"Over the next few years, Phil became more isolated from his friends and spent most of his time drinking, watching TV and traveling to other countries. In South Africa, he was robbed by three men. In the process, his vocal cords were ruptured and he lost his upper register. Convinced he would never sing professionally again, he fell deeper into bouts of manic depression and paranoia....
His nephew David found him hanging from his own belt in his sister's bathroom. He was thirty-five years old...."
Phil Ochs Remembered at
http://www.furious.com/perfect/philochs.html