Neil Peart hit me pretty hard. His journey from nerdy farm boy into Canada's poet/percussion ambassador to the world is amazing. He also experienced the worst personal tragedy losing his family. Epic.

I know INXS isn't a SOT but they were and still are my favorite band and huge while I was growing up in the 1980s. I had a huge crush on Michael Hutchence and their Kick concert was the first concert I ever attended. I was fifteen at the time and in heaven. I also saw them in concert three months before Michael died. This is a true story. I was at school in Boston when a friend phoned to tell me the news. It was around the Thanksgiving holiday, and I went home to Kansas. I called their ex-manager's, Chris Murphy, office in Sydney to ask about sending condolences letters. I wrote three, one to each of his parents and one to the band. When I got back to school, I received a letter from overseas. I figured it was Chris Murphy's office saying they got the letters and saying thank you for the effort. To my surprise, Kelland Hutchence, Michael's father wrote me a thank you letter. I still have all these years later.

The loss of Johnny Cash hit me hardest. What he meant to people of all different cultures, beliefs, ideologies, and musical tastes was a great loss. A person that helped unite the world and make it better. I had to stop my car in a parking lot and weep for ten minutes when I heard Mr Cash died.

Ronnie James Dio, and Bon Scott were the only celebrities that hit me like losing a friend. I met Dio, and seen his band a few times. Bon Scott had been gone for years before I even heard of AC/DC but his lyrics were so personal that I felt like I knew him

Randy Rhoads is a perfect example for this topic. As a decades long reader of guitar 🎸magazines i can testify to the enduring legacy of Randy as there are always new articles and discussions about him in these publications. The legend of Jimi Hendrix is similar because he like Randy have only grown in stature and reverence since their passing.

I don't tune in for the music discussion, I tune in for the weather update.

I am a huge Prince fan and my brother was a huge David Bowie fan. I cried so hard when Prince and David Bowie both died in 2016. Both deaths were so unexpected. Prince died from fentanyl poisoning and David Bowie died from cancer. I grew up with both those legends music and it hurt hard to see them die. Also Prince was my first concert and my favorite musician of all time.

One of the things I love about this channel is that you can, without making a fuss, talk about Pantera and Miles Davis together in the same video. Where else are you going to see that? I say this even though I never really understood the praise for Pantera that much, even as a big metal fan. nevertheless, respect to Dimebag for doing some really awesome stuff on guitar. My dad is the biggest Miles fan, and we were going to see him in concert in 1991 or so, I think just a few months before he passed. He cancelled the show due to illness, and we went back home disappointed, and then he was gone, so I never got the chance to experience him in concert as a kid, the way my father did years before.

Keith Emerson's passing hit me very hard. I met him briefly in 1992 after an ELP concert and he seemed such a nice guy.

I've taken Bowie's passing the hardest. Even though I've never met him, he was like family to me personally. Sounds silly I guess but cannot help the way I feel. Second would be Neil Peart. I've taken their deaths the hardest: we're talking serious tears. However their music and legacy lives on. So grateful for having them in my life. Thanks guys for another wonderful episode. God bless both of you!!!

Rory Gallagher and John Wetton are two musicians that are also greatly missed.

In the jazz world, there are so many legends, who died way too young, like Sonny Clark, Paul Chambers, Wes, Trane, Bird, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Kenny Kirkland, Clifford Brown, Roy Hargrove, Lee Morgan, the Powell brothers, Lenny Breau, etc... RIP to all of them, I'll forever cherish their music.

The two that hit me hardest were Neil Peart and Eddie Van Halen. Neil, because it was so unexpected. Eddie because he was such a hero to me and was my favorite musician.

I was very saddened by Phil Lynott's death, especially how he died. At the very least, I felt Thin Lizzy went out with a strong album & I love it to this day. R.I.P. Phil.

Jerry hit me the hardest. Thank god for all the tapers.

I don't think we're obsessed with dead musicians, I think we just miss particular fantastic musicians like Hendrix, Scott, Bonham, because they were trail blazers and had no peers. It hurt when they died because they had something special that had something to do with your own life. They got you through rough times and when they leave us forever, it just hurts and we just kinda get stuck in a rut when our musical heroes die. It lessens as we get older, cuz we all near death ourselves. I just hope I made someone as happy as these rock stars did in my life. We think Tony Iommi will live forever, but he won't, he will go as everyone does. And THAT one will hurt the most to me.

