Monday, April 09, 2007

The Decline of the Musician Rock Star

The use of the term Rock Star is now applied to everyone except musicians. While watching the Mets home opener today, Gary Cohen and Ron Darling, Mets announcers, said there was such excitement in the air at Shea and the Mets are beyond players and are now Rock Stars. The first non musician reference to Rock Star that I can remember hearing repeatedly and still here is President Bill Clinton. Ok Clinton can play the sax, but that is secondary to his life as a politician. I've met him and he is charismatic. Barack Obama is called a Rock Star. He is a well spoken politician, which by today's media standards, deems him a Rock Star. I've seen Prince and Prince is a Rock Star in every way. He may be the last of a dying breed. I have not heard the words Rock Star applied to a musician in a long time. Is that because there are so many musicians out there now, finding an audience big enough to make you a Rock Star is out of reach? American Idols have massive audiences but is there a Rock Star among them? Don't think so. Where are the Jimmy Pages, the Jim Morrisons, the Janis Joplins, the Stings of the future?

3 comments:

  1. Paula,
    Great post from my friend in NYC. Keith is a lucky man and a good man. It has made me nauseous to hear all these mostly politicians called "Rock Stars" over the last 10 years or so. What makes the press want to call these people "Rock Stars?" I guess for the generation that came of age in the 60's, 70's, and 80's, there is nothing cooler you can be called. I guess some focus group poll gave some staffer the idea to call Bill Clinton a "Rock Star" because he "plays" saxophone. Oh yeah, maybe it was a penchant for groupies that might have helped someone make the connection as well. Come on... being a musician, I take it as an insult. Elvis, Chuck Berry, The Beatles, The Stones, Clapton, Zeppelin, Hendrix, Morrison, Bowie, Black Sabbath, Springsteen, Queen, Van Halen, The Police, Prince, AC/DC, Motley Crue, Metallica, Nirvana, to name a few... these are "Rock Stars" because they play music and have made their mark as musicians. It's not just sex and drugs that gets you into the Hall Of Fame. It's mainly, Rock-N-Roll and I like it it that way. Just my opinion.

    Ciao,
    Rico

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  2. Anonymous3:05 PM

    Hi Paula,
    Do you like Baroque Pop music. Have you heard the Morning Benders from Berkley CA ? They are going to be at Webster Hall on Nov.18. Cant wait to see them.
    I like reading your blog.
    Take care, Cindy

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  3. Hi Cindy,
    I do know the Morning Benders and like them. They fell off my radar so thanks for bringing them back to my attention.

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