It’s an unanswerable question, however. let’s use our imagination and loook into the crystal ball of the possible future and see what might have been.
Unfortunately, while there were/are many singers, musicians, actors an artists that are members, for this post the unanswerable will be of the most well known; Brian, janis, Jim, Jimi, and Kurt.
The common denominator of most seemed to be one of their rejction of their Rock star status and or on the verge of changing their image. musical interests, or lifestyle. Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix fit this mode.
Brian Jones’ death is still a mystery despite supposed confessions. He was a multi-instrumentalist who was an early leader of World music and surely would have pursued it further had he overcome depression and the insecurities that plagued him..
Janis Joplin, a lonely soul, died alone in a Hollywood motel room due to a heroin ovrdose that was more potent than she realised.. Had she lived and overcame her heroin and booze indulgences she may have become the pre-eminent blues torch singer with a residency in Vegas, or not.
Jim orrison, whose Doors song lyrics proved that he was already a master poet, but he longed for fame and recognition as a classic poet and again would probably have achieved that goal easily. His death was/is still shrouded in mystery.
jimi Hendrix was definately on to an evolved level of musical transition with plans to collaborate withJazz greats Miles Davis and Gil evans. He was also tired of the rock star lifestyle and it is especially sad that he, and we, never got to experience what could have been.
00 remembers a quote by a friend of Jimi’s who figured that at the moment of death Jimi probably saw the door from life and death and thought, I think I\ll step inside and see what’s going on in there. A concept that doesn’t seem jnnatural.
And then there’s Kurt Cobain, a rock star of my son’s generation that affected him and many of his friends the way the previous members of the Club did to the classic rock generation. His suicide, also shrouded in conspiracy theories, was a shock. His future would have probably continued on to further inspire future generations.
Rock stardom, with its inherent, ” hope I die before I get old” and all of the excesses that seemed to be attached to the lifestyle understandably created a lot of physical and emotional stress that was very hard to overcome – many have been able to do so, but in these cases it seems to have been a fate for which there was no escape.
Last thought: there is always the consideration that genius-level talent needs to express itself, make an indelible stamp, and move on to a higher level. 00 prefers this concept as iwhatever the circumstances of their deaths, they did somehow achieve a freedom from their demons and could now be able to realize their dreams and true potential.
We all may get that opportunity – once on the otherside.
