians have been taken too soon over the past couple of years. They may not necessarily have been young, but their lives were definitely cut way too short. Kurt Cobain, River Phoenix, John Candy, Chris Farley, Phil Hartman, John Ritter, Tupac, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Aailyah, Michael Hutchence, Dimebag Darrell, Brad Renfro, Steve Irwin, Selena and even, to an extent, Anna Nicole Smith. The list goes on and on and I'm sure that I have missed A LOT OF PEOPLE. This is something that each generation has goen through, and now we have another name to add to this list...Heath Ledger.

When River Phoenix died from a massive drugs overdose in October 1993 he was already an Oscar- and Golden Globe-nominated actor. The 23-year-old won applause from critics and fans alike for performances in Stand By Me, My Own Private Idaho and Running On Empty, for which he received the Oscar nomination. He also played a young Indiana Jones in The Last Crusade and at the time was widely regarded as one of the best actors of his generation.

Kurt Cobain's band Nirvana was credited with shifting guitar music into its '90s grunge phase with their teen anthem Smells Like Teen Spirit. On April 8, 1994, the singer and songwriter was found dead in his home in Seattle at the young age of 27, from a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head. Just before his death, Cobain had checked out of a drug rehabilitation facility and been reported missing by his wife, Courtney Love. In his suicide note, Cobain quoted a the lyric stating: "It's better to burn out than to fade away."

Tupac was seen by many as creating his own kind of revolution in hip-hop, similar to his father, another revolutionary. He was an exceptional writer and a strong rapper who injected electricity into the hip-hop world in the early 90's. He was also convicted a sexual abuse in a widely publicized trial, and had just finished jail time when he was in attendance at the Mike Tyson-Bruce Seldon boxing match in Las Vegas in 1996. As he was leaving with Suge Knight, there was an altercation with a gang on the street. A few minutes later, a car pulled alongside Knight's SUV and fired approximately 14 shots, four of which hit Tupac. He died six days later of internal bleeding. No one has ever been arrested in his death.

Chris Farley was known as the loveable "Fat Guy" from Saturday Night Live and fame in movies such as Tommy Boy and Black Sheep (We will forgive him for Surf Ninjas). Farely died of an overdose of cocaine and morphine and will surely be missed for the energy that he brought to both the small and big screens.

Brad Renfro, who made his film debut in The Client at the age of 11, died just a week ago, on January 15, the day after he reportedly spent the previous evening drinking with friends. He had a series of run-ins with the law, being cited for drug use and under-age drinking. In 2005 he was arrested while buying heroin, and the following year spent 10 days in prison for this offence and for drink-driving.

And now we must add promising young actor Heath Ledger to this list of those who were taken far before their time. According to the Associated Press, an autopsy on Ledger was inconclusive, and more tests are needed. A spokesman for the medical examiners office has stated that it will take about 10 days to complete the investigation.

The Australian-born actor was found dead yesterday by his housekeeper and masseuse, with prescription sleeping pills nearby, this according to the police. In what may be his final finished performance, he took a role in the upcoming summer blockbuster, playing Batman's nemesis, the Joker, in the The Dark Knight. Ledger had most recently been working this month on his latest movie, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which was due out next year. Plans for the completion of this movie are currently up in the air.

This is another tragedy in our generation which has obviouslly seen its fair share over the past 10 years. It's hard to predict when the next will occur but we should always be aware that life is precious and we must value every second that we have, because you never really know when it could be your last. There is a poor 2 year old girl who is now left without a father for the rest of her life. I can not imagine leaving my son, daughter or wife without me. If you have any thoughts or want to add to my list of recent celebrities who have gone too soon, please feel free!