The greatest artists and works of art demand discussion and appreciation irrespective of time.

Mick Ronson died within a few days of my mom, and Chris Squire a day after my step-brother. For me these musical deaths that happened in close succession with a loss in my life always stick in my mind.

I don't think "obsessed" would be the right word for it, we simply miss them. You can always wait for another album from a musician that is still alive, when they die that's it, so that, I think we just miss these guys 🙏🍺🤘

Peter Steele speaking of Fall was Huge for me

Lennon of course hit the hardest, Brian Jones was so weird--with the swimming pool. I was sorry to learn of the passing of Cranberries singer Dolores O' Riordan. One aspect of obsession is when they die young, and unnecessarily. If you live the rock lifestyle to the max and reach the age of 60, an "early" demise is somewhat understandable. When they go young, its a great shock. I give equal regard to the greats dead or alive. When I listen to "Voodoo Child Slight Return" I don't even think of the fact that Hendrix is gone, the material is so transcendent. I saw him live three times.

The passing of Chick Corea hit me the hardest and still to this day stings a lot, it just came out of the blue as there were no signs of him in poor health, his music was such a big part of my life growing up and served as my gateway into the world of jazz. I remember hearing the news that he passed away and i completely broke down in tears which happened while i was listening to an Akoustic Band recording. He lived a full life and gave us so much amazing music for so many years, not a day goes by that i don't think of him. I miss him so much. One of my all time favourite musicians and in my jazz Mount Rushmore with Pat Metheny, Keith Jarrett & Miles Davis.

We also lost Mark Lanegan last year and recently Van Conner from Screaming Trees too.

The ones who hit me the hardest. Randy Rhodes, Dio, Lemmy

Always a tremendous Friday am here in NJ with Martin and PETE. A bang up job. Thank you 👍💯

I always respected Zeppelin for not only their music but the fact that they honored the band and the legend of their bandmate by not continuing without Bonham.

Thin Lizzy and Phil Lynott had articles in many rock magazines such as Hit Parader, Circus, Creem and other rock music magazines of the 70's & 80's 🤔🎸🎸🎹🥁

Joe Strummer. I got into the Clash as a teenager and they remained a favorite of mine my whole life. With him he had a new band at the time and was making some good music. It was cut short by his unexpected passing. It floored me at the time and I still miss what might have been.

Tommy Bolin, Phil Lynott, Jaco Pastorius, Stiv Bators, Albert King, Rory Gallagher, Rozz Williams, John Lee Hooker, Layne Staley, Nina Simone, Dickie Peterson, Ronnie James Dio, Gary Moore, Larry Reinhardt, Reed Mullin, Paul Whaley, Dave Sherman, and Wayne Shorter 🌹

Why are we obsessed with talking about them? I think you answered the question in your opening description... they were GREAT!

The one I "obsess" the most about (and always have) is Tommy Bolin, such a brilliant musician who died SO young, and to think what he could have done. He's kind of the ultimate rock star for me, and he seemed so cool. Freddie is another one I miss A LOT. Not sure he would have recorded much more Hard Rock in his career, but I would have liked to know... The loss of Bowie and Neil Peart hit me pretty hard too, probably because it wasn't known that they were sick and were still (pretty) young. They're all missed very much. So many great musicians...and we all know it's only gonna keep on going... Cheers.

I wanted to mention Nick Drake and Richard Manuel as great musicians, who lived such a tragic life and passed way to young.

There are so many great ones that have passed on but I'd like to give some special attention to Mark Shelton from Manilla Road. 40 years of just constantly great music from that guy. Never truly got his due, Manilla Road deserves to be mentioned alongside Sabbath, Priest, Maiden etc. as one of the absolute best Heavy Metal bands that's ever existed.

