2016 The year the music died

                It is common knowledge that 3rd February 1959 was the day the music died with the loss of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper, That day immortalised by the lyrics of Don Mclean's American Pie.
                 The following morning as the lyrics tell us Don shivered at every newspaper he delivered on his paper round on a cold February morning, delivering the news of the tragic plane and the loss of such talent. I wonder if he shivered throughout 2016 with every months headlines announcing the loss of another musician.

January - David Bowie & Terry Wogan, Paul Kantner, Jimmy Bain, Glenn Frey, Dale Griffin, Clarence Reid, Colonel Adams, Ed Stewpot Stewart, Pierre Boulez, Robert Stigwood, Paul Bley
February-  Viola Beach, John Chilton, Johnny Murphy, Vanity (Denise Matthews), Maurice White,
March - Phife Dawg, Lee Andrews, Peter Maxwell Davies, Keith Emerson, George Martin. Martin White
April - Prince, Billy Paul. Papa Wemba, Victoria Wood, Jeremy Steig, Merle Haggard, Leandro 'Gato' Barbieri,
May - John Berry, Guy Clarke,
June - Bernie Worrell, Henry McCullough,
July -  Might have had a months off, not sure
August - Rudy Van Gelder, Tom Searle, Matt Roberts,
September - Prince Buster, Jerry Heller,
October - Bobby Vee, Pete Burns, Dave Cash,
November - Leonard Cohen, Sharon Jones, Mose Allison, Leon Russell, Jimmy Young
December - George Michael, Rick Parfitt, Greg Lake

This list contains all sorts of musicians from Jazz to orchestral to composers to Radio 1 founding Dj's (3 of these) and I'm sure I've missed some. and maybe 2016 started early with Lemmy passing in late 2015.

These are just a few I have highlighted, i thinks we all know the big names and what they did.
Bobby Vee a contemporary of the buddy holly with possibly his best known turn being Rubber Ball.
Pete Burns click here to see my previous blog entry
Martin White, contribution to music was being the producer for  the Rocky Horror Picture Show
Johnny Murphy played a musician, not sure if he could play or not.
Robert Stigwood, launched the Bee Gees

Christmas day bought us the news that George Michael had passed away, aside from having some great hits the speculation over his sexuality in the 1990's seems to eclipse the artists work, and eventually an incident "outed" him. From that point on the press seemed to consider him fair game and ignoring his talent and contribution instead focusing on any misdemeanour. and now following his death we are hearing about the good charity work he performed and donated to.
Its amazing how quickly they turn. My personal view is sexuality is up to the individual and if they want to announce it they should have that right and not be "outed" by anyone else.

The viola beach story i suppose is similar to the 1959 loss, up and coming musicians torn form us in a tragic accident.

but is 2016 really the year the music died ?
Some really good new artists have seen success in 2016 and have dominated, but also there has been some interesting news with the Led Zepplin lawsuit.
Following the successful suing of Pharrell Williams by the family of Marvin Gaye for plagiarism 2016 saw a lawsuit against Led Zepplin for copying the riff in stairway to heaven. This to me was a worrying thing, I think it was one of the Gallagher brothers who when asked about the likeness of their music to the Beetles replied that its impossibly not to be influenced by great music, or words to that effect.
others encapsulated the sentiment in song lyrics, including Natasha Bedingfield with These Words -

Threw some chords together
The combination D.E.F
It's who I am it's what I do
And I was gonna lay it down for you.

I'm trying to focus my attention
But I feel so A.D.D
I need some help some inspiration
But it's not coming easily...

Tryn'a find the magic
Tryn'a write a classic
Don't you know, don't you know, don't you know?
Wastebin full of paper
Clever rhymes, see ya later

and even better put by Twenty One Pilots with Stressed Out -

I wish I found some chords in an order that is new
I wish I didn't have to rhyme every time I sang

what a challenge to create new music that isn't similar, I am really pleased that the Led Zepplin lawsuit collapsed and feel it will allow freedom for artists to be artists and influenced and inspired.

Maybe the music didn't die after all.

Maybe its in the playing of the recording that the music will always live on .....
or we should just drive to the levee and drink whiskey and Rye