fame

  Just heard that Jimmy Buffet passed away. The first thing I did was go to the internet to confirm that. That's the world we live in. You have to check everything with at least three reliable sources to be certain. That is especially true whenever you hear about the death of a celebrity. But that information proved to be true, and he passed away at the age of 76. I was never what you would call a fan of Jimmy Buffet. I know a few of his songs, I can't imagine anyone not knowing at least two or three. I'm certain there will much ado about that, tribute shows commemorating his memory. That's as it should be. But I am left to think about all those that leave us that are unknown to us. It will undoubtedly be said that he was only 76, far too young to have left us. In the United States the average age of death is 73. That's a sobering statistic, isn't it? It is one that I deny, doesn't apply to me. I'm guessing the majority of us think that way. Rest in peace Jimmy Buffet. 

  I was thinking about all the others in the music world that are gone now. I listen primarily to country music and so I am more keenly aware of those artists. Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers, Charlie Daniels, Conway Twitty and Earl Thomas Conley are all ones I remember performing. Others like Patsy Cline and Hank Williams Sr. are legends to me. Waylon Jennings is gone too. All the tributes have been held and their names are mentioned occasionally these days but fading from the collective memory. Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson are still hanging in there. Kris is 87 and Willie is 90. The stats don't apply to either of them. Was Jimmy Buffet on their level? I think that is a matter of debate and unimportant in the big picture. His songs will live on, probably enjoy a bit of a revival following this news. 

  The thing with all these great singer/songwriters is that they all seem to have a period of great success. What I mean is, they write a few songs that will be remembered forever but after a time it seems like they just don't write hits anymore. Consider Bob Dylan he is 82.  What was his last big song? Willie Nelson wrote a bunch of what we now call classics but nothing in the last decade or so. His last hit song, written and performed by him, was in 1968. It was "bring me sunshine" Isn't that a surprising fact? Came as a surprise to me when I looked it up. I couldn't find what Kris Kristoffersons' last hit song was, but he released an album in 2016. But Kris has always been known more for his writing than his singing. 

  All of those artists are people too. I think that is something we often forget about them. They have families, hobbies and dreams like the rest of us. I certainly don't travel in their circle, and I don't believe I could relate to them very well either. I believe having fame and fortune has to affect them. I don't see how it couldn't. When you have the resources to do pretty much do as you please, it would have to. I wonder if it is that success that causes the well to dry up so to speak. I don't know, it has been said that each of us have a story to tell. There have been plenty of one hit wonders, is that what that is all about? Songs are stories. Merle Haggard was called the poet of the common man. He certainly wrote a lot of songs the common man could relate to. But even Merle strayed and became more political and expressed deeper sentiments in his final decade. Those tunes didn't become big hits for him. Johnny Cash recorded "Hurt" a song written by a member of the band nine-inch nails and it was a critical success. It was a departure from his normal music and style. A change in the person? It could be argued that his life, his fame, his success, beat him down. That song was his final expression. 

  Andy Warhol said everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes. Perhaps fifteen minutes is all the average person can stand. Now Andy didn't say you would get that fifteen minutes all at once. I'm thinking most of us get it a minute or so at a time. Fame, it has been said, is a fleeting thing. That's true enough. "“Fame is like a river that beareth up things light and swollen, and drowns things weighty and solid” (Francis Bacon) Perhaps fame weighs you down. I suspect that is something I will never know from experience. I don't think anyone sets out to be famous. I think they set out to be successful. Success is measured in dollars and cents! That's the unfortunate truth of the matter. No matter how much we attempt to deny that, poor people aren't considered successful or famous. Fame is wealth, success and power. Those are the ones that are remembered. If you ask Google or "Bing" to name some famous poor people, the answer you get is telling. The list will be famous people that were poor at one time! That is until they achieved fame and fortune! You really can't have one without the other. Well, unless you win the lottery I suppose. But even then, your popularity will soar! It will be a different world you are living in.