Died Too Soon

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Not necessarily artists who died very young, but artists who died when they could have been expected to make significantly more contributions. Whose death do you really see as a loss to music? (I am mostly thinking of music from the era of recording technology--but if you have a Baroque composer in mind who died at the age of 20, feel free to mention him.) A couple of nominations:
Asmahan, who died at age 24, if I remember correctly. An arabic singer from the 30's and 40's with one of the most amazing voices I think I've ever heard. She died in a mysterious car "accident," but that's a story for some other time. Who killed Asmahan? Less sublime, but also someone I wish had lived longer: salsa singer Frankie Ruiz.

― DeRayMi, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I know it's kind of an obvious question*, but I am looking for a list of whose deaths people actually regret, rather than just a list of the most famous "died too young" types (though if it ends up being the same list, more or less, that's also fine).

*(Also but I felt like posting something and mind is slow this morning.)

― DeRayMi, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Im going to say Nick Drake.

― Poops McGee, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

And I can't refrain from mentioning Ian Curtis. Though I am not sure if suicides are included.

― alex in mainhattan, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Sam Cooke.

― Poops McGee, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The whole South African posse - Mongezi Feza, Harry Miller, Johnny Dyani, Dudu Pukwana and Chris McGregor.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I always wondered where Jimi Hendrix would have gone if he had lived longer. Would he be playing the Vegas/Branson circuit with Peter Noone? Or would he be doing some experimental stuff with (?Mayo Thompson, ?) Or would he have retreated into isolation, releasing the occasional blues record?

― Dave225, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

He would probably have been Laswell-ised.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

obvious as fuck, but jeff Buckley. and timmy taylor of brainiac.

― stevie, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

No, that'd be TIM Buckley, Stevie.

― helenfordsdale, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

John Lee Hooker

― Brian Gallagher, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Eric Dolphy. Albert Ayler. Scott LaFaro. Clifford Brown. Charlie Christian. (Gareth has put me in a jazz mood!)

― Andrew L, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Suicides count.

(Incidentally, my examples are both pretty obvious in their respective genres.)

― DeRayMi, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Both Buckley's were finished anyways when they died. Ever listened to "Look at the Fool", Stevie Nixed? What about Kurt Cobain?

― alex in mainhattan, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Elvis, I wonder if he would still be singing.

― Poops McGee, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

not to be an ass, but im glad cobain isn't around anymore, i was waiting for the Nirvana era to end.

― Poops McGee, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Otis Redding was only 26 when he died.

― fritz, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Chris Bell, who died in a car crash shortly after finally getting a solo single out and a band to back him.

― Mr Noodles, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Billy MacKenzie.

I know that he was 39 but, after years of faffing about, had finally begun to get it together.

BTW, I recently discovered another dozen MacKenzie/Aungle songs on AG - including MacArthur's Son and the cover of Here Comes The Rain Again.

Does anyone know where these came from?

― Zanny G, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Yes, LaFaro, Clifford Brown, Hendrix. And maybe most of all Jimmy Blanton. I've been listening to a 4 cd compilation of Ellington's stuff, "Masterpieces" (availabe for about the price of a single cd and an unbelievable bargain). The last pre-Blanton track is "The Sergeant was Shy", recorded August '39. The next track chronologically is "Jack the Bear" recorded March 1940. Blanton's playing makes the difference between the two tracks sound like 20 years. He was only 20 at the time and would die aged 21.

― ArfArf, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Peter Laughner died in his twenties in 1977. He is a myth for some. Don't know anything about his music. There is some connection to Pere Ubu I think.

― alex in mainhattan, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Armando? i do not know if he would have made more good stuff or not. michael taylor to thread please!

― gareth, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Peter Laughner was a great guitarist (for Pere Ubu, among other incarnations) - but from what I read about him, he probably would have turned into a rock star if he had lived.. maybe not like Eddie Money, but less like David Thomas. Maybe would have been the next Stiv Bators, if he had lived and his career had become what it might have.... (huh?)

― Dave225, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Tony Williams. Maybe his orchestra record Wilderness wasn't the best, but it was a huge step for him and someone with that kind of talent was bound to have some great stuff left in him. And I could have seen him!

― Jordan, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

It's interesting to see Nick Drake in here, I always thought that his small corpus of work was perfectly rounded. Not to mention that Pink Moon is as perfect a statement of intent that I believe Nick could have come up with. I think that Pink Moon was an ethos/vision- stating work that Nick could not have surpassed. And what a way to close your recording career: From The Morning. Listening to that song stings when you realise how utterly pertinent it was. I'm not explaining myself very well. Let me re-group. Surprised we've had no dave Q style "X didn't die early enough" comments yet.

