This article was originally published on Kueez
At least some world's greatest musicians have impacted your life in one way or another. From Elvis Presley to Bob Marley, these artists changed the way people think of music, but they tragically passed away at young ages. What would the music industry be like if John Lennon was still alive or if Kurt Cobain was still Nirvana's frontman? Although we may never know, with the help of CGI tools, we can see what these artists would look like in the modern-day. Take a look and imagine how different the world would be if we still had these legends.
1. Elvis Presley A Few Weeks Before His Death
As the "King of Rock and Roll," Elvis Presley became a cultural icon. With his striking looks and blue suede shoes, The King made rock and roll music mainstream during the '60s. His fans couldn't get enough of his hits and stage presence.
After his split from Priscila Presley, Elvis turned to drugs to cope with his troubles. On June 26, 1977, Elvis played one last show in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was barely recognizable from his former self because his health had deteriorated massively.
2. What Elvis Would Look Like Today
Two months after the show, Presley was found dead in his home. Forty years after his death, Elvis was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his effect on music and culture. If he were alive to receive that medal, he would look much different than he did at the height of his career.
Today, Elvis would be 85-years-old, and although his skin would have aged, you can still see the rocker he once was. In this version, he still has a full head of hair even though it has turned grey. He must have stopped using black shoe polish to color his hair.
3. John Lennon Four Months Before His Death
John Lennon is undeniably a historical icon because of his contribution to music and culture. Lennon, alongside Paul, Ringo, and George, formed the Beatles. Born in October 1940, Lennon would have just celebrated his 80th birthday if he were alive today.
While Lennon was in New York recording an album, Mark Chapman shot him while asking for an autograph. The world mourned his death, and many wonder what the world of music would have been like if he were still alive.
4. What John Lennon Would Look Like Today
Although we will never know what incredible music he had planned, we can see that John Lennon would have aged well over the years. At 80-years-old, you can see the outspoken man who strived for world peace. Maybe he would have switch career paths and focused on philosophy.
Lennon's hair would have thinned and receded, but this photo shows that he wouldn't have turned grey. After leaving his psychedelic suits behind, Lennon adopted a more subdued style. He looks like a smart professor with his turtle neck and tweed jacket.
5. Jimi Hendrix Two Weeks Before His Death
As one of the most influential electric guitarists of all time, and one of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th century, Jimi Hendrix was a music legend. Tragically, he is a member of the 27 Club because he passed away when he was just 27 years old.
Hendrix always had a smile on his face and barely aged a day while he was in the spotlight. He lived the true rockstar lifestyle with plenty of drugs and alcohol, which was ultimately his downfall. On September 18, 1970, Hendrix passed away after a night of drinking and drugs.
6. What Jimi Hendrix Would Look Like Today
At 27-years-old, Hendrix was taken too soon, and we tragically never got to hear the incredible music he would have created. In his reimagine photo, he would have been 78-years-old, and it looks like the drugs and alcohol took a bit of a toll on his aging process.
His hair thinned out and went slightly grey, but you can still see the greatness of the music legend. Hendrix was incredibly talented and it is sad that he passed away at such a young age.
7. Kurt Cobain Four Months Before His Death
As the frontman of Nirvana, people were obsessed with Kurt Cobain. The last positive memory of Cobain was during the recording session of his final album. He transformed rock music and mixed in punk sounds to create "grunge."
Cobain rose to fame quickly, but he didn't like being called an icon or legend. The fame was a lot for him, which ultimately led to mental health issues leading to his death. At the time of his suicide, Cobain was a young father and husband, but he couldn't handle the pressure.
8. What Kurt Cobain Would Look Like Today
Although Cobain only died in 1994, people wonder what the 27-year-old would look like today. He would only be 53-years-old still wearing his signature flannel, which he made popular in the '90s. The legendary musician wouldn't have aged much in the last few decades.
Behind Cobain's steely blue eyes was a tortured soul who left this world too soon. His incredible talent landed him a spot on the list of "Top 100 Guitarists of all Time." We can only what music he would have produced if he were alive today.
