Will Ferrell, Dana Carvey, and more “SNL” alums share theories on the death of 'More Cowbell' legend Gene Frenkle

Fred Armisen, Chris Parnell, Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, and more share their thoughts on the percussionist's mysterious fate.

NBC; Paul Morigi/Getty Will Ferrell as Gene Frenkle in 'Saturday Night Live' sketch 'More Cowbell'; Dana Carvey

NBC; Paul Morigi/Getty

Will Ferrell as Gene Frenkle in 'Saturday Night Live' sketch 'More Cowbell'; Dana Carvey

Nobody knows for sure how Gene Frenkle died — but some Saturday Night Live vets have theories about the legendary percussionist's fate.

A group of iconic former SNL cast members and musical guests appeared in the third episode of the new documentary SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night to discuss the creation and impact of the iconic "More Cowbell" sketch. The sketch concludes with text memorializing Frenkle, suggesting he lived from 1950 to 2000 — the year that the episode aired.

To fill in the blanks of "More Cowbell" history, almost every participant in the SNL50 episode shared their thoughts on how Frenkle — the energetic cowbell player portrayed by Will Ferrell — met his untimely demise.

Ferrell, who wrote the sketch, offers a cartoonish suggestion: "Walking down the street of New York and got crushed by a piano." (There is a certain poetry in a musician succumbing to the weight of an instrument.)

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Related: '(Don't Fear) The Reaper' musicians reflect on 'More Cowbell,' debunk myths: 'I don't think it's a cowbell'

Chris Parnell, who appeared as the lead vocalist of Blue Öyster Cult in the original sketch, gives a more realistic idea. "I'm guessing an accidental drug overdose," he says somberly.

Fred Armisen, who joined the SNL cast two years after "Cowbell," suggests something more vague. "It's just like one of those things where he had enough life in him, and the body was like, 'Yeah, we're good. We did it,'" he says.

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NBC Will Ferrell as Gene Frenkle in the 'More Cowbell' sketch on 'Saturday Night Live' in 2000

NBC

Will Ferrell as Gene Frenkle in the 'More Cowbell' sketch on 'Saturday Night Live' in 2000

Beth McCarthy-Miller — who directed over 200 SNL episodes, including the Christopher Walken–hosted "Cowbell" ep — shares a similar idea. "I'm gonna say natural causes!" she says enthusiastically.

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Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme — who once performed as a musical guest on SNL in 2005 and had his song crashed by Ferrell playing the cowbell — brings a darker theory. "Bending over to pick up a penny in New York City. He was struck by a bus," he posits.

Dave Grohl, who has served as musical guest on the show over 10 times as a member of Foo Fighters and Nirvana, hypothesizes with three evocative words: "Bizarre gardening accident."

Dana Carvey, who was part of the SNL cast from 1986 to 1993, concludes the segment with the cheeriest pitch of them all. "Gene Frenkle, he was Jeff Bezos' favorite cowbell artist," he says. "Became friends, still alive. He lives in Newport Beach."

Related: SNL50 doc reveals footage of Dave Grohl telling Christopher Walken to mispronounce Foo Fighters on SNL

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The third episode of SNL50 also features interviews with Jimmy Fallon, Chris Kattan, and numerous Blue Öyster Cult musicians and producers who worked on the original "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" recording.

All four episodes of SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night are streaming on Peacock.

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