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Dealing With the Loss of Music Legends

“And the stars look very different today,” David Bowie wrote in his 1969 hit “Space Oddity;” with the recent loss of some major icons in the world of music, like Bowie, the stars do look different to the fans who followed these artists. Legendary performers leave their mark on society and the hearts of fans, so it’s no surprise that the recent losses in the music industry have left many people heartbroken.

On Dec. 28, 2015, Lemmy Kilmister, founder and front man of heavy metal band Motorhead, passed away from cancer. Andrew Jackle, a junior music industry student and a fan of Motorhead, said, “Lemmy was such an iconic figure in the rock music world that even great stars like Dave Grohl, who don’t play metal music, were influenced by him.”

Along with Kilmister and Bowie, who passed away on Jan. 10, family, friends, and fans were also forced to say goodbye to Glenn Frey of The Eagles on Jan. 18.

The deaths of these rock stars has certainly shaken up the music world. I remember first hearing about Bowie’s death: I just started my car to go to work and the first thing I heard on the radio was that he had passed away at the fairly young age of 69.

Dave DePaola, a junior music industry student, explained, “Bowie is one of those musicians that you thought would never die. He made amazing music right up until the end of his life.”

DePaola continued, “His music is so legendary that it becomes truly immortal, which gives the illusion that in a way the artist is immortal too. Not having him around feels strange, but he is human after all.”

One day, these artists are rocking on stage and the next they are gone. As a young person looking up to these icons and role models, it seems impossible to think they could ever be gone, so it comes as a shock when we find out that they are.

It may seem strange at first that ordinary people like us would grieve over rock stars that we never even knew personally, but that can change when someone you really looked up to passes.

Jon Bass, a sophomore music industry student, commented on the recent death of Frey, explaining, “I am a huge Eagles fan and he was the first person to die in a band that I have followed my whole life. I was really sad when I found out and finally understood why people grieve over their idols.”

It’s times like these that make us want to take out our favorite CD or record and just blast it and rock out. Music is such an important part of the lives of so many people; these legends had created music for so many years and each one of them has made big changes in the music industry.

Joseph Rapolla, Chair of the Music and Theatre Arts Department at the University, said, “With the passing of such great rock legends, we are reminded of this great generation of music and it is important now more than ever to keep the music alive.”

Although the passing of any person, celebrity or not, is inevitable, their legacy and art can stay alive forever. “I listened to a lot of Eagles music the night [Glenn Frey] died in his memory,” Bass admitted.

Realizing how important these particular individuals’ music was makes us really feel the reality of it all and helps us understand that time never stops and people keep growing, but music never dies.

Bowie once said, “I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.” This serves as a reminder to everyone that these incredible artists will live on forever through the careers that they built throughout their lifetime.

IMAGE TAKEN from inquisitr.com