― powertonevolume, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

god i love from the morning. i would just like to know if he was alive what he would have thought of volkswagen using his song.

― Poops McGee, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Adrian Borland?

― powertonevolume, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

D Boon. The Minutemen have a fairly large body of work, but I'd be interested to see how he would adapt to changes in the contempory music scene - would we have a hip-hop Minutemen LP?

― nickn, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

what he would have thought of volkswagen using his song
Didn't they use "Pink Moon", the title song? Never saw the commercial so I don't know for sure. But "From the Morning" is definitely the perfect song to complete Nick Drake's work if there is one: "A day once dawned and it was beautiful...".

― alex in mainhattan, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Klaus Nomi. Billy Murcia. Stuart Sutcliffe. George Scott III from the Raybeats and 8 Eyed Spy. Rob "Graves" Ritter from the Gun Club and 45 Grave.

― Arthur, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Didn't they use "Pink Moon", the title song? Yes they did. He does have a complete body of work and from the morning was the perfect ending. but it leaves me wanting more.

― Poops McGee, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Aaliyah. R.I.P.

― Sterling Clover, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Ever listened to "Look at the Fool", Stevie Nixed?
Nope. And how COULD I forget Peter Laughner (and Darby Crash). Fek. Take the Guitarplayer for a Ride is fantastickah. Fuck Ryan Adams for making another (lame ass) Sylvia Plath song.

― helenfordsdale, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

RE Ryan comment: Why?

― powertonevolume, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Fuck Ryan Adams
Fuck yourself. What did he do to you? Or maybe I should ask what didn't he do to you? His Sylvia Plath song is not the best on the album but it surely comes from his heart.

― alex in mainhattan, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Christ, Alex, RELAX. I don't like it. You do. Big deal. It's just music.

― helenfordsdale, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Well in fairness, not wanting to take sides or anything......................I think any Ryan Adams fans here are quite aware how eh....popular he is on ILM. It doesn't bother me personally, but I can see how Alex might be pissed off.

― Ronan, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeh, as much as I hate the anti-Ryan hegemony I try not to get too worked up about it. When everyone else has to acknowledge his genius: we'll feel vindicated.

Anyway, I was just wondering what you meant, Helen. I didn't see any other Sylia Plath mentions up-thread, did I miss something?

(Alex: have you seen the new Answering Bell video - Elton John dressed as the fairy godmother waving his wand about?)

― powertonevolume, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

most people die too young: but eubie blake was exactly right (on his hundredth birthday, what a showman!)

― mark s, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The only Sylvia Plath cover I know of was by Death of Samantha. It was alright - not as good as their version of Werewolves of London.

Were there others?

― Dave225, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Alex: have you seen the new Answering Bell video - Elton John dressed as the fairy godmother waving his wand about?
No I haven't. I don't have a tv. And I have always hated music videos anyway. Elton and Ryan are a funny couple. This must all be part of the marketing strategy. As long as Ryan does make some good music I don't give a damn about this.

― alex in mainhattan, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

did ryan adams do the "i still love you tho new york" song i hear every morning at work?

― kevin enas, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I like Adams' Plath song better then I like Sylvia's own work. Peter Gabriel has an Anne Sexton one on So. Jeff Buckley died before he could get past his Robert Plant obsession.

― bnw, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

All soul for me. Marvin Gaye had got back to his peak with Sexual Healing just before he died. Otis was at his. Sam Cooke died just before he could join in with the soul boom of the '60s.

Has anyone mentioned Rolling Stone Brian Jones yet? Or Keith Moon - the Who were past their peak, certainly, but his drumming was still better than just about any rock drummer ever. Which leads straight back to soul - Al Jackson was still, for me, the greatest drummer ever in any style when he was killed in 1975.

― Martin Skidmore, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Dwayne Gottel of Skinny Puppy. Before he passed he had started working on his own material which just blew my mind when i heard it.

― dyson, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

keith dobson (012 & world domination enterprises) would've loved jungle. (i still don't know for sure if he is dead.... but thats another thread..)

― dbini, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I was really upset when Mia Zapata was murdered. Does anyone outside of Seattle love the Gits? Frenching the Bully is a GRRREAT LP.

