Music Vehicular Deaths #8 - Chris Bell

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A new day, a new installment in my Music Vehicular Deaths series. We are at #8, Chris Bell. Chris Bell's influential music career ended in 1978, when, at the age of 27, the car he was driving crashed into a utility pole in Memphis, Tennessee. Varying accounts have Bell either leaving band practice or a managerial shift at one of his father's Memphis restaurants, but either way, the vocalist/guitarist drove his Triumph TR-7 into a utility pole, which fell, killing him instantly. The death was not ruled a suicide, but according to the Forever 27 website, Bell suffered severe depression and had made several suicide attempts prior to his accident. In addition to a solo career, Chris Bell was guitarist and co-vocalist of the band Big Star. You are probably best acquainted with his Big Star song, "In the Street," which became the theme song for television's That 70's Show. Notable acts such as R.E.M., Beck, Teenage Fanclub, Wilco, and The Replacements have either cited Bell as a major influence or have covered his music. (Info verified by Wikipedia)