Which Celebrity's death upset you the most?

[The Dark Knight]

For me it would have to be Brandon Lee (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000488/). I've always been a huge Bruce Lee fan so I followed Brandon's career as well. I could tell that he was really coming to his own and starting to separate himself from his father legendary status.

[JWinn]

DeForest Kelley. Dr. McCoy

THE nicest celeb I ever met!!!!!!!

[Lynch Bailey247]

tupac,reggie white, ol dirty basterd

[The Dark Knight]

DeForest Kelley. Dr. McCoy

THE nicest celeb I ever met!!!!!!!


I never met him but I would have liked to.

He was a brillant character actor.

[JWinn]

He sure was. He did a lot more than just Star Trek.

But I usually dont get "upset" over a celeb's death. I just met him at a convention in California when working for a place that sold sci-fi stuff years ago.

He was so easy to talk to. He made you feel like you had been his buddy for years. That's why it upset me. Of all the Trek stars, he was by far the easiest to talk to. Bill Shatner on the other hand...................

[Lynch Bailey247]

For me it would have to be Brandon Lee (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000488/). I've always been a huge Bruce Lee fan so I followed Brandon's career as well. I could tell that he was really coming to his own and starting to separate himself from his father legendary status.
the crow was the best movie

[ReleaseTheBeast7]

Ray Charles
Reggie White
Jonny Carson

[NJBRONCOSFAN]

Kurt Cobain

[PAINTERDAVE]

John Lennon being murdered in December 1980 was so tragic!

He had just released his first album in years, full of really good songs, and the promise of many more awesome tunes in the coming years was snuffed out cold!

Mark David Chapman, John's murderer, was/is an absolute waste of skin, blood and bones. Creepy stalker wannabe.

Imagine! Perhaps the Beatles might have gotten together for a reunion tour, and or final album? Who knows what awesome music will never be because of that horrible act of an insane fool.

I was in LA, watching Monday Night Football, when Howard Cosell came on and announced to the world the news of Lennon's assasination. The sadness was palpable and intense. I was not devastated, but the senseless loss caused a sadness that lingered within my soul to this day.

[Uula Bear]

Phil Hartman
Chris Farley
Kurt Cobain
Princess Diana


I'm not upset about the older folks passing. It was their time, but for these guys they went before their time was up.

[Jared]

Generally, I don't care if a celebrity passes, regardless of circumstance. They don't usually get murdered (like Lennon, which is why his death was so sad), but they usually die of the things we do: illness, age, suicide.


I vaguely remember Lennon dying. I was 5, so it wasn't a big deal to me.

I remember Denny Wilson dying ( the Beach Boys) in 1983. That had a little more impact on me, even though were an 'oldies' act, because I knew so many of their songs, and I was trying to teach myself the drums to all that old rock n roll stuff.

I was indifferent to Cobain's death. I don't care for his music, and he was a drug user who committed suicde, so I am not exactly sympathetic. What really PISSED me off was the aftermath. ALL of my peers (ok, not all, but I was in the minority on this) were crying and acting like he was some Jesus-like figure. He wasn't even a good musician, and they were saying things like "He was a genius, its so sad" or "He was the voice of our generation". REALLY? I couldn;t understand what any of hsi songs were about, and even if I did, I am pretty sure that he doesn;t speak for me. And generally, musical genuises can be a lot more creative than he was. If not with their actual writing, then their arrangemenst are usually mind-blowing. (See Mozart, Stevie Wonder, early Prince). When your local self taught drummer (me) can pick up a guitar and learn any of his songs in a day, sorry, you don;t qualify as genius.

So for fun, on my college radio show, I refused to play Nirvana, and used to actually get listeners pissed off. SOme would call, and we would have discussions. Here's a tip: If you are a dour, grungy person who imitates the lifestyle Cobain lived, and actually think his music spoke to you, you have a sad life. Don't call a college DJ, while drunk, in order to try and 'put teh DJ in his respectful place". The DJ is sober. The DJ has digital editing equipment to make you look like an even bigger ass than you are. The DJ can take your words out of context. Arguing with a DJ just means that you really have no life. I am a DJ and I tell you this in all honesty, we like listeners, because obviously, we generally like the music we play. But we don't like jerk listeners who think that its THEIR personal jukebox.



