Which rocker's death had the greatest effect on you?

For me it would have to be more than one - Jim Morrision, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and later in my life the legend John Lennon.

The first three because of the influence that they had on the music scene in the 60's and how they all died of drug overdoses.

John Lennon because of his genius and being murdered by a very sick person, also senseless...

Jim Morrison, of the Doors. I think as I was a young person then, it had more impact on me. Even though I was just a kid, I realized it was a real loss for the music world. He had much more that he would have contributed to the world.

Hendrix, Joplin and later John Lennon.

Lennon because, as has already been mentioned, his death was so senseless

I think it was John Lennon. I am too young to have been aware of joplin and hendrix during their life, but I am a huge fan now. Kurt corbain also seemed hard as he was so young and of course there was the original, the father who started it all The Big E, elvis.

That would be lonesome Dave Peverett. Singer songwriter guitarist for Savoy Brown and later of Foghat.

I'd say Dimebag. I was too young appreciate John Lennon's death when it happened. I am into heavy music and I was really into Pantera for a while. Their music was the backdrop for a pretty heavy time in my life.

I was never a big Nirvana fan and when I heard Cobain killed himself, I was more irritated than anything else. It was just cowardly. Plus now all the pundits are gong to go on and on about how he was the voice of my generation. So just for the record, he didn't speak for me.

The one that bothered me the most was Dave Williams of Drowning Pool. I had heard a lot of good things about him, and really liked the band. It upset me a lot.

I also believe that Jim Morrison shouldn't have died so young. He could have been a bigger, better artist if he didn't let the drugs rule him.

The lead singer of Boston when I heard about that I thought that was pretty sad myself. I thought thay were a cool group

It's gotta be Lennon. It was such a senseless death, and I loved his music. Those who died of drug overdoses unfortunately spun the chamber of the gun one too many times. I don't have too much sympathy for them.

I will say I was also very sad when Joey Ramone died. And Joe Strummer.

Janis Joplin, she was too good.

Elvis. I always wear black on August 16.

Also, Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Kris, I love you . SRV of course, but not as much as Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy, Jan. 4 1986.

Not rockers, in the true sense of the word, but my musical heroes anyway:

Dave Guard of the Kingston Trio, by lymph cancer. At the end of his life he was reduced to the charity of friends because he had no health insurance to cover his catastrophic disease. He had to sell his banjo to raise money, and it still wasn't enough.

Harry Chapin, in a car accident on his way to give a charity concert -- ironic ending to quite a life. I'd never heard of him until I saw him as the opening act for Carly Simon at the Troubaour in LA. He blew me away, and later became one of my wife's all-time favorites, too. She couldn't bear to listen to his music for about 10 years after hearing of his tragic death.

John Denver, possibly accidental, possibly suicide by private plane crash -- one of my most cherished musical heroes. I saw him in concert five times, at venues both large and small -- three times in the US and twice in Japan, a personal record for me.

Jim Croce, also by plane crash, along with his band, on national concert tour -- I had just seen them shortly before the crash, also at the Troubaour. His guitarist, Marty Mulheisen, was phenomenal too.

Several others of my heroes from their generation are now having serious health problems and I expect to read their obituaries any time now. It makes me reflect on my own mortality.
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Jim Swan's "None-Too-Great Hits" now on iTunes. Featuring the title song from his novel, "Dawn in Honolulu"

Cliff Burton. I got into Metallica about a year before he died. I do believe that Cliff's death changed Metallica, and not for the better. He was an enigma even among the other 3 members. Hippie style hair, bell bottom jeans, that prison style Misfits tattoo...but he was amazing down there in the mix. Really busy in a style that doesn't leave much room for a busy bass player. And passion. You could see his love of music pouring out of him as he played.

And of course, the was Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth). Un-fucking-believable. I've been blasting it for 20+ years now and it still gives me goosebumps. I've been trying to play it 15 years and I haven't gotten close. I watch guys on YouTube give their best, but most give up about halfway through. It's a must see...so paste this into our browser, turn it up, and enjoy!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=7_wGFfrJv4Y

John Bonam of Led Zeppelin in 1980.

Let me be the first to mention Jerry Garcia. Guess there are no other Deadheads on Gather?

Keith Moon of The Who was also a big loss to me.

When Lennon died I didn't really know his music. When Harrison died, that hit harder because he was my favorite Beatle.

I honestly can't think of any rocker who's death has impacted me in any way.

I agree with Kris M. Elvis was the original rocker and still the "King"!

I would have to say Elvis and John Lennon.

Garcia, Harrison, JOPLIN, and the guys from Skynyrd. I'm still a big southern rock fan, so that knocked me back a step or two.

I was ten years old when Jimi Henrix and Jim Morrison passed away. Though at that point I knew very little about their music, I still remember when their deaths were announced very clearly. Of course as I got a little older, I became a big fan of both.

1977...The Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash that claimed the lives of Ronnie Van Zandt and Steve Gains. At that point I was17 years old and a HUGE Skynyrd fan, so their deaths did have somewhat of an impact on my life.

1980...Bon Scott of AC/DC and John Bonam of Led Zeppelin pass away. Again I was huge fan of both so their passing did have somewhat of an impact on my life.

George Harrison... I am a huge Beatles fan and was totally obsessed with them in high school. (Read how I slept on the street to meet Paul.) I wasn't yet born when John was killed, but George's death hit me hard.

