. But he was freaking amazing.
Who is the person you wish were still around?
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### Author:  [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-miss-george-carlin/631721/2 "2012-08-16T22:48:47Z")
I miss Frank Zappa.
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### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2012, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-miss-george-carlin/631721/3 "2012-08-16T23:40:09Z")
Yeah, I miss Frank.
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### Author:  [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2012, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-miss-george-carlin/631721/4 "2012-08-16T23:57:54Z")
Bob Hope or George Burns.
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### Author:  [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2012, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-miss-george-carlin/631721/5 "2012-08-17T00:29:16Z")
George Carlin would definitely be on my list as well. His last special(Bad for Ya’) was great.
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### Author:  [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2012, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-miss-george-carlin/631721/6 "2012-08-17T00:33:43Z")
John Lennon’s an obvious choice. It still makes me shake my head.
Johnny Carson was part of my evenings forever. He died way too soon. I miss that guy.
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### Author:  [@Nightfall1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightfall1)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2012, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-miss-george-carlin/631721/7 "2012-08-17T00:42:42Z")
Isaac Asimov… and recently, Ray Bradbury
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### Author:  [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2012, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-miss-george-carlin/631721/8 "2012-08-17T01:10:48Z")
Jerry Garcia ☹
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### Author:  [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-miss-george-carlin/631721/9 "2012-08-17T01:26:18Z")
[Kirsty MacColl](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirsty_MacColl).
She was hitting her creative second wind at 41, had found new love after years of heartbreak, with a tragic, senseless death at the hands of an entitled rich asshole and died saving the lives of her children.
Twelve years later, just recalling it brings a lump to my throat, and if I keep thinking about it I’ll wind up in tears. A fucking _brilliant_ songwriter, easily the equal of Elvis Costello or anyone you could name, and a really decent, down-to-earth person. I miss her every time I hear her music.
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### Author:  [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-miss-george-carlin/631721/10 "2012-08-17T01:52:10Z")
> [@gaffa](#):
>
> [Kirsty MacColl](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirsty_MacColl).
>
> She was hitting her creative second wind at 41, had found new love after years of heartbreak, with a tragic, senseless death at the hands of an entitled rich asshole and died saving the lives of her children.
>
> Twelve years later, just recalling it brings a lump to my throat, and if I keep thinking about it I’ll wind up in tears. A fucking _brilliant_ songwriter, easily the equal of Elvis Costello or anyone you could name, and a really decent, down-to-earth person. I miss her every time I hear her music.
I read the article you linked to, as I’m sorry to say I was not familiar with her work.
What a sad ending, but as you said, she saved the life of her son. That says something right there about the kind of person she was. I don’t think I’d want to vacation in Mexico anytime soon.
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### Author:  [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2012, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-miss-george-carlin/631721/11 "2012-08-17T02:27:21Z")
> [@Baker](#):
>
> I read the article you linked to, as I’m sorry to say I was not familiar with her work.
Two songs you might know. The first was called _[They Don’t Know](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1byhkWlWnQs)_, and due to circumstances beyond her control, did not become a hit for her. But four years later, it became a [huge hit for Tracy Ullman](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvZSdCTcS-A), who adopted it as the theme song of her TV show. Kirsty introduced the song at Chicago’s Double Door by shouting **“God Bless Tracy Ullman!”**
The other one you might know is the Pogues song _[Fairy Tale of New York](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9jbdgZidu8)_, where she was a guest vocalist.
> [@](#):
>
> What a sad ending, but as you said, she saved the life of her son. That says something right there about the kind of person she was. I don’t think I’d want to vacation in Mexico anytime soon.
Few things hit me harder than acts of heroic self-sacrifice. My wife and I met her a few times, and despite her immense talent never came across as anything other than a normal person.
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2012, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-miss-george-carlin/631721/12 "2012-08-17T03:06:52Z")
Seconded on Kirsty. Also, Joe Strummer.
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### Author:  [@Small\_Hen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Hen)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2012, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-miss-george-carlin/631721/13 "2012-08-17T03:18:29Z")
I had a weird moment the other day when I came across some old Steve Irwin vids on Youtube, and it genuinely struck me that the world lost someone quite unique when he died. I miss Steve.
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### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2012, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-miss-george-carlin/631721/14 "2012-08-17T03:25:53Z")
Bill Hicks
Rodney Dangerfield
John Belushi
Gilda Radner
Gregory Peck
Audrey Hepburn
Raymond Chandler
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### Author:  [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2012, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-miss-george-carlin/631721/15 "2012-08-17T03:52:31Z")
Zappa’s cool, but I’d rather have my old man around.
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### Author:  [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2012, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-miss-george-carlin/631721/16 "2012-08-17T04:00:21Z")
[Kirsty MacColl and the Pogues have fun with Cole Porter.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0ojrK-yz_M)
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### Author:  [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2012, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-miss-george-carlin/631721/17 "2012-08-17T05:37:17Z")
Heath Ledger. I saw him, as has been said of Brad Pitt, as a character actor trapped in a leading man’s body and was excited to spend the years watching him grow into that. I feel cheated.
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### Author:  [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2012, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-miss-george-carlin/631721/18 "2012-08-17T08:24:06Z")
Robert Nesta Marley
Ian Curtis
Adam Yauch
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### Author:  [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2012, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-miss-george-carlin/631721/19 "2012-08-17T10:44:06Z")
My first thought was Fred Astaire, the world is about 3% less fun without him. But reviewing the upstream posts reminded me of Rodney Dangerfield. I miss him too.
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### Author:  [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2012, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-miss-george-carlin/631721/20 "2012-08-17T11:17:40Z")
Bill Hicks. Pierre Desproges. Dean Martin.
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