1.John Lennon 2.Jimi Hendrix 3.Jerry Garcia All were big influences in the 60s but John Lennon is my RocknRoll hero in more ways than one.His death I will never get over.
From the few news and pictures we got in a pre-internet era, we all knew Freddie was seriously ill. I remember hearing 'Don't Try so Hard' on the radio totally unexpectedly some day in early 1991 and thinking 'he's gone'. I was relieved to hear that was not the case, but when he finally died later that year it hit me pretty hard. My brother, a friend and I even flew to London a couple of days later. We were too late for the funeral service of course (and wouldn't have been admitted anyway) but seeing all those lovely flower tributes at Kensal Rise was quite moving, as were the graffiti on the wall of his home. I'm really thankful for having seen Queen with Freddie twelve times between 1978 and 1986!
John Lennon; as a 17 year-old Beatles fan I realised that the Beatles would always be a thing of the past. Kirsty MacColl David Bowie
John Lennon, just for the savagery of it. My mom (who was a writer) was on some local tv show right after that happened said during the discussion of the murder “he was killed just for being famous” and that comment has stuck with me ever since.
Don't know if anyone else has commented on this, but I think yes it's upsetting when a Lennon, Elvis, Bowie dies etc. But I think when you discover that someone is dead and perhaps has been dead for years who you assumed was alive and well, that's quite upsetting/depressing. Like Nigel Preston of the Cult. He was chucked out of The Cult in 1985. I was a big fan and thought this a great shame, but it wasn't till possibly the 2000s that I wondered 'what is he doing now, is he still in bands?' you know, that kind of thing, only to discover he'd been dead for many years of an OD. There have been a number of occasions where that has happened and not just with music, actors too for instance. One that did affect me though was Pete De Freitas of Echo and the Bunnymen who I heard had been killed while sitting in the garden enjoying the sun in June 89, probably the day after he actually died. And Bowie himself - hadn't heard he was sick, Jackson, Prince and G. Michael all pretty affecting because they just didn't seem like they would go early and yes Lennon because of the savagery of it as Walter says.
John Lennon because it was so unexpected. Rory Gallagher, because it just wasn't time, and, Alvin Lee, because he was the first rock God I cared about to die of something that looked suspiciously like old age.
PRINCE. I still cannot believe he is gone. imo, the most musically gifted artist who lived and breathed music through every bone in his body.
John Lennon....Weird day at school in tenth grade... Felt a strange illness which I believe now was my first migraine. I left english class with a loss of balance and blurred vision hanging onto handrails wobbling to the nurses office. While there the school had a fire drill and I was rolled out of the building in a wheelchair. My stepdad came and drove me home, which was unusual as well. Johns death was traumatic for me. I still have a collection of New York news clippings, and various magazine clippings, and the TV guide issue that covered it with John on the cover. Were all waiting out turn......
John Lennon, without question. Because he was murdered... by a "fan" to whom he had just given an autograph. Because he was killed in front of his loving wife. Because that was the end of the Beatles with no possibility of a reunion and a reconciliation. Because he was the father to a very young child. Because his new work showed him newly invigorated and arguably ready to get back in the game. Because of my shock in the way the news was delivered (to a national television audience during Monday Night Football). Because of a Hard day's Night and Ed Sullivan 1964 and all the rest.....
I remember a girl who only focused on the fact that Clapton -- as they were touring together -- was fine, and just made some passing comment to the effect of 'yeah I guess it was sad about Stevie too.' That did not please me.
At the time, Jerry Garcia. But in the intervening 22 years, the Grateful Dead (and Garcia solo) have faded from significance for me. I now realize that a lot of their schtick was throwing mud against a wall and seeing what might stick. I still enjoy their best moments, which for me are carefully curated pre-1974 tracks. Second at the time, but probably first now is George Harrison. For me, by far the most interesting of the Beatles post-breakup. I find a lot of his music interesting and rewarding.
Within the recent years, an awful lot of my favorite artists and musicians have been passing on around the ages of 69/70. Tom Petty's passing still hasn't really registered, in some ways; that one was a shock. Gregg Allman, Greg Lake, Keith Emerson, Ray Thomas, Fast Eddie Clarke, Chris Squire, Lemmy, David Bowie, ugh, the circle keeps on turning. A few years ago, and this was when I was in a phase with them, but when Slayer's guitarist/writer Jeff Hanneman passed away, I actually broke down and cried. I knew he was a drinker and the spider bite that he had gotten compromised his body and it's sad that he didn't seem to curb his drinking afterwards and this led to his demise. If anything, I'm mad about it as it could have been prevented. Fast Eddie's recent passing has me bummed, but I listened to Bomber(the album) yesterday, and it was great to hear his guitar playing captured forever in time. I might have to pull up some Fastway a little bit later, love that debut album!