True Rock StarsFascinating things you didn't know about your favorite entertainers, and lists that rank the greatest rock singers and musicians ever to grace the spotlights.
Updated June 6, 2019 2.3k votes 610 voters 68.2k views
If you want a peek at some of the best rock star tombstones, you're in luck: From the outrageous and bizarre to the understated and, in some cases, totally non-existent, these graves mark the final resting place for many of the world's most talented musicians. Whether you're planning a visit to pay your respects, or just want to take a look from the comfort of your home, check out some of the best rock star grave sites in the world here.
If you ever want to see a true rock star's ultimate, elaborate gravestone, check out the marker for Johnny Ramone, aka John Cummings. The co-founder and lead guitarist of The Ramones was cremated after he died in 2004, but his memorial is amazing. Located in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, the massive memorial features a huge bust of a guitar-playing Johnny Ramone, along with several quotes from friends and loved ones etched around the sites (among them: Lisa Marie Presley, Rob Zombie and Eddie Vedder). The rocker actually designed this memorial himself - so at least we know that he got exactly what he wanted.
Jim Morrison's grave site is among the most visited in the world. His tombstone, which features an eerie likeness of the late Doors singer, is located in the famed Pere-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France. If you go, expect to see numerous other strange (and unauthorized) tributes near the site. Visiting Morrison's grave is considered by some to be a true rock 'n' roll pilgrimage.
Perhaps the most visited grave site ever? Elvis Presley. Graceland. The rock legend's actual tombstone seems almost plain, compared to the elaborate setting for it on the grounds of his beloved Memphis, Tennessee, home. His tombstone is located in the beautiful Meditation Garden next to the pool. He is surrounded by the graves of his mother and father, Gladys and Vernon Presley.
British singer-songwriter Marc Bolan (founder of the band T. Rex), died in September of 1977 at the young age of 29. Bolan was killed in a car crash in southwest London. While Bolan was cremated, his rabid fans have turned the crash site into a massive memorial, complete with bronze bust on a tombstone. Today, the site also includes dedications to other T. Rex members who've passed on.
Rick James' tombstone is definitely one of the best of the best. The huge tombstone bears James' likeness from his hay day - it's actually an etching of a picture on James' album 'Street Songs.' Wicked cool. James, who died in August of 2004 of a heart attack, is buried in the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York.
Like his bandmate, Johnny Ramone, famed Ramones founder and bassist Dee Dee Ramone's grave/memorial is located in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Unlike his bandmate, Dee Dee (aka Douglas Glenn Colvin), went for a slightly smaller gravestone. It features the Ramones seal, general information about his life and death (in 2002), and a quote from Dee Dee that reads, "OK... I gotta go now."
