Hendrix. Janis. Morrison. Elvis. Lennon. Cobain. Garcia.

Their reckless brilliance held the key to their self-destruction. Their deaths had much in common--and, surprisingly, so did their lives. From lonely childhoods marred by loss to groundbreaking music and turbulent careers that ended tragically and suspiciously, David Comfort explodes the myths as he probes:

• The sinister roles of Hendrix's manager and girlfriend in his death and subsequent cover-up

• The bizarre odyssey of Jim Morrison's corpse

• Why Kurt Cobain was worth more dead than alive to Courtney Love

• The twisted motives that caused John Lennon to sail through the Devil's Triangle to Bermudaâ''nearly going down in a stormâ''shortly before he was fatally shot

• The crippling disease and "miracle" drug that drove Elvis to suicide

Charismatic and gifted, but also isolated and conflicted, these are not the rock icons you thought you knew. Here are their larger-than-life stories of turmoil and excess that led to their early deaths and ultimate immortality. It's a wild ride to the other side of fame.

"Fame is the soul eater." â''Jerry Garcia

"Everybody loves you when you're six foot in the ground." â''John Lennon

Includes Rare Photos