Artists who died at just the right time, or the wrong time, or too soon

[Vincent Vega]

Who are some artists that, in your opinions, died either at the right time (IE, at their peak, before their legacylegend might've been tarnished) or at the wrong time (IE, after their peak, at a bad point, with their legacy tarnished)?

For example, I believe the following artists died at the right time:

Jim Morrison - Evidence suggests that Jim's voice was being severely damaged due to alcohol, perhaps irreparably and his creative powers as a writer might've been in decline due to a combination of alcoholism, the toll it took on his body, and a deep depression. Physically, he was exhausted, saying he felt like he was 47 rather than 27. Compare his ragged, deep voice on LA Woman to the sultry crooner voice of The Doors' debut album. Had he made another album with them, it might've been subpar, he might've sounded terrible.

Kurt Cobain - He killed himself while his popularity was beginning to wane, but while he was still extremely relevant and his death cemented his legacy as a legend and an American icon and the voice of a generation, rather than a singer in a genre that was already beginning to lose steam. If he'd lived he might've had the same legacy as his Grunge contemporaries now do--Relics.

John Lennon- He came back, made an album that got mixed reviews, and was killed; His murder made his last album become a classic. I've read he was interested in Post Punk and New Wave and perhaps his legacy is intact due to him not surviving to embrace these trends.

Examples of artists who died too late:

Elvis - Had Elvis died in 1968, right after the Comeback Special, or in 1973, right after the hugely successful Aloha in Hawaii concert, his legacy would have been intact, as the King of Rock N' Roll and as a versatile peformer who was on an upswing. His later career would be remembered for the great music he put out between '68 and '73, rather than for him being fat, stoned and wearing jumpsuits.

Artists who died too soon:

Jimi Hendrix - The guy would've easily existed and owned and inspired tons of artists in the '70s had he lived and would've gone on to do even more amazing things as an artist. He was blooming and expanding as an artist when he died.

[wfse]

Miser - I really preferred his poetry last year. His legacy is tarnished.

Edited November 4, 2012 by wfse

[Jabberwocky]

Too soon - Hank Williams/Jim Croce

Too Late - Elvis/Seth Putnam

At Peak - Kurt Cobain/2Pac

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[MEXzilla]

too soon - Janis Joplin, Jeff Buckley, Jim Morrison (here's hoping he would've quit all that BS)

Too Late - Elvis

At peak - Jimi Hendrix, 2pac, Kurt Cobain(right time)

I always felt when a great vocalist dies it just weighs more than that of a musician.

[Randy Lahey]

Artists who died too soon:

Jimi Hendrix - The guy would've easily existed and owned and inspired tons of artists in the '70s had he lived and would've gone on to do even more amazing things as an artist. He was blooming and expanding as an artist when he died.

I completely agree. He's the only member of the 27 club that I would have liked to live past 27. Such a shame.

[Johnny Drama]

So Kurt Cobain dying because his fame could've fallen in the ass is a good thing? You know, fuck it that he had a kid and all.

[arnold layne]

Good thread Miser. Morrison and Cobain were cool.

[dalsh327]

I don't think any of them died too late. Morrison would've gone behind the camera and wrote screenplays at some point. He would've recorded another Doors album, and prob. had the band come to Paris.

Brad Nowell and Ian Curtis died too early - never really got to see any success.

Jeff Buckley did fine as far as the fame and filling rooms went, but I think had he lived, would prob. still be playing clubs & theaters, occasionally a festival show, and collaborating with all sorts of people, not giving a damn about record sales and music videos, even though he was completely self-aware of being the son of Tim and all that.

Layne Staley - that was just a WTF tragedy, a slow death that lingered over Seattle for a few years. I think that's what people worried Axl had been becoming like when he was off the grid. Too soon.

Jaco - Too soon, and a death that never should've happened the way it did. He had serious drug issues, and prob wasn't long for this world.

Had Michael Jackson died during that Pepsi commercial, the icon status would've been massive.

The Ramones seemed to die pretty fast after the breakup, but they had 20 years together. I think the love for the Ramones after Joey died says a lot, and I guess it was the right time for them.

Freddie Mercury - I think they still had the ability to create great songs, and going into the 90s, they prob. would've gone back to a harder edged sound and ditched the synths, or maybe even taken on a more industrial sound? Who knew with them - anything was possible, but the 80s were not the best era musically for them. Debate it if you want, just going by what they put out album-wise.

Marc Bolan - I think he would've had a comeback in the 80s,

John Entwhistle - died before he got old in a Vegas hotel with cocaine in his system. But there's nothing more "rock n' roll" than dying in a Vegas hotel with strippers in the room. He lived a full life without a doubt.

Bon Scott - way too soon.

Frank Zappa - too soon, because he'd still be performing as good as ever, and would be an in demand political commentator right now. I think he would've had plenty to say.

[Guest Len B'stard]

What a fuckin' horrible bastard, peoples shelf life isn't directly relative to their use as your fuckin' favorite singer, how the fuck does it mean someone died at the right time cuz he was losing his singing voice? What a cunt..

[Johnny Drama]

What a fuckin' horrible bastard, peoples shelf life isn't directly relative to their use as your fuckin' favorite singer, how the fuck does it mean someone died at the right time cuz he was losing his singing voice? What a cunt..

Exactly. "Oh sorry you don't sound like you used to, we're gonna take you out the back. Here's a cigarette and a blindfold".

[sweetness]

You do realise you're gauging "the right time" for a human being to die based on their relevance to popular culture? Does anybody else see anything beyond stupid about this?

"yeah his last album wasn't as good as the albums he put out earlier in his career, he died too late"

[Johnny Drama]

You do realise you're gauging "the right time" for a human being to die based on their relevance to popular culture? Does anybody else see anything beyond stupid about this?

Yeah Lenny and I.

[eye2eye]

Jeff Buckley maybe he wouldn't be playing stadiums but he was not about it, he could easily compose another awesome albums and creat some more magic. And he had potential to evolve into so many different directions.

[SunnyDRE]

too soon?

D. Boon

/thread

[Kill Devil Hill]

Jeff Buckley should've lived sixty more years.

@Len and JD: I think that's what Miser means. He's saying based on their pop culture impact who died too soon or too late? Obviously nobody actually wishes these people died sooner, unless you're some kind of psychopath.

It IS a morbid discussion that could be construed as disrespectful, though.