9. Bob Marley Eight Months Before His Death
As one of the pioneers of reggae music, Bob Marley was a legend because of his infusion of reggae, ska, and rock music. His contribution to music increased the visibility of Jamaican music worldwide and made him a pop culture icon.
Due to his religious beliefs, Marley ignored the advice of doctors when he was told to have his toe amputated to stop the spread of cancer. Just a few months after his last concert, his health deteriorated because the cancer spread, and he passed away.
10. What Bob Marley Would Look Like Today
Unlike most people on this list, Marley was an avid soccer player and relatively healthy until the doctors found his cancer. He only discovered that the cancer spread through his liver, lungs, and brain once he was admitted to the hospital for a soccer-related injury.
Today, Marley would have been 75 years old, and he would have looked good for someone his age. Although his hair turned grey, Marley would have continued to share his music with the world and inspire change. You can still see the passion behind his eyes.
11. Janis Joplin Three Months Before Her Death
Janis Joplin was known for her unique style and authenticity. She was one of the most successful and widely known rockstars of her time who tragically passed away in 1970. Joplin had an eclectic style, as seen here a few months before her death. She liked to style and design her own clothes.
Like many other rockstars, Joplin got into drugs and alcohol. When she didn't show up for rehearsal, her producer got concerned and asked friends to check on her. Sadly she was found dead in her hotel room due to a heroin overdose.
12. What Janis Joplin Would Look Like Today
Although she passed away when she was 27-years-old, everyone thought she had so much more to offer to the music world. If she were still alive today, Joplin would be 77-years-old. The iconic rockstar was one of a kind and sang with incredible passion.
Joplin always had a unique sense of style, and that would have continued throughout her life if she were still alive. With her turquoise beads and grey hair, she would continue to smile and bring powerful music to the world.
13. Bobby Darin At The Height Of His Career
After working as a songwriter for Connie Francis, Bobby Darin recorded his first hit single "Splish, Splash." The incredibly talented musician played multiple instruments and won a Golden Globe for his acting skills. Later in his life, he discovered a family secret that changed his whole life and sent him into a spiral.
Darin found out that the woman he thought was his mother was actually his grandmother, and his supposed sister was his birth mother. He went into seclusion after hearing this, and it took him some time to process.
14. What Bobby Darin Would Look Like Today
Darin had health complications his entire life following bouts of rheumatic fever as a child. He knew it was something that would affect his health for the rest of his life, so Darin worked hard to make it big while he was healthy. In 1973, he forgot to take antibiotics before a dentist visit and developed sepsis.
Darin went into emergency surgery to save his heart, but it was too late. Today, he would have been 84-years-old, and he would have been just as classy as he was in the past. Although his hairline receded and his skin is wrinkled, you can still see the twinkle in his eyes.
15. Karen Carpenter Two Years Before Her Death
Along with her older brother Richard, the duo formed The Carpenters. Karen was praised for her three-octave contralto vocal range and incredible drumming skills. Carpenter struggled with an eating disorder after gaining fame, which raised awareness about anorexia and body dysmorphia.
At the time of her death, Carpenter was frail and sickly due to her eating disorder. She suffered from heart failure as a result and passed away when she was only 32-years-old. She put such a strain on her body, and most people didn't know why she was so thin.
16. What Karen Carpenter Would Look Like Today
Although she started as the band's drummer, Carpenter's singing talented made her the lead vocalist. Fans couldn't get enough of her singing, which helped her start a solo career. Due to this fame, Carpenter thought she had to look a certain way to be accepted in the public eye.
If she were still alive today, Carpenter would have been 70-years-old, but she wouldn't have lost her bright and happy smile. Her death was sudden and tragic, but it brought awareness to eating disorders. Carpenter's legacy is one of change, talent, and hope for a better future.
17. Keith Moon Nine Months Before His Death
Keith Moon was the prodigy drummer from the British rock band, The Who. He started the trend of smashing his equipment after shows because of his restless behavior. Moon was noted for his unique style and eccentric personality that boosted him to stardom.
