From ugly breakups to hysterical breakdowns, hard drugs to hard time, Elvis to Tupac, this encyclopedic collection delivers the full story behind all the calamitous events that have sent rock's royalty down in flames. Plane crashes. Car wrecks. Overdoses. Murders. And of course, lip-synch scandals. Name any kind of tragedy and someone in the rock canon has lived through it, or not. Get ready for the whole scoop on all the info behind BEHIND THE MUSIC, VH-1's popular and addictive documentary series. Chronicling the demise of legends including John Lennon, Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Karen Carpenter, Marvin Gaye and Buddy Holly, CASUALTIES OF ROCK also records more obscure catastrophes: the disappearance of a member of the Manic Street Preachers; the bizarre allergic reaction that afflicted Toto's Jeff Porcaro; and the total identity makeovers of Prince and Cat Stevens. Investigating 'curses' that plague the Beach Boys, the Grateful Dead, the Pretenders, Red Hot Chili Peppers and even Spinal Tap, this smart and uniquely entertaining book explores the impact of countless horrendous happenings on the history of rock, and pay tribute to the stars who burned too brightly for too short a time.