Anyway, the celebrity death that affected me most? Hmmm......well, Cobain's DID affect me. It made me the 'weird guy' who didn't like Nirvana. So that was a bad thing.

There are probably no celebrities that I can say I felt a loss for upon hearing of their death.

[RunByDesign]

. He wasn't even a good musician,

That opinion suprises me, considering he was a guy who opened the door for a whole genre of music.

I have to disagree. His music was special.

[2 Minute Warning]

John Lennon
Princess Diana

[orangenblue420]

Dale Earnhardt - by far - I actually cried

then

Chris Farley

[SCI03]

Jackie Gleason- Some of you know how I love the Smokey and the Bandit movie, and The Sherriff was my favorite role. I actually was him this past Halloween.

John Belushi- An inspiration for all us fat, funny guys. He also died the day of my Bar Mitzvah.

John Lennon- of course.

Elvis- though not a fan of his music, just felt like a piece of Americana died that day.

[urinal_cake]

Tupac, & Clinton's ex-bodyguards @ Waco (not really celebs, but I couldn't think of anyone else)™

[Zmabe]

chris farly and biggie

[LittleOne]

John Candy..........I loved watching him. He could make me laugh on the saddest days. What a terrible loss of such a beautiful person. I miss him :ugh: . But I'm a firm believer that your day is set for you on the day you are born and that's just the way it is :( .

[ElwayIsGod7]

For me Kurt Cobain, John Ritter, John Candy, also Dave Williams the original singer for Drowning Pool

[broncochica]

Princess Diana

She was the apithamy of beauty. :D

[RealBronco]

Chris Farley. So many potential comedy classic movies could be out right now but no.

[horsesense]

Elvis, John Lennon, and even though he was a lil older when he died, the Duke (John Wayne)..

[Vulcan]

Chris Farley, and Rodney Dangerfield.

[West]

Pat Tillman...


nuff said, wont get into it, all i have to do is say his name yall know about that

[Sam24]

John Candy and John Ritter, two great guys that went way too early!
Tejana Pop star Selena, shot in the back at the age of 23!
http://www.telecafe.com/~superman/users/images/pictures/selena.gif

[CalBroncoFan]

I would have to say 2Pac. I remember exactly what I was doing the day he died.

[Jared]

That opinion suprises me, considering he was a guy who opened the door for a whole genre of music.

I have to disagree. His music was special.

If you count grunge as good music. Taste is subjective, but I truly feel that Nirvana brought rock music backwards. Simplicity can be good, but when all your songs are simple, its shows a lack of range and understanding of your instrument. Unfortunately, every band since then, whether a true grunge band or not, has followed their lead of simplicity and bad vocals.

The guy who was their drummer who is now in the Foo Fighters as a guitarist is actually fairly decent on botth, and his songs are somewhat interesting. But he wasn't the songwriter for Nirvana. The post Nirvana bands were ok, Soundgarden had some weird time sigs, and some progressive meets Sabbath structures that were kinda cool. Pearl Jam was ok until they stopped writing songs with melodies. STP was actually VERY cool, but they were basically a classic rock band with a post punk sound, not really grunge (grunge bands don't write pretty songs like "Lady Picture SHow" or do Led Zep covers).

How was their music special? I am not going to sit here and say its a crime to like Nirvana, because taste is subjective, but please explain this to me. Most people roll their eyes like I am stupid, but seriously, what's the appeal? His lyrics are completely non-sensical, and don't qualify as either prose or poetry. His voice was not that good. And he wasn't a good guitar player. He used drugs, and committed suicide. And yet, somehow, I was in the wrong in college for not liking his music. Well, I am not a sucicidal drug abuser, so why should I understand? "Who doesn't like Nirvana? That's odd" What is supposed to be the appeal? Please explain it to me so that music snobs will get off of my back.

