2016 has been the biggest jerk in the world to music fans of all genres. Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved music from the past. In Kindergarten, I developed my first major obsession with a singer, and that man was Elvis Presley. Unlike most girls my age, I spent my time watching documentaries and movies (Blue Hawaii will forever be my favorite Elvis flick) or listening and singing to his albums. I had such a love for Elvis Aaron Presley that is was adorable yet pitiful. I was sad sometimes when I would think about Elvis because I knew I could never see him in concert because he passed away long before I was born, and sadly, the theme of my favorite musicians being deceased still plagues me.
Recently, two of the most talented and inspiring musicians in the world, David Bowie and Prince, passed away, and while their memories and legacies will live forever, I, and many others, are pretty peeved about their deaths. Many people who are not fans of older music or of musicians who have passed away tragically do not have to constantly worry over their favorite musical minds or long for a time where they could see their beloved bands live. Here are just a few of the struggles and triumphs us old souls and unfortunate fans have to face on the daily:
1. We will never have the opportunity to see our musical idols live.
We envy the holy hullabaloo out of people who can see their favorite musicians live. "Lucky" for some of us, we can see impersonators or tributes to our favored people, but the real deal is what we desire. Sometimes, if the person we adore and miss dearly was part of a band, we can see the remaining members of the group live and we can almost experience what it was like in their heyday, but life is tough and, as the still living Mick Jagger says, "you can't always get what you want." Imagine the feeling of post-concert depression, but you feel it pretty much every time you listen to the artist.
2. New releases? Fat chance.
When many musicians pass on, especially if they are young, they leave this world without new material to release. Some artists, like Prince and likely Bowie, have music in "vaults," but it depends on the wishes of the family as to whether or not their music will be released. Aside from a few greatest hits albums being posthumously released, we don't get many new or unreleased tracks to listen to.
3. We get creepily excited when we find fellow fans of our long-gone favorites.
I don't know about you guys, but I get crazy excited when I find someone who likes one of my favorite artists, especially those who have passed away. When the artist you love passed on a while back or were rather unknown when they passed (i.e. Jeff Buckley, Robert Johnson, etc.), it's ridicuously exciting when you meet someone who likes them too. I have been known to freak out a little too much, but luckily, I haven't ever looked like the dancer caressing Prince in this video.
4. The Modern Day Lynyrd Skynyrd Problem
Many people know Lynyrd Skynyrd as one of the main pioneers of the southern rock genre, and many people know of the plane crash that killed lead singer, Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist and singer, Steve Gaines, and a backup singer, Cassie Gaines. The pilot, co-pilot and assistant road manager were also killed on impact. Due to this tragedy and other deaths in the band, the band consists of hardly any original band members from the original lineup. As of today, the only original member who remains in the band is Gary Rossington. The problem for most fans of the group is that they want to see the original lineup, and while they know its impossible, seeing a band that is basically a tribute being billed as the real deal makes us sad. Nevertheless, fans of the original will probably still see the current lineup because its the closest thing to seeing the actual band... and because jamming out to Lynyrd Skynyrd is fun no matter who is playing their music.
5. We have a network of folks who grieve with us.
Whenever we think about our favorite musicians who have passed away, most of us get pretty sad, but thanks to social media, we've got a whole group of people who are feeling the same woes as we are.
6. Our job is to make sure their legacies live on.
If it weren't for us fans of deceased musicians, we wouldn't be able to keep the memories of our long gone favorites alive. We're responsible for sharing their music with people who might not have ever heard of their music if it were not for us. Remembering and listening to the people we love reminds us that they may be gone, but they are definitely not forgotten.
Music is great, and being able to go to concerts to see our favorite musicians makes it even better. Being a fan of people who have passed away can be hard, but I will be the first to tell you that it is worth the woes.