The first death I remember was Elvis and at times it's hard to imagine he’s gone because he is everywhere yet it was so long ago. I only learned of Bob Marley’s death by reading the liner notes of Legend. I heard about Phil Lynott’s death on the radio and I remember it being covered in Australia. David Bowie’s death hit hard because he was an artist that's always been there since I can remember. My older sister was a fan so there was always his music in my life even though I was just a casual fan. The news of Freddie Mercury’s death was strange because we got the news he had AIDs then the next evening, this is Australian time, the Derryn Hinch program had a tribute to Freddie, not saying he died but referring to him in the past tense. I had been out all day with my girlfriend, we had seen a movie, so we hadn't watched TV or listened to the radio.

We obsess because we always imagine,MORE !!!!! What if they lived longer? What they would of made.

Some of the passings that where especially sad for me because their music meant so much to me was Karen Carpenter, Paul Cotton/Rusty Young of Poco, Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac, Ken Hensley of Uriah Heep and of course Phil Lynott & Gary Moore. Will listen to their music forever.

Jim Morrison was such a promising and unique talent.

Randy rhoads was so brilliant that he actually became almost bigger then Ozzy when he was alive. Ozzys name was on the bill and the guitar player in the band was unstoppable. A Fucking plane crash was the only way he could be stopped. It's very rare when a musician in the band starts to out shine the one who's name is on the bill. I was 15 years old when I heard Blizzard of Ozz for the first time and i knew the Hendrix of my generation had arrived. Only two albums with Ozzy and Randy is still one of the greatest of all time over 40 years later. Randy was in my life for a year and a half before he died and the impact he had on me and so many other kids my age was endless. An absolute Fucking trailblazer gone way to soon. His name lives on because we lost one of the greats and we were gonna make damn sure that he would be remembered and not forgotten. Randy was a true guitar superstar before he died. March 19th is still tough to deal with after all these years. Thank you Randy where ever you are.

With the death of Randy Rhoads, it’s so much about what more he would’ve accomplished and where he would’ve taken his guitar playing; especially when considering what he began churning out just after leaving Quiet Riot for Ozzy. His playing and writing seemed to suddenly grow by leaps and bounds.

I remember the weirdness of the week when Cliff Burton died so vividly . The times, of course, pre internet, and I live in the SF Bay Area, then and now. The whispered info about the bus accident that took his life seemed too bizarre an end for a rock musician of the era. Crazy and anti-climactic at the same time.

John Lennon George Harrison Keith Moon John Bonham Stevie Ray Vaughan Eddie Van Halen. RIP to all of these legends and TOO MANY others🙏

I saw a comment about how heartbreaking it is when someone that gave you so many great memories becomes a memory themself. That’s true with family members and band members

I'm surprised Jerry Garcia wasnt mentioned. The Grateful Dead may be a bigger entity now then when he was alive.

In a more historic reference I would have started with the day the music died...Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper.

Phil Lynott - Born in West Bromwich, near Birmingham UK, about 3 miles from where I live. I was born in the same hospital. Sadley missed, grew up listening to Lizzy in my teens.

"Hendrix toured a bit" - yes he did, in that 4 year period he played over 600 shows. I think that's more than "a bit". And that's not counting the many shows he played in the earlier part of the 60's touring the 'chitlin' circuit' supporting other blues/r&b acts and under Jimmy James & The Blue Flames (that included Spirit's Randy California). There are literally hundreds of live Hendrix albums (most are boots). Also the very first person I thought of when reading the topic of this video, and someone who'll still be listened to & discussed hundreds of years from now (assuming the planet survives that long)...Actually Phil Lynott is somewhat 'related' to Hendrix in that there's a physical resemblance & he was scheduled to portray Hendrix in a biopic (that never happened). Gary Moore's death was shocking because it was so unexpected, as Martin said he was still very active at the time & seemingly in pretty good shape physically (unlike Lynott). Zappa is obviously legendary and so are his various bands - but more of a 'niche' type of guitar hero/musician, he's not everyone's cup of tea. A friend of mine has pretty much everything that's ever been released by him - hundreds & hundreds of albums...Pantera & Motorhead are not my thing, neither is Grunge. Miles is too jazz for me so not an obsession on my part...The Allman Bros are a good example with multiple untimely/early deaths, Duane's obviously being the biggest. Same with Skynyrd. The two biggest bands that represent that 'Southern Rock Death Curse'. One 'dark horse' pick: The Temptations. 4 of the 5 members are deceased. The two biggest being David Ruffin (overdose) & Eddie Kendricks (Lung cancer). Paul Williams committed suicide in 1972. Not as 'immediate' as many of these others since with the exception of Williams they all passed in the 90's, well after their last big hit...A few others (major losses) that come to mind: Janis Joplin, Robert Johnson, Jim Morrison, Brian Jones, Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, Paul Kossof, Tommy Bolin, John Lennon, Terry Kath, Keith Moon, John Bonham, Jerry Garcia, Bob Marley, Randy Rhoads, Neil Peart, SRV, Jeff Beck😢😢

