[DrBenway]

If you ever heard "People Who Died," or read The Basketball Diaries, then you know why I am so sad right now. Jim Carrol was perfectly definitive of the New York City that was crushed under the weight of greed in the last 25 years. I'm sure Muffy and Skippy are sipping their Metropolitans on the Upper East Side in blissful ignorance of this loss.

No bailouts for artists, know what I mean?

His NYT obit.

 

[Absorbine_Sr]

Sad day. He became his song.

"They were all my friends, and they died."

RIP Jim

 

[DrBenway]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Absorbine_Sr /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sad day. He became his song. "They were all my friends, and they died." RIP Jim

When I read The Basketball Diaries, I quickly realized that "People Who Died" was a compressed version of the memoir.

I haven't really come to grips with the early death of Willy Deville, a bona-fide CBGBs hero. And now this. All of my punk heroes are dying. I guess it's a matter of being middle-aged, but I still hate it.

 

[Absorbine_Sr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrBenway /img/forum/go_quote.gif When I read The Basketball Diaries, I quickly realized that "People Who Died" was a compressed version of the memoir. I haven't really come to grips with the early death of Willy Deville, a bona-fide CBGBs hero. And now this. All of my punk heroes are dying. I guess it's a matter of being middle-aged, but I still hate it.

Agreed. I heard about Willy passing. What a unique band Mink Deville were. So sad I lost my "Live at CBGB's" double LP years ago... I could do with hearing that again.

So here's to Jim and Willy and Stiv and all of the others I'm sure I'm forgetting. My formative years were made whole by listening to their music. Just an Indiana boy wanting badly to be a NY punk.

 

[Uncle Erik]

RIP, Jim. I listened to "People Who Died" the other day, and it still sounds fresh even after all these years. Wasn't it released in 1980 or so? It still packs a punch even after nearly 30 years.

2009 has not been a good year to be a celebrity.

Is it me, or do we seem to be losing more of the greats this year than in the past few?

 

[userlander]

Wow, what a bummer. Basketball Diaries was one of my favorite books growing up, and Forced Entries, his follow up was also really good. People Who Died - such a great song. RIP Jim!

 

[DrBenway]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Absorbine_Sr /img/forum/go_quote.gif Agreed. I heard about Willy passing. What a unique band Mink Deville were.

Peerless and unique. I never saw them at CBs, though I caught maybe six or seven of their later shows in Philly and NYC. But I've read and heard that the CBs audience would sometimes taunt him for not being punk enough. In retrospect, I can't think of anything more punk than that.



Quote:

Originally Posted by Absorbine_Sr /img/forum/go_quote.gif So sad I lost my "Live at CBGB's" double LP years ago... I could do with hearing that again.

What a great document of the scene, minus the obvious greats. I've got a pristine copy on vinyl. PM me if you want me to burn it for you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Absorbine_Sr /img/forum/go_quote.gif So here's to Jim and Willy and Stiv and all of the others I'm sure I'm forgetting. My formative years were made whole by listening to their music. Just an Indiana boy wanting badly to be a NY punk.

Funny. I was a Westchester County boy, growing up in the burbs and wanting to be a NYC punk. But when I was 16, the distance between my parents's house and CBGBs seemed insurmountable, even though it was probably about 30 miles...

And to your list of the dear departed, I would add Johnny Thunders.

 

[IceClass]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrBenway /img/forum/go_quote.gif I haven't really come to grips with the early death of Willy Deville, a bona-fide CBGBs hero.

X2.

I've had Willy on heavy rotation since he passed away.

Is it me or are all his CDs suddenly really expensive right now?

 

[Samgotit]

This is really annoying me this morning, coming off the VMA awards' stupidity last night. Kanye West is neon-media today, yet this is the first I've heard of Jim Carroll's death. How many idiots leaped off their Rent-A-Center couches last night and proclaimed, "yo dawg, Kanye keepin' it real" in response to him bravely and courageously pushing aside a skinny 17 year old girl so he could whine like a child? The same idiots who have been told by promoters, marketers, and media that he has talent and that he's a poet and an artist and an icon and a.... But not a word about a real artist like Carroll. He was in the New York thick of it, part of that interesting history. We are not being deprived of talent today, though, but we are being lied to when we are told who has it.

Those are people who died, died
Those are people who died, died
They were all my friends, and they died

That's poetry!