Celebrity deaths that truly saddened me
Submitted by P Pogo on Mon, 02/21/2005 - 13:04
Tags:
- John Lennon (12-8-1980) - Yes, I was only 8, but I remember this upsetting me.
- Federico Fellini (10-31-1993) - His death was completely eclipsed by River Phoenix's overdose on the very same day.
- Kurt Cobain (4-5-1994)
- Ginger Rogers (4-25-1995)
- James Stewart (7-2-1997)
- Harry Caray (2-18-1998)
- Phil Hartman (5-28-1998)
- George Harrison (11-29-2001)
- Joe Strummer (12-22-2002)
- Fred Rogers (2-27-2003)
- Warren Zevon (9-7-2003)
- Johnny Cash (9-12-2003)
- George Plimpton (9-25-2003)
- Spalding Gray (1-10-2004)
- Marlon Brando (7-2-2004)
- Hunter S. Thompson (2-20-2005)
- Adrienne Shelly (11-6-2006)
- Robert Altman (11-20-2006)
- Calvert DeForest/Larry "Bud" Melman (3-19-2007)
- Michelangelo Antonioni (7-30-2007)
Author Comments:
Not that I worship at the altar of celebrity, but when these people passed, I truly felt upset. In some instances, it was the manner of death, but mostly it was because I'd lost another hero.
Gosh, I didn't know the real Great Gonzo was dead... did he pass away peacefully or did he go out as he lived his early life, in a very altered state ? Anyway, it's a terrible loss and I understand he wasn't very old either...
I went and checked news and well, Hunter took his own life, I should have expected that...
Yeah, his gun-nut posture was well established. So, while it's not surprising, it certainly was shocking to hear.
For me two very sad celebrity deaths: Peter Ustinov and satirist Ephraim Kishon.
John F. Kennedy (11-22-1963) - I was very young but I still remember the shock - even from England
Jimi Hendrix (09-18-1971)
Bruce Lee (07-20-1973)
Paul Kossoff (03-19-1976)
Elvis Presley (08-16-1977)
Princess Diana (08-31-1997)
- plus John and George of course.
John Peel (10-25-2004)
Yes, I agree, but being American didn't allow me the full John Peel experience. His influence, though, lives on.
In real-time the 'full John Peel experience' was simply a good DJ playing good music, but often interspersed with new music from previously unheard of artists. Some of it was experimental, and some of it frankly rubbish, but he gave them exposure and encouragement and a chance to be heard. However, his influence over time, giving airplay (and work) and bringing to attention some fantastically wonderful artists (including Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Tyrannosaurus Rex, The Buzzcocks, The Smiths, Joy Division, The Manic Street Preachers, and Radiohead, amongst many others) was unparalleled. Those that were good or showed some promise or a just little talent would receive repeated exposure, invitations to 'Peel Sessions' ('live' recordings in the John Peel - BBC studio), and repeated encouragement.
Fellini and Phoenix died on the same day? You see, I only knew about Phoenix.
A celebrity death that shocked me was John Candy's. He died in 1994, but somehow I didn't know this till 2000 or 2001!
I agree about John Candy and I maintain that Delirious is an underrated movie
I was so shocked when Hunter S. Thompson died, my friend once recieved a fan letter from Gonzo (my friend is a director) and we were talking about him the night before he died. It was so sad, I had just read "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas" a couple weeks before.
I understand about John Candy. He seemed like a real sweet guy, and he'd just begun to scratch the surface of his talent.
Yeah, it's odd about Thompson. He had just come up in conversation the day before his death. Someone brought up his ESPN column about mixing golf and guns, which turned out to be his last article. Weird cosmic stuff was happening.