After the accidental death of his chauffeur and the breakdown of his marriage, Moon became addicted to alcohol and earned the nickname, "moon the loon." He would pass out on stage during concerts and Moon was hospitalized several times during his final tour with The Who.
18. What Keith Moon Would Look Like Today
Born in August 1946, today Moon would have been 74-years-old. Although he struggled with alcohol addiction, it was an anti-alcohol drug that caused his untimely death. Moon was known for his fun personality and goofiness, but he looks more serious in his old age.
Although he looks more somber, the image looks just like the photo taken in 1973. With a few extra grey hairs and wrinkles, Moon would've had to work hard to get sober and change his lifestyle to live longer.
19. Dennis Wilson One Year Before His Death
You may remember Dennis Wilson as one of the founding members of the Beach Boys and the only real surfer in the group. He was one of three brothers in the band and played the drums and wrote some of his own songs. Wilson's life exemplified the California cliche that was celebrated by the band's early music.
Shortly after he was kicked out of the Beach Boys, he struggled with alcohol and substance abuse. Although Wilson's career was highly successful, the singer took his departure from the band hard and binged until he drowned in Marina Del Rey. He was trying to retrieve his ex-wife's belongings that fell into the water.
20. What Dennis Wilson Would Look Like Today
Today Wilson would have been 76-years-old, and you can see what he looked like before the substance abuse issues. If his rehab stints had been successful, he might have had a better life. He looks like he aged well in his signature surfer style shirt and still has his luscious head of hair.
The iconic drummer's wrinkles give away his age, and he ditched his scraggly facial hair. His downward spiral began after becoming friends with the infamous Charles Manson and was introduced to the party scene in Hollywood.
21. Jim Morrison Ten Months Before His Death
Jim Morrison was always known for his high-risk lifestyle with partying and excessive drinking. Most people doubted he would live until he was 30 because of his rockstar choices. As you can see from his mugshot, his choices caught up with him, and he was arrested in Florida.
The young rockstar lived a very unhealthy life, and he started to age much quicker because of drugs and alcohol. Morrison died of an accidental drug overdose in Paris in 1971. He was just 27 years old and passed away around the same time as many others on this list.
22. What Jim Morrison Would Look Like Today
If Jim Morrison cleaned up his life and got sober, he would have been 77-years-old. The Doors lead singer lived by the motto "Live fast, die hard," and he left a strong legacy behind with his music. Based on this vision, he seems to have aged fairly well despite his heavy drug use.
Although he is smiling in his CGI recreated photo, there were few photos of the rock legend looking happy. Maybe sobriety would have brought him the happiness he was looking for at the bottom of the bottle, but we will never know. Morrison is just another icon taken too soon.
23. What Tupac Would Look Like Today
Tupac is one of the best selling artists of all time, and his music influenced many artists that followed him. At the time of his death, he was only 25, and today he would be 49 years old. Although there have been conspiracy theories that he is still alive, that is false.
With all the issues of racial inequality in the world today, you can imagine that many current social issues would have inspired Tupac's music. Some of his views were controversial, but he was inspired by his family members who were active members fighting for civil rights.
24. Tupac Six Months Before His Death
As one of the most influential rappers of all time, Tupac's music addressed social issues that plagued inner cities. He became a symbol of resistance and activism against inequality and achieved more in his 25 years of life than most people would in a lifetime.
In the mid-'90s, Tupac was heavily involved in the East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry. This rivalry ultimately lead to his unsolved murder after he was shot in a drive-by shooting in 1996. After his death, five more albums were released, which were all certified platinum.
25. Biggie Smalls A Few Weeks Before His Death
Biggie Smalls or "Notorious B.I.G" is also considered one of the greatest rappers of all time, like Tupac. The two gained fame around the same time, but Biggie was rooted in the New York scene. He is known for his relaxed delivery style of lyrics discussing grim content.
Biggie's intimidating appearance was the perfect match for his gangster rap style, and it got him wrapped up in the East Coast-West Coast rivalry in the mid-'90s. Just a few months after Tupac's murder, Biggie was also killed in a drive-by shooting.
