1. Freddie Mercury - my all-time favorite frontman. I was into Queen since I was 8y old and even I didn't know him (of course), it felt like he was my friend 2. David Bowie 3. George Michael
John Lennon died when I was pre-school. I grew up with Paul McCartney's music. I can't imagine the day when we lose Paul either. I think I recall John's death because it seemed everyone around me was upset by it, but I was too young to truly understand. So it affected me in that way. When I was growing up, definitely Kurt Cobain. It was the coward's way out, and I was more angry at him at the time than sad. :-(
I felt pretty sad when Bowie and Prince died, but George Michael's death really affected me more. I became a GM fan about 2.5 years ago, and love his voice, lyrics of many of his songs. I feel that George still had a lot in him about music, which added sadness of his passing.
Certainly, Lennon in my early 20s. Prince always felt like a peer to me. (OK, maybe one of us was a little more talented.) I still get very emotional whenever I hear Sharon Jones since her passing in November 2016.
Easy call... Prince. Came out of nowhere. And he had been so important for so long - to myself personally and to music in general. As for "affected me much more than I would have expected", Michael Hutchence. I never cared about INXS beyond some of its radio hits. But it was such an ugly death for a man who had once been so beautiful.
John Lennon. Rarely is a rock star intentionally murdered.as far as I know. Coupled with his comeback after 5 years of hibernation. The obvious when a teenager Morrison Hendrix. Brian Jones didn't sing lead so not as much. Now fogelberg bowie because we are in the same age bracket. Oh yea tom petty. Problem is there will be plenty more coming.
As a young man, Freddie Mercury. More recently, David Bowie. I'm safe now they are gone. Of course it will be sad to lose more favourites but they'll be no floods of tears and actual mourning like for those two incredible bastards.
To my Danny Gatton post, you could add Pat Dinizio. He was my age, both from Nu Joicee, with similar music influences. An amazing talent gone far too soon.
Grant Hart. I would have been beyond sad anyway, but the memory of opening for him and spending part of that evening talking with him made it all the more poignant. I was a wreck that day.
Lemmy - we knew it was coming but it was tough getting you head around no more Motorhead......before that I don't recall life without Motorhead....there was no-one like Lemmy. Dave Swarbrick - again we knew it was coming, but .......if anyone deserved a state funeral, it was Swarb!! And Tom Petty...cos it was such a damn shock
I waited a lifetime to see Tom Petty live and that dream came true last summer and then BAM he passes a few weeks later. Standing in the front row watching and hearing all the tunes I grew up with was like an OOBE for me. His music and lyrics had a profound affect upon me throughout my life so ya it was devastating when he passed at a relatively young age. Here in Canada, Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip are legends so when Gord passed from brain cancer at age 53 in the same month as Tom Petty ( Oct '17) needless to say in was a bad month. Real bad.
Freddie Mercury in '91 and Tom Petty last year. There were a few other last year like Prince, Cornell, Parfitt, but no one that prompted a play of their whole discography uninterrupted like Fred & Tom.
Duane Allman, Berry Oakley, Gram Parsons, John Lennon from my past. Gregg Allman and Butch Trucks recently. Glenn Frey too. Too many.
john lennon first terry kath second and not because i found him to be anything extra-special, but losing john bonham was the end of one f the best bands ever.
Over three years later than that post, I must mention Tom Petty. Gut punch is a good description for it. Never met him, but his music has been a part of my life for 40 years! Add to that that he was a Gainesville, Florida native like myself and the importance in community pride that came from that fact made it doubly tough.