There are just two for me that died tragically that , as musician myself died when I began playing and in the beginning of some of the most important years of ones lifelong musical journey those first years and thats Randy Rhoads in 1982 and Cliff Burton in 1986 . What really is more than an occasional thought of what could have been, not only on an individual basis but how it affected to of the legendary monumental bands of our time. When it comes to musicians that are gone no contest those two pop up instantly before anyone else with stevie ray vaughn right there with them

Great show as always!

Its final. Shines a light. A bookend. While we are here its mostly wasted time. Till there is no more. Then we pay attention. Natural

Thin Lizzy we’re big in Ireland and UK

Great show, only ones missing for me are Bon Scott and Cliff Burton

I love finding great new artists, so I'm not really "living in the past," musically. However, one of the reasons I keep going back to the work of great dead musicians, and *discovering* dead musicians who are "new" to me, is that I keep learning that there is always *much more* , musically, to great artists than I know at a given time. I recently learned that Bing Crosby was once a young, cool, hip, jazz vocalist! I had no idea!

Chris Squire's death was really hard for me to accept. Neil Peart's death in Jan 2020, at the beginning of the decade, made me come to grips with the fact that by the end of the 2020's almost all my musical heroes will be gone. I obsess with that, because my generation is next LOLOLOL.

Bon Scott, Bonzo, Phil Lynott, Freddie, Rory Gallagher, Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy Ramone, Lemmy, Philthy Phil, Eddie Clarke, Pete Way, Paul Raymond, Neil Peart.

Why shouldn't we? The artists may pass on but their music lives on.

As usual, a great episode. I am not sure that we obsess over these musicians. We just find it a little wierd that they live on through the recordings. The same goes for screen stars who still seem all too alive, and they still speak to us as if there were. We still love them as if they were still with us, and it is the realisation that they have left us that makes it all difficult.

It’s kind of strange to have met and chatted with dead classic rockers who were just cool people to interact with and are now dead rock legends. I am thinking in particular of two members of The Band I chatted with…Levon Helm and Rick Danko. Now when they are mentioned, there is an extra aura to their names but back when I met them, they were just down home/accessible guys who were playing the club circuit. I obviously loved their work then but now that they are gone, it seems they are on another level almost.

Lots of great passed on musicians ... trying to narrow down to 5 is tough...but.. Tommy Bolin, had just got into him from an appearance on one of those Rock Concert show when he was in James Gang, bought Teaser Deep Purple, Private Eyes and gone .. like a year and a half, think what could have been ...Stevie Ray Vaughan ....saw him when he cleaned himself up opening for Robert Plant, amazing .. Tom Petty.. was driving home from work, saw him live as well great show, his last release was fantastic I was listening to all the time.. and that was it, gone.. Peart of course, although he was not from our area that RUSH was from, they were "our" band .. and last but not least Jeff Beck, so fresh and totally shocking .. had the pleasure of seeing live in 1995 ... HM... Lynott, Mercury .....and Jon Lord who defined a sound of the hammond organ through Marshall amps like we had never heard before.. saw the 85 show in Toronto.. but the best was in a club in Toronto in 96 on the Purpendicular tour as Purple were trying to rebuild a reputation .. it was up close and awesome

I have been a Zappa fan for years.

