Not necessarily your personal deity, but who do you see as having the best chance at becoming “bigger than Jesus” based on the current ongoing devotion of their fans?
It’s already Elvis, no question.
Kurt Cobain immediately came to mind and that’s who I voted for. Of course he was never as famous as Elvis or MJ or Lennon, but his followers are a rabid bunch. I never cared for Nirvana or Cobain, personally, so I never understood the worship of him after his suicide. My view may be jaded because of my age. I suspect there was (and still is) the same level of worship from fans of Elvis and others. But among Gen-Xers there is a lot of Cobain worship. So, while I don’t think he will ever become the icon that Elvis is, I do think his fan base the most (insanely) fanatic.
By the way, even though I would still have voted for Elvis, Jim Morrison probably deserves a spot on the list. Remember the Rolling Stone cover?
Gonna throw in a vote myself and say Bob Marley, simply because it seems to me his popularity is still on a steady incline, especially among the 15-25 year-old bracket who weren’t even born when he passed.
When John Lennon, Kurt Cobain and Bob Marley occupy a black velvet ikon on the wall of every other late-middle-aged woman’s living room in the USA, they can win this poll.
Much as I’d love it to be John Lennon, I’d have to say the three clear frontrunners for this particular dubious honor are Elvis Presley (rednecks and fundies), Bob Marley (hippies and stoners), and Michael Jackson (black people, gay men, and kids).
That said, I voted for Bob, because never underestimate the power of good weed.
That was actually who I thought of when I first read the thread title.
Also in the same category as Tupac, maybe Biggie Smalls?
Bob. Pot is a much cooler sacrament than a grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich.
Elvis will never leave the building of our hearts.
Elvis. I am not a particular fan of him, but his post-mortem idolising following is unprecedented.
Elvis, Cobain and some damned rapper as the Holy Trinity. I don’t know rappers as I don’t tend to like the music but I see people arguing about the relative worshipfullness of them on a weed smokers board I occasionally hang out upon for shits n giggles.
Yeah, but what’s Elvis’ congregation gonna be 50 years from now when those late middle-aged women are gone?
You forgot John Coltrane, who actually has a church already founded in his name.
My vote is for Sun Ra. Accept no substitute!
I’m Jewish, so I don’t really go for Chirst figures. My religious figures are Old Testament types - patriarchs, prophets and heroes. My choice for religious icon, therefore, is Johnny Cash, the ultimate wandering messenger of God, the Samuel, Jeremiah and Ezekiel of our time.
Funny that Jim Morrison, Johnny Cash, and Biggie Smalls were all under consideration…Sun Ra wasn’t - I should have specified in the title:
"Dead Music Celebrity (Born on this Planet) Closest to Religious Icon". :smack:
I loves me some Sun Ra, though…lucky enough to see him live once.
I saw Sun Ra open for the Jerry Garcia Band back when I was a wee nipper…
They do in many college dorms…and they glow under a black light.
ETA. Elvis has black velvet, but JL, KC and BM (and Jim Morrison) have black velvet, UV glow and daily ritual herbal sacrifices.
EETA, I voted for Michael Jackson.