Losing musical mentors

[Feste]

With the death of Gord Downie this week and the recent passing of Tom Petty, Walter Becker and Gregg Allman I am starting to feel my mortality. Tough to see such talented artists disappear from the musical landscape.
I was ear deep in the Petty archives when I heard the news of Downie's passing, so I have segued into The Hip catalog, listening to the last few CDs and reaching back to Fully Completely and Road Apples. Certainly his death was expected considering his condition, still difficult to come to terms with though. Hard to believe there will be artists and bands that can fill the void left by these greats.
Then, again I suppose every generation experiences this pause as we watch our mentors and heroes "shuffle off this mortal coil."

[KenL]

I was just thinking about one of my singer/songwriter "heroes" the other day. He's getting up in years, and the last time I saw him he looked a bit frail. He's a big reason that I play guitar, and it will break my heart when he passes.

I'm not even going to mention his name for fear of jinxing the guy.

(Big clue in that sentence, but don't tell me if you figure it out.)

[TBman]

Along with losing family members over time as well, hearing of your favorite entertainers leaving this earth really imprints how important just relaxing and enjoying those around you and your hobbies is.

[nitram]

When a population is top-loaded with "boomers" it's a fact that when it goes it's going to be an avalanche.I'm one .

[llew]

Yeah...I fit the mold too. But there is comfort knowing that these iconic musicians we love so much have filled our lives with incredible music over the years and that music will live on. Music transcends death. You can kill the body but not the soul...and the soul of these great musicians will live on through their music for generations.

A Gershwin tune? A Rogers & Hammerstein musical? A Benny Goodman song? All the Mississippi Delta Bluesmen? (a little less dated) Okay...I'm reaching back a bit but I think you get my drift?

[Feste]

Originally Posted by TBman

Along with losing family members over time as well, hearing of your favorite entertainers leaving this earth really imprints how important just relaxing and enjoying those around you and your hobbies is.

True that🕶

[bryantjudoman]

I felt his passing very hard as well. I was lucky enough to catch one of his first Canadian tours in a very small bar venue...it was magic.

[Pitar]

Rights of passage. I remember my parents reactions to the mounting losses from their own musical youth. They were young and very active during the wartime big band swing period and then grew up with Crosby, Sinatra, Arnold, Goulet, Martin, Williams, Cole and a whole list of crooners. Something left them with the passing of each.

[fazool]

There's a difference between someone you admire as a fan and someone who is a mentor that personally teaches you.

I would rather lose all my admired professional players than lose one of my mentors.

[guitargabor]

Originally Posted by KenL

I was just thinking about one of my singer/songwriter "heroes" the other day. He's getting up in years, and the last time I saw him he looked a bit frail. He's a big reason that I play guitar, and it will break my heart when he passes.

I'm not even going to mention his name for fear of jinxing the guy.

(Big clue in that sentence, but don't tell me if you figure it out.)

He already had a close call a number of years ago...

[Feste]

Originally Posted by fazool

There's a difference between someone you admire as a fan and someone who is a mentor that personally teaches you.

I would rather lose all my admired professional players than lose one of my mentors.

Losing either hurts in my book.
I was lucky enough to meet Petty in my radio days, but unfortunately not so Downie or Allman. As a music junkie I have spent a good chunk of my life listening to these artists, to the point where I would argue their influence in my own playing and compositional process has been guided by their artistry, indirectly if you like. It may not fit Webster's definition but I am comfortable thinking of them in terms of mentorship and miss them in kind.

[Richgj3]

This thread hits home. I have lost interest in playing after the death of a mentor and good friend, followed by having another friend and band mate rendered an invalid confined to one room and on O2 for the rest of his life.

Rich

My mother still hasn't gotten over the passing of Elvis. We feel the loss of cultural icons quite deeply. I miss Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, Chris Cornell, Chester Bennington, Curt Cobain, Layne Staley, etc. But we have some up and comers along with some really great contemporary artists: Gary Clark Jr., BRMC, Radiohead, Muse, etc.

[McCawber]

Not mentors, so much, but 35 or so years ago I had a great folk/bluegrass quartet in Florida. We had a great vocal blend, decent instrumentation and had a lot of fun. We were almost as close as brothers. I moved to the Midwest 30 years ago, but we got together a few years ago to make a "reunion CD" at a professional studio owned by a friend. The voices and memories were older, the blend not the same and the CD was terrible - but we laughed our heads off. It's a great memory.

That's our last reunion. I'm the only one left. The great guys and good times are missed.

[MrHooligan73]

I have been watching this happen and what burdens my brain is the lack of new talent that for some reason blossomed from the 1950s to the late 1979s. We have lost and are in the midst of losing many MANY great artists and there seems to be a deficit of people to fill their shoes for the next generations.
Just my rant I’m sorry but I totally feel the pain and have come to hate watching or reading the news.