The folk quartet The Mamas & the Papas became hugely famous for their sweet vocal harmonies. Unfortunately, things behind the scenes were as unharmonious as you could get. Somehow, the California dreamers and their dysfunctional ways pulled Denny Doherty, a nice guy from eastern Canada, into their chaos. The Mamas & the Papas only spent a couple of years in the limelight, but it would take Doherty the rest of his life to recover from the trauma.

Jane Fonda has shapeshifted so dramatically over nearly nine decades that even her own daughter once called her a chameleon. Think about it: Who else has gone from screen siren to Oscar-winning icon to fitness tycoon to women’s rights warrior to counterculture firebrand? Thank goodness her famously envied body is strong, because only someone that tough could weather more betrayals, heartbreaks, and scandals than any one person should ever face.

Patrick Swayze oozed the kind of charm that puts bums in seats at the multiplex. He was a triple threat, as he was able to do action movies, romance, and could even dance like a pro. Of course, a perfectionist like Swayze was not about to sit back and be comfortable with box office appeal. What had always eluded him was the respect of critics. As it became clear that his life would come to an abrupt and early end, he had one final shot at critical acclaim.

Plenty of today’s Hollywood action stars seem a little below average when it comes to height—hello, Tom Cruise. Jeff Chandler was something different entirely. With his broad frame, he towered over most of his costars. The wavy silver hair, dark complexion, and deep, resonant voice certainly didn’t hurt either. When a terrible tragedy took his life far too early, Hollywood lost one of its true leading men. But years later, a shocking accusation would force people to see Chandler in a completely different light.

Sure, the Grateful Dead were synonymous with psychedelics, free love, and 47-minute guitar noodles, but they were not synonymous with personal hygiene. Even so, only one guy earned the nickname “Pigpen,” and he was a walking contradiction. Pigpen McKernan just said no to acid and “Yes, please” to rotgut booze. And while the rest of the band drifted into cosmic improvisation, he stayed rooted in the blues.

Hank Williams died in the back of his Cadillac on New Year’s Day 1953, but his short, brilliant career helped define country music forever.