What Artist passing affected you the most

I forgot about Harry Nilsson. When He died I was going through some bad times and didn't know of his passing til months later. Harry never toured. He was a superb vocalist. He was at one moment arguing with his producer in a cab, and 15 minutes later doing a single take for "Without You". I have most all his LP's. his "Nillson Schmillson" is what I listen to most.. I have owned 6 LP's and the CD. I even have a European version. For me, "Jump into the Fire" is my all time favorite tune. I've used it as a test of bass detail with the bass and drums showing how well a speaker can reproduce it. The Bose 901'a ALWAYS fail. The KEF Cantata's do the best job when powered with over 200 watts per side. There is a 2 hour retrospective about him I saw on Netflix a few years ago. I think its called "Who is Harry Nillson, and why is everybody talking about him." It has rare performances of him at the Playboy mansion in the early 1970's. He invited Ringo Starr into his home when Ringo's place burned, and I hear he owned the place Janis Joplin died. Other than Mose Allison and Van Morrison he made the biggest impression on my musical life. I will always have an implied black arm band for these great vocalists. BTW Van Morrison IS still alive.
 
It's interesting how everyone has such diverse perspectives. You saw those folks as idiots for their point of view on those particular deaths. I don't know your taste in music and I may be going out on a limb here, but what if it happened today and it was some bubble gum pop star or rapper who was adored by millions but inconsequential to you; could you picture yourself saying something similar to that teacher or businessman? I know I could, truth be told. If Katy Perry were to drop dead tomorrow I wouldn't be upset over a great loss in the world of music. As a human being I'd feel bad as I would for anyone, but to affect me deeply, not so much.
If I said "well it's not as if it were Diana Krall", that Katy Perry fan would likely think...Idiot!

Sorry I'm late to this but of course you're right. When I was a kid, the (ex-) Beatles were gods. Well, three of them anyway.
So it was really shattering. I spent an hour on the phone that night with my oldest sister, who had turned me on to them in the first place.

It's also different when someone dies young, or violently, as opposed to dying of old age.
 
Jerry Garcia.
Because Dead shows were a lot of fun, made for great memories and I had tix for the show at the Gorge 2 weeks after he died.
 
Quadman-i try to keep abreast of any news about Benny but perhaps your right and i missed that....it was an udder tragedy though,such a titillating comedian...but then one day we will all be bust....he certainly milked it enjoying a long career....

Well I gotta give you credit for being up front with your assessment. :biggrin:

Q
 
John Bonham - I was too young to see them in 77. North American tour dates had been announced for 1980 and/or 1981 and I was going to go see Zeppelin. Never happened. I love this band.
 
Jimi Hendrix.

David Bowie's passing affected me more than I thought it would. I loved his music, but I wasn't what you'd call a fan. Still, he was an icon and trailblazer. And for days after his death I found myself getting choked up.

Prince.

Hard to narrow it down to one... so many artists that left us with the gift of their music. I miss so many of them!
 
Jimi Hendrix.

David Bowie's passing affected me more than I thought it would. I loved his music, but I wasn't what you'd call a fan. Still, he was an icon and trailblazer. And for days after his death I found myself getting choked up.



No pop star ever had a more remarkably surreal death. Blackstar was an exit masterpiece. I was completely moved by his ability, while dying, to put together his own swan song.
 
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This is what God looks like from the back.
Elvis.

I was 10 when Elvis died, and my family had just moved from SE South Dakota to NE Tennessee. We were in a temporary apartment for the summer, before my parents bought a house.

In the next apartment over, with a shared wall, was a lady who spent a week wailing at all hours of the day and night after Elvis died. It was one of several culture-shock experiences from that year.
 
Mr Lennon was taken on my 11th birthday and I was already a big fan.
I had been working for years to get over it, and then on my 35th bday the took Dimebag Darrell. Now he might not mean that much to some but being from Dallas it hit me awfully hard
 
For me it was Lennon. I was absolutely stunned In 1980, especially the way he died. This year, definitely Bowie. I saw him live on the Let's Dance tour around 1983.You just can't get any cooler then he was then, unless maybe when he was the Thin White Duke!
 
d. boon was the first of my generation to pass and it was a pretty big deal for me. I was working at my college radio station at the time and played a minutemen set concluding with History Lesson Part 2.
 
i will be honest in that i didn't read all of the previous pages, but i did read enough to know that most of you are younger than me. my biggest shock was the plane crash in 1959 when Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens (the others were also a sad loss but the biggest impact was from Buddy and Ritchey) were snuffed out.

"true love ways" was my favorite buddy tune and i lived for the singles of Ritchie because there was always a killer guitar track on the B side of each. e used to get our 45s used from places like WT Grant and other stores that sold the old juke box records. three for a buck, sometimes less.

"true love ways" i bought new for a dollar as i did with rumble and all new Santo and Johnny, and also the Ventures records.

we can only speculate how many and how great more Buddy Holly songs would have been.
 
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