Six Superstars Who Might Be Alive if Somebody Gave a Damn

The idea, as so many do, came completely out of nowhere. Our KEEL morning show producer, Rueben Wright mentioned that he's been binge watching the Mike Judge produced series "Tales from the Tour Bus" on Cinemax. As Rueben describes, the show reenacts the misadventures - some funny, some tragic - of musicians on the road.

In this particular episode, Country & Western legend George Jones is depicted as being so inebriated that he was in a state of alcohol induced dementia. Jones, according to witnesses, was having a conversation with an imaginary duck. Eventually the duck angered Jones, who ordered the bust to stop, opened the door and kicked the duck onto the highway. But barely a mile or so down the road, a regretful Jones demanded the bus turn around, go back up the highway and retrieve his feathered friend.

Funny? Sure. Tragic? Even more.

So many on that bus (elsewhere) were so dependent on George Jones for their living that no one would step up to help. Tons of enablers pushing him out on stage, night after night, in various states of stupor, just so they could collect their check. And George Jones be damned.

So, how many other superstars - legends who died before their time - might have been saved if just one person had been willing to risk their livelihood to get their boss a little help?

Well, here a just a few...and maybe the best known.