26. What Biggie Smalls Would Look Like Today
The world will never know where his career would take him because Biggie was murdered. Before his death, he was suspected of Tupac's murder. If he were still alive, Biggie Smalls would be 48-years-old with a few wrinkles and the same expressive face.
Maybe he would have turned away from the life of crime, violence, and gangs, but that is only speculation. After his death, two more albums were released, which sold over 28 million copies in the US. Despite his short life, Biggie has been recognized for his many accomplishments in the world of hip hop.
27. Cass Elliot Two Weeks Before Her Death
Cass Elliot, otherwise known as Mama Cass, was the lead singer in The Mamas and The Papas. She was known for her sense of humor and optimistic attitude, and she was the most charismatic member of the band. Her legacy in the band was huge, but she left for a solo career in 1968.
Elliot made her first solo debut in Las Vegas and showed off a slimmer figure. She went on a crash diet to lose 100 pounds before the show, which caused ulcers and fever. She could barely rehearse, and Elliot's voice was noticeably weak for the opening show. She barely made it through the performance.
28. What Cass Elliot Would Look Like Today
After the awful performance, she turned to drugs to ease the pain. Between the drugs and her weight fluctuation, Elliot's heart couldn't handle it, and she passed away from heart failure. Surprisingly, there were no drugs in her system at the time of her death.
Today, Elliot would have been 79-years-old, and she seems to have put on the weight she tried to lose throughout her life. Her positive attitude still shows through in her smile, and you can see the happiness in her eyes. In 1998, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
29. Randy Rhoads A Few Months Before His Death
Combining his classical guitar influences with heavy metal, Randy Rhoads played with the band Quiet Riot and Ozzy Osbourne. Although he died at a young age, he had a strong influence on heavy metal music, and he played one of the most memorable guitar riffs on the song "Crazy Train."
Although they made amazing music together, Rhoads and Osbourne clashed, and before his death, Rhoads decided to leave the band in the middle of a tour. The two argued often, and they struggled with their working relationship.
30. What Randy Rhoads Would Look Like Today
Rhoads told Osbourne that he was drinking too much, which Osbourne didn't want to hear. That evening they landed at a small airfield because of difficulties with the plane. While Osbourne slept on the bus, Rhoads and the bus driver took a joy ride on the plane and crashed.
Rhoads passed away at 25-years-old before he could create more incredible music. He has been added to many of the "Greatest Guitarist" lists because of his immense talent. Before his death, Rhoads planned to pursue a degree at UCLA.
31. Buddy Holly Three Months Before His Death
Buddy Holly was best known as a singer in The Crickets during the '50s. People were in love with his style and vocal abilities, which helped him rise to fame at such a young age. The native Texan influenced some of the world's biggest bands, like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Eric Clapton.
Holly was a music pioneer and came up with the rock and roll band set up with two guitarists, a bass, and a drummer. Tragically, when he was just 22 years old, Holly passed away in a plane crash, and the world always wondered where his career would have gone if he were still alive.
32. What Buddy Holly Would Look Like Today
Before he got into rock and roll, Holly dabbled in blues, gospel, and country music. Today, he would be 84 years old, and although he looks much different from his 22-year-old self, he would still have his incredible talent. He decided to ditch his iconic glasses and go for a modern look without them.
Besides his secret smoking habit, Holly was just a young man with a dream. He would be impressed with how much his work influenced the future of rock and roll music, and we can only guess what collaborative work he could have done with some of the world's biggest artists.
33. Ronnie Van Zant Six Months Before His Death
Ronnie Van Zant was one of the founding members and lead vocalists for the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. At the height of their success, the band was involved in a plane crash on the way to one of their shows, and Ronnie, along with other band members, died on impact.
Van Zant was just 29 when he died, and many friends and family said he always thought he wouldn't make it to 30. It seemed like he fulfilled that prophecy, even though his loved ones begged him not to think that way.
34. What Ronnie Van Zant Would Look Like Today
When thinking of names for their band, Ronnie and the other members decided on Lynyrd Skynyrd, inspired by their gym teach Leonard Skinner, who hated Ronnie's long hair. If he were still alive, he would still be rocking those luscious long locks with his southern flare.
