1. "Be fanatics. When it comes to being and doing and dreaming the best, be maniacs."
- A. M. Rosenthal
2. "Please don't be cynical. I hate cynicism—it's my least favorite quality and it doesn't lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen."
- Conan O'Brien, on his last Tonight Show
3. "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
- Marianne Williamson
4. "Why would you ever waste a day worrying about anything? - or think you should have done this or could have done that? Wake up to the WTF of it all and enjoy the ride. Look up and be in awe of the grand view. Be grateful and remind others of this miraculous now. It's your home after all."
1. Elliott Smith Years Active: 1993–2003 Cause of Death: Self-Inflicted Stabbing His entire discography is made of gold. Though his songs may be perceived by many as incredibly melancholic and depressing, you can almost feel a bit of tiny hope in between notes and lines—the certain "oomph" that gives music its power, in my opinion. One of my favorite albums is his 1998 release entitled, "XO". There's no hating that album, trust me. I have my cousin Johnny to thank for introducing me to this artist.
His note, on a Post-It: "I'm so sorry—love, Elliott. God forgive me."
2. Jeff Buckley Years Active: 1991 - 1997 Cause of Death: Accidental Drowning This list would be ultimate FAIL without Jeff Buckley, for me at least. His haunting Hallelujah is probably on all of my friends' playlists (if it isn't, don't let me know and just put it in RIGHT AWAY). His sudden and early passing shocked the music world, but since then, his legacy has only been getting stronger. A lot of his peers have written songs in memoriam.
According to Wikipedia, he was singing "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin while swimming in the Wolf River Harbor will all his clothing and boots on. Then he disappeared, his body recovered 6 days later. I've got a whole lotta love for Jeff, that's for fuckin' sure.
3. Freddie Mercury, Queen Years Active: 1969 - 1991 Cause of Death: AIDS It's hard to compose a list that has something to do with music and not have Freddie Mercury in mind. As the lead singer of rock band Queen, he has inspired many music fans with his solid and flamboyant performances. His songs are the opposite of forgettable; who doesn't love their beloved anthems Bohemian Rhapsody, or We Are The Champions, or We Will Rock You? The list is endless. Your music library will not be complete without at least one of these tracks.
In 1991, only after 24 hours of announcing he was HIV positive, he died of bronchopneumonia, a complication set off by AIDS. He may be the frontman of Queen, but in my heart, Freddie Mercury is a God.
4. Jimi Hendrix Years Active: 1963 - 1970 Cause of Death: Barbiturate Overdose He is often remembered as one of the greatest electric guitarists in the history of rock music. Woodstock became synonymous to Hendrix. His fashion sense is memorable, his songs even more so. In 1966, Hendrix, who played and recorded with Little Richard's band from 1964 to 1965, said, "I want to do with my guitar what Little Richard does with his voice."
When you feel like rocking, smoking premium blunts and just waving a lighter in the air, allow Hendrix to keep you company and set your inner hippie free.
5. Kurt Cobain, Nirvana Years Active: 1987 - 1994 Cause of Death: Suicide If there was one band that epitomized the alternative rock in a revolutionary way, it would be Nirvana, considered "the flagship band of Generation X". The word "grunge" wouldn't even be in the dictionary if not for the band fronted by rock icon Kurt Cobain.
His fame, his depression, his marriage with fellow rocker Courtney Love led to his heroin addiction and later on, his untimely death during the peak of his career, suicide through a shotgun wound to the head. He left behind a suicide note as well as a trove of fans worldwide clamoring for his resurrection. Sadly, all we have left is a multitude of Youtube videos and a vague memory of the early 90s.
6. Bradley James Nowell, Sublime Years Active: 1982 - 1996 Cause of Death: Heroin Overdose "I ain't got no Santeria / I ain't got no crystal ball / Well I had a million dollars but I / I'd spend it all..." Yes, I was one of those incredulous people who went, "whatever happened to Sublime?" only do be devastated to find out that their lead singer has died, ending the career of what would have been one of the best bands from California. Though some may call this band one-or-two-or-three-hit wonders, their songs are so goddamn memorable, you can't help but wonder, "what if he never died?"
Not much can be said about him, I'm afraid; they've only been able to come out with one album, and Nowell had died shortly before its release, leaving this world unaware of how well people would respond to it.
7. Marvin Gaye Years Active:1958 - 1984 Cause of Death: Shot to Death His music may have been before my time and he may have died on the year of my birth, but his songs are some of the most frequently played at my home, during my formative years. Hits like I Heard It Through The Grapevine and How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) made him known; songs like Sexual Healing and the ever-sexy Let's Get It On transformed him into a Motown Legend.
He was shot to death by his father on April 1, 1984.
8. Bob Marley Years Active: 1962 - 1981 Cause of Death: Cancer, Age 36 Thinking of Bob Marley makes me want to light up and be high in the clouds. His music has the same effect as your household ganja—easy, breezy, don't worry about a thing, every little thing is gonna be all right. Thanks to him, reggae music and love for the Rastafarian lifestyle will forever be changed.
He died due to the spread of melanoma to his lungs and brain at a young age of 36. His final words to his son Ziggy were "Money can't buy life."
9. Jim Morrison, The Doors Years Active: 1963 - 1971 Cause of Death: Heart Failure, Age 27 Baby, would you light my fire? Jim, more lovingly referred to as The Lizard King by his worshiping fans, had an aura about him that could very well light anyone's fire (and cause women's panties to fall, for that matter). As frontman of The Doors, he helped catapult the band into rockstar fame. He was ranked number 47 on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Singers of All Time"
He was found in a Paris apartment bathtub by long-time partner Pamela Courson. The absence of an official autopsy has left many questions regarding Morrison's cause of death. To date, his grave site at Père Lachaise Cemetery in eastern Paris is one of the city's most visited tourist attractions.
10. John Lennon, The Beatles Years Active: 1957–1975, 1980 Cause of Death: Shot to Death He is probably one of the greatest singer-songwriters to ever grace the halls of rock and roll history. With their lyrical genius, he and Paul McCartney churned out hit after hit for their ever-popular band The Beatles. This prompted Rolling Stone to rank this four-man sensation #1 in their list "The Immortals: The Fifty Greatest Artists of All Time", also ranking Lennon #38 separately. Lennon is famous for saying that The Beatles were "more popular than Jesus", causing an uproar in many Catholic sects. Despite his leaving the band in 1970, he's had an equally successful solo career, with a song under his belt that might possibly be one of the best songs ever written.
On the night of 8 December 1980, Mark David Chapman shot Lennon in the back four times at the entrance of the Dakota apartment building. Earlier that evening, Lennon had autographed a copy of Double Fantasy for Chapman[104] who had been stalking Lennon since October.
Writer's Note: This list was written in March 3, 2010. Artists who have died tragically after that are not included in this list.
I used to have a separate blog for this, but I figured, That Gal Jam is the rightful place for it now. List Love pays homage to one of my favorite activities: writing lists. Partially inspired by Nick Hornby's book, High Fidelity and all you people out there who have the same uncontrollable urge I have to make Top Five and Top Ten Lists of Anything Under The Sun. Enjoy.
