The Age of the Dead Rock Star

[Death on Credit]

A few nights ago, my friend and I were driving down the road listening to one of our iPod's on shuffle when we started talking about Chuck Berry. "I wouldn't be surprised," I said, "if Chuck doesn't make it to the end of the year." And who could blame him? Quite frankly, it's near miraculous that he's still alive and kicking right now. From there, the conversation shifted to the likelihood that within the next 10-15 years, the vast majority of our favorite artists will be dead. Even with many of them in seemingly good health right now, you can only fight old age for so long. Add to that the fact that many of these musicians have lived wild lives, and you are faced with the unquestionable fact that soon we won't have any of our old favorites left.

Some people find it ridiculous that anyone cares when a musician dies, but in my view, many of these people that we only know through a speaker (and who have no idea we even exist) have had a larger impact on many of our lives than most of the people that we actually do communicate with on a daily basis.

So, tell me, CRF folks, how do you feel about the oncoming barrage of dead heroes? Even if you don't have any personal connection to the artists based on your love of their music, perhaps you'll be saddened that there won't be any great concerts or new albums to look forward to in the near future?

 

[ComfortablyNumb]

Well some of my favorite bands are not together anymore. So if a member died it would not really be that big of a deal to me. Even if a member of a band I listen to that is currently active died it would not really bother me too much since I have their albums and have seen most of the bands I like already.

 

[Sunny]

Many of the singers I listen to a lot are already dead. It is very sad but you know, life just goes on.

 

[ladyislingering]

It depends on the kind of personal connection I made to their music and what kind of impact they had on my life.

For instance I cried like a little bitch when I heard about Doug Fieger.

uh.

But there definitely seems to be something quite bizarre about all these ... deaths. Just the past couple years there's something ... horribly wrong going on. D:

 

[Cosmic Harmony]

For years now this sort of thing has slowly been breaking my heart. There are few things more painful than having to watch the people you look up to slowly grow old. It first dawned on me with Alice Cooper when I was watching old footage of him and thinking how he used to be such a skinny, snarly kid and now he's more distinguished but so much older. It's a hard thing to think about that him and so many others that I really respect aren't going to be plugging along forever.

 

[Groovy Man]

I think more about loved ones, before rock stars, to be honest.

Rock stars, believe it or not - they're not that important to me.

Being that I'm a music fanatic - it might seem strange, to some.

But, sure...I'd be sad, if Chuck Berry or Keith Richards passed away.

As Pink Floyd put it, rock stars of not, young or old - we're all ''one day closer to death''.

Gee, what a happy thread.

 

[LG]

I don't dwell on the mortality of rock stars or anyone else. Would it affect me if someone like David Gilmour passed away suddenly? Yeah for a few moments I would feel a sense of loss, but then I would be back to normal and enjoy what life I have left again. As you get older it doesn't hold as much importance...not sure if that is the right world but you sort of accept the fact that your time is approaching and don't fuss about it.

And I agree with Groovy, it's way more important when a family member passes away, that is as hard as it gets.

 

[snakes&ladders]

It will a sad day when the likes of Chuck Berry, J L Lewis, LIttle Richard, etc. pass away