the day the music died

Natalie Cole


David Bowie


Glenn Frey




Recently when the deaths of these recording artists appeared in the news, it got me thinking about music and the people who create it for us, and how even when the person dies, the music is still here.  In the atmosphere; in our heads; in our memories; in our music-CD collections... 


If we did not know the singer or songwriter / performer personally, it almost makes no difference in our lives, if they are alive or dead.  (That sounds wrong to say, but I think most people would know what I  mean...)


The thing is, what they created -- what they gave us --




"This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)"


"Heroes"


"Take It Easy"


etc.




is here -- is ours, is available to us, always.


I guess that's "the beauty of it."


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(And the other point to remember while considering topics in this area, is that we're probably better off if we don't "expect too much" from the personal lives and functioning of the people who make our music, movies, sports events, books, paintings, situation-comedies, etc. ...


When the sensational press batters us with SHOCKINGANDSCANDALOUS tidbits about artists' or actors' private existence, we're always disappointed, no matter how blasé we try to be.  But the thing is, it's the


Art,


not


the artist


that enriches our lives....)


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And -- sort of on this same topic, I will never forget -- but have been trying to, ha -- going to see Don McLean play, at the Paradise Theater







in Boston, Massachusetts, at the beginning of my freshman year at B.U.


A small group of freshmen from my dorm was loosely organized to attend this thing together, and I went, so happy and excited to see the singer / songwriter responsible for the song, "American Pie."


Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin' whisky and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die...
This will be the day when I die...
...Yeah -- well there we were, all in one place,


A generation lost in space...




Anyway, I thought that song was great, I learned it from car radio and was fascinated, mystified, pretty much in love with it (it seemed to arrive from nowhere!), learned to play it on the piano,





and here I was by Sheer Luck I could walk up Comm-Ave with my new friends and associates and see the guy sing it, in person!


It was just too wonderful to be believed, right?


So -- we go to this performance, and -- he doesn't sing the song.  (No, I'm not kidding.)  This man.  Who had one hit, that was huge worldwide, sang other stuff and not "American Pie."


I thought that was unbelievable.  No Chevy.  No levee.  This was not good.  Audience members were calling out, "American Pie!" throughout the evening, off and on.


LOL.  At the time I was not LOL.  I was just dumbstruck with let-down.  I could not believe it.


Recently reading some tabloid-type "report" that ol' Don was having "domestic violence" yadda-yadda up in Maine (who knows who cares...) but the thought did occur to me, "Not surprising this guy maybe can't get along with whoever he lives with -- this is a man who 'couldn't get along with' his own HIT SONG!!!!!!!"  Lol


_________________________


So it's --


Don McLean = whatever


The song "American Pie" = excellent


And thank you


-30-