Best "Dead Rock Band" of all time.

Prince is in the running for best musician ever……dead or alive.

 

My personal preference. FWIW.

Vocals: Waylon Jennings
Guitar: Tom Petty
Guitar: Prince
Piano: Jerry Lee Lewis
Drums: Neal Peart

 

You could probably put together seven great all-star bands if you broke the selections up by decades back to the 1950s -- selecting by the years the artist hit their commercial peak:

1950s:
Lead vocals: Elvis
Lead guitar: Chuck Berry
Rhythm guitar, producer: Buddy Holly
Bass: Bill Black
Drums: Jerry Allison
Keyboards: Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis

(Fun Fact: Four members of the 1950s group were still alive as of 2017)

1960s:
Lead vocal, rhythm guitar: John Lennon
Lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
Bass: James Jamerson
Drums: Charlie Watts
Keyboards: Nicky Hopkins
Vocals: Dusty Springfield, Aretha Franklin
Multi-ornamental instruments; Brian Jones

1970s:
Lead vocals, sax: David Bowie
Lead guitar: Eddie Van Halen
Guitar/effects/producer: Frank Zappa
Rhythm/slide guitar, sitar: George Harrison
Bass: John Entwhistle
Keyboards, vocals: Freddie Mercury
Drums: Keith Moon, Bonzo Bonham

1980s
Lead vocals: Michael Jackson
Lead guitar, vocals, etc etc etc. Prince
Rhythm guitar, vocals: Tom Petty
Lead guitar: Stevie Ray Vaughan
Bass: Cliff Burton
Drums: Jeff Porcaro
Sax: Clarence Clemons

 

The voice, yes

her, not so much

 

I haven't seen a steel guitar player yet but Sneaky Pete Kleinow has to be in the discussion.

And James Burton on guitar.

 

The great James Burton is still alive and just turned 84.

 

With Burton, Ronstadt and Carol Kane we are now forming a band of “live people we thought were dead”. Need a drummer.

 

Well good, for some reason I thought he was deceased.

 

I thought Dave Clark died some years ago. Apparently not, he's 83.

 

I think Mike Smith was the most recent DC5 member to pass. My favorite English invasion group, with the Hollies a close second and then Gerry and the Pacemakers.

 

Oh, wow. Who knew!?!