Damn Timothy beat me. Skynard

I remember where I was when Lennon was killed and when Elvis died...to me, the fact that that moment was burned into my memory says it all....

It would have to be John Lennon. The other's were just not the human being and positive force that John Lennon was. It has been so long now I almost forgot what an interesting, but definitely just as flawed as the rest of us John Lennon was. The thing that reminded me was the documentary The U.S. Versus John Lennon

Yeah Susan, I remember too ... I have lived through way too many of those "oooooohhhhhh nooooo" moments. What is wrong with people anyway?

bruce....I don't know. I ask myself that same question everytime I turn on TV and see those banners going under the frame. If it isn't death and destruction, it's ignorance and intollerance and it doesn't seem to be getting any better either!

Johnny Ramone and Kurt Cobaine. Ramone's death is sad because it is something almost anyone has a chance of while Cobaine's death is more tragic. Death by drug overdose is more of a life style choice and cancer is less so, less people are likely to die of drug overdose than cancer. Kurt was so young when he died and his death is still surrounded with mystery.

hi, Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn,Lennon and Cobain

more of an impact regarding Cobain cause i lived in Seattle in '94.....but there is nobody that compares to Jimi the man Hendrix to me!.....i was fortunate to see/hear him perform back in the day.....

cheers,gayle

Duane Allman,
By far when he AND Berry Oakley for that matter died I was....fucked up....I learned how to play guitar listening to Duane and Dickie dueling back and forth, I saw him live at the Fillmore, back in the day, to me, he was the only guitar GOD so to speak.

Then a year later Berry died and that just seem to cement the end of my all time (to this day) favorite band. Thank goodness they had the ability to wheather the storms and almost 40 yrs later they are still kicking ass...

Long Live the Allman Brothers Band. And I truly hope that Duane and Berry are enjoying the company, because there sure are some legends living in the same house....

Tom C, I was thinking the same thing, only a few deadheads. Every summer I feel a void when I think of "scraps of age old lullaby down some forgotten street..." Definitely Jerry!!!!

Elvis Presley.
January 8, 1935 to August 16, 1977.

John Lennon is next on my list.


George Vreeland Hill

John Lennon's senseless murder.

I would have to go with Kurt Cobain's death.

Nirvana wasn't my favorite band to come out of Seattle (Pearl Jam is). But it marked an end of innocence for me. I think it hit so hard because it coincided with where I was in my life. Somewhat in transition at age 19, I was trying to figure out where and who I was (and having some trouble with it) and then some dude that seemed to have it all couldn't keep it together. Not just for his band and fans, but for his daughter. That blew my mind. It made me grow up a little.

There are two for me first would be John Bonham the Drummr of Led Zeppelin fame he was my hero because i was a drummer at the time. I ws 18 at the time and i cried for an hour or more (yes really) so on his birthday i would play Mobydick atleast ten times i'm 46 now and still miss him.
The next one would be Stevie Ray Vaughan the funny thing is at first i really didn't like him much, But after i saw him in concert at Red Rocks in Colorado where i am from. Then i could'nt get enough of him and till can't. I have all him cd's and Dvd's and i still get chills when i watch him play, The way the music just flows through body to his fingers and hand is just amazing to me.
Larry F.

honestly i walked into a record shop after cobain sucked the big one,they had a poster up on the wall with a black x of electrical tape on his forehead,and black marker with an arrow that said "place shotgun here". i laughed my ass off. i thought and still do think he was weak. i dont want to be a star but i"m not going to stop-pathetic. dimebag was a shock,that was a bad scene altogether

on second thought cliff from mettalica was worse than dime.

I came back because I have two more, Robert Palmer and Kurt Cobain. Robert Palmer because I loved everything by him and Kurt because I loved Nirvana at the time and loved Kurt, unfortunately I didn't realize that he was so miserable in his life. Senseless, especially since his daughter had just been born at the time. I miss them both!

Joe Strummer-What a genuine human being, never got to see him play live.
Johnny Thunders- Would've loved to see him play but he died when I was little.
Roy Orbison- One can only imagine what else he would've been able to produce during that big comeback of his.

Died before my time but still affects me: Pete Ham(from Badfinger), John Lennon, Eddie Cochran, Buddy Holly

Michael Hutchence, the lead singer of INXS. It actually made me mad, that he killed himself. And then when i heard, about 4 years later, that Stuart Adamson of Big Country had killed himself...that made me really sad, not angry. :-( Such a waste of talent, both of them.

For me it would have to be Jim Morrison. I can still remember where I was when I heard that he died.

Kurt Cobain had the deepest impact on my life. His death is just... so hard to talk about. It's so hard to believe that he's gone. What an amazing musician and icon... He saved the world you know?

Kurt Cobain's death had an impact on me. I remember coming home from school and seeing Kurt Loder reading the announcement in his customary somber way. I could not believe he was dead. I was a teenager, grunge was king and Cobain was treated like some kind of Rock 'n' Roll Jesus. To me he was a cool guy with an amazing talent and a lot of personal pain, it is too bad he is gone.

Definitely Kurt Cobain, although I became a fan after he had died. When I found out about it I was devastated. Still am.

I was a senior in High School when I heard the news about Lennon. I still cry when I hear "Imagine". When George died, I tried to explain what it meant to my then 7 year old daughter. All things must pass....