On April 5, 1981, Hite was on a break between sets at The Palomino Club in North Hollywood. A fan gave him a vial of heroin, which he snorted and then went into a coma. Although others attempted to revive him with cocaine, it failed, so roadies put Hite in a van and took him to bandmate Fito de la Parra's home, where he died of heart failure.