[Passepartout]

Brandon Lee
John Candy
Phil Hartman
Johnny Carson
Reggie White
Dale Earnhardt
Princess Diana
Jon-Erik Hexum(Model and Actor who on the 1984 set of CBS Cover Up shot himself fatally in the temple)
Ricky Nelson

But none than David Bloom who was thought at NBC to be a rising star when he died of a pulmonary embolism in Iraq in 2003. He was Weekend Today co-host with now CNN's Soledad O Brien.

[GoDenver]

Elvis- though not a fan of his music, just felt like a piece of Americana died that day.

no way! Elvis is dead?! where was i when this happened? i dont believe you, whats next, you're probably gonna tell me James Dean is dead too, hu?

[Jared]

no way! Elvis is dead?! where was i when this happened? i dont believe you, whats next, you're probably gonna tell me James Dean is dead too, hu?


No, actually, I was going to tell you that Jimi Hendrix died. Crazy, huh? Apparently it was a BIG secret.

[Booher]

Princess Diana...........

[O&B4life]

I guess we don't have too many big golf fans on here, because nobody has yet to mention the death of Payne Stewart. His death had a pretty big impact on me because he was my favorite player and he died less than one week after winning his first U.S. Open.

Others would have to be Chris Farley and Phil Hartman

[Alastor]

I gotta go with the Great One. Big Jackie Gleason.

He was class.

[broncochica]

The one person's death that impacted me the most was Princess Di. She symbolized so much. Pure heartedness, beauty, kindness, and class. Through out her life she showed some much selfcontrol and dignity.

Another person that had a real big impacted on me was Salena. She was soo young and beautiful and at the peek of her career. It is sad that someone so talented and so young had to be taken from her family, friends and fans.

[Jared]

I guess we don't have too many big golf fans on here, because nobody has yet to mention the death of Payne Stewart. His death had a pretty big impact on me because he was my favorite player and he died less than one week after winning his first U.S. Open.

Others would have to be Chris Farley and Phil Hartman


OK, I admit to not follwing golf too closely, but I honestly have never heard of Payne Stewart.

I know Tiger, Mickelson, Duval, VeeJay Sing, and ....uhhhh.....Michele Wie and Anika Sorenstam.


I am a golf neophyte

[O&B4life]

OK, I admit to not follwing golf too closely, but I honestly have never heard of Payne Stewart.

I know Tiger, Mickelson, Duval, VeeJay Sing, and ....uhhhh.....Michele Wie and Anika Sorenstam.


I am a golf neophyte

I'm pretty sure that if you saw a picture of him you would remember. He was the only golfer that still wore the old school outfit. I think they are called Knickers but i'm not completely sure

[Tony]

I was sad hearing about aaliyah's death, my sister came into my room one night, and asked me, " did i hear about aaliyah? I said no, what happened? She told me she got killed in an plane crash!

[spikerman]

If you count grunge as good music. Taste is subjective, but I truly feel that Nirvana brought rock music backwards. Simplicity can be good, but when all your songs are simple, its shows a lack of range and understanding of your instrument. Unfortunately, every band since then, whether a true grunge band or not, has followed their lead of simplicity and bad vocals.

The guy who was their drummer who is now in the Foo Fighters as a guitarist is actually fairly decent on botth, and his songs are somewhat interesting. But he wasn't the songwriter for Nirvana. The post Nirvana bands were ok, Soundgarden had some weird time sigs, and some progressive meets Sabbath structures that were kinda cool. Pearl Jam was ok until they stopped writing songs with melodies. STP was actually VERY cool, but they were basically a classic rock band with a post punk sound, not really grunge (grunge bands don't write pretty songs like "Lady Picture SHow" or do Led Zep covers).

