NFT: What celebrity death hit you the hardest?

In comment 14774781 George from PA said:

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Lennon was tough....I lived near Dakota at the time

I was a 21 year old Doorman at 67th & CPW at the time. Also a huge Beatles fan. This death was pretty soul crushing.

About two years before, he came strolling down the sidewalk. You couldn't mistake him because Yoko was with him too. By the time I found a scrap of paper and a pencil (couldn’t find a pen!) I tried to catch up with him and ask for an autograph. He just half-turned his head towards me and said loudly in his thick Liverpool accent “No. I don’t do them anymore”. That hurt, but not as much as when he died.

I though of Leonard Cohen, who died two years ago, but was truly a loss to a special world of a very special talent. Different than most, his roots remained in the Jewish world even unto death. We miss you Leonard.

All three went before their time.

I thought he was going all the way when he eventually got into the family business. I think David Cone threw his perfect game that weekend too, but I might be mistaken.

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and Janis

Everyone wanted to be The Mick growing up in the 50’s and 60’s in north Jersey.
Sad that his hard party life during baseball career was major cause of his death

When Jerry died in 1995 I was 14 years old and had finally gotten permission to see the dead at their upcoming fall run. I was introduced to them 2 years before by a friend at camp and was instantly hooked. Unfortunately, I never got to see the big man live...
Greg, on the other hand, I saw live 33 times. His music played such an important role in my life. So many memories with my father. So many memories with my friends. It's not that these guys were celebrities, I felt like I knew them, especially Greg.

In comment 14774717 jcn56 said:

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I had a fund set up to buy tickets the next time they toured, which would be never.

you had a "fund" set up? It was 1995 I think... Concert tickets were like what, 30 bucks?

In comment 14774819 iMatt said:

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...as the "I generally don't care" group, but I remember exactly where I was and what I was feeling when I saw Kurt Loder announce Kurt Cobain's death.

Lol, it's like my parents remembering where they were when Kennedy was shot. I was at my buddy Eric's house after school and we were watching MTV and drinking sunkist soda eating twix. Loder comes on and announced it and both of us were in shock and didn't say a word for a good 10 minutes.

LeRoi Moore

Such a great actor, and gone way too soon.

I was a sophomore in college when he was killed, and me and a buddy went down to Central Park that night.

I really miss his show.

was a hard day, his music was a time piece of my past with my brother who is a musician and my late father. Also he was the grunge rockstar who made it through the dark days and survived among a group of others Cobain, Staley, Weiland. An the way he killed himself was a true reflection of how dark he was inside. just sad.

Avicci or Tim Berg the DJ superstar who really elevated EDM (electronic dance music) to becoming a household genera of music. I remember hearing "levels" during a Subaru commercial once. Avicci was my first rave/show and set a memorable experience. Also he was so young

Stuart Scott was a shocker for me because he was the face of ESPN while I was growing up. The fact he had just won the Jimmy V award and was a huge supporter of cancer research. With all the good you would see from others to help people who had cancer it was still a bitter reminder that despite all the hope there is the real truth of the inevitable.

I was in college, and actually was at a Springsteen concert at the Philly Spectrum that night. After Bruce's normal 3 encores, the lights came on then went off again, and Bruce came out and did a Beatles Medley. No one knew why, because there weren't things like cell phones back then. On the way home we heard about Lennon, Bruce must have heard backstage and come out.

Chris Farley, talk about losing a talent who was just about to hit his prime. Seeing Adam Sandler's reaction/Euology on SNL a couple weeks later was heartbreaking, just a tragic story.

I remember exactly where I was too on March 19th, 1982. I was playing guitar and he (and Tony below) were my number one influences.

.. and the next one that will hit me hard will be Tony Iommi. He has cancer so I am expecting it to happen at some point soon.

I met him a few times. He was a good guy.

He was shot on stage by a deranged fan who was pissed that Pantera broke up. That one still get me. So f’d up.

was a big blow.

Robin Williams, Heath Ledger, Prince, Micheal Jackson, Rutger Hauer, Kristoff St. John, Nipsey Hussle, Carrie Fisher. There are others though

...in the 1986 Cape Canaveral crash in the space shuttle.

Watched it live.

Christa*

Lennon and Munson

In comment 14775017 PatersonPlank said:

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I was in college, and actually was at a Springsteen concert at the Philly Spectrum that night. After Bruce's normal 3 encores, the lights came on then went off again, and Bruce came out and did a Beatles Medley. No one knew why, because there weren't things like cell phones back then. On the way home we heard about Lennon, Bruce must have heard backstage and come out.

I was at King's College in Wilkes Barre. A night I'll never forget.

