The coming death of just about every rock legend

The Week dot com ^ | August 31, 2019 | Damon Linker

[Rebelbase]

[Snip] Yes, we've lost some already. On top of the icons who died horribly young decades ago — Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Elvis Presley, John Lennon — there's the litany of legends felled by illness, drugs, and just plain old age in more recent years: George Harrison, Ray Charles, Michael Jackson, Lou Reed, David Bowie, Glenn Frey, Prince, Leonard Cohen, Tom Petty.

Those losses have been painful. But it's nothing compared with the tidal wave of obituaries to come. The grief and nostalgia will wash over us all. Yes, the Boomers left alive will take it hardest — these were their heroes and generational compatriots. But rock remained the biggest game in town through the 1990s, which implicates GenXers like myself, no less than plenty of millennials.

All of which means there's going to be an awful lot of mourning going on.

Behold the killing fields that lie before us: Bob Dylan (78 years old); Paul McCartney (77); Paul Simon (77) and Art Garfunkel (77); Carole King (77); Brian Wilson (77); Mick Jagger (76) and Keith Richards (75); Joni Mitchell (75); Jimmy Page (75) and Robert Plant (71); Ray Davies (75); Roger Daltrey (75) and Pete Townshend (74); Roger Waters (75) and David Gilmour (73); Rod Stewart (74); Eric Clapton (74); Debbie Harry (74); Neil Young (73); Van Morrison (73); Bryan Ferry (73); Elton John (72); Don Henley (72); James Taylor (71); Jackson Browne (70); Billy Joel (70); and Bruce Springsteen (69, but turning 70 next month).

A few of these legends might manage to live into their 90s, despite all the … wear and tear to which they've subjected their bodies over the decades. But most of them will not.

[MarDav]

Got into ELP around ‘74. Played the heck out of Pictures at an Exhibition

[Founding Father]

I’m a victim of watching them live.....back in the Mick Taylor days. Keefe does a one plus minute riff followed by Taylor for the rest of the song; Watts is banging the drums the entire time.....but I do agree on the LP version there is very very minimal drums.

[MarkL]

I saw Yes/ARW (Anderson/Rabin/Wakeman) on their last tour in KC, and would have seen Jon Anderson on his current 1000 Hands tour here in KC, but the performance was cancelled, I think due to poor ticket sales. I would have loved to see it. Jeff Beck had a special concert here just recently, and it sold out immediately, and I would have gone had I known about it. I would have LOVED to see him! What an incredible talent.

Mark

[SunkenCiv]

I saw JB, hmm, I guess that was nearly 20 years ago, or was 20 years ago... anyway, great show, burned the place down.

[plain talk]

Yep. Kiss was always more about money and fame than music.

[dfwgator]

As Gene Simmons said, “You want to be an artist? Go paint my fence.”