The Last Known Meals Of 10 Music Legends

We all know that we have to die eventually, and, of course, everyone's goal is to live the longest and happiest life possible. Our love of food has caused us as a society to muse about what our last meal would be if we could plan it in advance. In fact, over half of us would choose steak as a part of our last meal. The truth is that, unless we're on death row, we'll never be able to say goodbye to the world with one last epic feast. As a result, many of us, including celebrities, end up having last meals that are quite normal or even boring.

Most celebrities pass away without having details like their last meal publicized. However, there are a handful of them who have left us with this information to reflect upon. Viewing our own mortality in a healthy way could influence us to add more whimsy to our days, which means making the most out of every meal. Have you ever been curious about celebrities' last meals? Read on to unpack the last thing that 10 iconic musicians ate before passing away.

It's no wonder that Elvis Presley's music has withstood the test of time, but the King of Rock and Roll's eating habits were so strange that a lot of his culinary preferences have also been burned into the collective consciousness. Many of us have often wondered how tasty his infamous Fool's Gold Loaf is. This sandwich is comprised of a loaf of French bread filled with an entire jar of peanut butter, an entire jar of blueberry jam, and a pound of bacon, which he loved nice and crispy. However, we don't dare try to tackle this beast due to fears of heart damage.

What did Elvis Presley love to eat on an everyday basis, though? Presley was a fan of decadence and comfort, so he regularly dined on meatloaf, bacon, Memphis barbecue, cheeseburgers, cornbread, and banana pudding. Even though he traveled the world and had enough riches to visit the fanciest restaurants, this country boy stayed true to his roots his whole life. Unfortunately, these tasty foods caught up with him and led to his unfortunate death at only 42 years old.

The possibilities for The King's last meal seem endless, but the reality is that his was actually quite simple. Before he passed away, Presley treated himself to four scoops of vanilla ice cream and six chocolate chip cookies. There's no denying that this is one of the most comforting and nostalgic pairings.

There are certain cultural moments that leave a lasting impression on us forever. When we remember that moment, our minds can teleport us back because we remember where we were, who we were with, and what we were doing. Michael Jackson was one of those rare musicians who helped all of us form positive memories. Whether it was dancing creepily to "Thriller" or driving our friends named Annie nuts by always asking them if they were okay, his music will always make people smile and tap their feet to the beat involuntarily. As a result, the news of his untimely death was traumatic for many folks, and they'll never forget June 25, 2009.

What made this news even more painful was the fact that Jackson was getting ready for a whopping 50-show residency in London, where millions of fans would have had the chance to create amazing memories. During his final moments, Jackson was rehearsing to ensure his vocals and dance moves would be stunning. He wanted to stay sharp physically and mentally, so he needed revitalizing meals. Jackson's personal chef prepared seared ahi tuna, an organic salad, and juice made with carrots and oranges. By all accounts, he was vibrant, grateful, and excited. The adrenaline combined with the late-night schedule of his career caused Jackson to have a hard time falling asleep, so he called his doctor. After an unfortunate blend of sedatives, the world lost the King of Pop.

Whitney Houston had one of the most powerful voices in music history. Her 6 Grammys and 22 American Music Awards only tell a piece of the story of how beloved she was. With moving ballads, like "I Will Always Love You," and fun hits, like "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)," her range was incredible.

Houston's death on February 11, 2012, came as a complete shock. To this day, we don't know the exact cause of her death because so many factors were at play. Houston's coroner report revealed that she not only had a wide range of alcohol and substances in her system, but she also had heart issues and water in her lungs from the bathtub. As a result, the two most likely causes are that she either became unconscious due to all of the substances before sinking down into the tub, or she had a heart attack and couldn't pull herself out of the tub after.

Houston's last meal may have contributed to this tragic accident. She ordered a room service feast that included a hamburger, fries, a turkey sandwich, jalapeños, and champagne and beer to drink. She ate and drank everything except the turkey sandwich and jalapeños because she was saving those as a treat in the bathtub. The beer and champagne may or may not have triggered events that led to her untimely death.