i dont understand the question, because they were amazing and they earned our admiration which is something we arent seeing so much these days. for me it is a guy named Adrian Borland who is mostly known for fronting a post punk band named "The sound" through the 80s. he is my musical idol, his lyrics connect with my to my core in a way that no one else does. he is an inspiration to me more so because people dont know who he is even though he made this incredible music. him and his music have meant a lot to me and in the darkest times they give me hope. he undoubtedly has mad me life better. when you speak about Hemdrix people think about this guitar player, but i think i actually like him as a singer even more than as a guitarist, i believe he is very under rated as a singer. and not to mention the fact that he may have been the coolest guy that ever lived. both Cliff Burton and Bon Scott have always held very special place to me,,i think in all the pantheon of Rock nd Roll in all the genres and in all the decades since Rock And Roll was birthed. there was just something about these two guys that felt real on a whole next level, these guys never seemed like they were pretending at all, they never seemed like it was a show, they seemed like they were just their real selves all the way to the arrow. there is just an authenticity to those two gentlemen that one can feel from across time and across the world. they will always feel like the rock gods that you could actually have a drink with. as time has moved on and so have the trends and fashions Elvis had greatly fallen out of style many times, and there are whole generation that only know him as they jumpsuit Vegas guy, other people have grown up being told he was this white guy that stole the black mans culture or some BS and been led to believe he was some awful person. but when seventeen year old Elvis walked into Sun Studios lightening struck and the momentum on a movement that would change the world and generations of kids was started. he never wrote a song and there were lots of performers already laying the groundwork, but he had a presence and a voice and looks and charisma that were undeniable, and he performed and played for the sheer joy of it and without the sheer greed of wealth and stardom that i feel like is inevitable in artists anymore. he directly inspired EVERYONE artist you love or at the least the people that inspired them. Elvis Scotty and Bill deserve FAR more credit and recognition that they receive today. they brought together the blues and country in a youthful exciting blend of cultures that inspired teens all over. he was humble and polite and respectful, he always honored his influences and when he performed he saw the audience as friends all having fun together. he deserves ore respect and credit. it is Tom Parker that deserves any derision people want to throw his way. and more to the early days both Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran should be better remembered. they both wrote some excellent music in their sadly short careers as they both died tragically and VERY young. there was and is a lot of greatness that happened BEFORE The Beatles that seems to go forgotten. and a lot of tragedy whether it was young deaths or long life times of heartaches and struggle. the first wave of Rock And Roll deserve more respect.

I still haven’t gotten over Chris Cornell

One that stunned me when she passed was Karen Carpenter at 32. One of the all time great female voices silenced by eating disorder. I like all types of music and liked many of The Carpenters songs and Karen’s voice and always envisioned them singing together into their 70’s in Las Vegas as many artists have done with residency shows like Elton John and Billy Joel. Hard to believe she’s been gone almost 40 years.

Interesting & thought-provoking show, gents. I'd say that the two that hit me the hardest were Bowie & Prince. While alot of musicians are obsessed over because they died at such young ages and fans felt like they still had so much to give, neither Bowie nor Prince were particularly "young men" when they died (69 and 57, respectively). But, because both were still active with releasing new music and playing live (although Bowie hadn't toured since his 2004 heart scare), when they died, it felt as though they still had so much more music in them. Neither had consigned themselves to relics of the nostalgia bin, despite their commercial heydays having long since passed. They were consummate artists who still felt the need to inspire themselves & their fans by creating new music, and knowing they were taken while still exploring their musical horizons is the saddest thing of all.

Edward Van Halen, Bon Scott, Randy Rhoads, … Mark, Guy, Lou and Rhett ( Riot)

David Axelrod, Scott Walker, Burt Bacharach, Gary McFarland, Mort Garson.

Don't Wait Till Death To Sing My Praise -Adora Vivos, Woods Of Ypres

Poster child for this subject is Robert Johnson - but to extend back into history, we have tenors Enrico Caruso and Jussi Bjoerling, and both Mendelsson and Mozart were in their thirties when they died.

We're clearly "obsessed" by dead musicians because they're all we have left, given the condition of popular "music" these days.

On the subject you're discussing the two that still get me shaking my head are James Honeyman Scott & Pete Farndon from the Pretenders. The band had no rebel image & were on top of the pops regularly playing catchy jangly singles & then half the band has died from drugs almost back to back.

The other thing about Zappa that wasn’t mentioned related to him growing up around industrial pollution is when Frank was a kid he had really bad bouts of sinusitis and sinus infections and the treatment of that time was for doctors to insert radium pellets into the nostrils, he had his sinusitis treated this way, so beyond all the industrial pollution he said he was exposed to, I suspect that this could have contributed to him developing cancer as well.

