Cars' frontman Ric Ocasek dead at 75

[Montecfo]

Saddened to hear this today. Groundbreaking talent. I was a huge fan.

Glad I saw The Cars live circa 1980. Missed them on the short reunion tour in 2011.

"...since you're gone, nothing's making sense."

 

[harley]

Bummer. Good group, especially in the wasteland of '80s rock. I never saw them, but always enjoyed their music.

 

[dixonge]

Soundtrack of my youth. 78-79, big hits!

 

[Midpack]

I was a fan of The Cars, just heard Magic on the radio a few days ago. Makes me feel old that Ric has passed away.

 

[ncbill]

Talking about oldies, did anyone else notice Joan Jett on the Sunday Night Football musical opener?

Hope I look that good at 60...

 

[LRDave]

Eddie Money a few days ago and now Ric Ocasek.....

Tough week for FM radio idols.

 

[erkevin]

An article from just two weeks ago (coincidently):

https://theweek.com/articles/861750/coming-death-just-about-every-rock-legend

 

[f35phixer]

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, i always think of things happening in threes, We had Leon Redbone and Dr John in May/June too. So hopefully musicians are safe for a while !

 

[Rianne]

Article that walks through the history of Ric, music videos attached and many, many memories. He was married to Paulina Porizkova (Czech). I've followed her career and marriage to Ric as I'm 50% Czech. The music videos in this article brings memories to some of the best times of my life.

https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/09/ric-ocasek-dead-cause-of-death/

 

[SumDay]

That band in heaven is getting really, really good. I hope to have a front row seat, but not too soon.

 

[Montecfo]

An article from just two weeks ago (coincidently):

https://theweek.com/articles/861750/coming-death-just-about-every-rock-legend

I saw that too. And who is replacing these guys?

 

[stepford]

And who is replacing these guys?

That's kind of the point. There will be no replacement. The era of the big rock star came when recorded music was widely available and youth had the time to listen and money to buy it. The era ended when recorded music became so universally available that its value dropped to near zero.

There is still some great music being made (at least so I'm told), but the pioneers who defined the genre are all in their 70s and 80s now. It would be a miracle of modern medicine (or whatever dark arts Keith Richards practices) if more than a handful of them are around in 10-20 years.

 

[MuirWannabe]

Article that walks through the history of Ric, music videos attached and many, many memories. He was married to Paulina Porizkova (Czech). I've followed her career and marriage to Ric as I'm 50% Czech. The music videos in this article brings memories to some of the best times of my life.

https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/09/ric-ocasek-dead-cause-of-death/

I’m not Czech or anything, but I’ve followed her career closely as well [emoji4].

Loved the Cars music. Reminds me of my college years and blasting them on the car stereo as my friends and I drove out to the hill country lakes to party.

 

[LRDave]

Ric was not much of a guitarist, but he knew a guitar hook. His live voice was pretty weak as well.

But I loved The Cars and blasted them on my stereo for years. I also think it endures. The first Cars album holds up pretty well here in 2019. I am listening to it as I prepare dinner.

 

[LRDave]

I don't want to hijack the Ric Ocasek theme here, but I saw Musical Box (Genesis tribute band) and they were fantastic. They faithfully reproduced a Genesis concert from 1971 - almost surely better (musicianship-wise) than the original.

Tribute bands will carry us until this crowd is worm food...

 

[Montecfo]

Not aware of Cars tribute band. Will have to look. There were the "New Cars" a few years ago with 2 original members and with Todd Rundgren on lead.

 

[harley]

Article that walks through the history of Ric, music videos attached and many, many memories. He was married to Paulina Porizkova (Czech). I've followed her career and marriage to Ric as I'm 50% Czech. The music videos in this article brings memories to some of the best times of my life.

https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/09/ric-ocasek-dead-cause-of-death/

Interesting article. I think we should take that list and do a Dead Pool as to who the last survivor will be. I'm taking Keith as the ultimate irony.

Of course, to win we have to outlast them, which for many of us is not guaranteed.

 

[erkevin]

Interesting article. I think we should take that list and do a Dead Pool as to who the last survivor will be. I'm taking Keith as the ultimate irony.

Of course, to win we have to outlast them, which for many of us is not
guaranteed.

But how can you determine if Keith is dead or not? If you go by looks alone, he may have passed years ago................

 

[harley]

^ As long as he can still play the intro to "Love in Vain", he's still alive.

 

[USGrant1962]

On cassette tape in my '69 Camaro. Sad.

 

[JoeWras]

Ric was not much of a guitarist, but he knew a guitar hook. His live voice was pretty weak as well.

True.

But he was quirky and memorable. The Cars and The Police were two bands that emerged during my high school era and persisted through college. Both changed pop music forever. Huge influences on the future.

It is interesting to think of Boston and The Cars as contemporary bands, and how they ultimately influenced sound. Both emerged from the Boston area. Scholz (Boston) and Ocasek/Orr were "older" than your typical pop star when they hit it big, which I think ultimately is the reason they left legacies. I would argue that even though Scholz was a production genius, The Cars left more of a mark on the future of the style of Rock Pop.

What bugs me about his death is that he was young. Along with Eddie Money. And Ben Orr of The Cars is long gone.

 

[zedd]

Enjoyed The Cars when I was a kid. Our neighbors didn't care for their music but when I listened to the band our neighbors did too. Ha

 

[harley]

Ric was not much of a guitarist, but he knew a guitar hook. His live voice was pretty weak as well.

Well, so was Robert Plant's, and Grace Slick's for that matter. At least at the shows I saw. Performing live requires a particular talent.

 

[stepford]

Well, so was Robert Plant's, and Grace Slick's for that matter. At least at the shows I saw. Performing live requires a particular talent.

There are many criticisms that could be laid on Grace Slick, but a weak voice was never one of them. You must have caught her on an off night.

 

[JoeWras]

There are many criticisms that could be laid on Grace Slick, but a weak voice was never one of them. You must have caught her on an off night.

She retired early and has been vocal about staying retired and not joining the old performers circuit.

I wonder if concern of her voice had anything to do with it? She doesn't go there. She just says old performers are stupid. Wiki says this is the actual quote:

"All rock-and-rollers over the age of 50 look stupid and should retire."