Born Adam Michael Goldstein in 1973, DJ AM handled turntables for the popular rap-rock group Crazy Town during the late '90s. He also became one of the most in-demand disc jockeys in Los Angeles, lending his scratching skills to albums by Papa Roach, Will Smith, and Madonna while maintaining several high-status relationships, including a brief engagement to Nicole Richie. Former blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and DJ AM began a series of collaborations during the early 2000s, a partnership that brought DJ AM's abilities to a wider audience. Following a collaborative show in September 2008, however, the two experienced a brush with death as their plane crashed upon takeoff, killing all occupants onboard except for the two musicians. AM, a former drug addict, relapsed as a result of his pain medications and suffered a fatal overdose one year later. ~ Andrew Leahey