River Phoenix was a super-cool, hugely promising actor with an ace hair cut and both eyes firmly fixed on superstardom. Unfortunately, a burgeoning drug habit resulted in his demise at Holywood’s Viper Room on Halloween morning, 1993, aged only 23.
On the night in question, River and pals were guzzling speedballs (heady concoctions of cocaine and heroin) in the famous nightclub partially ownded by actor pal, Johnny Depp. He was due to perform on stage with Michael "Flea" Balzary from the Red Hot Chili Peppers., but became ill after buying and consuming a drug known as “Persian Brown” (which is snorted) from an acquaintance in the toliet.
He became ill soon after imbibing this powerful form of
methamphetamine mixed with opiates, collapsed outside the club, convulsed
violently for eight minutes on the pavement, before 911 was called. His younger
brother Rain (who met him at the club, along with Joaquin and River’s girlfriend,
Samantha Mathis) tried to resuscitate him, but River had already stopped
breathing. He would never regain consciousness.
He was pronounced dead at 1:51 a.m. PST on the morning of
October 31, 1993. Until he sold his share in the club in 2004, Johnny Depp
closed the club every year on this date.
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