What famous musicians death most shocked you

[Barking Spiders]

IMO there are  a handful of famous people whose deaths will make the world a worse place. David Attenborough is the first that comes to mind. I was  genuinely saddened to hear of the deaths of Caroline Aherne, Chris Cornell and Walter Swinburne. Although they didn't die in their heydays they were only in their early 50s which I found very sobering

[HowieBass]

The first was John Lennon, then Ian Curtis and most recently Bowie. Strangely enough I was moved more by the death of Ayrton Senna as I'd seen him race several times and it happened in real time on television. 

[BreadBin]

32 minutes ago, HowieBass said:

The first was John Lennon, then Ian Curtis and most recently Bowie. Strangely enough I was moved more by the death of Ayrton Senna as I'd seen him race several times and it happened in real time on television. 

I had never video recorded an F1 race before that day, but for some reason decided to record that one. 🙁

[casapete]

2 hours ago, bassbiscuits said:

Tom Petty's death shocked me. Loads of his songs have soundtracked various bits of my life and it was genuinely out of the blue when my missus told me he'd died. 

I was the same - been a fan since seeing TP & The Heartbreakers supporting Nils Lofgren at Leeds Uni c.1977. I didn't know he was ill in 2017, then found out he'd done the Hyde Park gig with a fractured hip amongst other problems and accidentally overdosed on prescription drugs. Only 66 years years old, another great taken too soon.

[dmccombe7]

4 hours ago, bassbiscuits said:

Tom Petty's death shocked me. Loads of his songs have soundtracked various bits of my life and it was genuinely out of the blue when my missus told me he'd died. 

Also Michael Hutchence. I was well into INXS at the time and he seemed to have it all with looks, fame, money, great band and celeb girlfriends etc. I know there was a lot of other stuff being reported at the time but i never saw it coming.

Goes without saying that Freddie was an incredible loss but for some reason it wasn't shocking at the time - maybe I was too young.

Oddly enough i was quite shocked at Michael Hutchence. I was never a big fan of INXS altho i liked them but i remember thinking it was very sad to lose him in that way and just thinkin what a waste. As you say he had it all. Maybe not happiness tho but so sad.

 

[dmccombe7]

Now that we've gone thru 6 pages in this thread i've found that a lot more musicians passing either saddened, shocked or surprised me over the years and quite a few i had forgotten about.

Its turned out to be quite a sad but interesting thread in that respect.

Its also brought back some fond memories over the years of people i used to listen too that sadly are no longer with us.

Dave 

[Stub Mandrel]

Having thought about this some more, Ronnie James Dio.

[lozkerr]

14 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Its also brought back some fond memories over the years of people i used to listen too that sadly are no longer with us. 

Indeed. I was going to post the Dead Rock Stars Top Twenty to lighten the mood, but after looking at it, maybe I won't. I'm just running my eye over part of my vinyl collection - lots of singles in an ex-shop display revolving carousel - and I can see a dozen records made by people who have gone. At least we can still enjoy their music.

[visog]

Shaun Ryder and Shane MacGowan for not being dead.

[Stub Mandrel]

11 minutes ago, visog said:

Shaun Ryder and Shane MacGowan for not being dead.

Tupac Shakur - for the number of millennials who've told me he isn't - 21st Century Elvis.

[Skol303]

Amy Winehouse.

Everyone could see it coming; but nobody seemed able to prevent it. Which made it all the worse.

Very sad and such a waste.

[BreadBin]

2 minutes ago, Skol303 said:

Amy Winehouse.

Everyone could see it coming; but nobody seemed able to prevent it. Which made it all the worse.

Very sad and such a waste.

One really sad thing is that she died from stopping drinking too suddenly. She thought she was doing the right thing and it killed her.

[visog]

OK BCers, I thought the thread was breaking up so hence my flippant post earlier. So I'll go with a string of my favourite Prog bass players: Chris Squire, John Wetton & Greg Lake. All super musicians and singers and I loved their music. And respectfully I'll add Boon Gould just recently... 

*Edit Allan Holdsworth too - so sad he's passed away*

**Edit Keith Emerson - suicides are particularly sad**

Edited May 3, 2019 by visog

[Soledad]

The suicides are the worst. Pete Ham and then Tom Evans of Badfinger (remember the play-out track on Breaking Bad: 'Baby Blue'). Billy McKenzie (The Associates).

Motorbikes: Duane Allman and Berry Oakley

Drugs - too many to mention but James Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farndon (Pretenders)

and of course the bass players but Jaco Pastorius in particlular, partly because of how, why and when (aged 35).

All of 'em really.

[visog]

2 minutes ago, Soledad said:

 Billy McKenzie (The Associates)

Party Fears two rocked - insane bassline

 

*Edit yeah Jaco too - very sad*

Edited May 3, 2019 by visog

[pst62]

To name a few. Bon Scott, Malcolm Young, Paul Hester,  Phil Lynott, Rory Gallagher, Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder, Mick Karn, Freddie, Joey, Dee Dee, Johnny & Tommy,  Philthy 'Animal' Taylor, Lemmy, Eddie Clarke. and most recently Mark Hollis & Paul Raymond.

 

[Japhet]

1 hour ago, Soledad said:

The suicides are the worst. Pete Ham and then Tom Evans of Badfinger (remember the play-out track on Breaking Bad: 'Baby Blue'). Billy McKenzie (The Associates).

Motorbikes: Duane Allman and Berry Oakley

Drugs - too many to mention but James Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farndon (Pretenders)

and of course the bass players but Jaco Pastorius in particlular, partly because of how, why and when (aged 35).

All of 'em really.

Keith Emerson too. Very sad.

[Rocker]

Rory Gallagher.

I don't think there is anybody on the planet who could squeeze so much music out of a guitar.  R.I.P.

A few years ago my wife and I visited Rory's grave in Cork.  That day I made a vow to return and bring a guitar: to play something for Rory.   And as we left the graveyard, we met four bikers in leathers.  They had traveled from Germany.  I watched them discreetly and they made a bee line for Rory's grave.  Rory did that to people, he inspired them.  What a player.

[Stub Mandrel]

Was sad to lose Daevid Allen.

 

[FinnDave]

3 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Was sad to lose Daevid Allen.

 

So was I, lovely chap who I had the pleasure of meeting on several occasions. But his illness was well-documented, a dignified slow decline, so I can't say I was shocked when he died. Sad, but not shocked. The world was a better place for his presence, and that presence is still felt in his influence.

[bazzbass]

John Lennon

 

I remember seeing the newspaper kiosk billboard

"Beatle Shot Dead"

and hoping it was Ringo, I mean he's just the drummer, right?

[dmccombe7]

7 minutes ago, bazzbass said:

John Lennon

 

I remember seeing the newspaper kiosk billboard

"Beatle Shot Dead"

and hoping it was Ringo, I mean he's just the drummer, right?

Ouch poor Ringo, poor drummers. 

[bazzbass]

1 minute ago, dmccombe7 said:

Ouch poor Ringo, poor drummers. 

I know, and I LOVE Ringo, and my drummer, but out of the four, he was the most dispensable.

[TrevorR]

Phil Lynott for me. Met him once when, as a kid, I was hanging around post gig waiting for my dad to pick me up. I was watching the crew break up the gear and he wandered out on stage, spotted me in the deserted hall and invited me up on stage. We sat for twenty minutes on the drum riser chatting until dad arrived. Lovely guy.

Gary Moore was a shock too (tho not such a pleasant chap according to people I know who worked with him). And Kirsty McColl, so tragic.  

[bazzbass]

close second to Lennon was John Bonham

same year too. It meant I would never see Led Zepellin