Dead pop stars

On two of my first solo trip to the US, famous pop/rock stars died.

Geoge Harrison died on 29th November 2001, and I was in the US.

I thought I knew George and his output.

He was in The Beatles (they had a hit or tow)

A solo career, the first solo number 1 by a former Beatle. Apparently.

And was a memeber of the fictional supergroup, The Travelling Wilburys.

I knew of his work with the Beatles. The hits anyway. And some of his solo work: Got my Mind Set on You and When we was Fab.

But what elese?

Well, that weekend on all radio stations they played his music. Almost all of which I had not heard before. I guess mainly his early solo stuff from All Things Must Pass, but there was lots of stuff with an Indian tinge, and I was amazed that I had never heard any of this stuff before.

Thing is, punk embedded this "year zero" belief in that nothing before 1976 was worth even thinking about.

I Hate Pink Ployd was the logo on John Lydon's t shirt.

And yet he didn't really hate them, because very little music or art springs into existance without any previous references.

Mauny stars of the 60s music scene from the UK are pretty much unknown in their home country: Jeff Beck, for example. And yet are on a pedestal in the US. Beck could walk down any hight street in the UK and pass un-noticed.

Growing up, Led Zeppelin were derided. A byword for music of the past. Something of the rock dinosaurs that punk and new wave swept away. Tehn, in 1990, a compliation album of their best known work was released, remastered. Or Remastered. And I can remember the review in Q Magazine that was a revaltion for me as a reader, and the person doing the review.

No one makes fun of Led Zeppelin now. They used to.

I was in the same kitchen in the same trailer 13 months later when Joe Strummer's death was announced.

Joe was someone I admired, and had been lucky enough to see fronting The Pogues in the brief period when that band decided they could deal with Shane's shit any more.

They opened with White Riot and ended with Straight to Hell. The rest was Pogues tunes.

I also saw Joe support The Who. I have no memory of that night in 2000. I would remember it now, treasure every moment.

I always liked The Clash, but grew to love them, especially Sandinista and Combat Rock, which is even now one of my favourites.

So, I have no idea how either death was covered in the UK. By the time I returned both times, they had been buried and we moved onto the next new record.

George has been gone 21 years, and Joe 20 years.

Joe appeared on Radio 6 in the first few weeks it started, but passed away when it was much less than a year old.

Last night 6 played three hours of Joe, including a recording of his very last concert in England. Every track was wonderful, including with the 101ers.

What is the point of this post?

I have no idea.

I have learned in the meantime that there was great music before 1976. Stories to be told and shared.

I wish I'd have known.