How was their music special? I am not going to sit here and say its a crime to like Nirvana, because taste is subjective, but please explain this to me. Most people roll their eyes like I am stupid, but seriously, what's the appeal? His lyrics are completely non-sensical, and don't qualify as either prose or poetry. His voice was not that good. And he wasn't a good guitar player. He used drugs, and committed suicide. And yet, somehow, I was in the wrong in college for not liking his music. Well, I am not a sucicidal drug abuser, so why should I understand? "Who doesn't like Nirvana? That's odd" What is supposed to be the appeal? Please explain it to me so that music snobs will get off of my back.


Finally, someone who agrees with me about Nirvana. I will say Dave Grohl is very talented though.

[plummerchick16]

It didn't really impact me all that much but Sergei Zholtok's death was rather sad. For the record, he was a hockey player and he played for the Predators.

Also, eventhough i wasn't born yet, John Lennon's death I think always has somewhat of an impact on Beatles fans both old and young.

[spikerman]

I was fairly young, but I was upset when John Wayne died.

[rcsodak]

Pat Tillman...


nuff said, wont get into it, all i have to do is say his name yall know about that

huh???????

[rcsodak]

OK, I admit to not follwing golf too closely, but I honestly have never heard of Payne Stewart.

I know Tiger, Mickelson, Duval, VeeJay Sing, and ....uhhhh.....Michele Wie and Anika Sorenstam.
I am a golf neophyte

So I take it you didn't hear of HOW he died?

[chickennob2]

First off, Kurt did not commit suicide. He was murdered by the plottings of his wife Courtney Love. Tom Grant, the PI Courtney hired to find Kurt after he went "missing" smelled foul play and has continued to work to this day out of hisw own wallet to bring Kurt justice. Many facts are available online, cobainscase.com (tom grant's website), justiceforkurt.com, and countless others.

Nirvana did speak for a generation. My life sucks, you gotta deal with the shiat. They did exactly what the wanted with their music, they didnt follow any guidelines, they poured pure emotion into their music (obviously if youve only ever heard parts of Nevermind, you dont understand what Nirvana really is about). They paved the way for music as we know it. the fact that youd dont particularly like their music is no reason to discredit their accomplishments, or to refuse to let others hear it on your radio station for that matter. And no matter what you think of their music, you have to love songs like In Bloom just for the message (the chorus of "he's the one/ who likes all our pretty songs/ and he likes to sing along/ and he likes to shoot his gun/ but he knows not what it means" that obviously just mock the token Nirvana fans who have only ever heard Smells Like Teen Spirit (which in itself mocks the revoultionist youth ideals) You dont have to like Nirvana, but you should respect them.

[PAINTERDAVE]

Earlier here, somebody posted how the passing of "the old guys" was not so big a deal, like how "these" dudes left so young in life. I remember Phil Hartman and Chris Farley on the list. This is in response, but not a slam. I am not being smarmy here. I only wanted to respond and make my point. This is all out of my head, so forgive me if I get a year or an age wrong. It will be dang close, either way!

Buddy Holly shook the world of Rock and Roll up. That Texas boy gave us all kinda songs and influenced all kinda folks. On a national tour, the 20 something Holly was on a plane with THE BIG BOPPER, a DJ who did Chantilly Lace, a classic one hit wonder. Richie Valens was on that plane, the 20 something phenomenon missed Donna something fierce, but he did the tour. Along with those young guys was Eddie Cochran, the dude who wrote and played "Sumertime Blues" in 1957! He was so way ahead of his time! He did "Twenty flight Rock" and a few more. The Who went on to popularize "Summertime Blues", and god bless 'em for it. There were other fine musicians, drummers, bass players, techs, and such that went down in that fiery crash that day. It was not only sad, but a huge loss to the future of what could have been, musically. They were all young, they were all way ahead of the curve, and they all wanted to live. Not an overdose. Not old age. Not a damn reason. Fate. I mourn 'em all.

