# Why Is James Dean Revered?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-james-dean-revered/461155>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 25, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-james-dean-revered/461155 "2008-08-25T01:06:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-james-dean-revered/461155/21 "2008-08-26T03:00:51Z")

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From Judas Priest’s song, [Heroes End](http://www.lyricstime.com/judas-priest-heroes-end-lyrics.html):

I saw on silver screen an actor’s rise to fame  
But fast car user lose  
That legend’s born from death and that is such a shame  
'cos every year new ones appear

Why do you have to die to be a hero  
It’s a shame a legend begins at its end  
Why do you have to die if you’re a hero  
When there’s still so many things to say unsaid.

(The song also references a female singer and a guitarist who I assume must be Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix.)

It’s also interesting to note the suspicious presence of the letter J in tragic celebrity deaths.

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