http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/h...545894.stm

Rick James' death remains mystery


Rick James was found dead at his home on Friday
Funk legend Rick James' death remains a mystery after a post-mortem examination failed to determine the cause.
James, 56, died in his sleep on Friday at his home near Universal City, in Los Angeles.

His three children, daughter Ty and sons Rick Jr. and Tazman, said they believed he died of heart failure.

David Smith, investigator of the Los Angeles County coroner's office, told the Associated Press agency they were awaiting results of a toxicology test.

Mr Smith said it could be several weeks before the results were known.

The singer, who was diabetic and had a pacemaker, also had a history of cocaine addiction that led him to two assault convictions in the 1990s and a two-year stretch in prison.

James was best known for his 1981 hit Super Freak, which was sampled by MC Hammer on 1990 hit U Can't Touch This.

http://story.news.yahoo.c...obit_james

Sun Aug 8,10:12 AM ET

LOS ANGELES - An autopsy Saturday failed to determine the cause of death for funk legend Rick James, authorities said. James, 56, died in his sleep Friday at his home near Universal City. The singer was a diabetic and also had a pacemaker. He suffered a stroke in 1998.

His three children — daughter Ty and sons Rick Jr. and Tazman — said Friday through a spokeswoman that they believe their father died of heart failure.

James had a history of cocaine addiction that led him to two assault convictions in the 1990s and a two-year stretch in prison.

Officials are awaiting results of a toxicology test, which could take several weeks, said Lt. David Smith, supervising investigator of the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

James's career peaked in 1981 with "Super Freak," a song so enduring that a strain of its infectious bass line powered the MC Hammer hit "U Can't Touch This" nearly a decade later.

The song earned the Grammy for best R&B song in 1990 for both Hammer and James.

James had enjoyed a bit of a revival recently, in part because of comedian Dave Chappelle portraying him as violent and arrogant on his "Chappelle's Show." James himself appeared on the Comedy Central show.

all those decades of drug use and hard living? doesn't seem like much of a mystery to me.....

the news

report said:

I can't believe they felt the need to mention MC Hammer.

minneapolisgenius said:

i'm betting the majority of his income for several years there was via MC Hammer....

minneapolisgenius said:

i know. i bet rick's rolling in his grave over that one.

I posted this (I think it's the same article) on the RIP thread. I was trippin' off the pacemaker, didn't know he had one

JasmineFire said:

Disgusting indeed. That would be like people bringing up Tom Jones if something happened to Prince.

Tessa said:

And most recently from Ja Rule & J-Lo with the - "I'm Real, " single which borrows heavily from - "Mary Jane. "

EverlastingNow said:

No kidding!

CandaceS said:

not as likely, though. while Prince's heyday of creativity and popularity may be in the past, he's not in the far-flung past (like Rick James) or so completely over and out of the spotlight (like Rick James) for a whole generation of people to need that sort of reference to know who he is (like Rick James).