There is little doubt that Bobby's death was ultimately due to drug abuse. The autopsy cited cause of death as heart failure, brought about by a hardening of the arteries, likely attributed to the prolonged use of narcotics. It could, perhaps, be argued that Bobby was born predisposed to addiction or that his inability to handle fame led him there but when you dig into his background it becomes apparent that his difficulties began earlier and it is more likely these issues which caused Bobby to turn to the drugs that eventually killed him.