today would have been kurt cobain’s 45th birthday, & with the latest news of the incomparable, etta james & now, pop icon, whitney houston’s passing, i’d feel remiss, being the music lover that i am, to allow february to go by without mentioning a huge homage that helped in part, form music as we appreciate it today. (it’s not a stretch…stay with me, people!)
the year (february 3rd) 1959, 3 young stars were on their way to a show in minnesota, when their little plane crashed minutes after take off. jp “the big bopper” richardson (28), buddy holly (22), & ritchie valens (17). now, i take for granted that i am totally familiar with the hits that these talented guys generated. (i come from good, music loving parents) & especially the song famously memorializing this tragic event as “the day the music died.” (american pie by don mclean-1972) critics would also go on to say that this 8 minutes & 22 seconds long song may have saved music at a time when it was fleeting. could you imagine a world without music? omg, i could not! i actually know someone who has said that they sometimes listen to nothing in the car during their 30 minute work commute. nothing! not even npr. to which i simply reply “what the hell is wrong with you?”
ahh, music & those amazing entities that made us sing along, run away from home to follow, squeal at the tv when they performed! poof, gone in a flash. many before my time, which is a testament to what an impact they made. the music lives on. there’s a game that one could play at a turning 30 party; it’s kind of a sad game (if you stopped & really thought about it), but a game, nonetheless. the object…you have a star on your back who never saw the age of 30 & you run around giving clues to who each other is…like charades. these people may include janis joplin, jimi hendrix, jim morrison…& hell, i guess now, amy winehouse (who i love still). & really, i guess these folks were actually all around 27! sid vicious of the sex pistols was only 21; “soul legend” otis redding was 26; jim croce & andy gibb were 30; karen carpenter & john bonham (led zeppelin) were 32; the beautiful michael hutchence, 37; the man who made an impression on me at 5 (& always), john lennon, 40; & my ultimate rock god love, freddie mercury was 45. & i still catch myself having that awesome marvin gaye groove going, when it hits me…dang, he’s gone too (45). some were self-induced…drugs, suicide. & then there are the horrible crashes, illnesses, murders (lennon & gaye). but, there are like a bazillion more like this. i will remember a ton that i, personally love & missed tomorrow, but, the key is, we will always have the music! & how fantastic is that?
when one person…one…can reach so many others through a lyric or a stage presence, it’s truly inspiring to me. just look at jerry garcia! when he had a heart attack at 53, people were just beside themselves (& there was no flag flown at half mast), but his spirit & whole aura just remains the same…it’s crazy! (in a great way!)
you know, the hubs & i saw ray charles a couple of years before he passed at a music festival in pennsylvania. in the pouring down rain, in a wonderful outside venue, we stood from of our seats, sang out loud & danced around (okay, so probably mostly me…ha) & he just continued to play an entire set…plus, came back on stage for more. the weather did not stop the man or his audience! (the piano was totally safe, of course.) & it.was.amazing!! i remember hearing the news of his death in 2004, & i was saddened, but so happy that i had gotten to see a living legend. a man who had “seen” so many changes, ups & downs, heard new voices/types of music, prompted so many to follow their dreams in a most dangerous time of adversity. i mean, what a pioneer of music…incredible! (he was 73)
so, yea, anytime someone passes it is sad…especially when it’s before their time & when we’re all wondering what could have been. i think that we tend to put certain “stars” on a pedestal because we love them; they touch us, reach us. but, they die. that’s it. they’re not superhuman. they are…human. & fortunately, for us (the masses), they have either paved the way or will forever have that legacy for all to enjoy. pretty cool, i think.
**& dear goddess/supreme being/what have you…please, for the sake of my soul, don’t ever let music die! i wouldn’t be able to function…seriously. & i sound like a broken record (no pun intended & don’t ask me “what’s a record?” google it!! unless you’re 7 like my monkey) music is literally what keeps me going. 80% of my being, maybe. it’s true!
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