[PAINTERDAVE]

That plane crash was the late 1950's. The Beatles fashioned their name after Buddy Holly and the Crickets. Elvis was still young, goodlooking, cool and not a sell out. The Rolling Stones started recording in the early 60's, shortly after the Beatles dumped Pete Best and Hired the drummer from Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. The Stones had a dude that was their leader, Brian Jones. Wild, goodlookin' dude, hell of a musician, mid 60's , he was found face down floating in a swimming pool. Young buck, waste of a life.

Pink Floyd recorded their first in '66 or '67. Their leader, Syd Barrett, was wildly insane. Their music was inspired or demented, depending on how old you were back then. Round about the third or fourth album, Syd was locked away, legally insane. Not sure how he died, but it was not too long later. I'll look it up another time.

In London, doing something for the Beatles label, Apple records, Duane Allman kicked the bucket. That was a sad day for country fried rock! His Brother gregg carried on, but was never as good, and the death of Duane made all the music so melancholy! The Beatles broke up around '69, tragic, a few years after the death of their original manager ,Brian Epstein. Come about 1970, '71 we all got hit with the 3 J's. Overdose of Jimi, Janis, and Jim. Young puppies. Mama Cass Elliot choked on a ham sandwich, in London, same place as Jimi. Bad luck city back then, huh?

The drummer for Led Zeppilen, John Bonham, he checked out in the '70's and so did the wild man drummer for the Who, Keith Moon.

Ricky Nelsons whole band took off from the airfield, the plane skittered, and slammed into the only tree for 3 miles! The 1970's were so great, but not when you remember the plane crash that killed Lynerd Skynerd! The cousins and little brothers that tour under that name now are not the real deal. No comparison.

I am gonna stop now, and wipe real tears from my cheeks.

My whole point is, was, that the 40 year old Phil Hartman, and the hardliving 30 plus year old John Belushi, and Chris Farley, they are all deserving of memory and thoughts. But do not discount the tragic toll of the young Rock and Rollers, some of whom left because of hard living, but a lot of whom left this earth real young, real happy, real succesfull, and not any where near ready to go. It was not just a bunch of old dudes. Hell, most of the old dudes are still alive and kicking! Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Little Richard, The Stones, McCartney and Ringo, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Elton, Cher, ... and on and on.

Another rambling post off the top of my head.

Can you imagine how hard it must have been for my 8th grade students?

[RealBronco]

If you count grunge as good music. Taste is subjective, but I truly feel that Nirvana brought rock music backwards. Simplicity can be good, but when all your songs are simple, its shows a lack of range and understanding of your instrument. Unfortunately, every band since then, whether a true grunge band or not, has followed their lead of simplicity and bad vocals.

The guy who was their drummer who is now in the Foo Fighters as a guitarist is actually fairly decent on botth, and his songs are somewhat interesting. But he wasn't the songwriter for Nirvana. The post Nirvana bands were ok, Soundgarden had some weird time sigs, and some progressive meets Sabbath structures that were kinda cool. Pearl Jam was ok until they stopped writing songs with melodies. STP was actually VERY cool, but they were basically a classic rock band with a post punk sound, not really grunge (grunge bands don't write pretty songs like "Lady Picture SHow" or do Led Zep covers).

How was their music special? I am not going to sit here and say its a crime to like Nirvana, because taste is subjective, but please explain this to me. Most people roll their eyes like I am stupid, but seriously, what's the appeal? His lyrics are completely non-sensical, and don't qualify as either prose or poetry. His voice was not that good. And he wasn't a good guitar player. He used drugs, and committed suicide. And yet, somehow, I was in the wrong in college for not liking his music. Well, I am not a sucicidal drug abuser, so why should I understand? "Who doesn't like Nirvana? That's odd" What is supposed to be the appeal? Please explain it to me so that music snobs will get off of my back.

I agree Jared. I don't think Nirvana was all that good either. My main deal was that he couldn't sing...so what does he do? "Create" a new "style" that makes it easier for him to cover it up...They should've called it Mumble and not Grunge...

