A Tribute For 3
As I get older, I understand that it's an inevitability that the ones we love and care for eventually pass away. Whether it's someone we care about deeply or someone we only were able to experience through their art, their importance and ability as an artist does not make them immortal; their life is just as fragile as ours. It is in that fragility that we as human share the same fear. What if all of this time I've spent on the Earth was meaningless? What if no one remembers who I am, who I was, and what I tried to accomplish? Did I try to make the world a better place?
The three individuals pictured above; Lemmy Kilmister, David Bowie and Alan Rickman all passed away recently. They were taken from this world by an all too familiar cause in succumbing to cancer. What each of these great men shared with each other is a commitment to their art form but also did not let their stardom go to their head. Lemmy and Bowie were both incredible musicians who changed their genres, Alan Rickman a classically trained British actor. Lemmy's band, Motörhead was influential in the heavy metal scene but if you were to ask him, they played "rock and roll." It's awesome when you think that a man so many people idolized was so humble. The same can be said for David Bowie. As Ben mentioned in his tribute to Bowie, the pop culture icon declined an invitation to be knighted by Queen Elizabeth feeling that he was not deserving of such an honor. As can be said for Alan Rickman as well. He used his fame for great things. He was a patron of many charitable organizations and the president of Performers' Aid Trust, that helps w/ poverty in some of the harshest environments in the world.
As geeks, we've all felt something from one of these great men.I was never a huge Bowie fan, or a devout Motörhead aficionado, or a student of Alan Rickman's roles but I at some point or another was touched by their work and influence. One of my favorite songs of all time is "Under Pressure," a beautiful duet by Freddie Mercury and David Bowie. I think it's one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. Many of us love Labyrinth and that was our first interaction with David Bowie as a child.
My favorite band is the Foo Fighters and Dave Grohl is one of my heroes. He collaborated with Lemmy on his Probot album for the song Shake Your Blood. Ace of Spades might be one of the greatest rock songs of all time.
Alan Rickman was Hans Gruber in Die Hard! One of the greatest movie villains of all time! He was the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves! That movie was a crucial part of my childhood. He was Metatron in Dogma, a role that was both hilarious and touching. His speech to Bethany about how if he could have, he would have lessened the burden on Jesus as a child was moving. I was never a huge Harry Potter fan but it speaks volumes about his abilities that J.K. Rowling would trust him with such an influential and significant piece of the saga. Our friend, Ben Bedgood has a tribute just for Mr. Rickman alone that you can read here.
Even in death, these men still carried themselves with a dignity that is often lost. In a world where every meal is documented on Instagram, every malady is tweeted, and every cosmetic procedure is documented on the internet, these men all knew that they were ill and did not share it with anyone except their loved ones. It took most of the world by shock when they died because they chose NOT to share every bit of their lives with us. Perhaps it was because of their upbringing in a British society where it is considered vulgar to speak of one's personal medical issues. Regardless of their country of origin, it spoke volumes of all 3 of these men's character that we the public had no idea they were even ill. It was a bittersweet moment and welcome break from constant updates and the inescapable vanity that pervades our culture.
It's a sad time in the geek world as we all mourn the losses of some of our favorite artists. But we are fortunate. We are fortunate that they shared their gifts with all of us. We are fortunate that they made the world a better place because of their art and talent. That will live on forever.