Will Barber Articles: Music Never Dies

The end of 2015 and all of 2016 was marked by an eerie number of deaths of famous musicians. Some of these individual's demises occurred just days after their own birthdays. In one case, it occurred on that person's birthday. In addition, there was a strange correlation since a number of the individuals died between the ages of 65 and 75. Even more interesting was how so many of the musicians were either in the same musical group or related in some wy.

Throughout the history of rock music, there have always been many urban legends and talks of so-called curses. Some say Elvis is still alive and some even claim they've seen him It was always been rumored that at the end of "Strawberry Fields Forever", John Lennon quoted the words "I buried Paul". This, of course, suggesting that his fellow Beatle Paul McCartney had passed on. However, this was proved to be ludicrous since John Lennon is no longer with us, and Paul McCartney still performs. Of course, there's been the talk of the pairing of Pink Floyd'sDark Side of the Moon with the visual portion of the 1939 classic film The Wizard of Oz. The members of Pink Floyd have claimed that this was never intentional and is purely coincidence. The deaths of musicians have definitely fueled the idea of curses within the music industry. Southern rock saw several tragic events in its heyday. In the late 70's, certain Lynyrd Skynyrd band members died in a horrible plane crash in Mississippi. In addition, other original and succeeding members would pass on over the years. In the case of the Allman Brothers Band, founding member Duane Allman and Berry Oakley both died in motorcycle accidents thirteen months apart and, strangely, three blocks from each other in Macon, Georgia. Whether it is a curse or a legend one is speaking of in regards to musicians, I think we should always remember their music lives on forever.

December of 2015 started off with on a sad note for fans of rock music as legendary Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver front man passed away in his sleep at the young age of 48. Weiland was a very talented singer whom had the uncanny ability to appeal to both modern and classic rock audiences. His fronting of the Stone Temple Pilots gained him fame in both the grunge and post-grunge era of rock music. During his time with Velvet Revolver, Weiland brought in both eras of fans while playing with former members of Guns N' Roses and the Cult. In Scott Weiland's final interrview, he admitted David Bowie was one of his main influences. Bowie would pass a month later. Towards the end of the month and year, legendary Motorhead front man Lemmy Kilmister passed away just four days after his 70th birthday. In addition to the coincidence surrounding the proximity of his death and his birthday, it is interesting to note that Lemmy passed away just a little over a month after his original band mate Phil 'Philty Animal' Taylor died. While some people may not have been aware of Lemmy prior to his death, it is important to note his contributions to the music world. Lemmy and his band Motorhead were a mix of punk rock, blues rock, classic hard rock and heavy metal that influenced a stream of hard rock musicians from the early 1980's to present day. Much like Scott Weiland, Lemmy and Motorhead had much crossover appeal. Artists in very hard rock sub-genre including hair metal, thrash metal, punk rock, grunge, hard alternative, nu-metal and everything in between have claimed them as a primary influence. The very last day of the month and 2015 saw the death of Natalie Cole at the age of 65. Daughter of legendary singer Nat King Cole, Natalie left behind a beautiful voice that brought her a huge amount of musical acclaim in the R&B and pop circles. She proved that any artist could make a comeback after having fallen out of sight after the 1970's made a return in the late 80's and into the 90's. The beginning of 2016 saw the death of legendary singer David Bowie, just t

wo days after his 69th birthday. An innovator and pioneer of rock and pop music, Bowie left behind a legacy like no other. In addition to being an outstanding song writer, David Bowie brought an element to music that would set the ground for both the look and stage production of many artists to come. While I personally was never one of his biggest fans, I, ironically, became inspired by one of his musical quotes just hours before I learned of his passing. (Check out my article on that one). Three months after Bowie passed Dennis Davis, whom was the most well known drummer for David Bowie also passed away. Not long after Bowie, legendary singer Celine Dion lost her husband at age 67 and her brother within days od each other. In addition, legendary singer Glenn Frey passed away at age 67. One of the primary singers of rock legends The Eagles, Frey left behind another musical voice that can never be replicated. His vocals in such classics as "Take it Easy", "Tequila Sunrise" as well as his solo work has resonated within the consciences of the general populous. I forgot to mention that Dale Griffin, drummer of English rock band Mott the Hoople, died a day before Frey, also at the age of 67. Well renowned rock bassist Jimmy Bain (Dio, Rainbow) passed away at age 68. Paul Kantner and Signe Tole Anderson, both of the Jefferson Airplane, passed away on the very same day at age 74. Country Music Icon Merle Haggard died on his 79th Birthday. Sources say Merle Haggard had predicted a year before that he would die on his birthday. Pop Music Icon Prince's death was heard around the world as his influence on pop music was extravagant. Just two months before Prince, his former backup singer and protégé Vanity passed away. Both were 57 years old. Keith Emerson and Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake and Palmer both passed away this year leaving Carl Palmer the only surviving member of the group. Frank Sinatra Jr., son of Frank Sinatra, and Ricci Martin, son of Dean Martin, both died this year ending an era to two children of the Rat Pack. It is also interesting to note that that there has been a strange relation among deaths not only in music but in pop culture as a whole. Both the inventor of R2-D2, Tony Dyson, and the man who played R2-D2, Kenny Baker, passed away this year. In addition, the voice of Admiral Ackbar, Erik Bauersfield, and actor Anton Yelchin passed away.

Due to the coincidence of the ages of some of these artists at the time of their deaths, their relation to one another,

That individual may not physically be here, but their music never really dies.

as well as the close proximity of some to their own birthdays, one may speculate that there is some type of curse. While I don't personally believe in curses, I do find the correlation between these artist's deaths somewhat eerie. I feel as though God and the powers that be are trying to tell us something about life. Even though we may not personally know musicians, we always feel we know them on some level with our connection to their music and artistry. When that one person passes on, we sometimes grieve over their demise as if we personally knew them. Much like any person who leaves behind pictures and work that they have completed, a musician leaves behind work that is given to us to remember them forever. Due to the fact that many of these artists were both very highly praised by the industry, I feel compelled to write something about what they may mean to me as a person.