I think every punk band has followed that whole simplicity idea...the problem is, they make big money on 3 chords and the same tune over and over again and their music is not original or interesting at all. Plus, not to mention they all sound the same to me.

[Jared]

So I take it you didn't hear of HOW he died?

Well, since I have no idea who he is, yes, I have no idea how he dies.

[Jared]

First off, Kurt did not commit suicide. He was murdered by the plottings of his wife Courtney Love. Tom Grant, the PI Courtney hired to find Kurt after he went "missing" smelled foul play and has continued to work to this day out of hisw own wallet to bring Kurt justice. Many facts are available online, cobainscase.com (tom grant's website), justiceforkurt.com, and countless others.

Nirvana did speak for a generation. My life sucks, you gotta deal with the shiat. They did exactly what the wanted with their music, they didnt follow any guidelines, they poured pure emotion into their music (obviously if youve only ever heard parts of Nevermind, you dont understand what Nirvana really is about). They paved the way for music as we know it. the fact that youd dont particularly like their music is no reason to discredit their accomplishments, or to refuse to let others hear it on your radio station for that matter. And no matter what you think of their music, you have to love songs like In Bloom just for the message (the chorus of "he's the one/ who likes all our pretty songs/ and he likes to sing along/ and he likes to shoot his gun/ but he knows not what it means" that obviously just mock the token Nirvana fans who have only ever heard Smells Like Teen Spirit (which in itself mocks the revoultionist youth ideals) You dont have to like Nirvana, but you should respect them.


Um...no. I don;t have to respect them. And my life doesn't suck. Maybe that's why I don't get it. And I have heard every song off of Bleach, Nevermind, Insecticide, In Utero, the Beavis & Butthead Experience, and The Muddy Banks of The Wishkah, (Unplugged has no new songs and has a lot of covers, so they don't count as Nirvana songs) so I think I am able to make an informed decisison. I never said that I NEVER played Nirvana, I only refused to honor requests for it on my show. If it was logged as a 'must play' during regular programming, then I played it.

As for their 'accomnplishments' please list them. They broke no new musical or recording techniques. They actually followed pop song structures (Intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge and or solo, verse, chorus), and the certainly had no muscial breakthroughs in terms of chording or music theory. The Pixies were doing that guitar sound and same melodic structure before they did. So what did they accomplish exactly? I mean, they seemed to HATE the fact that they were a multi-platinum act. If you don't want people to listen to your music, why are you recording it? That is illogical.

[Jared]

Pink Floyd recorded their first in '66 or '67. Their leader, Syd Barrett, was wildly insane. Their music was inspired or demented, depending on how old you were back then. Round about the third or fourth album, Syd was locked away, legally insane. Not sure how he died, but it was not too long later. I'll look it up another time.

Mama Cass Elliot choked on a ham sandwich, in London, same place as Jimi. Bad luck city back then, huh?

The drummer for Led Zeppilen, John Bonham, he checked out in the '70's and so did the wild man drummer for the Who, Keith Moon.




Syd Barret is alive. Reclusive, but alive. Last attempted communication by a member of the media was 2002: http://www.sydbarrett.net/welcome.htm

Mama cass did not choke on a ham sandwich. Urban legend. http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/mamacass.htm
There was room service in her room when she was found, but she died of a massive heart attack. Which is not surpising given her weight.

Bonham died in 1980.

I am suprised no one has mentioned Bon Scott of AC/DC.

[Jared]

I agree Jared. I don't think Nirvana was all that good either. My main deal was that he couldn't sing...so what does he do? "Create" a new "style" that makes it easier for him to cover it up...They should've called it Mumble and not Grunge...

I think every punk band has followed that whole simplicity idea...the problem is, they make big money on 3 chords and the same tune over and over again and their music is not original or interesting at all. Plus, not to mention they all sound the same to me.

All good points. But does Nirvana count as punk? Certainly influenced by punk, and adheres to the punk ethos, but musically, punk bands don't cover David Bowie or admit listening to early Cheap Trick.


punkish?