Rod Stewart and Faces tragedies – untimely deaths to star with 'no money'

Sir Rod Stewart has enjoyed a lengthy and successful career as both a solo artist and as the frontman of several bands that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s. His most renowned band is Faces, a group essentially formed by musicians who had departed from other groups. The British band Small Faces disbanded when its lead vocalist, Steve Marriott, exited the group to establish a new one, Humble Pie. Around the same time, Sir Rod and Ronnie Wood were contemplating leaving the Jeff Beck Group.

Consequently, these two teamed up with the remaining members of Small Faces to create a new band, which included Ian McLagan, Ronnie Lane, and Kenney Jones.

The Small Faces and the Faces were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. But in a tragic twist of fate, several of the band's members weren't around to witness this as their lives were tragically cut short.

Ian McLagan

Keyboardist Ian McLagan performed with both Small Faces and later Faces. After the group officially disbanded in 1975, McLagan's career continued. He travelled in top-tier rock circles aross the world, recording or touring with musicians such as Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and plenty more. 

In 2014, it was announced McLagan had died at the age of 64 due to complications from a stroke. He had shown no signs of slowing down prior to his death, as he had been scheduled to open for Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets in Minneapolis just days later.

Ronnie Lane

Small Faces and Faces co-founder Ronnie Lane was the bassist for both bands. In 1977, the year after his 30th birthday, Lane was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a progressive condition that affects the central nervous system.

Lane learned of his diagnosis while recording the Rough Mix album with Pete Townshend. He battled the disease for 21 years before passing away from pneumonia, caused by complications from MS. 

His death aged 51 concluded a devastating chapter in rock 'n' roll history. 

Jesse Ed Davis

In 1975, Jesse Ed Davis performed with the Faces as a guitarist throughout their final US tour. It was on this tour he Davis reportedly became addicted to drugs. In his final years, Davies worked as a drug and alcohol counselor at the American Indian Free Clinic in Long Beach. But sadly, his addiction never left him.

Davis collapsed in the laundry room of an apartment building in Los Angeles and was pronounced dead on arrival in 1988. He reportedly died with fresh needle marks in his arm, surrounded by burned matches and tin foil.

"It appears to be a drug overdose. There was no trauma on his body," police detective David Straky said. "But the case is still open. It could turn out down the road to be a homicide."

Police later confirmed his death was the result of a drug overdose. Davis was just 43-years-old when he died. In 2002, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame. Davis made it into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Native American Music Institute Hall of Fame in 2018.

Steve Marriott

While he was not part of Faces, Steve Marriott co-founded Small Faces in 1965. But due to growing frustration with the band's direction, Marriott left the band and joined Humble Pie. Marriott also struggled with drugs and alcohol and was at the height of his addiction when Humble Pie were scammed. The alleged scammer was believed to have connections with the Mafia and warned the band against taking legal action.

His money struggles worsened after he was sent a £100,000 demand for unpaid tax in the UK. He fled to the US and formed The Firm, but it wasn't long before he returned broke. Due to financial problems, Marriott was forced to sell Beehive Cottage, the home he had lived in since 1968, and moved into a small, terraced house in Golders Green, London.

In 1991, Marriot and his third wife, Toni Poulton, were flying back from the US when they had a heated argument. After arriving in the UK, the couple joined a friend for dinner. The duo decided to stay the night at their friend's house, but Poulton woke up and realised Marriott had taken a taxi home alone.

At 6:30am on April 20th, a motorist called the fire brigade after realising the roof of Marriott’s home was on fire. Marriott was pronounced dead at the scene, with a fire officer confirming no one could have survived the blaze. An inquiry ruled that Marriott's death was accidental and caused by smoke inhalation, thought to have been caused by a cigarette. He was 44-years-old at the time of his death.

Ronnie Wood

While Ronnie Wood recently celebrated his 78th birthday, he has experienced his fair share of struggles in life. In 2000, the Rolling Stones icon was in the car with his then-wife Jo Wood when they were involved in an accident. Although he was unharmed by the impact, Ronnie was hit by another car when he stepped out to direct traffic, leaving him with two shattered legs. 

"I'd broken two bones in one leg and one in the other, and was in plaster for three months," he wrote in his autobiography. "My ankles still hurt to this day — but considering what might have happened I'd say it's a small price to pay."

The guitarist has battled cancer twice in his life. In 2017, he underwent a five-hour surgery to have part of his lung removed after being diagnosed with lung cancer. In 2021, Ronnie announced he had been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive small-cell cancer the year prior. Thankfully, Ronnie is cancer-free.

Sir Rod Stewart

Similar to his former bandmate, Sir Rod has also battled cancer twice in his life. He was first diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his thyroid gland following a routine health check back in 2000. He underwent surgery, which was critical as it required precision near his vocal cords. The operation was a success and the singer didn't require chemotherapy. 

In 2019, the 80-year-old announced that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer three years prior. He had kept his diagnosis a secret, but disclosed it while speaking at a fundraising event for the Prostate Project. He underwent a three-month intensive course of radiation therapy and confirmed he had been given the all-clear in September 2019.