15 Photos of famous celebrity tombstones
There is a common saying that “”No matter how rich you are, we’re all going to end up in the same coffin” and that just as true for celebrities. In a cemetery, every person is simply a headstone. How you stand out amidst the sea of death? These famous people knew the answer: create a clever epitaph.
Those who referenced their movies and songs or carved jokes into their tombstones will still be remembered decades from now. Here are some of the wittiest and hilarious celebrity tombstones.
Mel Blanc Used One Of His Thousand Voices
Mel Blanc earned the nickname The Man of a Thousand Voices for a reason. He has voiced memorable cartoon characters including Tweety Bird, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester the Cat, Marvin the Martian, Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner, the Tasmanian Devil, and Porky Pig.
His work with Looney Toons was immortalized on his tombstone with the phrase “That’s All Folks.” It manages to be clever but heartbreaking at the same time.
Winston Churchill Challenged His Maker
As one of the most famous British Prime Ministers, Winston Churchill led his country through World War II. He also helped establish the European Union. His speeches will be quoted for years to come.
Self-confident and brash, Churchill believed himself to be a man of destiny. After he died of a stroke in 1965, his gravestone reflected his attitude. It says: “I am ready to meet my maker. Whether my maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another question.”
Dee Dee Ramone’s Gotta Go
Douglas Glenn Colvin founded the punk rock band the Ramones. He was also the band’s more prolific writer, although he played the base instead of sang. After the band, he embarked on a short-lived career as a hip hop singer, Dee Dee Ramone.
In 2002, Ramone died of a heroin overdose. He was buried in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery near his bandmate, Johnny Ramone. His epitaph simply says, “O.K…I gotta go now,” proving that he was witty until the end.
Jesse James Takes A Final Stab At His Killer
Jesse James gained celebrity status in 19th-century America through being an outlaw. Despite robbing trains and banks across the Midwest, he garnered national fame and sympathy. In 1882, he was killed by a new gang recruit who wanted to collect amnesty for his crimes. After his death, James became a legendary figure of the Wild West.
James’s mother, Zerelda Samual, wrote his epitaph for him. “In Loving Memory of my Beloved Son,” it reads, “Murdered by a Traitor and Coward Whose Name is no Worthy to Appear Here.” Ouch.
Frank Sinatra Promoted His Songs Even In Death
Even those who aren’t a fan of jazz have at least heard about Frank Sinatra. As one of the best-selling music artists of all time, he won the Kennedy Center Honors, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, and eleven Grammy Awards.
Sinatra died next to his wife in 1998 after a heart attack. His tombstone in Desert Memorial Park references one of his songs: “The Best Is Yet To Come.” After he died, sales for this album skyrocketed.
Dean Martin’s Sometime Is Now
Dean Martin, appropriately nicknamed “The King of Cool,” was a comedian, actor, and singer. Along with hosting shows such as The Dean Martin Show and Dean Martin Celebrity Roast, he also performed several hit singles such as “Sway,” “Memories Are Made of This,” And “Everybody Loves Somebody.”
A heavy smoker, Martin died of acute respiratory failure in 1995. In crypt in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery says, “Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime.” Those are lyrics from his hit song, in which he also sings, “My sometime is now.”
Robert Frost And His Lover’s Quarrel
Robert Frost’s poetry will never be forgotten. He won four Pulitzer Prizes for his work and a Congressional Gold Medal. On top of that, he was nominated for a Nobel Prize in Literature three times. Unfortunately, Frost also grappled with depression throughout his life.
Although Frost wrote many lines that would be fit for a tombstone, he chose one original piece. “I had a lover’s quarrel with the world,” the stone says.
John Wayne Didn’t Get What He Wanted
John Wayne is one of the most famous Western movie stars of all time. He was a top office draw for three decades and a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. His gravestone, in Pacific View Memorial Park Cemetery, is solemn. But it wasn’t what Wayne initally wanted.
According to his son, Wayne wanted his tombstone to read “Feo, Fuerte y Formal,” which translates to “Ugly, Strong, and Dignified.” Despite his request, others chose a quote that came from his 1971 interview with Playboy.
John Belushi And Rock And Roll
Comedian and Saturday Night Live star John Belushi was taken from us too early in life. Following his drug overdose, Belushi’s tombstone was placed deep inside Abel’s Hill Cemetery located in Chilmark, Massachusetts.
This tombstone is actually the second for the actor and serves as a memorial near the cemetery entrance. The tombstone reads “I may be gone, but Rock and Roll lives on.” Visitors often leave tokens of their appreciation including half-smoked marijuana cigarettes, bottle caps, flowers, and more
Jack Lemmon In…
Jack Lemmon was an actor who won two Academy Awards and was nominated for eight more. From the 1950s to the 1980s, Lemmon acted in Save the Tiger, Mister Roberts, The Apartment, The Great Race, and Some Like It Hot. He was well known for his comedy and quick wits.
Lemmon continued his wit even in death. His tombstone is formatted like a title screen: JACK LEMMON in,” suggesting that he’s literally in the ground.
Karl Marx’s Tombstone Includes a Giant Head
Although he was living stateless and exiled from Germany upon his death, Karl Marx is buried in London. Whoever chose his tombstone elected to create a bust to sit on top. It’s very unique and rather jarring to walk through a cemetery and spot a larger-than-life head carved of stone, but it was his mind that made him famous.
A philosopher, economist, historian, and one of the most influential people in history, Marx died shortly after his wife Jenny, at the age of 64, in 1883.
Visitors Cracked Benjamin Franklin’s Headstone By Tossing Pennies
One of the most famous of the United States’ founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin was known for ‘coining’ the popular expressing “a penny saved, is a penny earned.” He might regret that now, as admirers and history lovers from around the world toss pennies onto his grave when they visit.
In fact, the coin tossing led to a crack in his headstone. Franklin is buried next to his wife Deborah at Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Buck Owens Rests At “Buck’s Place”
Country music star Buck Owens died in his sleep on March 25, 2006, just hours after performing. He’s interred in his family’s Bakersfield, California mausoleum, which his loved ones had inscribed with “Buck’s Place” after his death. The term is what many use to refer to Owens’ music hall, officially called “Buck Owens Crystal Palace.”
During his illustrious career, Owens and his band the Buckaroos had 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country music charts. Along with Roy Clark, he also co-hosted the beloved television variety show Hee Haw.
Merv Griffin Will Not Be Back
Merv Griffin was an American radio host, band singer, Broadway actor, and television host. Most people know him for creating the game shows Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! which still run today. He also hosted his own talk show, The Merv Griffin Show.
In August of 2007, Griffin passed away from prostate cancer. His gravestone in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery states, “I will not be right back after this message.”
The King Of Rock And Roll Is Buried At Graceland
Elvis Presley was an icon of rock and roll, and fans were devastated when he passed away in 1977. His health was declining in the years leading up to his death, but it was still shocking to hear that the King of Rock and Roll had died of cardiac arrest in his Graceland home at the age of 42.
He was laid to rest at Graceland. Unfortunately, his middle name on his tombstone is misspelled. “Aaron” should be “Aron”.
