Is music somehow a tragedy-linked art form?

[a7xman]

I understand there is something inherent about creative and artistic people that causes them to seem to act outside what most people define as "normal," whatever normal even is, but, to me at least, it seems music has more tragedies in it than in visual arts, writing or other art forms. As a rock fan, we have the 27 club with Hendrix, Joplin and Cobain, there's Lennon's assasination, Elvis' overdose, Lynyrd Skynryd's plane crash, and Freddie Mercury's early loss due to AIDS. Music has touched me more than I can describe, saving me from the darkest points of my life, especially the work of Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan of Avenged Sevenfold, who also died prematurely of an accidental overdose at 28. I still miss his influence on their music and my life to this day. Simply put, does anyone else have a similar experience, and/or do you feel something about music is inherently tied to mifortunes, or am I just crazy?

 

[Nouw]

I would think the party-lifestyle music was tied into had something to do with the abundance of tragedies as they're quite often drug-related.

 

[sextus the crazy]

I would think the party-lifestyle music was tied into had something to do with the abundance of tragedies as they're quite often drug-related.

This.

You either are partying to death or using drugs to self-medicate. Because as we all know, to make art, you need to suffer.

 

[thesilentman]

I would think the party-lifestyle music was tied into had something to do with the abundance of tragedies as they're quite often drug-related.

This.

You either are partying to death or using drugs to self-medicate. Because as we all know, to make art, you need to suffer.

I objec-... Okay, you got me there. A good number of my favorite songs involve the writers suffering, so it looks as if this is quite prevalent thoughout all of the arts.

Music has a special allure for me, OP. It's the only field in the arts where I can safely say that I can become truly moved. It's quite hard for any other field of art to do this, but music does it with such ease that I'm left with pure awe. Maybe it's because I'm a musician and can understand the piece's message clearly. Maybe it's my music choice. Whatever it is, OP, I can safely say that music definitely holds a special charm for me in that regard.

 

[Keoul]

Songs are tied to what emotions the song writer had at the time.
As you described those songs were pretty dark and grim but does this song sound like tragedy at all?

In essence all I'm saying is that "music" isn't linked to tragedy but some songs are indeed linked to tragedy. There is infact a lot of happy and cheery music out there, just because you don't look doesn't mean they don't exist.

 

[HardkorSB]

James Dean, Benny Hill, Bruce Lee, Brandon Lee, Heath Ledger... just off the top of my head.

 

[a7xman]

I would think the party-lifestyle music was tied into had something to do with the abundance of tragedies as they're quite often drug-related.

Mostly this


I think every artist needs some inspiration somewhere to create his art. The inspiration could come from anything, a simple rainbow or more seriously, a divorce, an addiction to drugs/alcohol, a depression. Because some artist needs their inspiration to create or play their music, it's something that follows them every time music is involved. For example, if a guitarist is only inspired to play music by taking cocaine, it sure won't help him in the long run, only making is addiction worse every time he plays. Inspiration can also be a doom.

But yeah I agree, there's seems to be a lot a tragedy in the music scene. God I wished Stevie Ray Vaughan would still be alive, stupid helicopter crash

Oh, completely. My mom intoduced me to his music; one of the best and most underrated guitarists ever. She got to see him play live before the accident, but I'm ashamed I left him off the list.

 

[a7xman]

James Dean, Benny Hill, Bruce Lee, Brandon Lee, Heath Ledger... just off the top of my head.

I'm not saying movies don't have this trend as well. So do authors, poets, anything creative. It just seems to me, maye due to media in the past century, it's happened more in music. But each instance is a great loss, nonetheless. Ledger's Joker has become a part of me, in the most non-creepy way I can say that.

 

[Yopaz]

I wouldn't really say that music is more linked to tragedy than the rest of the world. We know Freddy Mercury died of AIDS because he was fucking Freddy Mercury, a really amazing musician. AIDS is one of the diseases that kills the most people every year.

People die before their time all the time for lots of reasons. Musicians aren't suffering from more tragedies than the rest of us, it's just that their tragedies are known and they mean more than that of a stranger.

 

[Dracthor]

It might also have something to do with how tragic storys fill the news instead of storys about all the great days that were had.