The Year The Music Died

With the recent passing of Prince, it seems that those who wrote the music that we sang, danced to, fell in love to, raised families who also listened, and even buried family to, is slowly being silenced. 2016 has so far become the year that seems as if every time we turn on the radio or television we hear another tragic story, that one more artist that made the music of our generation is gone. Now I realize that if you pause long enough to do the research, every year has claimed its share of those names we all would recognize. However, the difference now is that we have grown older right alongside those we are now losing.

As a young teenager there were several notables; there was Duane Allman in 1971, but for many of us 1977 would be the year, we would never forget. In August of that year the world mourned the death of the King of Rock and Roll – Elvis Presley, then came October, and with it the plane crash that killed six members and crew of the southern rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd, including lead singer Ronnie VanZant. For the remainder of my senior year in high school it seemed, just like a scratched record, that the music of our generation would never be the same.

Of course moving into adulthood in the 1980’s there were those notable deaths of many iconic stars as well. Stars such as; John Lennon, Bill Haley, Bob Marley, Harry Chapin, Karen Carpenter, Dennis Wilson, Marvin Gaye, Ricky Nelson, Andy Gibb, and Roy Orbison. The 1990’s had its share as well, with many notable deaths including; Sammy Davis, Jr., Stevie Ray Vaughn, Freddie Mercury, Frank Zappa, Kurt Cobain, Jerry Garcia, Frank Sinatra, and Dusty Springfield, and many others in both decades, the list really is very extensive.

However, since the turn of the century a multitude of singers and musicians whom we all loved, are no longer with us. Personalities such as; George Harrison, Waylon Jennings, two of the three brothers who made up the Bee Gee’s – Robin and Maurice, Barry White, and of course Johnny Cash. Then on June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson passed away, and again the world grieved. Death is certain for us all, and naturally, as every year comes and goes, we see an ever-increasing number of those who wrote and sang the soundtrack of our generation are passing.

Then came 2016 and it seems that every day another who touched our hearts slips into eternity. The year started with a one two punch when we lost David Bowie, and then Glenn Frey of the Eagles within a week of each other. Then there was Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane, Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire, Denise Mathews, ironically, a protégé of Prince otherwise known as Vanity, and the world will forever miss the sweet voice of Natalie Cole. We all shed a tear when after many months of praying we lost Joey Feek, of Joey and Rory.

The country music world hardly got its breath back and then we hear of the death of Merle Haggard. Then this past week we learn of the death of Prince at only 57. With this rapid succession of deaths of stars we all loved, it is no wonder that there is angst every time you turn on the news for fear of another death. My parents’ generation had its “The Day The Music Died”, on February 3rd 1959. However, for my generation and me it appears that 2016 is “The Year That The Music Died”.