[EveningStar]

Wikipedia

[EveningStar]

ping

[Zuben Elgenubi]

“the unofficial poet laureate of America,”

I thought that honor went to the singer/poet, Jewel.

[CrazyIvan]

My older sister went through a phase where she played his records continuously. I seriously considered killing her.

[a fool in paradise]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5-HlUAOjGE
Beat Generation

(became the starting point for Richard Hell & The Voidoid’s Blank Generation).

[katana]

Sorry to hear he’s died and condolences to the family and friends. But “Poet Laureate”? Please. My high school English teacher, Mr. Lewis, thought Rod McKuen’s poetry and song lyrics were utter dreck. And after listening to them more closely I had to agree. They were emblematic of the 70’s, a time of exhaustion and excessively successful mediocrity (”Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Love Story” ... need I say more?). The girls in our class were appalled but old Arnie Lewis was right. He also considered Dylan’s lyrics near genius and on this I also had to agree.

[hlmencken3]

America’s most understood poet.

[KevinB]

Am I gay? Let me put it this way, Collectively I spend more hours brushing my teeth than having sex so I refuse to define my life in sexual terms. I've been to bed with women and men and in most cases enjoyed the experience with either sex immensely. Does that make me bi-sexual? Nope. Heterosexual? Not exclusively. Homosexual? Certainly not by my definition.

I am sexual by nature and I continue to fall in love with people and with any luck human beings of both sexes will now and again be drawn to me. I can't imagine choosing one sex over the other, that's just too limiting. I can't even honestly say I have a preference. I'm attracted to different people for different reasons.

Link

[catbertz]

My mom was really into him when I was a teen. She played his records constantly. I was into heavy metal at the time, but I strangely accepted his shtick. I remember his voice as being mesmerizing.

[vetvetdoug]

Dave Guard, Nick Reynolds, John Stewart and Bob Shane thought well of his lyrics and songs. They recorded "Seasons In The Sun", Ally Ally Oxen Free", "Love's Been good to Me", "Doesn't Anybody Know My Name", "Rusting In The Rain", "The Summer's Long", and "Isle In The Water". Now only Bob Shane is still with us. RIP Rod.

[OrangeHoof]

The world became a little less pretentious...

[bravo whiskey]

Rod McKuen, what are you doin’?

[RoosterRedux]

I had a Rod McKuen album in college. It was great for winning over girls.

I would put the album on the stereo and let them sing it to me.

Beautiful music...worked every time.

Never got to second base but won every heart.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[6323cd]

In October 1969, Oliver reached #2 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart with Rod McKuen's ballad "Jean", the theme from the Oscar-winning film "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie". It also sold over one million copies, garnering Oliver his second gold disc.

This song is among my top 5 favorites.

[stylecouncilor]

Ping

[BigEdLB]

RIP... Does anyone else know he also wrote classical music? Piano Concerto #3 was recorded...

[x]

Die he freeze to death trying to "listen to the warm"?

I assumed he died decades years ago.

It's also a surprise he was only 81.

It's natural to picture somebody who belonged so much to a past era as more an ancient than a contemporary.

RIP, translator of Jacques Brel, writer of "Seasons in the Sun," last best-selling poet.