Having a personal chef comes with many perks, but one that you may not have considered is that they'll notice a change in your dietary habits and try to help you. In Prince's case, his personal chef, Ray Roberts, helped him get more nutrients into his diet with smoothies and soups after Roberts noticed he was losing weight and not acting like himself lately.

Being a legendary performer is grueling, and Prince unfortunately turned to a cocktail of painkillers to get relief for his frequent sore throats and other ailments. When authorities showed up to investigate his death on April 21, 2016, they found concerning evidence. Prince had a bottle of pills that were all mixed, so he couldn't know what he was taking. It was later revealed that one of his pills was laced with fentanyl, which is what triggered the overdose.

Roberts was devastated by this loss because Prince treated all of his employees like family. The chef was emotional when he found the last meal he had prepared for him untouched in the fridge. It was a roasted red pepper bisque with a kale and spring vegetable salad. Though we don't know what Prince's actual last meal was, Roberts shared that he often prepared soups and salads for the vegetarian music icon. He also loved a basil pesto sauce broccolini dish that Roberts made. It's clear that Roberts put lots of love into every nutritious meal to fuel the superstar's amazing career.

Mama Cass Elliot found great success by joining the Mamas & the Papas, but fame can't solve everyone's problems. Elliot, unfortunately, faced a lifelong struggle with binge eating and unhealthy periods of fasting. She'd been overweight the majority of her life. Being in the public eye was bound to make her food issues worse, since the way society picked apart people's appearances back then was brutal. Knowing this, it's heartbreaking to hear that, for a long time, the world believed a lie about the cause of her death.

It was once reported that Elliot had choked to death on a ham sandwich, which left the impression of reckless gluttony. In reality, she died of a heart attack. Since she was only 32 at the time, and other musicians in her social circle also died young from drug overdoses, her manager scrambled to protect her legacy. To avoid speculation about an overdose, her manager invented the ham sandwich myth simply because there was an untouched sandwich on her nightstand.

Elliot's daughter expressed lifelong grief over this lie. The intentions were kind, but the results still wound up tarnishing her legacy. Her daughter outlined her mom's final days, and through this, we could glean that Elliot's last meal was likely food served at a tea party that a journalist invited her to. It's impossible to know what she ate, but it could've been finger sandwiches, classic British scones, jams, and other fixings.

Many music lovers would argue that The Beatles were the best thing that ever came from the UK. The group was only together for about a decade, yet they were able to produce over 200 songs. Many of them are still enjoyed today and covered by modern musicians.

Although John Lennon was English, he became quite the New Yorker after The Beatles split. He lived in The Dakota and enjoyed exploring the city and popping into delis to grab a bite. Despite living in one of the world's largest cities as one of the world's largest celebrities, most folks left him alone so he could enjoy a normal life. He was kind enough to stop and engage with the fans who couldn't help but ask for his autograph. Sadly, this openness is what gave his killer the chance to fire a gun.

Before this terrifying moment that sent shockwaves across the world, Lennon and Yoko Ono met up with photographer Annie Leibovitz for a photoshoot. They also visited a recording studio to work on their joint album. Amidst this busy day, Lennon popped into the Stage Deli for a corned beef sandwich with tea. This was shared in a book called "Last Suppers" by James Dickerson. The account left many fans scratching their heads because Lennon was a self-proclaimed vegetarian. Lennon certainly isn't the first vegetarian to sneak some meat, but this strange detail is now forever part of his life story.

Jim Morrison became a sex symbol during his time with The Doors. The pressure of fame caused him to spiral in many ways. He used cocaine, drank excessively, and sometimes passed out on stage or didn't even show up to concerts at all. He even intentionally put on weight to stop being so sexualized. The other band members were nervous about their careers, yet they kept him on board. When they were recording albums, Morrison made an effort to cut back on his vices and make magic in the studio.

