Coroner: 9 drugs found in Rick James' system

Death attributed to heart attack, ruled accident

Thursday, September 16, 2004 Posted: 9:28 PM EDT (0128 GMT

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Flamboyant funk musician Rick James had nine drugs in his system when he died suddenly in August, including cocaine, methamphetamine, valium and vicodin, according to a coroner's report Thursday.

James, 56, died in his sleep on August 6 in his Los Angeles home of a heart attack, but the drugs in his system likely contributed to the organ's failure, the report said.

James, best known for his 1981 hit "Super Freak," suffered from diabetes, had a pacemaker and had been in fragile health after a stroke in 1998. He had been hooked on crack cocaine and once proclaimed himself an "icon of drug use and eroticism."

His family attributed his death to natural causes, but the Los Angeles County coroner took over the case because James had not seen a doctor in recent weeks. An autopsy failed to establish the cause and toxicology tests were ordered.

The coroner listed nine drugs, including prescription medications for anxiety, pain relief and heart failure, along with cocaine and methamphetamine that were found in James's body.

"None of the drugs or drug combinations were found to be at levels that were life-threatening in and of themselves," the report said. It gave the cause of death as a heart attack and ruled the death accidental.

James, who received a lifetime achievement award in June, had recently finished recording an album and was in talks with Hollywood studios for a movie about his life.

Goddamn, Rick.

That must be some sort of record.

I was just getting ready to post this. So sad.

Mastodon said:

Wonder what he's doing with Anx's meds?

it is sad though...i was hoping for nothing to be found.

Damn. I thought he had gotten away from the drugs in recent years.

superspaceboy said:

me, too. i was hoping he actually ws able to beat it.

Not everyone has an addictive physiology. Some people can actually dabble in recreational drug use. For others like Rick James it ain't so simple. Robert Downey Jr and Courtney Love seem to be in the same boat.

It's a shame, but in the back of my mind, I was kind of expecting it. Drugs are an addiction and just because someone is clean, they can always go back because they were so addicted in the first place. My drug is food and I know temptation is HELL.

I don't consider the way he died a disgrace though. In this day and age, so many greats before him have died the same way. It's unfortunate but it happens.

Awwww Rick...prescribed medication mixed with hard drugs. I was hoping no drugs were found in his system . They state that none of the individual dosages were lethal but I guess the mixing of them along with his multiple health problems (diabetes, heart etc.) caused the accidental death.

CynicKill said:

Robert Downey has been blessed with chance after chance....hopefully he has kicked the habit for good, it's a shame the money that is given to him for his roles in movies are going into abusing his body/system. Kurt Cobain should have been a wake up call for Courtney Love but I guess not.

Damn..., Cocaine IS a helluva drug
i feel so solemn now

Shit Rick, thats fucked up. R.I.P bro

superspaceboy said:

but yeah, i was channel-surfin yesterday and cnn headline news just broke the news about it as i tuned in. i was kinna-sorta expectin it too, but i was still kinna surprised.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Everyone who I talked to assumed it was drugs ...I defended the boy saying it was all the stuff he did inthe past...that caught up with him. I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt..

I remember when I posted that he was spotted doing coke a week before his death some idiotic A-holes try to crucify me, hey it's true. Dude couldn't stay away from the crack. Hey, I kind of understand, they must put crack in cinnamon toast crunch because it is impossible for me to eat just one bowl of that stuff. It has to be some crack or something in it.

kdj997 said:

it's them cinnamon swirls all over every bite, man.


man, wendell n'them been slingin yeyo all this time, disguised as cereal...who knew...

kdj997 said:

Not that it matters..Cocaine is NOT Crack.

Oh well, he did it to himself.

No sympathy for the dude.

He had already done it to himself about 250 fucking times. That he lasted to 50 odds makes me wanna take my chances with more heavy drugs

like
is
anyone
SURPRISED?

Mastodon said:

another talented musician bites the dust....

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Omg!! That explains it. I have a bowl in the morning and one after dinner. Yes! After fukking dinner. My bf is eating Ice cream and Im eating cereal!

As for Rick thats so sad,I was hoping he was drug free

JC said:

If they are, I have this bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell 'em.

Man...

...just heard about this on late show trying to make fun at no laughing matter...was hoping not true...

R.I.P Rick James

And there it is. He wanted to die...i mean that was just way too much for one system to handle...he was wishing for a way out and he got it...it was premeditated suicide. Rick, "Didnt we almost have it all"?


Moment of silence EDIT
[Edited 9/17/04 22:42pm]

Mastodon said:

I heard Dave Chapelle was suppose to play his character in the movie. I'm not sure if it's true or not.

GAT DAYUM!!!