The band members would still be alive today if they hadn't been so insistent on not canceling their show. The plane was having issues and was barely maintenanced before the band boarded. Ronnie would have been 82-years-old if he were still alive today.
35. Bradley Nowell A Year Before His Death
After a trip to Jamaica with his father, Bradley Nowell was exposed to reggae and dancehall music, which lead to his passion for rock music. He is widely known as the lead singer of the ska-punk band Sublime. He met his bandmates, Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh while attending California State University.
While performing at the Pheonix Theatre in California, no one knew it would be the last concert with Sublime's original members. One day after the show, Nowell passed away from a drug overdose, and the band released their third studio album in his honor. Nowell was just 26 years old.
36. What Bradley Nowell Would Look Like Today
Besides his love for rock music, Nowell was an educated man who came one semester short of a degree in finance. He decided to leave school because the hard classes were the only ones he had left, and he decided to pursue music instead.
It is sad that he decided to quit school because Nowell developed a drug problem shortly after leaving. If he were still alive, the rocker would be 52, and he would have had plenty of skin damage from years in the California sun.
37. Sid Vicious One Year Before His Death
Sid Vicious might not have been the best musician, but he was surprisingly popular for his work with the British band, The Sex Pistols. Vicious exuded the punk rock stereotype with his spikey hair, painted nails, and carving on his chest.
When he joined The Sex Pistols, he didn't know how to play the bass guitar. However, he stayed up for two days learning a Ramone's album, and suddenly, he knew how to play. They must have loved his image before they heard his musical skills or lack thereof.
38. What Sid Vicious Would Look Like Today
Vicious always played up his punk image with a crooked smile and distorted expression. He was dedicated to the lifestyle and began using heroin after his girlfriend got him hooked. The drug lead him on a downward spiral resulting in an overdose despite claims that he was trying to get clean.
If Vicous were alive today, he would still look just as crazy as he did when he was alive. Due to his life of drugs and partying, his face looks much older than 63, but he might have sobered up by now. There have been plenty of speculations about his death, but he was just a young kid who made a horrible mistake.
39. Bon Scott 15 Months Before His Death
After chauffeuring the members of AC/DC, Bon Scott became the band's lead singer in a strange turn of events. The band had fired their lead singer, and Scott was basically pulled from the crowd to fill in. Some say he was just at the right place at the right time.
When he joined the band, Scott was in his 30s and worked odd jobs to make ends meet. While shoveling manure, he would think of song lyrics that he later proposed to his fellow bandmates for some of their most popular hits.
40. What Bon Scott Would Look Like Today
When he joined AC/DC, Scott decided to live the full rocker lifestyle and started shooting heroin. In 1980, he sadly passed away due to an overdose while the band was working on the album, "Back In Black," which became one of their most successful albums.
After Scott's death, the band considered disbanding, but his family insisted they stay together despite the loss of their lead singer. They managed to find a new lead singer and had a finished album five months later. Today Scott would be 73 years old and basking in the glory of AC/DC's success.
41. Duane Allman One Year Before His Death
The Nashville native, Duane Allman, began playing guitar when he was just 14 years old. Just six years later, he formed The Allman Brothers Band. Duane is known for his impressive slide guitar playing and inventive improv skills, as well as his time in the successful band.
For his birthday, Duane's brother got him a bottle of pills, but instead of taking them, he peeled off the label and used it as a slide for his guitar. It became an essential part of the band's sound, and Duane used these skills to perform with many of the biggest names in music, including Aretha Franklin.
42. What Duane Allman Would Look Like Today
Today, Duane Allman would be 74 years old and he would most likely still have his bizarre facial hair. After plenty of recognition, we can imagine that he would have done amazing things with his career. Sadly, Allman was killed in a motorcycle crash while the band was on a break from touring.
Allman was enjoying a ride on his Harley when a truck stopped short in front of him causing his bike to swerve and crash. Despite immediate health care, he passed away at the hospital, and many mourned his untimely death. At his memorial, the band played plenty of songs in his honor.