Bradley James Nowell

 Bradley James Nowell (February 22, 1968 – May 25, 1996)

He was a musician and the lead singer and guitarist of the ska punk band Sublime. Nowell played in various bands until forming Sublime with bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh, whom he had met while attending California State University at Long Beach. In his lifetime, Sublime released the albums 40oz. to Freedom and Robbin' the Hood to critical and commercial success. Recorded in the studios at Cal State Dominguez Hills, 40oz. to Freedom was released in 1992; 60,000 copies were sold. Despite their growing popularity in Southern California, Sublime still was not signed with a major label. Around this same time Nowell teamed up with longtime friend Gwen Stefani of No Doubt, to record the song "Saw Red". The song was eventually released on Sublime's Robbin' the Hood album, which was self-recorded on a four-track cassette, and released in October 1994. About a year later, Tazy Phillipz took a copy of 40oz. to Freedom to Los Angeles radio station KROQ-FM, requesting that Sublime's song "Date Rape" be added to the playlist. Soon after, MCA Records picked up 40oz. to Freedom for national distribution, and Sublime was scheduled to tour throughout Europe.

In May 1996, Sublime was set to begin a five-day tour through Northern California, followed by a European and East Coast tour. However, while the band was staying at the Ocean View Motel in San Francisco, drummer Bud Gaugh awoke to find Nowell lying on the floor next to his bed. He noticed a yellow film around Nowell's mouth, and it became apparent that he had overdosed on heroin. Gaugh called for paramedics, but Nowell had died several hours earlier, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Several songs from the album Robbin' the Hood detail Nowell's worsening drug addiction. Nowell is said by some to have predicted his own death in the song "Pool Shark", with the line, "One day I'm going to lose the war". Nowell was 28 at the time of his death, and had recently gotten married. He was cremated, and the ashes scattered. However, a marker was also placed in his memory at Westminster Memorial Park in Westminster, California.