John Bonham because I was - and still am - a Led Zeppelin devotee and he was so damn young. What a terrible and dumb way to die. Chris Cornell because we are just about the same age and he seemed to have everything to live for - talent, smarts, looks, family, friends (not in that order, of course). You look at these superstars and think they've got everything you want. Hard to believe something like suicide is even conceivable. RIP. Love, Billy
I suppose it is John Lennon's death that has had the most enduring effect for me. I was 17 at the time, and had only just started to listen to The Beatles more seriously. 9 December 1980 (going by GMT) marks a clear dividing line in my perception of popular music history. It was also followed less than six months later by the death of Bob Marley, so I had a sense at the time of two significant but taken-for-granted artists each reaching an unexpected end. (It's actually quite hard to think back and remember exactly how I felt without embellishing the memory with later interpretation.) More recently, I found myself very much affected by the death of David Cassidy, but that's an entirely different thing (and I don't recall the exact date offhand, even though it's very recent). In this case I'm left with the starkest reminder so far that my own childhood is over, as it's about having been a kid, among other kids, at a very particular time (we all saw that staged Cassidy 'event' on Top of the Pops in the Autumn of '73).
I already answered but John Lennon must have been a horrific shock. I'm not surprised he's mentioned here so much (I was only an infant when he died). Horrible.
I have a few: John Lennon. I was 16 when he died. Absolutely horrible. George Harrison. His death was bad enough on its own, but it came when we were still in the wake of 9-11, which just made it feel so much worse. Phil Lynott: I was and still am a huge Thin Lizzy fan. I was devastated by Phil's death. and, as an ELP/Yes/King Crimson fan, I was absolutely heartbroken by the loss of Chris Squire, and the one-two-three punch of Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and John Wetton, in quick succession. Not to mention Allan Holdsworth - one of my biggest guitar heroes.
i think, earlier in this thread, i might've said Adam Yauch, but now I say, without doubt, Gord Downie - for Canadians, it's akin to losing family.
George Michael's passing shocked me the most, even now whenever I listen to his songs it saddens me that he's not around anymore, a great human being but most of all such a talented songwriter and singer.
Being in my mid forties, I was mostly into late 70s to mid 80s artists until I discovered more music later but Bowie, George Michael, Michael Jackson, Tom Petty and Prince are horrible passings. To know part of your musical childhood is gone is an eye-opener. I do feel bad other classic artists are gone but some biggies were gone by the time I was born in '72 so I didnt know how it felt to lose artists like Morrison, Hendrix, Joplin, etc.
Gary Richrath - REO were my favourite band from the age of 12 or so so Gary's passing was almost like losing a family member. Likewise, Alan Hull of Lindisfarne back in '95. I was lucky enough to meet him a year or two before when he graciously put up with my gushing fandom & helped me to get in to a sold out show. More recently, John Wetton's passing was a real blow. I knew he'd been ill but his response - online at least - was so fiercely positive that I couldn't envisage him losing the battle. And, of course, Tom Petty. Bolt from the blue. & like all of the above, far too young.
Bowie, hands down. I bought Blackstar the morning after it came out and spent the weekend obsessively listening to it. I was about to turn 50 in a few months and was thinking a lot about mortality and what I want to accomplish with the time I have left. So, Blackstar and Bowie's death hit me like a ton of bricks. The record inspired me as a musician as well -- I loved Mark Guiliana's playing so much that it was the final straw that inspired me to move from guitar back to drums (my original love). Knowing that Bowie was still capable of such inspiring brilliance at 69, and then having me go so abruptly, was hard to wrap my head around. Still is.
I was like 1 or 2 when Lennon died. but i was 14 when kurt cobain died and i always heard comparisons to john lennon. So the name Lennon always rang in my head and was synonymous with a legend or a genuis. It wasn't until later that i found out he was in the Beatles.
Elvis, but I attribute most of that to my youth as I was 13 at the time. At the risk of sounding like a cold hearted SOB, other than the initial shock of hearing about these deaths, I don't really find myself all that affected.
Probably George Harrison. I was a little young when John passed, but George was quite a shock. My mom picked me up at a friend's house one morning, and when I got in the car she said, "We lost another Beatle." I'll never forget it.
