Who's early death or retirement for whatever reason (Al Green's vow to stop doing secular music, Shuggie Otis' refusal to release a third album...) was the biggest loss to music.

Here's my list (in order)..

1. Jimi Hendrix - I guess this is a no brainer. Considering all that he accomplished in a little over 4 years is mind blowing. The sky was the limit as far as what he could've went on to do. It's hard to predict exactly which direction his music would've taken.

2. Sam Cooke - He posessed one of the best voices I've ever heard. He was also coming into his own as a songwriter before he died. "A Change is Gonna Come" is timeless.

3. Syd Barrett - Pink Floyd's first album (which he was largely responsible for) is one of my favorites. I would've loved to have heard what would've come nexy if not for his mental colapse.

So who leaves you with the biggest question of "What if...?"
[Edited 1/22/10 22:27pm]

1) Marvin Gaye
2) Jimi Hendrix
3) MJ

Phyllis Hyman, Andy Gibb and Kurt Cobain are other early losses too.

More than 3 ... Jimi, Cooke, Joplin, Pac & Biggie, Redding, Morrison, Cobain come to mind.

1. Michael Jackson
2. Tupac
3. Aaliyah
4. Biggie
5. Left-Eye

1.) Marvin
2.) Sam
3.) Jimi
4.) Janis
5.) MJ
[Edited 1/22/10 23:17pm]

Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Pac/Biggie, Aaliyah, Jimi Hendrix, Big Pun, MJ, Rick James.

How are we ranking these deaths ... (hate that word?)

Artist in their primes, their deaths were much more significant than an artist way past his prime. I love Marvin and MJ, but Marvin passing in 1984 is nothing like if he had passed ten years earlier. Or MJ passing at nearly the age of 51 vs a 1985 demise.

That's why artist like Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, 2Pac and Biggie should be at the top. These people had so much more music too give the world and we never got it, they could have changed music ...

LittleBLUECorvette said:

I don't like ranking death either. Deaths of ANY of them is sad regardless of where they were in their careers in my honest opinion.

To be honest, Jim Morrison's death is a mystery to me... 2Pac's and Biggie's (and Sam's and Marvin's) shouldn't have happened basically because the people who shot them shot them with almost no remorse. Janis and Jimi should've been helped (same with Marvin), but it was a little too late for them. Otis' death still has me shaking my head.
[Edited 1/22/10 23:33pm]

All of y'all forgetting about this dude:

About them changing music... hmm...

I could see Sam, Jimi and Janis changing music, Jim Morrison, as brilliant as he was, was already facing mortality by his lifestyle, Pac would've done more acting, Biggie would've been an entrepreneur...

And who can ever forget the Godfather:

Plus Marvin was still riding on the success of "Sexual Healing" when he died, it was still fresh when he suddenly passed away ("Midnight Love" got a Grammy nod for Best R&B Male Vocal Performance the year of his death). But I can kinda understand why MJ's death may not seem as "a big loss" but in a way it was.

Timmy84 said:

Timmy84 said:

No, MJs lost was a big loss, as was Marvin's but they weren't at their peak when they passed. Those other artist were in their peak. So we didn't get to see the best they had too offer.

silverchild said:

I'm still shaken from that loss.
[Edited 1/23/10 0:10am]

LittleBLUECorvette said:

I can see where you're coming from. Some deaths are hard to take, especially Sam's considering the way he left was real shady.

Harlepolis said:

Exactly on those guys. Especially Little Willie John... smh

LittleBLUECorvette said:

I agree with you wholeheartedly. As great as people like Marvin and MJ was, I think it's safe to say their peak was behind them. I'd also argue that Biggie and Pac probably weren't going to do much to add to their respective legacy. I guess that's debatable.

What about Kurt Cobain? Unless I missed it, no one has said anything about him.

Timmy84 said:[quote]

Harlepolis said:

The only thing I know about Little Willie John is that he wrote "Fever", right? He kinda looks like Hendrix when he was young in that pic.

xpertluva said:

Cobain was mentioned. I don't know about him... I'm kinda 50/50 on him like I am with Biggie & 2Pac if they were planning to leave any legacy. Maybe Pac was but the other two... hmmm...

xpertluva said:[quote]

Timmy84 said:

He also did these songs:

"All Around the World"
"Talk to Me"
"Sleep"
"Leave My Kitten Alone"
"I Need You So Bad"

He was the guy James Brown used to fear before going to perform.

Marvin & Sam were also inspired by this dude. Jesse Belvin was another person who was snuffed out too soon. Marvin & Sam also listed him as an influence.

I think in the midst of people linking Marvin with Sam, Jesse Belvin is not in that picture and he should be. Had Jesse lived, we'd probably had seen great things.
[Edited 1/23/10 0:26am]

Had he lived, he would've given Sam and Marvin a run for their money. He was a handsome and talented singer-songwriter.

Dude behind the original "Devil with the Blue Dress On", "Function at the Junction" and "Here Comes the Judge".

Jesse Belvin was 28 when he died, Shorty Long just 29.

(Linda Jones)



(Ms. Terrell)

Some of you would probably think the artists I posted are obscure but think about LBC's statement for a moment, there's people who almost got to glory (least in the R&B worlds) and NEVER reached their potential because either they got shot, drowned or died of some illness before reaching 30.
[Edited 1/23/10 0:31am]

Timmy84 said:

I'm glad you mentioned these cats. You've got me curious. I'm gonna have to dig a little deeper into both Jesse and Little Willie John.

And I have to admit that I was never sold on Biggie either. But people seem to hear something in his music that I just don;t get.

In my opinion, Sam Cooke's death was more than tragic because considering what was troubling him prior to his demise. He was struggling to bring elder white fans with his Copacabana performances, who knows what would've happened had he lived and the SAR record label had carried on, he was going through personal problems with his wife at the time, he was developing alcoholism, and was in a transitional crossroads. Who knew if he wasn't such a target for women if he would've been here today. We just don't know with Sam, he could've met a similar demise that MJ or Jackie or Marvin got or even Teddy with the paralysis.

xpertluva said:

I don't get it about Biggie either, I can see why 'Pac became iconic but not BIG.

Okay, I'm going to do a 180 here. Hank Williams deserves a mention. He was a great singer/songwriter and one of the very few country singers I like.
[Edited 1/23/10 0:46am]