That’s who I came here to say. I know many will regard this as heresy, but I’ve always felt that we lost more (future) good music when he died than when Cobain died.
Kurt Cobain was starting to find his own sound and Nirvana was growing beyond a Pixies imitator. It would have been interesting to see what happened. Of course since he killed himself there wouldn’t be any guarantee he wouldn’t just up and go do it again.
I have arbitrarily decided to not bring back someone who killed themselves, directly or indirectly. That makes Freddie–who was my first choice–borderline. Therefore it’s Lennon.
This isn’t heresy. Cobain is idolized because his music is depressing and dreary and therefore has “meaning” to people. Brad Nowell was a better musician and Sublime was a billion times more entertaining to listen to. Nirvana was vastly overrated. This is just my opinion, anyway.
Seconded, although not necessarily so that he could do a gig. I’d just want him to continue composing.
please …don’t anyone go there…
Jim Morrison was my first thought, but having read posts, Janis could sing the blues at 60 like an angel, and Jimi like the Devil.
But to pick only one, for art, it must be Robert Johnson.
Janis? 60? Huh?
Warren Zevon.
VCNJ~
Cosmic pain? What if they just got addicted to drugs?
Oh God, YES!
Hearing the crooning in Time, live, would make my heart stop.
And then getting to hear Fairytale of New York with Kirsty McColl and the Pogues would make it explode.
I wanted to do that, but I’d really like all 3 dead Ramones, Joey, Dee Dee and Johnny, back. Along with Joe Strummer, while we’re at it.
I almost said I wouldn’t bring back anyone who killed themselves directly or indirectly with drugs, then I was sure someone would say “but Freddie Mercury killed himself with his lifestyle!” so I didn’t say that so I wouldn’t have to say that it’s not the same thing at all, but anwyay, it’s not the same thing at all!
I still stick with Freddie but I am tempted to say Keith Richards, just because it might be interesting to see what he’d be like if he weren’t one of the Undead.
Yay! I’m not alone!
Just one show? Gimme SRV then.
Bob Dylan.
Lifestyle? He was a rock star! Having loads of debauched sex with random people is in the job description. Freddie just unlucky compared to his fellow rock stars.
Hmmm…John was an only child. I guess your wife is related to one of his wives?
If they brought back Elvis, I’d feel obliged to kill him again. I can’t say why exactly but somehow, listening to an Elvis concert would be the thing that Big Brother would use to break me.
I vote for Morrison.
Stevie Ray was my favorite when he was alive so I can’t abandon him in death. I would hate for it to only be for one night. He already made some great music and he was starting to expand his style. I would have loved to have seen how he would have grown. I saw him live more than any other artist.
I would have also mentioned Bradley from Sublime if I got here earlier. I didn’t get into Sublime until after his death so it doesn’t have the same impact for me. Word of SRVs death was like a knife to my heart. I met him once and his autograph is one of my prized possesions.
I can’t really describe what seeing him perform would be like, so I have to give him the edge over Duane Allman. If the world needs any one musician, I think it’s him, just ahead of Lennon.