John Lennon

Words can't describe how disappointed I am in myself for not putting Moon Man on the list.

:sad:

Booker Little
Scott LaFaro
Clifford Brown
Steve Bohannon
Ross Pollack
Albert Stinson
Jimmy Blanton
etc.

(did not make 30, most not 25, one not 19)

Christopher Reeve.
Diana.
Michael Landon.

Odd from the lists of musicians I'd have figured at least someone before me would have said Johnny Cash, ok he was of a fair age when he left us ate age ummm 61 I believe but he still had much more music left in him then most "artists" will ever hope for.

Must not be many Robert A Heinlein fans here. Again a truly gifted individual that has inspired many with his works, left us at the grand old age of 81 years young and still writing with the help of his wife Ginny who has also passed on.

Guess I'm thinking that a person doesn't have to be young to have their death be tragic as long as they still have something of themselves left to teach or reach us as those two icons have certainly done.

I'd have to vote for Harry Chapin. Most widely known for "Cats in the Cradle" and "Taxi," he donated his proceeds from half of his concerts per year toward fighting world hunger. When he died, several charities had to close because of the lost funding. World Hunger Year is still carrying his message.

John Lennon - imagine what mor he could have brought to all of us.

Both men lost within 6 months of each other... 1980. That was a sucky year for me.

Aaliyah.

She was going places. Many places.

Princess Di is the only one for whom I stayed up till 4am to watch the funeral procession and memorial service as a kid.

Tupac and Biggy Smalls was a tragedy for music.

rocky marciano and ayrton senna in sport

Lady Di because if it hadn't been for that drunken bastard of a driver she had, she'd still be alive.

Judy Garland, she was desperate to be loved, and couldn't find it. She was looking in all the wrong places, but the fact that people continued to fuel her addictions, and her lack of self-worth, and didn't reach out to her as a person...it's very sad. She was a moneymaker and that's all they worried about.

Lou Gherig, because it is a shame they didn't have the science back then that they had today...he could have lived longer. And I disagree with the way they kept telling him that he was going to be fine, and that it was just a matter of time. Well they were right, it was just a matter of time, but not for a cure but for it to take it's toll.

Ronald Reagan. It's sad to see a couple that in love and to see him die the way he did. To go from a vibrant young strapping actor (not that he was a favourite), but he had talent, then to see him lead this country, even though I didn't agree with everything he stood for, and then to leave office with dignity (which is rare these days). To see that he was so very happily married and in love, and then to die the way he did.

Heath Ledger. Because it could have been prevented.

Mr. Rogers. Despite all the urban legends and rumors, the only "bad" thing anyone could ever come up with was that he would swear like a sailor when the camera was off. The guy was just about perfect and deserved to live forever.

If you don't find this speech at least a bit moving, you're not fully human.

Probably the most shocking death of a famous person that hit me was the death of Marc-Vivien Foe