Say hit me hardest. However, when I watch uncle buck and he says goodbye to his niece at the end I feel sad that he is gone.

I’m talking about John Candy.

Strummer

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Philip Seymour Hoffman, George Harrison and Robin Williams.

didn't think a celebrity death could hit me until that happened

Followed closely by Ronnie James Dio.

Those two were responsible for a lot of great times in my youth and pointed out that I was getting old.

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Growing up I was taught not to worship hero's. In most cases these people are not to admire. You might admire their work but they are not admirable people. I remember Daryl and Doc with Cocaine, LT with Coke and other things so when certain celebrities died in most cases I didn't feel overly bad.

I would say Neil Peart sticks out to me.

One of the best drummers and songwriters. A family man that dealt with a ton of heartache in his life. Both his daughter and wife died leaving him heartbroken. He finally found a new wife and he was only in his 60's before he passed of a 3+ year battle with brain cancer. Loved the music. Very humble man. Have been going through Youtube for Rush songs, video's, live covers.

dying in a plane crash. I was 10, and he was really really popular at the time. I had seen him on the Midnight Special a short time prior to his death, and I just remember, being 10, that one hit kinda hard.

More recently, id say Tom Petty, although that happened the day after the Vegas shooting and I was actually flying to Vegas that day, so kind of got overshadowed a bit at the time. But man,,,,,I was and remain a huge Petty fan.

In comment 14775660 giantsfan227B said:

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Growing up I was taught not to worship hero's.

This has absolutely nothing to do with hero worship. David Bowie was never my hero. Neither was Thurman Munson. I don't think anyone on this thread is talking about their heroes.

John Lennon
Jerry Garcia
Clarence Clemons

I'd also put the Skynard plane crash and losing some of those members as hitting me hard at the time as well as John Bonham.

In comment 14775017 PatersonPlank said:

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I was in college, and actually was at a Springsteen concert at the Philly Spectrum that night. After Bruce's normal 3 encores, the lights came on then went off again, and Bruce came out and did a Beatles Medley. No one knew why, because there weren't things like cell phones back then. On the way home we heard about Lennon, Bruce must have heard backstage and come out.

I was at that show too and you're right, no one had any idea.

We were in the car heading back to the Shore and had WMMR on and they were simulcasting from outside the Dakota and we didn't know what the hell we were listening to for a few minutes until one of the DJ's cut in with an update on what was going on.

After a couple of oh no's and shit fuck's, I don't think the four of us said another word the whole ride home and just listened and took it all in.

In comment 14774803 Steve in ATL said:

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battle with cancer was another one.

"Enjoy every sandwich"

I will never forget the final interview he did with Letterman. Hard to find words to adequately describe it. Just devastatingly poignant.

Robin Williams

In comment 14775745 Eman11 said:

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John Lennon Jerry Garcia Clarence Clemons I'd also put the Skynard plane crash and losing some of those members as hitting me hard at the time as well as John Bonham.

I was holding a pair of tickets to the Nugent/Skynyrd show at MSG back in the fall of '77. Then the plane crash happened. They never made the show. Nugent became the headliner, plus some band called Rex as the warmup. God, this was ages ago...

I'll go with Chris Farley.

In comment 14775776 Poktown Pete said:

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In comment 14775745 Eman11 said: Quote: John Lennon Jerry Garcia Clarence Clemons I'd also put the Skynard plane crash and losing some of those members as hitting me hard at the time as well as John Bonham. I was holding a pair of tickets to the Nugent/Skynyrd show at MSG back in the fall of '77. Then the plane crash happened. They never made the show. Nugent became the headliner, plus some band called Rex as the warmup. God, this was ages ago...

Wow, we had tix for Skynyrd also.

I was lucky to have seen Zep and Bonham at MSG and was completely blown away by how great he was. I had seen other great bands, singers, guitar players etc but never a drummer like that. His passing bummed the hell out of me at the time too.

In comment 14775062 rnargi said:

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In comment 14775017 PatersonPlank said: Quote: I was in college, and actually was at a Springsteen concert at the Philly Spectrum that night. After Bruce's normal 3 encores, the lights came on then went off again, and Bruce came out and did a Beatles Medley. No one knew why, because there weren't things like cell phones back then. On the way home we heard about Lennon, Bruce must have heard backstage and come out. I was at King's College in Wilkes Barre. A night I'll never forget.

I'm more sorry that you were there.

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nobody quite like him.

In comment 14775037 noro9 said:

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I met him a few times. He was a good guy.

Great guy. Very accessible.

That one hit me. So did Levon

In comment 14774702 BlueManCrew said:

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Not sure why exactly but I was really down when he died.

I still can't watch any of his shows to this day. It just hits me like a brick.