I usually don't post music on Tuesdays, but today will be an exception. Two rock greats entered Rock and Roll Heaven this past week.
First, I pay tribute to a man of many talents: rock musician, horror author and philanthropist, who passed away August 13 at the age of 75. The cause of death was Alzheimer's disease.
Can you imagine a rock star who also was a nominee for the Bram Stoker award? His first novel, published in 1996, Horror Show, accomplished that. But his hit rock songs were not horrors. Quite the opposite.
Kihn was well loved in the San Francisco Bay Area for his morning show on KFOX from 1996 to 2012.
Some of the names of his albums were also puns (Next of Kihn, RocKihnRoll, Kihntinued, Kihnspiracy, Kihn of Hearts, among others).
These are my favorite songs of his:
From 1983, Jeopardy, which peaked at #2 on the Billboard chart. What helped this song become even more popular was Weird Al Yankovic's parody, I Lost on Jeopardy.
I have to include that song in today's tribute, mainly because Greg Kihn appears in a cameo at the end. As we would have said years ago, how cool was that? (Note, you'll have to click through to You Tube to watch this video).
From 1981, The Breakup Song (They Don't Write Like That Any More).
They really don't write like that anymore.
In lieu of flowers, Kihn's family asked that donations be made to The Alzheimer's Association in Greg Kihn's name.
May he rest in peace.
Speaking of resting in peace, Jack Russell, founder of Great White, died on August 15. He was only 63 years old. He died from Lewy body dementia (a little known and terrible form of dementia) and multiple system atrophy. He had announced his retirement due to that cause only last month. This was the same disorder that led to the suicide of actor and comedian Robin Williams, who also died at age 63.
Jack's name will forever be associated with the horrendous The Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island, which took the life of 100 people, including a member of his spinoff band Jack Russell's Great White. I'm sure that tragedy haunted Russell, who was blameless, for the rest of his life.
This video was from a performance just a few months ago.
May Jack Russell also rest in peace.
It's shocking how quickly Lewy Body Dementia progresses. I didn't know Robin Williams had suffered that, too.
ReplyDeleteTwo sad losses
ReplyDeletethe age of 75 and Alzheimer's disease is damn spooky.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to read Greg Kihn was a fixture in SF radio, as that's where I'm from (an east bay suburb) and have never heard of him or the songs! Then I looked up the station, and it was out of San Jose, so that explains it.
ReplyDeleteYup, good songs.
ReplyDeleteHmm...I must confess ignorance of both of these gentlemen and their contributions to Rock and Roll. But that's one of the reasons I come to your blog - to learn about things of which I was previously ignorant.
ReplyDeletethecontemplativecat here. The songs are familiar, but I didn't know the artists. It seems that all these talented actors and musicians are heading off the stage, and leaving us behind. Lewes is an awful disease. Robin Williams must have been so frightened at the end of his life. Loosing all the words and ideas in his brain was scary.
ReplyDeleteMay they rest in peace.
ReplyDelete