The biggest 3 deaths for me are 3. EVH 2. Neil Peart 1. Gord Downie Eddie was not a shock, we knew he was sick, but he was young still. I was shocked at Neil’s death. And his demise is sad because he deserved a pleasant end of life! The hardest was Gordie and being part of watching the year long Tour in 2016. I saw the first of the three final shows in Toronto but man, Gord was hard for me!

Randy Rhoads and Cliff Burton. Cliff gone at 24 and Randy at 25. I read an interview with Ross Halfin one time where he said "Make no mistake about it, James and Lars are the founders of the band, but nothing gets put out there without Cliff's approval. He was the guy that they all looked up to." I just came across a paper from James where they had fill out questions before they left for Japan in late 86' and one of the questions were "What person do you admire the most?" and he wrote "Cliff Burton". This was only a couple of months after this death, but I think it lends credence to Ross's statement. Man, there was so much talent between Cliff and James and Cliff influenced their songwriting formula a lot between Kill and Ride for the better. If AJFA wasn't such a great album that came after his death, I think the creative blowback from losing Cliff would be perceived a lot differently. His spirit is still a part of that record, and he would've been proud of the band forging on and releasing that. I loved the Damaged Justice shows but they were never the same live without him. Metal Hammerfest 85' is Metallica live at their peak of their powers. Honorable mention would be Bon Scott.

R.I.P. Beethoven

Ben and Ric were a sad one for me. The Cars being one of my favorite bands. In my DNA since youth. Seeing Ben waste away from cancer was heartbreaking. A part of me felt like I can "save" him, like him "saving" me thru his music. I wouldn't call my love for them obsession, rather, immense admiration and the need to keep their music alive. Same with Neil Peart.

I didn't know we were.🤷‍♂️

Bowie was my dude. I didn't exactly cry but he was my single favorite rock/pop artist of all time. Neil Peart's death hit me excruciatingly hard; I just fell to tears. And, I do miss John Entwistle of the Who to be perfectly honest. I wish he was still slapping the bass alongside Roger & Pete.

Another little known musician in these circles, but quite well known in Australia was Rowland S. Howard. He played in Birthday Party with Nick Cave and had a solo career and died at 50 of hepatocellular carcinoma secondary to liver cirrhosis in 2009. Check out his music and great lyrics!!

Peter, Martin please do a part 2! Great discussion and so many more you could talk about, this subject generates the messages below with great stories and opinions! Just my two cents.

Popoff and Pardo are at it again with consideration of continued obsession if musicians no longer physically with us. An interesting topic for discussion with several likely psychological facets. Personally, some hit me hard in my youth - the one, two, three punch of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison. All of these performers were present in the minds of those of us in our mid-teens at the time. Everyone seemed to lose someone. All three for this teenager and it removed a chance to ever see them in concert and they remain frozen as they were. Then some hit me with complete surprise - like the death of John Lennon - which seemed so devastating as the Beatles were now forever done. Others hit like losing a friend or close acquaintance - the Allman brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd are bands seen live at local concerts and battle of the band events before they even issued records but you knew you were hearing something great - or even Tom Petty, who only lived about a mile away and who first came to view when he was just the scrawny blond kid working at the local music store and who played all around town after he knew he was destined for music after seeing Elvis Presley making a movie nearby on location. Now in my late 60s, much more aware of the inevitability of these occurring but still become surprised at some - Christine McVie, Leslie West, and others. And then there are those yet to come. All the more reason to enjoy our obsessions and somehow make sure that those who are still with us know how much they are appreciated. Enough rambling there. Great topic and show, gentlemen. There ya go!

I would like to add two of my musical heroes to the discussion. Tommy Bolin and Alex Harvey gone but not forgotten in my musical memories. And they seem to come alive again each time they hit my cd player or turntable.

It was always the loss of Gary Moore for me , been to see him a few times the first back in 1980 and he was excellent every time .

Great topic guys.

The big three of my time on bass, First Squire, Then Lake and finally Wetton in such a short time lost and all the groups were dead or never really the same. All are still talked about, Squire more than the other two greats. I appreciate the efforts the bands still put out, but it’s nothing like the original!

