September 17, 2004 13:13

CAUSE OF RICK JAMES' DEATH REVEALED

The funk legend had nine drugs in his system…

[/a] had nine drugs in his body including cocaine, valium, vicodin and methamphetamine when he died in his sleep on August, according to a coroner’s report.

The funk legend passed away in his Los Angeles home of a heart attack aged 56, but the report released yesterday (September 16) said that the drugs in his system most likely contributed to the organ’s failure.

A diabetes sufferer, [a] had a pacemaker and had been in fragile health following a stroke in 1998. Best known for his 1981 hit ’Super Freak’, the star had been hooked on crack cocaine and once proclaimed himself an "icon of drug use and eroticism".

According to Reuters, the coroner listed nine drugs, including prescription medications for anxiety, pain relief and heart failure, along with cocaine and methamphetamine that were found in [/a]’ body.

An autopsy failed to establish the cause of death, and toxicology tests were ordered after a Los Angeles County coroner took over the case because [a] had not seen a doctor in recent weeks.

The report said: "None of the drugs or drug combinations were found to be at levels that were life-threatening in and of themselves."

The singer’s family attributed his death to natural causes, and the coroner said the cause was a heart attack and ruled the death as accidental.

Before his death [/a] had finished recording an album and was in talks with studios in Hollywood for a movie about his life. As previously reported on NME.COM, The American Society Of Composers, Authors and Publishers honoured [a] in June by presenting him with the Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award.