Artists we've lost and still mourn....

chazmo

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I'd have to say that Prince's death hit me hard. He was just a few years older than I am, and he was such an interesting and creative force. He was the first real contemporary (I feel) who passed, and it really bothered me.
 

davismanLV

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I'd have to say that Prince's death hit me hard. He was just a few years older than I am, and he was such an interesting and creative force. He was the first real contemporary (I feel) who passed, and it really bothered me.
YES!! That was a tough one for me too. His catalog of songs still blows me away!! So many people did his songs.
 

Wilmywood

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Levon Helm ... sang my favorite song ever ...

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bobouz

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The folks who’ve passed away young & perhaps near the peak of their musical journey are the ones whose loss seems so sadly unfortunate, because they most likely had so much left to share. Certainly someone like SRV would be one of those, and another that comes to mind for me is Gram Parsons. An incredibly gifted song writer, his somewhat shakey voice was aided, like Dylan, by excellent phrasing - and at times he truly could deliver the perfect note. One listen to the last beautifully harmonious note sung with Emmylou Harris on Return Of The Grievous Angel makes it crystal clear why she mourns his loss to this day.
 

Midnight Toker

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None?

Some of that is just a personality quirk that some people describe as "lack of empathy". But some of that may also be growing up with classical music. There the emphasis is on the composer and the performer is secondary.

It could also be a a tin ear rooted in ignorance. For the most part many artists do not have a distinct voice or style for me. Blaspheme, but I could not listen to a drum track of a new to me song and tell whether it was Keith Moon, John Bonham or someone else. Play a bass line by "John" to a song I don't know and I'm only guessing if I say Entwhistle instead of (John Paul) Jones.

To the extent that I have an emotional connection, it tends to be to a particular lineup of a band and if I mourn anything it is the break up of the band or lineup.
Odd, I find the opposite w/ classical music in that an individual player's style tends to pair itself best w/ a particular era of classical music, if not, a short specific list of composers. Most classical aficionados when asked what their absolute favorite piece of music is, if given a stack of every known recording of that piece, will easily toss aside almost all of them to get to just 1-2 specific performances w/ a particular conductor/orchestra/soloist. My father was a lifelong aficionado and could tell you in 30 sec or less if a violin concerto was being played by Kreisler, Heifetz, Menuhin, Oistrakh, Perlman, Milstein, or whoever. Same goes for piano, trumpet, flute, or any other solo instrument. The very same way I can tell in seconds between Bonham and Moon, or Entwistle and Jones. And most other musicians in rock music.

Musical notation on ledger lines is one thing. But when performed by human beings, the audible notes moving through the air are absolutely dripping w/ the DNA of the performer. I find instruments in the hands of great players to be their voice. Every bit as unique as the human voice itself. It's why many can not only identify a particular player in no time, but also note what other players before them were their inspiration.




For me. Absolutely John Henry Bonham. Since the day he died on Sept 25th 1980. 😢😢 The best tuned kit in the business, typically recorded w/ just 3 mics giving you that "right in your living room" feel. Unmistakeable swing and swagger w/ a "less is more" approach that served the songs in a way no other drummer ever could. He MADE the Zeppelin fly!!

Memorial in Redditch.
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mellowgerman

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For me, personally, Elliot Smith is the one that hurts the most. I love this short film featuring a few songs


This is actually who came to mind when I first saw the title of this thread. There are of course others who I wish I could have seen perform, but Elliott is one that I just barely missed by a few years. First heard his music around 2005, so I can't help but think that I maybe should(?) have been able to see him still in his prime... had he not passed so young. This video captures him about as well as any. Just fantastic.
 
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Westerly Wood

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This is actually who came to mind when I first saw the title of this thread. There are of course others who I wish I could have seen perform, but Elliott is one that I just barely missed by a few years. First heard his music around 2005, so I can't help but think that I maybe should(?) have been able to see him still in his prime... had he not passed so young. This video captures him about as well as any. Just fantastic.
his music in Good Will Hunting really makes that film, or helps that film to be so spectacular. Of course, Robin Williams' performance made that film no matter the music score....I hear he played an old red label Yamaha with medium gauge strings tuned down 1 full step...
 
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