Gerry Rafferty dies

Same here, these great talents always live some sort of miserable lifestyle and leave early, what a shame.

It's not necessary to reveal things of that nature. They should have had more respect for his family.

I disagree. It's news plain and simple and the cause of death is part of it. Perhaps I'm callous but sticking your head in the sand to ignore the news doesn't somehow make it better. Alcohol and drug-related deaths are nothing to hide. Perhaps such information will save someone some day from a similar fate.

I feel similarly about the moratorium on showing fallen US soldiers being unloaded from planes. Perhaps the public should be forced to see and understand, just like they knew in Vietnam.

Why shouldnt they say how he died? If it was a car accident people would like to know it wasnt expected. If it was cancer, it could lead to raised money towards a cure, for his death it could be a cautionary tale.
Facts are facts, as long as its not too graphic its all part of the record.

Not reporting cause of death in today's media rich society would be the equivalent of hiding one's head in the sand. Anyone can research a person's life to the nth degree via the internet, notwithstanding accuracies of reporting. One doesn't need the gory details but to state the cause of death is part and parcel of obituary writing.