Monday, March 15, 2010

Rock and Roll Heaven


Songs about famous dead people

On my way to work this morning I heard Rock and Roll Heaven by the Righteous Brothers and started thinking about all the songs that have been written about famous dead people over the years. Here's an incomplete list:

Abraham, Martin and John (Dion 1968 ) Inspired by the assasinations of Martin Luther King, Jr and Robert Kennedy, this is a tribute to their memories as well as Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy.

Rock and Roll Heaven (Righteous Brothers, 1974) Janice Joplin, Jimmi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Bobby Darrin, Otis Redding and Jim Croce (updated in 1990 with Elvis Presely, Marvin Gaye, Dennis Wilson, Jackie Wilson, John Lennon, Roy Orbison)

Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny) (Elton John, 1982) John Lennon

All Those Years Ago (George Harrison, 1981) John Lennon

Missing You (Diana Ross, 1984) Marvin Gaye

Night Shift (Commodores 1985) Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye.

Candle in the Wind (Elton John 1973) Marilyn Monroe

Candle in the Wind (Elton John 1997) Princess Diana (nothing like recycling a dead person tribute - I guess neither Marilyn or Di knew (or did they - can you picture the scene when they meet up in heaven and realize that Elton wrote the same song for both of them? Cat Fight!)

Man on the Moon (R.E.M. 1992) Andy Kaufman (but is he really dead?)



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