# Who will be our living musical legend now that Ray Charles & Johnny Cash are gone?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-our-living-musical-legend-now-that-ray-charles-johnny-cash-are-gone/249720
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [June 10, 2004, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-our-living-musical-legend-now-that-ray-charles-johnny-cash-are-gone/249720 "2004-06-10T21:59:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2004, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-our-living-musical-legend-now-that-ray-charles-johnny-cash-are-gone/249720/1 "2004-06-10T21:59:55Z")
Write your thoughts here and reasonings.
I’m figuring it will be Willie Nelson.
The man has been around since forever. He is a likeable guy who sets his own rules and isn’t afraid to be on the Simpsons and King of the Hill. His songs are pure excellence in writing and melody skills and his Swan Song \* On the Road Again\* is a part of the fabric of our National Vacations.
My other shot would be **Mick Jagger** who is the Ultra Cool Bad Boy who will never die, every woman wants to screw and took his own sound, made it his own and became a legend.
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### Author:  [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-our-living-musical-legend-now-that-ray-charles-johnny-cash-are-gone/249720/2 "2004-06-10T22:13:12Z")
I’m thinking Aretha Franklin? Because, you know, been around forever, paid her dues and so on.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2004, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-our-living-musical-legend-now-that-ray-charles-johnny-cash-are-gone/249720/3 "2004-06-10T22:18:33Z")
Soooooo, NOT David Hasselhoff, then?
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2004, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-our-living-musical-legend-now-that-ray-charles-johnny-cash-are-gone/249720/4 "2004-06-10T22:19:55Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#):
>
> Soooooo, NOT David Hasselhoff, then?
The Germans can have him. 😉
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### Author:  [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2004, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-our-living-musical-legend-now-that-ray-charles-johnny-cash-are-gone/249720/5 "2004-06-10T22:28:33Z")
Still quite a few living legends around:
Chuck Berry
Little Richard
Jerry Lee Lewis
Springsteen
Dylan
McCartney
George Jones
Loretta Lynn
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### Author:  [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2004, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-our-living-musical-legend-now-that-ray-charles-johnny-cash-are-gone/249720/6 "2004-06-10T22:47:33Z")
I’ll second **Loretta Lynn**
and toss in…
**Tom Waits**
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### Author:  [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2004, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-our-living-musical-legend-now-that-ray-charles-johnny-cash-are-gone/249720/7 "2004-06-10T22:51:28Z")
Earl Scruggs
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### Author:  [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2004, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-our-living-musical-legend-now-that-ray-charles-johnny-cash-are-gone/249720/8 "2004-06-10T22:54:52Z")
Lemmy.
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### Author:  [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2004, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-our-living-musical-legend-now-that-ray-charles-johnny-cash-are-gone/249720/9 "2004-06-10T23:05:09Z")
Willie Nelson was my very first thought when I saw the thread title. I don’t think anybody fits the bill better. Though, since George Harrison’s passing, McCartney has been my person living musical legend. So, I guess we can have two…
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2004, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-our-living-musical-legend-now-that-ray-charles-johnny-cash-are-gone/249720/10 "2004-06-10T23:08:06Z")
> [@spoke-](#):
>
> Little Richard
He hasn’t been quite the same since becoming an evangelist.
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### Author:  [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2004, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-our-living-musical-legend-now-that-ray-charles-johnny-cash-are-gone/249720/11 "2004-06-10T23:16:08Z")
Bo Diddley. (He’s still alive, right?)
I saw him about a year and a half ago, and his performance was absolutely jaw-dropping.
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### Author:  [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2004, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-our-living-musical-legend-now-that-ray-charles-johnny-cash-are-gone/249720/12 "2004-06-10T23:22:36Z")
George Jones is still alive?
I’d go with Willie too. He’s playing at the Surf in Clear Lake this summer. I can’t imagine what it will be like, seeing him in a small venue like that.
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### Author:  [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2004, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-our-living-musical-legend-now-that-ray-charles-johnny-cash-are-gone/249720/13 "2004-06-10T23:33:36Z")
Does Stephen Sondheim count?
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### Author:  [@cmason32](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmason32)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2004, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-our-living-musical-legend-now-that-ray-charles-johnny-cash-are-gone/249720/14 "2004-06-10T23:49:17Z")
Prince
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### Author:  [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2004, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-our-living-musical-legend-now-that-ray-charles-johnny-cash-are-gone/249720/15 "2004-06-10T23:51:46Z")
[Sonny Rollins](http://members.tripod.com/~hardbop/rollins.html) is still around. He’ll always be _my_ living musical legend.
Until he, uh, dies.
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### Author:  [@Roberta\_Plant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roberta_Plant)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-our-living-musical-legend-now-that-ray-charles-johnny-cash-are-gone/249720/16 "2004-06-10T23:53:38Z")
ROBERT PLANT etc.
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### Author:  [@Dahnlor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahnlor)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-our-living-musical-legend-now-that-ray-charles-johnny-cash-are-gone/249720/17 "2004-06-10T23:56:22Z")
Well, since we’re talking about who’s still there to hold Ray Charles’ torch, we still have blues legend **B. B. King** still kicking around. There’s also **Stevie Wonder** (he’s blind, too!).
Not easy to think of who could possibly fill the void left by Johnny Cash, though. Maybe **Ozzy Osbourne**. 😉
D
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### Author:  [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2004, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-our-living-musical-legend-now-that-ray-charles-johnny-cash-are-gone/249720/18 "2004-06-11T00:02:51Z")
Leonard Cohen
Paulene Olivieros
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### Author:  [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2004, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-our-living-musical-legend-now-that-ray-charles-johnny-cash-are-gone/249720/19 "2004-06-11T00:07:46Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Does Stephen Sondheim count?
No.
Though I second Dylan.
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### Author:  [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2004, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-our-living-musical-legend-now-that-ray-charles-johnny-cash-are-gone/249720/20 "2004-06-11T00:24:00Z")
I’ll have to second **Tom Waits**. That man is… g’fuh.
Is Roger Waters too un-legendish to be nominated?
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