9 Musicians Who Died While Performing

Aside from being the incomparable Louis Armstrong's second wife, Lil Hardin was famous for being one of the most prominent female jazz musicians of the 1920s, back when it was almost impossible to be a black female who was taken seriously. She collaborated with her beau Satchmo, but also had an impressive solo career.

Although she and Louis eventually parted ways--both personally and professionally--they remained kindred spirits, and Lil even considered herself "Mrs. Armstrong" long after their divorce. When he died, she took it quite hard. A month after Louis passed, Lil performed at a memorial concert held in his honor. Heartbreakingly, in the middle of playing her tribute of "St. Louis Blues," she collapsed at her piano, and paramedics were unable to revive her.

The official cause of death: A heart attack. This is now seeming less and less like a bizarre trend, and more like a cruel joke someone's playing on talented musicians.