Rock and Pop Star Deaths in 2019

The Geto Boys: Willie D, Bushwick Bill and Scarface (photo courtesy of Hana Entertainment)

Bushwick Bill

Nee: Richard Shaw

Band: the Geto Boys

Position: rapper

Died: June 9

Cause of death: panceratic

Age: 52

Distinctions: An original member of the Houston horrorcore hip-hop group, he was joined by Scarface and Willie D for Grip It! On That Other Level (No. 166, 1989) and We Can't Be Stopped (No. 24, 1991) and Big Mike (minus Willie D) for Till Death Do Us Part (No. 11, 1993) and The Resurrection (No. 6, 1996), and again with Willie D for Da Good Da Bad & Da Ugly (No. 26, 1998). They had hit singles with "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" (No. 23, 1991), "Six Feet Deep" (No. 40, 1993) and "The World Is a Ghetto" (No. 82, 1996). A dwarf who was born in Kingston, Jamaica, Bill shot himself in the eye in 1991; appeared on Dr. Dre's The Chronic in 1992; recorded several solo albums, including Little Big Man Screwed (No. 15, 1992) and Phantom of the Rapra (No. 43, 1995); and was arrested for possessing marijuana and cocaine in 2010.

Steve Bloom

Steve Bloom

Publisher of CelebStoner.com, former editor of High Times and Freedom Leaf and co-author of Pot Culture and Reefer Movie Madness.