Do you ever find yourself listening to the music of a musician that left us too soon, and wonder what might have been?
Throughout the history of popular music, there are many examples of artists that died at a relatively early age, that will forever remain frozen in time, and you think about what they might have done, had they lived?
Of course, there’s the numerous members of the “27 Club,” that include Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Rolling Stone Brian Jones, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse, among others, who all passed away at the age of 27.
Elvis Presley died in 1977 at just 42, and you wonder if he would’ve stayed in his Vegas, rhinestone jumpsuit, balladeer era, or if he’d have gone on to enjoy an artistic renaissance, and left an even bigger legacy.
Queen frontman Freddie Mercury died in 1991 at just 45, and you wonder what music and performances he had left to give us. Instead, he remains frozen in time, leaving us indelible memories of his iconic performances at Live Aid, his daring stage costumes, and irreverent interviews.
Michael Jackson died in 2009 at just 50 years of age. The “King of Pop” was making music his entire life, looking to be innovative with his songs, his dance moves and stage production. There have been a couple of posthumous album releases, and the “This Is It” documentary about the preparations for the London residency he never got to perform. Who knows what he would’ve given us as the years went on?
And Prince. Man… He left us in 2016 at the age of 57. He was easily one of the most creative, prolific, multi-talented artists of all-time. He could play just about any instrument and rock it, and write incredible tunes that encompassed just about any genre you wanted.
I got thinking about lost artists while listening to another artist I never got to see live, wondering what he would’ve given us, had he not been taken away from us far too early. Stevie Ray Vaughan.
From a young age, he had a prodigious talent, and melded the old with the new, worshipping at the altar of his Blues idols and his hero, Jimi Hendrix, and brought the Blues back into focus in the 1980s and 90s, at a time when the genre was not the hot, new thing anymore.
Also, from a young age, he battled drug and alcohol abuse, to the point where it nearly killed him. But he survived, and came out the other side, providing hope for those going through a similar battle.
Stevie worried that after he got clean, he wouldn’t be able to play guitar like he did before. In fact, he was better than ever.
Take this classic performance of “Tightrope,” from a 1989 performance on “Austin City Limits.” A song about getting through his struggles, his recovery, and working to be better. Just a rockin’ tune!
Stevie Ray died in 1990, just 35 years old, in a helicopter crash after a show in Wisconsin.
One can’t help but wonder what he would’ve done musically, who he may have mentored and collaborated with, and where he might’ve taken the Blues.
We’ll never know, but at least we’ll have the music he left us, as well as all of the other artists that left us far too soon.
Here’s one more from SRV, that shows he wasn’t simply a Blues guitarist. He had soul and sensitivity to his playing like few others.
This performance of “Riviera Paradise” is simply beautiful, from his dedication at the beginning, to the final note, as it trailed off into the air.
We miss you, Stevie…
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