Great show. We get obsessed cuz we know were never gonna see them again and we loved their music. Also, they dont age and they can do no wrong , so they become mythical. Jim Morrison is a good example. Asxa kid in the 70s i loved Tyler and Perry . Heroes of mine. The young cool drugged out band making Rocks and Toys. Now, they are playing vegas and making music i dont really like. How will i remember them when they are gone ? I dont know. Hopefully not as sell outs. But, the dead rock stars cant sellout or ruin their image. Its a strange thing !

The Miles "rabbit hole" is about as great as it could get. Certainly, depending upon the artist's age, popularity & output, it runs the gamut. It really comes down to the songs & the mystique.

I grew up with john denver so i miss him alot and his last few albums are very good. Bit warren zevon, lou reed, johnny cash and freddy !

A few musicians that come to my mind are Malcolm Young from AC/DC, Steve Clark from Def Leppard, and John Bonham from Led Zeppelin. Mal was such a cool guy and onstage, he just wore jeans and a tank top! Steve's riffs were unbelievable and Def Leppard lost their edge when he died. John's drumming was a crucial part to Led Zeppelin's sound because of the groove.

When I think of this I think of bob Welch he is so underrated and almost hardly ever mentioned when talking about Fleetwood Mac and it’s honestly sad

I remember after Frank Zappa died MST3K did an episode, Village of the Giants, about TV's Frank being fired so they could salute Zappa. He loved the show and they loved him. "Let me be frank about Frank." Memory is so arbitrary. I remember where I was when I heard Elvis, John Lennon, Karen Carpenter, Marvin Gaye and especially Stevie Ray Vaughan had died. I was in bed and the morning news on radio announced the helicopter crash and I started crying. Yet I have no memory of hearing about John Bonham, Bon Scott, Bob Marley, Freddie Mercury and so many others that are also important in my music life.

A big part of Jimi Hendrix’ impact was due to Chas Chandler bringing him to London. How do you break an act quickly in the pre-internet era? Well one way was to put your amazing new group onstage in small clubs which already drew the cream of U.K. guitar talent (no pun intended). The huge buzz he created spread like wildfire because all his contemporaries couldn’t stop talking about him. The fact that the London scene was so self-contained did him enormous favours in getting his name out there.

Agree Pete and Martin saw Lizzy so many times should have been a lot bigger but the legend still lives on.Should have more respected.

You two should come & live over here in Blighty if you want to start with a long discussion about the weather . 😉

As much as I love Brian Johnson and AC/DC with Brian, he’ll still always be to me the new guy and Bon Scotts replacement. Maybe because Bon was the first rock star I lost as a fan aged 17. At that time Bon and AC/DC were almost 50% of headliners I’d seen and represented a big part of my budding record collection,

I always wondered what would Metallica have been if Cliff Burton didn't die. He was such a great talent on bass and was such an influence on the early stuff. I wonder what direction they would have been on if he didn't die that night. Another that still haunts me is Bon Scott. Wonder what AC/DC would have been if he didn't die. They went on to put out good/great stuff with Brian, just wonder what could have been if Bon never left us.

Great show, fellers. It can hit hard when a favourite musician dies, simply because they give us so much pleasure when they are here and you imagine that they always will be here. Bowie's death was a big shock. He had just released his new album on Friday and that was big news. Switched the radio on on Monday morning and, oddly they were still talking about him but that was because he had died. It was totally out of the blue. Another shock was the death of Walter Becker. A top musician and songwriter and such a big part of the Steely Dan live shows too. Still plenty of big names are still around though but they won't be here forever.

Nearly all the best bands hate each other, nearly all the best bands had members who died prematurely, these are just two facts of life!

Well, who has a Festival in his honor every year over in Ireland ? Buildings, streets, monuments all named after him. It's not obsession. It's Love.

Ronnie Van Zant, Bon Scott, Randy Rhodes, and Cliff Burton were all legends I missed out on during their heyday. I think most would agree their bands were at their peak with their inclusion.

There’s a video on KZfaq of Phil Lynott performing a tribute to Sandy Denny who of course died too young.

I would like to mention Randy Rhoads who managed to become a guitar legend in only 2 albums ! Another one is Freddy Mercury whose legend has been even more enhanced with the movie.