Now it has been announced that George Michael has fallen off the twig today. Sadly he died peacefully from unknown causes at home in Goring, Oxfordshire at the age of 53 but it is suspected it may be from AIDS due to some reports of recent illnesses although I remain sceptical until the official reasons are stated. RIP George Michael.

 

Like so many others have said, good riddance to 2016. I was reflecting, just the other day, on how many of my idols from the late 1960's and 1970's passed away this year when I stumbled on to Greg Lake's obit. Somehow I completely missed his passing earlier this month. And just the other day Rick Parfitt from Status Quo left this mortal coil. Man, this year was hellish.

I don't know if it's just that I'm now of the age where so many of the musicians I was into as a teen are old enough to be dropping like flies or what. But, when I got the notice yesterday on my phone that George Michael had died it really was a stunner. I'm older, by several year, than he was.

I watched Rogue One yesterday at our local theater and at the very end there is a scene with a 20 something Carrie Fisher as Princess Leah. The audience applauded out of sympathy for her condition as a result of her heart attack. I hope I'm not reading about her passing in the coming days. She led a life, like George Michael, that was not easy. I recommend watching her autobiographical one woman performance, "Wishful Drinking."

 

John Berry (Beastie Boys), Leon Russell (I'll never forget his performance in the Concert for Bangla Desh, Prince, Leonard Cohen, Merle Haggard, Frank Sinatra Jr., Vanity (Denise Matthews), Maurice White (Earth Wind and Fire), Paul Kanter, Glen Frey, Dale Griffin (Mott the Hoople ((may Ian Hunter live forever)), Pete Huttlinger, David Bowie and Keith Emerson (Carl Palmer must be on edge).

Just think about it, Muhammed Ali, John Glenn, Arnold Palmer, Fidel Castro, Elie Wiesel, Antonin Scalia, the list just goes on. Gary Shandling, Florence Henderson, Alan Rickman, Harper Lee, Nancy Reagan, Morley Safer, Gordie Howe, Gary Marshall, Gene Wilder, Peter Vaughn, Alan Thicke, Zsa Zsa Gabor and I'm sure there are numerous others I've omitted.

Personally, my wife and I lost a very close friend back in June. She was 37 years old and on her way home from work when an SUV crossed a double yellow line and smashed into her Jetta. Our friends of almost thirty years also lost their 23 year old son to Duschennes Muscular Dystrophy. **** 2016.

 

Paul, I know your feelings. I now detest Christmas as usually there is a note in many Christmas cards bearing bad news, it an age thingy I am told.

The latest downer was from an old pal I worked with 25+ years ago, we both had suffered our own tragedies whilst working together. He wrote in his Christmas card that an old pal had died some months ago which was worse that no-one was allowed to attend the funeral. Brian was a real nice guy, he and his wife ran an animal sanctuary and he was the managing director of one on the largest multi-discipline consultancies in the world, Rick and I were also directors of the same consultancy. Brian had everything money could buy but still he was ill and died early at the age of 77 years. All very sad but such is life.

 

I just got a notice that Carrie Fisher just died.