Rock In Peace: When the Music Icons We Love Leave the Stage
- suitebevy
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Saying goodbye to the soundtrack of our lives... Not exactly what I intended to write about in my second ever blog article… But, this has been a tough week for many of us who grew up with the music, movies and icons of the 60’s, through the 90’s. It was a week we were forced to send that final message, “Rock In Peace,” to several icons who helped shape music, film, and sports for several generations: Ozzy Osbourne, Chuck Mangione, George Kooymans - guitarist for Golden Earring, Connie Francis, Malcolm-Jamar Warner, Hulk Hogan. Whether or not you were a fan of all of them, odds are at least one of those names hit you hard. And this comes on the heels of our world having recently lost - Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, Bobby Sherman, Sly Stone, David Kaff(Viv Savage, “This is Spinal Tap”), Rick Derringer. In movies and TV, this year’s “In Memorium” includes, Val Kilmer, Loretta Swit from MASH, Ruth Buzzi, George Wednt of Cheers, David Johansen (Buster Poindexter), and Richard Chamberlain. Earlier this year we lost Jessie Colin Young from The Youngbloods. In a tribute, a representative for the musician wrote that Young, "immortalized the ideals of the Woodstock generation with 'Get Together,' an international hit that called for peace and brotherhood during the turbulent 1960s." At a time when we are once again, longing for that spirit of peace, this loss feels especially significant.
There are many thoughts about why we mourn the loss of these people we don’t personally know, from mere hypothesis to psychological research of the subject. Did you ever notice, that when you discover a new favorite song from a past era, you don’t mourn the death of the artist that happened before you discovered them? I get a kick out of the latest reaction video trend. I love seeing a newer generation discovering our beloved music with awe. I kinda like seeing them regret not having experienced that music first hand, or having it today. But, I haven’t seen them show signs of mourning for that musician they just discovered.
That kind of mourning is reserved for those of us who have shared the same timeline in history with that artist. That’s why I think it is a mourning of a memory, a time and place we feel we cannot get back. And, when people speak of it feeling as if a family member passed, it’s not the person…. the family member we lost was the inspiration and the feeling we got from it. The reason doesn’t really matter, though… Every time we hear of another one of our favorites passing from our world, we know the feeling of that line from American Pie, “But, the man there said, ‘the music wouldn’t play,’” and we learn all over again, the meaning of “The day the music died.”
For me, there are far too many musicians that made me feel this to pick one, or even a couple. But, I’ll share another experience that explains how we get caught up in this…
Robin Williams’ passing hit me hard! I, like many people adored Robin’s comedy. His movies, Mork and Mindy that started it all, his crazy antics when he would appear on talk shows, or anywhere… In addition to that, though, I remember that time, and the previous year, as being a particularly depressing time in my life. Honestly, I don’t even remember why, or what was going on at the time to make it so. I just remember feeling that way. That year, Williams starred in a new TV series called, “The Crazy Ones.” I loved that show! I thought it was hilarious. It gave me laughs when I so desperately needed them. I looked forward to watching it every week. It was one thing in life that I could count on to lift my spirits. When the 1st season ended, I couldn’t wait for it to return in the fall for the second season. I held on to that as something to look forward to, when laughter would return to my life. Then…. the news hit. The show, one of my lifelines I was holding onto at the time to help get me through, would not be returning. Robin Williams would not be returning. It seemed like the day the laughter died.
For musicians, the loss of a musical hero can feel feel deeply personal – like losing a piece of themselves. But, anyone passionate about the arts can feel this way about those that make us feel that passion.
So, what do we do when it feels like we are saying goodbye to the soundtrack of our lives? We binge watch movies, television re-runs, put on an old album, or better yet, pick up our instrument and play those beloved songs and maybe even imagine our icon is seeing that tribute from the beyond. And, at those times, hopefully you can get a glimpse of the fact that the music will always be here with us, and we can just be grateful we got to be witness to the genius, the heartfelt emotion and inspiration that brought it to us.
I also hope we can realize that, those of us who teach music and arts are helping to create the next generation of inspiration, and that is a wonderful thing to give to the world. Because truly, the music never dies. And, those that write the songs, the jokes, the scripts, will tell you, it didn’t begin with them, either. There’s a force that already holds every creative idea and we are the ones blessed with being able to witness it’s revealing, whether in the form of creating it for this world or appreciating it. As another famous lyric goes, “I am Music and I write the songs.”
I hope this next week for you is filled with music! Whether it is listening to old, or creating new, whether in tribute to a favorite artist, or practicing to become the next legend. Just sit back, let go, and enjoy whatever music makes you feel like you come from another world, and like you can do anything! Whatever makes you feel that total bliss that only music can! And, say a silent thank you to the artists that shared it from their soul, whether still of this world or moved on, and yes, to the original creator of music and inspiration itself in whatever form you know that to be.
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