Old Rockers Never Die They Just ‘Go Gentle Into That Goodnight’

I wonder where that title came from. I will say that I feel lost and pretty sad hearing about David Bowie’s death on January 10, 2016. I wouldn’t exactly say I was a raving fan of his but I did like him. When his songs are played on the radio I never shut it off like I do when I hear a Billy Joel song. I don’t want to get into why I don’t like Billy Joel at this time but one day soon I will.

I’m a Child of the Eighties even though I was born in the early 1950’s. Name a band, singer, or song from the 80’s and I probably know the words well enough to sing along with the best of them. But, really, don’t ask me to sing unless you have ear plugs lying around.

David Bowie was 69 years old and died from cancer. I’m 63 and not as spry as I used to be. I often think of death as do many people around my age. When you’re in your 20’s and 30’s death rarely enters your mind but by the time you hit your 50’s it starts to trickle into your thoughts, and when you get into your 60’s the thought is always lurking around. Death can happen to anyone at anytime.

I have to tell you a story about my friend Janette. Is she going to kill me for using her name? Well, we’ll see.

Janette is a skosh older than I am. One day my phone rings and her year old beautiful grand daughter, Rayleigh, is on the phone jabbering away to me. Janette and I just got finished yakking and the baby grabbed the phone and hit redial. I have no idea what Rayleigh was telling me but it was cute.

After a few minutes of laughing with her I told Rayleigh to find “maw maw.” Rayleigh didn’t want “maw maw” she wanted to talk to her “Auntie” Sharon. So I grabbed my cell phone and called Janette’s daughter, Mandy, to let her know that the baby was on Janette’s cell phone gabbing with me.

When Janette heard Mandy say, “Hi Sharon,” Janette freaked out and grabbed the phone. “What’s wrong, what’s wrong?” she yelped into my ear. “Nothing,” I said. “I just wanted to let you know that Rayleigh has your cell, called me, and is chatting away.” “Oh, thank God,” Janette said. “I thought you called to tell me that Daryl Hall died.”

Daryl Hall? “Daryl Hall died?” I asked Janette. “I don’t know,” Janette said. “I just thought that Daryl died and you called Mandy to have her break the bad news me gently.” Janette is madly in love with Daryl Hall but why jump to the conclusion that Hall died? I kept looking at the phone wondering if my good friend was still in Georgia or if some alien kidnapped her and transported her to another planet.

Today when I found out about David Bowie I started thinking about the older rockers. Daryl Hall is 69, John Oates isn’t that much younger. And Mick Jagger and most of the other Rolling Stones are older still. And then there’s Bruce Springsteen who’s also a little long in the tooth. Sorry my friends in New Jersey, but I shut the radio off when they play his songs too.

But I do worry: what is going to happen to music, or Janette for that matter, when the older rockers “go gentle into that goodnight?”

I’m not a fan of Justin Bieber, Beyonce, Iggy Azalea, Ariana Grande, rappers, or any kind of music like that. When Wendy Williams talks about these “entertainers” I usually say, “Who?” Please, no emails or letters but feel free to post if you think I’m a tad behind in the music scene. I do like Adele, though.

The thing I wonder about is when Justin, Iggy, and the rest “go gentle into that goodnight” will there be a Janette upset on the other end of a phone worried that her good friend is calling to tell her of Justin’s demise?

RIP David, the music world will miss you.

Here’s Janette’s favorite David Bowie video.