Bruce Willis because everybody focuses on his acting career too much instead on paying any attention to his true talent

Jason Newsted. Metallica treated the guy like a bag of dog shit.

fuck oath, he was a dead set fag,

sorry guys i had to sig it, it was to fucking classic to not let get passed on for the next few years

That's stupid. Grow the fuck up guys.

Steve MacDonald, the drummer on From Wisdom to Hate. He killed himself, apparently due to depression. He was an incredible drummer in a succesful band, he shouldn't have died that way.

Jason Newsted, I'm amazed he's continued being a musician after how badly he was treated by Metallica. While yes James, Lars and Kirk were still grieving over Cliff when Newsted joined the band, that didn't give them an excuse to bully him and limit his contribution to Metallica to 3 songs.

I'd put Ron McGovney in this category, but his contribution to *early* Metallica has been recognised plenty already even if he had more or less retired from making music now.

Pete Willis from Def Leppard. He got kicked out of the band (allegedly for his alcoholism, but by the sound of it the other members were equally bad) just before they became internationally famous, although I'm sure he did quite well out of the songwriting and performance credits on those early albums.

Definitely Peter Steele. This is a guy who's been depressed most of his life, a guy who drank a lot and when he finally got control over everything and even found God, he dies from a heartattack.

I realise of course that being a religious twit is a better fate than a drug addiction, but I find it distasteful how you emphasized his "finding god". It's a pathetic last resort for ruined people.

Beats being a depressed junkie.
And "last resort for ruined people" would be pretty fitting for Peter.

Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy. Another victim of Heroin and alcohol abuse, but anyone who can songs like that must have dealt with some serious heartbreak in his life.

Lots of other great names mentioned, Mark Reale, Valfar, Jason Becker in particular.

Randy Rhoads, the man was terrified of flight yet died in a plane crash because the pilot was a retard.

I feel bad for Timo Tolkki. From what I've read the guy had a hard childhood. He's had some pretty bad luck in recent years, getting stabbed and punched by a fan, the mental breakdown and whatnot. Then there was the recent project that was funded through Pledgemusic that he ended up cancelling after getting all the money required. His behavior is just bizarre, and it's really a little sad.

Adrian Kowanek anyone?

I feel sorry for Dead as well because he seemed like a really decent person who had problems; people just kept messing with him and making him feel worse.

Christian Loos and Einar André Frederiksen too.

I feel pretty bad for Trist (Czech).

cobain

Midnight (of Crimson Glory), he was great, until alcohol got the better of him.

Jimi Hendrix.

While she's not metal per se, I'd have to say Amy Winehouse. Like a lot of people, she let alcohol and drugs get the better of her and I'm sure she could've done quite a bit more than what she ended up doing music-wise