NEW YORK (Rick
James Fans Website) - Autopsy shows that Rick James' heart attack may have been brought on by a cocktail of at least nine drugs that were found in his system, coroners said today.
The artist, best known for his 1981 hit Super Freak, died in Los Angeles on August 6 at the age of 56, leaving questions over the cause of his sudden demise.
Coroners today ruled the death accidental, saying there were drugs in James' system ranging from cocaine and methamphetamine to prescription drugs including Xanax, Valium, Wellbutrin, Celexa, Vicodin and Digoxin.
But David Campbell of the Los Angeles coroner's office said tests had revealed that none of the individual drugs or drug combinations was found in lethal levels in his body.
James, who had long battled drug abuse and who served prison time for assaulting two women, had a history of crack cocaine abuse, had a pace-maker fitted and suffered a stroke in 1998.
The coroner's office took over the case because James, whose real name was James Johnson, had not seen a doctor in the weeks before his death, Campbell said.
Although James' career had waned in recent years, about 6,000 fans queued to pay tribute to James at his funeral in his hometown of Buffalo in the state of New York 10 days after his death.
The "King of Punk Funk," also known as the "bad boy of Motown", had just finished an album for release next year and had been talking to studios about a movie based on his life, his representatives said.
A planned comeback album was released in 1997, but James' health prevented him from promoting it.
James, a Grammy award winner who could play at least five instruments, joined the US navy at 15 and deserted a short time later.
He fled to Canada, where he founded his first band, the Mynah Birds, with Neil Young, Bruce Palmer and Goldie McJohn.
He also wrote and produced songs for actor Eddie Murphy, The Temptations and Smokey Robinson.
Samples of James' music have been used by rhythm and blues singers and rappers, including MC Hammer, whose use of Super Freak led to the hit single U Can't Touch This, and the top-selling rap album ever.
