They say with age comes grace… sadly, what they don’t speak about is the loss. Maybe it’s one of those unspoken subjects; you know the things that should be obvious, but no one wants to discuss. Never the less, we look at our parents and those people who have always been a part of our lives as invincible. We never think of them in a weakened state, let alone actually leaving this earth. And that’s the point we’ve come to with our remaining living legends.
When I started covering live music events, initially I never thought about the idea that this could be the last time I have an opportunity to catch this person. For me it was man I get to capture Natalie Cole or Al Jarreau or Aretha Franklin, how cool is that. Then you hear the awful news that Natalie, Al and now Aretha have passed away. So, you think back to the time you captured him/her – you dig through your archives and find the set of images that you never really revisit, but now they take you back to a moment when all was right with the world; when you were smiling, singing and grooving, up close and personal, with them. Then it hits you, like a ton of bricks that they are no longer here, and you realize that the time and space you shared was something magical.
It can be quite unsettling, I’m sure for some more than others. Some of these legends have been a part of the very fabric of life, lending a soundtrack to the most integral and perhaps monumental moments of your life and our history. The role they played was necessary, whether it inspired you, provided solace, encouragement or that push you needed to get up and get moving. Yes, these legends and their music are intimately woven into our individual fates. When they won, we all won and when the fell, we either helped drag them or we uplifted them in prayer. This is who we are. This is who they were. They were our family. They were our friends. And for every up and down, every heartache, every triumph and every pleasure they provided us, we will sorely miss them, but carry them on in our hearts and minds.