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Death doesn’t have to be the end.
It also can be the beginning ... of a lively conversation.
Last week, in the wake of Michael Jackson’s posthumous success at the box office, I compiled a list of the 20 dead celebrities who left behind the most unfulfilled promise.
The list included actors such as James Dean, Heath Ledger and River Phoenix, as well as singers Otis Redding, Buddy Holly and Selena. I mourned funnymen John Candy and John Belushi, and wondered what we had missed after the untimely deaths of Bob Marley, John Lennon and Jimi Hendrix.
I didn’t really believe that my 20 dead celebrities would coincide with the 20 dead celebrities you missed the most. But many of you were kind enough to say it did.
Others objected to some of my selections. Tupac Shakur seemed to draw the most ire, although most of the complaints were about his lifestyle and politics, and not his talent or musical influence. Some of you offered your own dead celebrities, and I must admit that many of those suggestions resulted in my only personal V8 moment, in which I slapped my forehead and exclaimed: “I could have had a Duane Allman.
In fact, the late Southern rocker was included on more reader lists than anyone else. I wish I had put Allman on my list. Other omissions brought to my attention included Bobby Fuller (the singer-songwriter who had a hit with the classic “I Fought the Law and the Law Won”), singer Frankie Lymon (“Why Do Fools Fall in Love”) and King Curtis, the greatest rock ‘n’ roll sax player of all time.
But that’s what follow-up columns are for, so here are your picks for the celebrities whose early deaths deprived us of the most enjoyment.
Duane Allman — No offense to Gregg, but the Allman Brothers would have soared even higher with Duane at the helm.
Lenny Bruce — I question how much more he could have given, but it’s always dangerous to question people who were not afraid to push the envelope.
Karen Carpenter — I didn’t include her on my list because I didn’t care for her music, which led one angry reader to throw religion into the mix and accuse me of being the Antichrist for not liking her. Does this redeem me?
Patsy Cline — One person mentioned the great country singer, and I winced. I love her music, and I simply forgot. Shame on me.
Eddie Cochran — This early rocker had something special, and most people aren’t familiar with his work because he died too soon.
John Coltrane — No readers mentioned the great jazzman, but his name popped up in my head after my original list was posted. He was such a genius that mere mortals like me cannot imagine what might have been.
Sam Cooke — I had seriously considered him, but decided to put Otis Redding in his place on the list. A good argument could be made for including both singers.
Jim Croce — I wasn’t a major fan, but many of you were adamant that he had only scratched the surface of his talent.
Bobby Darin — Personally, I think we only missed a lot of Vegas engagements, but some of his fans believe that many wonderful recordings were on their way. Who am I to argue with a shark bite?
Chris Farley — I liked his work a lot, but felt he was a pale imitation of Belushi, who already was on the list. Still, it’s hard to ignore the big man a second time.
Marvin Gaye — There is no denying his impact on the music world, and perhaps he would have continued that in later years.
Billie Holiday — Just thinking about what she had to give is painful.
Janis Joplin — I believe that she would have destroyed her voice and stopped singing, but many people, including my wife, disagreed.
Gram Parsons — Even people at my own newspaper were stunned that I omitted him.
Freddie Prinze — An excellent suggestion. He had serious issues, but a lot of these people did, so if you can overlook the personal demons, then he certainly belongs on this list.
Ritchie Valens — Although he died young in that ill-fated flight with Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper, he influenced a generation of performers.
Hank Williams — His career was so rich, and his influence so overwhelming, that I assumed he couldn’t have contributed that much more. I was silly to assume that.
