RIP Ric Ocasek

Ric Ocasek was older than guys who were on the scene a decade and a half before him.
I know the Cars were a longtime cover band but ...

Bob Dylan (78 years old)
Paul McCartney (77)
Paul Simon (77)
Art Garfunkel (77)
Carole King (77)
Brian Wilson (77)
Mick Jagger (76)
Keith Richards (75)
Joni Mitchell (75)
Jimmy Page (75)
Robert Plant (71)
Ray Davies (75)
Roger Daltrey (75)
Pete Townshend (74)
Roger Waters (75)
David Gilmour (73)
Rod Stewart (74)
Eric Clapton (74)
Debbie Harry (74)
Neil Young (73)
Van Morrison (73)
Bryan Ferry (73)
Elton John (72)
Don Henley (72)
James Taylor (71)
Jackson Browne (70)
Billy Joel (70)
Bruce Springsteen (turning 70 next month)

... all that is coming down the pike.

The coming death of just about every rock legend

 

I believe Easton and Hawkes were both from the Berklee school of music. They weren't just garage band wannabees; they had their musical chops.

Going to appropriate a Spinal Tap reference here slightly incorrectly I think, but great band, good look...

 

We're going to run out of Thoughts and Prayers!

 

I saw the Cars on the Move Like This tour in 2011 at Washington DC's 9:30 Club. Am eternally grateful my friend talked me into going.

Honestly, I thought Move Like This was a very strong album, better than Candy-O & Shake It Up.

 

Been deep diving the cars a lot. The age range in players fascinated me. Ocasek was almost a decade older than Hawkes and Easton. He had three years on Orr and five on Robinson.

Made me think of other bands with big age gaps. I know Andy Summer was a lot older than the rest of the Police. And Jimmy McCulloch was about 15 when he joined Thunderclap Newman where the rest of the band was pushing 30. I know Bill Wyman was older than the rest of the Stones.

Are their other where the original core group had such a large mix of ages?

 

If Ocasek was 75, he's as old as Ray Davies of the Kinks. That absolutely blows my mind.

 

When I think of aging rock stars, I remember Steve Winwood sang with Spencer Davis at 16.

 

Tommy Stinson was 7 years younger than his brother and Paul Westerberg. Not that many years except when you consider that Tommy was touring at 14 when his brother and Paul were 21.

 

That Tommy Stinson is a functioning adult is nothing short of remarkable in light of what he saw and did during his adolescence.

 

Derek Trucks was 20 when he joined the Allman Brothers, younger than any of the original members were when they formed the band decades earlier.

 

Follow up on earlier comment regarding left handed guitarists to ‘make it’....
Jimi Hendrix
Paul McCartney
Dick Dale
Tony Iommi
Elliot Easton
Buddy Guy
Otis Rush
Albert King
Am I missing anyone?

 

Mark Knopfler is a lefty who plays right-handed. Joe Strummer and Elvis Costello too, I think.