And when the next one dies, I will have to suffer through hearing how Eric Clapton was the greatest guitarist ever. Or Meatloaf influenced a everyone who came after him, or Neil Diamond was the greatest artist ever.
Meatloaf, Laserwolf... I always figured he was your dad.
Streisand isn't a better singer, but she has a bigger audience. Not being pejorative, she has gays, Jews, and Hollywood fans along with the regular music fans who will lose their minds when she passes. Look how everyone goes wild just because she shows up at an award show or sings a song on a TV show. Aretha won't get quite that reaction, as great as she is.
Bullshit. Streisand never had any pull with the rock crowd.
Fats Domino is 88 now. I'd hate to see him go but he's getting up there.
Most people think he must already be dead. So it goes. I'm sure there's a famous pre-modernist poem about a man outliving the reknown but I'm too lazy to look it up. Housman or Hardy or some such...
Streisand isn't a better singer, but she has a bigger audience. Not being pejorative, she has gays, Jews, and Hollywood fans along with the regular music fans who will lose their minds when she passes. Look how everyone goes wild just because she shows up at an award show or sings a song on a TV show. Aretha won't get quite that reaction, as great as she is.
Whatever, I'm not trying to get into a dumb argument over this. They both have sold something like 70 million albums each so they obviously both have massive audiences. One thing I do know is I work at one of the biggest celebrity bullshit magazines in the world, and when Barbra passes there will be several special publications dedicated to her (they're already partially laid out for many big celebs). Aretha will not get the same treatment. That's largely down to the race thing and it's bullshit, but it's sadly reality...
It makes me sick to say it, but Asstro is right. When BS kicks we will have to hear about her how she was the greatest actor, director, singer, business woman and humanitarian to ever walk the face of the earth.
I mean 2 weeks ago Glen Frey was just an old singer songwriter who had to keep reuniting the band he hated for another tour so he could pay his bills. Now he is a genius. The greatest of his generation. And a great actor to boot.
Batmon is right. Aretha will get as much press as James Brown and Ray Charles got. Which is about the same as what Glen Frey got. I bet 2 weeks ago many Eagles fans had no idea who Glen Frey was.
Just look at this forum. Glen Frey's passing got more notice than Otis Clays. Supposedly people here care about soul music, but not as much as they do Yacht Rock.
Batmon is right. Aretha will get as much press as James Brown and Ray Charles got. Which is about the same as what Glen Frey got. I bet 2 weeks ago many Eagles fans had no idea who Glen Frey was.
Just look at this forum. Glen Frey's passing got more notice than Otis Clays. Supposedly people here care about soul music, but not as much as they do Yacht Rock.
Dude they were parading James Brown body around for the next month. Mainstream coverage was more than a week.
Good call. People love Ozzy. Schwarzenegger I'm not so sure about.
Have you ever taken a look at any fitness or bodybuilding magazine? Even 30 years after his prime dude is everywhere and tons of stuff is sold with his picture on it. I'm sure he is one of the most idolized people on earth. People worship him! I'm sure he is more popular worldwide than all musicians mentioned in this thread combined.
Batmon is right. Aretha will get as much press as James Brown and Ray Charles got. Which is about the same as what Glen Frey got. I bet 2 weeks ago many Eagles fans had no idea who Glen Frey was.
Just look at this forum. Glen Frey's passing got more notice than Otis Clays. Supposedly people here care about soul music, but not as much as they do Yacht Rock.
Dude they were parading James Brown body around for the next month. Mainstream coverage was more than a week.
also, FB had barely gotten going in 06 when JB died. was maybe at Harvard when Ray died? no twitter, no instagram, barely youtube.
if social media was like it is today, it would've been much, much crazier when they passed.
I guess my point is not so much about the size of the response. It is the overblown hyperbole of the response. James Brown deserved all the accolades he got. But some folks go from being a punch line one day to a genius when they die.
Which is why I like Streisand on the list, because folks who wouldn't listen to her today will be singing her praises when she dies.
Bonus: Streisand recorded a Bowie song.
Finelikewine; AS is huge in Europe? In Germany? Austria? I just find that strange. I guess there are not many Austrian/Germans who made it big in Hollywood so you gotta go with who you got.
When either Neil Young or Joni Mitchell pass, we will see mass hysteria, the canadian dollar collapse to its knees, social media avatars shrouded in lyrics, mash-ups with beats underneath to get that click-juice, and people gathering at monuments just staring off into space.. Same for Prince sans the canadian rupee.. but a run on purple anything of course..
Stevie Wonder I know people who would have to stay home that day. After Joe Strummer and Nina Simone, Stevie might be the next person (who I don't know) whose passing would fuck me up
Comments
Damn.
Meatloaf, Laserwolf... I always figured he was your dad.
Bullshit. Streisand never had any pull with the rock crowd.
Most people think he must already be dead. So it goes. I'm sure there's a famous pre-modernist poem about a man outliving the reknown but I'm too lazy to look it up. Housman or Hardy or some such...
Aretha has all those demographics and more.
Babs aint as universal as u think.
Plaese to find Babs on Soul Train.
I mean 2 weeks ago Glen Frey was just an old singer songwriter who had to keep reuniting the band he hated for another tour so he could pay his bills.
Now he is a genius. The greatest of his generation. And a great actor to boot.
i don't think she really appeals to other generations in the same way that some of these other names do.
if her fan demographic skews older than franklin's, maybe there will be less of an impact on social media.
Batmon is right. Aretha will get as much press as James Brown and Ray Charles got. Which is about the same as what Glen Frey got.
I bet 2 weeks ago many Eagles fans had no idea who Glen Frey was.
Just look at this forum. Glen Frey's passing got more notice than Otis Clays. Supposedly people here care about soul music, but not as much as they do Yacht Rock.
I'm sure he is one of the most idolized people on earth. People worship him! I'm sure he is more popular worldwide than all musicians mentioned in this thread combined.
also, FB had barely gotten going in 06 when JB died. was maybe at Harvard when Ray died? no twitter, no instagram, barely youtube.
if social media was like it is today, it would've been much, much crazier when they passed.
It is the overblown hyperbole of the response.
James Brown deserved all the accolades he got. But some folks go from being a punch line one day to a genius when they die.
Which is why I like Streisand on the list, because folks who wouldn't listen to her today will be singing her praises when she dies.
Bonus: Streisand recorded a Bowie song.
Finelikewine; AS is huge in Europe? In Germany? Austria? I just find that strange.
I guess there are not many Austrian/Germans who made it big in Hollywood so you gotta go with who you got.
I hope we have Neil Young and Prince around a while longer, they are still doing good work.
So many of them are already dead with a pulse, Neil's still kickin'.
Tony Bennett
Burt Bacharach
Berry Gordy
Little Richard
I know people who would have to stay home that day.
After Joe Strummer and Nina Simone, Stevie might be the next person (who I don't know) whose passing would fuck me up