Re: Nick Drake. there are plenty of post-Pink Moon recordings. Hanging on a Star, Rider on the Wheel, Black Eyed Dog and Voice from the Mountain are all 2 years after P.M. and are very nice, esp. Hanging on a Star.

― Ron Hudson, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

OK OK, maybe four isn't 'plenty'

― Ron Hudson, Wednesday, 27 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Buddy Holly. The most talented rocker of his day; who knows what he could have done given even a few more years? I imagine him developing along similar lines as Lennon/McCartney and Brian Wilson.

― Justyn Dillingham, Thursday, 28 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

did ryan adams do the "i still love you tho new york" song i hear every morning at work?
Yea. He did. I reckon that it is one of the worst songs of the new album.

― alex in mainhattan, Thursday, 28 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I would argue that its probably one of the best. The banked guitars, the narrative unleashed in a flood of flash-cuts, the relentless Tangled-Up-In-Bluism, the tongue-tied confessional... Its utterly brilliant. The rest is 'worthy'. I know he has some more great albums in him, though.

― powertonevolume, Thursday, 28 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Is Ryan Adams Dead? Helen mentioned that he did a shitty cover of a Peter Laughner (who IS dead) song.

Stop talking about Ryan Adams.

― Dave225, Thursday, 28 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Is Peter Laughner the guy that Lester Bangs wrote an article about detaling how he couldn't live if he had to live around him? The same guy?

― ryanadams, Thursday, 28 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Helen mentioned no such thing.

― ryanadams, Thursday, 28 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Fuck Ryan Adams for making another (lame ass) Sylvia Plath song. - Helen

"Sylvia Plath" by Peter Laughner.

― Dave225, Thursday, 28 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"SYLVIA PLATH" by Ryan Adams on his new album Gold.

― powertonevolume, Thursday, 28 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Fuck Sylvia Plath for being a lame ass poet and an even worse novelist.

― powertonevolume, Thursday, 28 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I take it all back. Ryan Adams is Gold. Plated. ;-)

― helenfordsdale, Thursday, 28 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

how about the drummer from that welsh band that had a cd player player player player player?

― fields of salmon, Thursday, 28 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Scriabin:

"...he overflowed with plans. He spoke of tactile symphonies. He called incense an art which joins earth and heaven. He described the 'Mysterium' [a work about which Scriabin had been thinking for many years). He explained this great final, cataclysmic opus as synthesizing all the arts, loading all senses into a hypnoidal, many-media extravaganza of sound, sight, smell, feel, dance, decor, orchestra, piano, singers, light, sculptures, colors, visions..."

"Scriabin spent a great deal of time working on the 'Mysterium'--not composing any music, but thinking about its locale and the extramusical accompaniments to the spectacle. The 'Mysterium' involved the end of the world and the creation of a new race of man. At the climax of the 'Mysterium' the walls of the universe would cave in. 'I shall not die,' Scriabin said. "I shall suffocate in ecstasy after the 'Mysterium'."...He wanted his 'Mysterium' to be performed in a temple in India, a temple hemispherical in shape. As Bowers describes the 'Mysterium': 'Bells suspended from the clouds in the sky would summon the spectators from all over the world. The performance was to take place in a holy temple to be built in India. A reflecting pool of water would complete the divinity of the half- circle stage. Spectators would sit in tiers across the water. Those in the balconies would be the least spiritually advanced. The seating was strictly graded, ranking radially from the center of the stage, where Scriabin would sit at the piano, surrounded by hosts of instruments, singers, dancers. The entire group was to be permeated continually with movement, and costumed speakers reciting the text in processions and parades would form parts of the action. The choreography would include glances, looks, eye motions, touches of the hands, odors of both pleasant perfumes and acrid smokes, frankincense and myrrh. Pillars of incense would form part of the scenery. Lights, fires, and constantly changing lighting effects would pervade the cast and audience, each to number in the thousands. This prefaces the final 'Mysterium' and prepares people for their ultimate dissolution in ecstasy.'

"Goodness knows how far Scriabin would have gone with the project....But Scriabin died while all of the Mysterium was in his head. He died in a ridiculous manner. People like him should go up in a blaze of fire. Scriabin died from blood poisoning, the result of a carbuncle on his lip."

Berg too, who also died of blood poisoning when he was coming up with some of his best music.

― Phil, Thursday, 28 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Blind Lemon Jefferson. Robert Johnson. Robert Hicks, aka Barbecue Bob. Clarence White and Gram Parsons.

― bryan, Friday, 1 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

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