Somehow I will remember January of 2016 as the month
we lost seven great members of the arts culture. From music to stage acting to
t.v. and movies to management the arts have been touched by these losses as
never before in my lifetime. The month is not over but I pray the loss is done.
In life we all try our damnedest to accept death as
part of the process. We know that it is a part of life. We know it is the end
of our corporeal state, the end of living as we know it and the end of our
person existence. We fight it, we hate it, we live with it, we learn to live
without people in our lives, we suffer it’s effects on ourselves and others,
and we believe that we will be punished after it or cleansed of our nasty
behaviour and will live is glory or in dire. Some of us are touched by the
deaths of people we have never met and some of us move on easily and our own
lives carry on without too much disruption.
In early January we heard of the death of David
Bowie one of the world’s most prolific rock artists. Many of us listened to his
music. There was almost a cult following, you were a Bowie fan and you knew how
to pronounce his name, you dressed the part of Ziggy Stardust at Halloween, to
the dismay of many of the adults, but Bowie fan. His music rang out loud for a
generation breaking as many boundaries as possible.
William Needles
Brian Bedford
But it is not just Bowie we lost, it is two great stage
actors from Stratford. William Needles and Brian Bedford both died this month
as well. I remember seeing both perform in The Taming of the Shrew when we
attended in high school. If you do not know who these t men are or were look up
their names and find a photo you more than likely will recognize them from
other works they have done. I remember them both from interviews and from other
t.v. shows. Now the count is three.
As the number keeps climbing the next on the list
was Glen Fry from the Eagles. A talent silenced far too early. Like Bowie,
unmatched as a musician the legacy of Fry will live long after the generation
has passed. My daughters are already a fans, a new generation listening to the
twisted story of Hotel California. May it continue to haunt well into the
future and his legacy remain alive.
Glen Fry
Rene Angelil
Then one morning I wake up and check in on the news only to hear of the death of Abe Vigoda. One of my childhood memories has died, but at a ripe old age. Living into longevity and passing with grace. It will forever be the voice she used as that character that will ring in my ears and make me laugh. I have plenty to say about Abe Vigoda and how he made me laugh as well. His portrayal of Fish in Barney Miller was one of my favorite characters on t.v. as a child. His career was just as powerful as all that I have mentioned today and stands alone in his own right as one of the many greats who have come and gone in this world.
Abe Vigoda
John Alaskey, his name may not be familiar but his
voice would be. He was the voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety Bird and
Sylvester. Saturday mornings will never be the same again to know that this
comical genius has been silenced. The banter between characters and the ability
to make us laugh as both children and adults was his true gift. If you listen
closly to some of the tracks you find some truly adult messages hiding in the
slurp of Sylvester or the lisp of a Tweety Bird. Have fun with that one. Now the count is seven.
John Alaskey
We moved into the month of February and the first
few days were calm, but I wake again to the news that another of the great
artists had left us. Maurice White from Earth, Wind and Fire has died too. The
soulful sounds of his voice are again for me precious childhood memories and I
will always enjoy dancing to the music he was a part of creating.
Maurice White
But all-in-all I know we come and we go but I will
remember the beginning of 2016 as the year we lost eight beautiful artists. I
suppose as an artist I am hit with the loss in a way that I can relate or maybe
not. But my heart feels heavy and my eyes are saddened with tears, may you all
rest in peace and live long in your legacies.
I believe this blog post is not over yet. I am very
sorry to say…
