Celebs who died too soon

At just 20 years old, Cameron Boyce was a budding young Disney Channel star with big projects on the horizon, but he passed away suddenly in his sleep on July 6, 2019. According to TMZ, the "Descendants" star was being treated for a chronic medical condition, which caused him to have a fatal seizure during the night. Paramedics rushed to the scene but were unable to revive him. Cameron's heartbroken family issued a statement following his tragic death: "The world is now undoubtedly without one of its brightest lights, but his spirit will live on through the kindness and compassion of all who knew and loved him," they said. Cameron, who'd been filming a new HBO series called "Fletcher," has now joined a host of stars who died before their careers — and lives — reached their full potential. Keep reading to take a look back at more stars we loved and lost too soon…

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Mac Miller

Mac Miller, who spoke openly about his drug problems in the past, died from a suspected overdose at the age of 26 on Sept. 7, 2018. According to TMZ, the rapper, who previously romanced Ariana Grande, was found at his home in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley by a male friend, who called the police, and he was pronounced dead on the scene. The "Dang!" hit-maker, born Malcolm McCormick, had been struggling in recent months: he was arrested for DUI in May 2018 following his breakup from the pop star.

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Avicii

Swedish DJ Avicii died on April 20 at the age of 28. "It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii," his publicist, Diana Baron, said in a statement. "He was found dead in Muscat, Oman, this Friday afternoon local time, April 20th. The family is devastated and we ask everyone to please respect their need for privacy in this difficult time. No further statements will be given." The two-time Grammy nominee, who shot into the spotlight with hit dance tracks "Wake Me Up" and "Hey Brother," retired from touring in 2016. He made the announcement on his website, writing, "Two weeks ago, I took the time to drive across the U.S. with my friends and team, to just look and see and think about things in a new way. It really helped me realize that I needed to make the change that I'd been struggling with for a while."

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Tom Petty

Tom Petty died at the age of 66 on Oct. 2, 2017, after suffering cardiac arrest at his home in Malibu on Oct. 1. The Heartbreakers frontman was taken to a hospital and temporarily placed on life support, but his family honored his do-not-resuscitate order on Oct. 2. He passed away a few hours later. The father of two, who shot to fame in the '70s with his bands Mudcrutch and then with The Heartbreakers, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 and won three Grammys over the course of his illustrious career. Though his time in the spotlight spanned around four decades, the "Free Fallin'" singer was far from through rocking out when his life ended suddenly less than a week after he performed three shows at the Hollywood Bowl as part of the Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 40th anniversary tour. The band released their album "Hypnotic Eye," which earned a Grammy nomination for best rock album, in 2014, and just last year, Tom released the album "2" with Mudcrutch.

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Prince

Legendary singer Prince was found dead at his Minneapolis home on April 21, 2016. He was just 57. The "Purple Rain" hitmaker was considered one of the most inventive singers of his generation. The news was initially reported by TMZ, before being confirmed by his publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure, although no further details were released. Just days before on April 15, the singer had a medical emergency and was rushed to hospital after his private jet was forced to make an emergency landing in Illinois. The next day he appeared in concert and told fans he was suffering from the flu. The seven-time Grammy winner, who was born Prince Rogers Nelson, broke onto the music scene in the late '70s with the songs including "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" and "I Wanna Be Your Lover." His star soared in the '80s with stellar albums that included "1999" and "Purple Rain," which won an Academy Award in 1985 for Best Original Song Score. During his career, Prince sold more than 100 millions records.

Michael Jackson

King Of Pop Michael Jackson died at the age of 50 from a cardiac arrest, induced by a lethal overdose of propofol and benzodiazepine, on June 25, 2009. The singer fell unconscious at his Los Angeles home and was rushed to hospital after his personal physician, Conrad Murray, was unable to revive him. The "Thriller" singer, who days before his death had been rehearsing for his comeback tour, was pronounced dead a little over an hour after arriving to hospital — and the news caused a global outpouring of grief. Two years later Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for administering Michael the powerful sleep-inducing drug, propofol, which ended up killing him. He was sentenced to four years in prison, but due to overcrowding and good behavior he was released after serving just two years.

Whitney Houston

Superstar Whitney Houston died at the age of 48 in Los Angeles on Feb. 11, 2012 on the eve of the Grammy Awards. The "I Will Always Love You" singer was discovered submerged in water in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and was pronounced dead at the scene after CPR failed to revive her. While the cause of death was initially unclear, the following month the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office confirmed her death was the result of drowning and the effects of "atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use," which she had used shortly before her death. Her memorial service was held in her New Jersey homeland with Stevie Wonder and R. Kelly among the performers.

Bobbi Kristina

Bobbi Kristina Brown's tragic death at the age of 22 eerily parallels her mother Whitney Houston's passing just three years earlier. Bobbi Kristina was placed in a medically-induced coma on Jan. 31, 2015 after being found facedown in a bathtub at her home in the Atlanta-area. It was reported that drugs were found at her home, but it is unclear if they played a role in her death at this time. After being admitted to North Fulton Hospital in Roswell, Ga., she was moved to Emory University Hospital to receive the top neurological care available in the area, but it later was determined that she should be withdrawn from life support and moved to hospice care on June 24, 2015. Sadly, she passed away on July 26, 2015.

