Some of those who died in the early 1970s but still reverberate:
Jimi Hendrix (11/27/1942-9/19/1970). We haven't see nor heard anything quite like him since, have we? Playing guitar or otherwise.
Janis Joplin (1/19/1943-10/4/1970). Ditto Hendrix for her. Of women, the only singer I can think of who seems as intense, since Joplin's death, is Amy Winehouse.
Charles "Sonny" Liston (ca.5/8/1932-12/30/1970). Fought Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali; the second bout (May 25, 1965) was especially notable for "the phantom punch." Was it a setup or did Ali deck him? Really a sad guy.
Jim Morrison (12/8/1943-7/3/1971). The Doors, man.
Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong (8/4/1901-7/6/1971). Often called the greatest jazz musician (trumpet), and synonymous with New Orleans. Widely liked and respected, yet put under FBI surveillance for supporting integration.
Diane Arbus (3/14/1923-7/26/1971). Photography. Can you dig?
Nikita Khrushchev (4/15/1894-9/11/1971). Cold Warrior, Soviet side.
Duane Allman (11/20/1946-10/29/1971). Another fantastic guitarist; and Southern rock hero. Killed at 24 in a motorcycle wreck.
Roberto Clemente (8/18/1934-12/31/1972). One of the coolest baseball players I've ever seen. Still remember watching Pittsburgh Pirates games with my parents as a kid -- wow. Clemente was batting .414 in the 1971 World Series, which Pittsburgh won. Jesus, I can still remember the excitement, whenever Manny Sanguillen or Willie Stargell or Roberto Clemente was up at bat. Clemente, originally from Puerto Rico, died in a plane crash carrying earthquake relief to Nicaragua.
Lyndon Baines Johnson (8/27/1908-1/22/1973). 36th President of the United States. He presided over a lot of good things during rough times. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act, the Great Society -- Medicare, Medicaid, education assistance (including the launch or expansion of hundreds of junior or community colleges), PBS, and more. But race riots and Vietnam took him down, ushering in Nixonian America.
Salvador Allende (6/26/1908-9/11/1973). Democratically elected socialist president of Chile, brought down with the collusion of Nixonian America in the coup d'état of 1973. He committed suicide rather than surrender to the incoming junta of General Augusto Pinochet.
Pablo Neruda/Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto (7/12/1904-9/23/1973). Chilean poet, died soon after the death of Salvador Allende, whom he supported. Having won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971, he responded during a Pinochet-ordered military raid on his home with the last up yours of a poet: "Look around -- there's only one thing of danger for you here -- poetry."
Today's Rune: Partnership.
5 comments:
you could add
Harry Truman (1972)
Jim Croce (1973)
Betty Grable (1973)
Mama Cass (1974)
Ed Sullivan (1974)
I don't know if I'd put Weinhouse up with Janice. I just don't like Weinhouse's music or singing, whereas I liked Janice a lot.
Although a little late to the 70's table and didn't die in the 70's I'd have to say Stevie Ray Vaughn played remarkably well, like Hendrix.
Harry Chapin was also a very good story teller.
HARRY CHAPIN. WE STILL LISTEN TO HIM. HIS SONGS WERE STORIES SET TO MUSIC. WE NEVER TIRE OF HIS TAPES AND THEY ARE ALMOST WORN OUT.
Thanks all for the comments! DCap, who knows how the mind-filter works? Duly noted. Charles, I'm only talking intensity, not output. But she has four or five killer tracks thus far -- and if she doesn't die too soon, she may have more. She blew a chance at a Bond title track -- too bad. She would have been perfect. WM/Mark and Anon, indeed. Harry Chapin was good, and so was SRV.
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