Morrison had an on-and-off-again relationship with Pamela Courson, who also had a drug problem. During his last day, Morrison bought her a necklace and went out for drinks with Alain Ronay, who was his friend and a professional photographer who snapped many iconic photos of Morrison. Later that evening, he went out alone because Courson felt sick, and he ate sweet and sour Chinese food with many beers. He then saw "La Vallée de la peur" and had an awful time because of subtitle issues.

Though it is generally believed that Morrison died of heart failure at his home and was found dead in the bathtub by Courson, there is new speculation that this may not be true. Some surmise that the singer actually may have passed away at the Rock & Roll Circus nightclub of a heroine overdose and that he was later transferred to the bathtub in a cover-up. 

Janis Joplin is on the long list of celebrities in the 27 Club, meaning they passed away at 27. Her career was going great. She sang at Woodstock the year before she died, and she was in the process of creating "Me and Bobby McGee," which would then go on to be her only #1 hit. She wasn't around to bask in this success because she'd overdosed on heroin in the Landmark Motor Hotel in Hollywood.

Restaurant owners always feel special when they're able to attract regulars. With so many places to go, you know your food and environment are great if folks keep coming back, especially when they're celebrities. Janis Joplin used to be a regular at Barney's Beanery. In fact, she was at Barney's so often that she decided to carve her name on the bottom of a table, which is now on display, of course. It's fitting that one of her favorite restaurants is where she got her last meal: A bowl of chili.

Barney's still serves chili today. The bowl is topped with shredded cheese, and the meal comes with a side of tortilla chips and two condiment cups filled with raw chopped onion and sour cream. The restaurant shared that it's been using the same beef chili recipe since 1920, so diners can have the same experience as Joplin before she died on October 4, 1970. She also ordered screwdrivers, tequila, and Southern Comfort with this meal.

Jimi Hendrix is another prominent name in the 27 Club. Eerily enough, he told a friend that he wouldn't make it to 30. Had he lived longer, who knows how he could've continued to transform the music industry with his mind-boggling guitar skills.

Canned tuna has an interesting reputation. Lots of people love how affordable and high in protein it is, while others can't stand the smell. It's easy to make a tasty tuna salad or sandwich, but tuna is forever divisive. Not only did Jimi Hendrix enjoy tuna fish sandwiches, but this was also his last meal. The night of his death, he was relaxing with a German woman named Monika Dannemann. She said that the two were engaged, while others believed she was just a groupie. Either way, she was the one who unknowingly prepared his last meal.

During the evening, Hendrix ate the tuna fish sandwich, drank red wine, and took amphetamines along with an unknown German sleeping pill that Dannemann supplied. Once the pair went to sleep, Hendrix vomited and choked on it. Hendrix's death is still shrouded in mystery due to the many hours it took Dannemann to call for help. His body was also soaked in red wine, and his lungs were filled with it. This information was omitted from the coroner report for some reason. Some say his death was part of a CIA conspiracy because he was involved with the Black Panthers.

Kurt Cobain is also part of the 27 Club, and he died on April 8, 1994. Unlike the rest of these music legends, the heroin addict could actually choose what his last meal would be, as he allegedly ended his own life with a gun (though details of his death have been under some scrutiny of late). He'd attempted suicide the month before, which triggered an intervention with Courtney Love and his Nirvana bandmates. After a brief stint in a rehab facility in California, he made a bold escape by jumping over a 6-foot brick wall, and made his way back to Seattle, where he'd spend his final days.

Cobain made the decision of when to say goodbye, which makes his last meal choice even more fascinating. It wasn't a big feast like some may think. Instead, he visited a place called the Cactus Restaurant to eat a simple dessert: Banana dulce. This dessert included bananas sautéed in brown sugar and rum that were then turned into pudding.

The owner of the restaurant theorized that the heroin he was using made him crave sweets. Aside from falling asleep while trying to sign a check to pay, the owner recalled that he and his group were in a great mood. Cobain asked the owner if he knew of any movies playing, then decided he'd go watch "The Piano" after leaving. No one who interacted with him suspected he would later take his life.