Paul Walker

The oldest of five kids raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles, Paul got his start in Hollywood with small parts he landed as a child. Soon after he garnered bigger roles in teen-focused films including "Varsity Blues," "She's All That" and "The Skulls" before his career really took off thanks to the "Fast and the Furious" franchise. Paul was a devoted father to daughter Meadow Rain, 15, who in recent years had moved to California from Hawaii to live with her father — a self-described "outdoorsman, ocean addict and adrenaline junkie." But Paul and a friend's life came to an abrupt end in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Nov. 30, where Paul was co-hosting a charity car show through his non-profit organization Reach Out Worldwide to raise money for victims of the recent Philippines typhoon. Witnesses say Paul climbed into the passenger seat of a cherry-red Porsche as close pal Roger Rodas got behind the wheel — and within minutes of taking the car out for a spin, they were tragically killed when it burst into flames after crashing just a few blocks away on Nov. 30, 2013. The beloved actor was 40 years old at the time of his passing.

Cory Monteith

This Canadian-born actor achieved heartthrob status with his role as Finn on Fox's hit musical, "Glee," where he also met his girlfriend, costar Lea Michele. In 2011 the actor said he had been struggling with substance abuse since he was 13 years old, and in April 2013, he announced that he was returning to a rehab facility. At the time, Michele released a statement saying, "I love and support Cory and will stand by him through this." Sadly, the actor was found dead just three months after leaving rehab in a hotel in Vancouver at the age of 31 on July 13, 2013.

Amy Winehouse

The singer famously led a British soul revival, but, marred by substance abuse problems, died before she could record a third album. In this photo — taken just days before she died — Amy Winehouse looked more composed than she had in years. The singer passed away at the age of 27 on July 23, 2011.

Heath Ledger

The Australian actor died of a drug overdose before he could receive the critical acclaim he received for his performance as the Joker in "The Dark Knight," for which he was given a posthumous Academy Award. Heath was 28 years old when he passed on Jan. 22, 2008.

Brittany Murphy

Brittany Murphy, who demonstrated great range as an actress from her performances in "Clueless" to "8 Mile" and "King of the Hill," was pronounced dead on arrival after suffering from pneumonia and drug-related heart failure in her Los Angeles home on Dec. 20, 2009.. Less than six months later, the actress's widower, Simon Monjack, would also die of pneumonia-related heart failure in the same home. Brittany was 32 at the time of her passing.

Tupac Shakur

The popularity of this legendary rapper, whose album "All Eyez On Me" is one of the highest-selling rap albums of all time, has endured despite his death in a hospital six days after he was shot multiple times by as-of-yet unidentified assailants in Las Vegas on Sept. 13, 1996. Tupac was only 25 years old at the time of his death.

River Phoenix

The young, acclaimed actor, who first won over audiences with his performance in "Stand By Me," died of a drug overdose on the sidewalk outside the Viper Room, a West Hollywood nightclub on Oct. 31, 1993. River was only 23 years old when he died in the presence of his brother, Joaquin, and his girlfriend, Samantha Mathis.

Jimi Hendrix

Yet another member of the so-called "27 Club" of prodigious musicians who died before their 27th birthday, guitar great Hendrix died of an overdose of sleeping pills on Sept. 18, 1970.

Janis Joplin

It's difficult not to draw parallels between the lives of Janis Joplin and Amy Winehouse, as both had big, soulful voices and strong personalities. Janis, best known for hits like "Me and Bobby McGee" and "Piece of My Heart," died as a result of a heroin overdose on Oct. 4, 1970, just sixteen days after the death of her peer Jimi Hendrix. The singer was 27 years old when she passed.

Aaliyah

The promising R&B singer, whose hit "Try Again" made history as the first song to top the Billboard Hot 100 list solely based on airplay, died when her plane crashed en route back to the U.S. from a video shoot in the Bahamas on Aug. 25, 2001. An investigation of the crash later indicated that the plane had been carrying too much weight. Aaliyah was only 22 years old when she died.

Biggie Smalls

Echoing the shooting death of his peer and West Coast hip-hop rival Tupac, rapper Biggie Smalls (a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G.) was also fatally shot in his car, not even a year later on March 9, 1997. Like Tupac. the popularity of his music has also persisted to this day. Biggie was 24 at the time of his passing.

Selena

The Spanish-language singing star, who released her first album at age twelve, was fatally shot by Yolanda Saldivar, the president of the Selena fan club, after Selena attempted to fire her for embezzling. Her fan base remains strong to this day, and she has sold over 21 million albums worldwide. The singer was only 23 years old when she died on March 31, 1995.

Brad Renfro

After a long line of drug and alcohol-related arrests, the actor — widely hailed for his 1994 debut film, "The Client" — died of a heroin overdose in his Los Angeles home on Jan. 15, 2008. His final film, "The Informers," was dedicated to his memory. Brad passed away at the age of 25.

Jim Morrison

As the frontman and principal lyricist of The Doors, Jim Morrison started his career on the Sunset Strip and had great influence on the music scene. But the known drug-user's career was cut short when he died in his Paris apartment on July 3, 1971. Though no autopsy was performed because investigators saw no evidence of foul play, it's most generally agreed that he died of a heroin overdose at the age of 27.

Kurt Cobain

The Nirvana frontman helped usher in a new age of alternative rock with "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Nevermind," and lead a hard-partying lifestyle with wife Courtney Love. Kurt Cobain had struggled with depression and substance abuse throughout his time in the spotlight, and, when Nirvana was at the peak of their fame, took his own life at the age of 27 on April 5, 1994.

Adam Goldstein aka "DJ AM"

Just over a year after he narrowly escaped death in a plane crash that killed four other passengers, DJ AM was found dead in his New York apartment, having suffered from a drug relapse on Aug. 28, 2009. DJ AM, who dated stars like Nicole Richie and Mandy Moore, was known for his knack at creatively mixing classic pop songs with hip-hop and heavy metal. The deejay was 36 years old when he passed.