If you could bring a dead rock star back to life for one gig

[Clockwork John]

Joe Strummer, Ronnie Drew, and Tommy Makem. Darby Crash, too, just for fun.

[Eddie Sheehy]

Rory Gallagher.... he ows me a fiver....

[JEStanek]

I would really have liked to have seen Amy Winehouse put on a musical show. My fear is that her concerts can't live up to her recordings because of her problems with the bottle. But between her, Lady Day, and Nina Simone, I could be happy... I know. None of them are rock and rollers.

Jamie

[JeffD]

I But between her [Amy Winehouse], Lady Day, and Nina Simone, I could be happy...

I am guiessing you like Bessie Smith, Sarah Vaughan, Norah Jones maybe?

[JEStanek]

Yup.

[Dave LaBoone]

Jerry Garcia.

[Rick Jones]

Django Reinhardt. Not a 'rock star' by today's terminology ... but definitely a rock star.

[delsbrother]

I dunno, wouldn't the ones that killed themselves not want to come back? I would think that would affect their performance.

[journeybear]

I don't think think this has anything to do with what the deceased performer wants or wanted. They are mere objects of desire. It's all about what the living listener wants. And audience tastes are often suspect. Look at how far away from rock some of us have strayed in answering this question. Heck, might as well wish for Bill Monroe to return. He's in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, right?

[Bertram Henze]

I dunno, wouldn't the ones that killed themselves not want to come back? I would think that would affect their performance.

Wouldn't that be unprofessional?

[liestman]

I gotta join the Garcia team here. I saw him play at least 20 times and always want more.

[swampy]

Duane

[Geordie]

I'll make the first mention of The Hardest Working Man In Show Business, The Godfather Of Soul, none other than the legendary, the fabulous, James Brown!!

[William Smith]

Why do ya all want musicians that for the most part lived a long life,,or left tons of recordings? I'd pick those who were cut down in their prime,so we could have the joy of just one more recording,just my dumb thaughts

[Daniel Nestlerode]

Hotblack Desiato

LOL
Strictly speaking, not a rock musician, but the manager of the greatest band in the galaxy, Disaster Area. He was only dead for a year for tax purposes.

[Daniel Nestlerode]

Jimi Hendrix.

Yeah. There's a guy whose musical life I wish I could have seen more of.

Daniel

[journeybear]

Very true. Three studio albums released in his lifetime changed rock music and electric guitar forever and only hinted at the rest of his potential. (OK, they stand on their own, of course, but they also pointed the way toward his future). Posthumous recordings were rather spotty and fell short of his vision. Thankfully, about a dozen years ago his estate took up the task of recreating what it seemed, from his own notes, was planned for his next release, and take it from me, it was genius. You almost have to take it from me, because ''First Rays Of The New Morning Sun'' and ''South Saturn Delta'' didn't do too well, as I recall, since a lot of the songs had been released already (albeit haphazardly, spread over a few albums, mixed in with other material, and out of order), the notion of organizing them in their proper intended sequence may not have been that compelling to the general audience, and, well, the artist was not available to tour to promote the new albums. But if you listen to them, on their own, without being mindful of outside contexts, they are breathtaking, the next steps in what surely would have been an extraordinary career.

[Shelagh Moore]

Jo-Anne Kelly because she was one of the best ever white blueswomen and also she was a friend.

[mandocrucian]

Re: Hendrix

Thankfully, about a dozen years ago his estate took up the task of recreating what it seemed, from his own notes, was planned for his next release, and take it from me, it was genius. You almost have to take it from me, because ''First Rays Of The New Morning Sun'' and ''South Saturn Delta'' didn't do too well, as I recall, since a lot of the songs had been released already (albeit haphazardly, spread over a few albums, mixed in with other material, and out of order), the notion of organizing them in their proper intended sequence may not have been that compelling to the general audience, and, well, the artist was not available to tour to promote the new albums. But if you listen to them, on their own, without being mindful of outside contexts, they are breathtaking, the next steps in what surely would have been an extraordinary career.

I doubt that many at the Cafe have ever heard of, let alone read, Lewis Shiner's great rock-n-roll/sci-fi novel "Glimpses". Reminiscent of Philip K. Dick with alternate reality journeys into the past to visit/interact Jim Morrison, Brian Wilson, and Hendrix.

http://www.amazon.com/Glimpses-Lewis...6696029&sr=1-1 at Amazon.........

Or, ........ you can read the whole thing right now/today/tonight-- legally free - on a PDF fle, from http://www.fictionliberationfront.net/glimpses.pdf

Niles H.

[Ed Goist]

After much consideration I'd go with Syd Barrett, as long as I was assured that we'd get the pre-madness Barrett.

Barrett is my choice because it's almost like he died twice. Being able to see/hear the pre-madness Barrett would be a double resurrection of sorts.

[Randolph]

Odd thought here, I suppose, but it seems to me that the memory, soul and spirit of a dead musician is evoked whenever one plays one of his/her songs. There is no need for me to bring them back to corporeal life...on a good day of playing I might be able to invoke the emotive power of that artist's song and pay it forward. Please excuse this as an old man rambling. It is the memory the moves me, not the thought of a rocking cadaver. That said, I would love to sit down with my father and Ray Charles and laugh and sing. Perhaps it will happen when I have been called to join them, rather than me calling them to join me.

[JEStanek]

I've got this monkey's paw that grants three wishes I'm thinking of putting up on the classifieds. I thought it was cool but YMMV.

Jamie

[mandocrucian]

Yeah, the Monkey's Paw variety of reanimation....(or ala Pet Sematary)

more-or-less the mental image I had of the scenario. Don't particularly desire to see zombie Hendrix or zombie Morrison or.......zombie whoever.

But hey, if you really want to see the Crypt Keeper live... buy a ticket to see (2012) Gordon Lightfoot or David Allen Coe

[mandopops]

I'm with those that pick Musicians who died young, "cut down in their prime " so to speak. (Not a knock on Garcia, but he had a pretty long run at it.) Either that or people of other eras that we're "before my time". Why not, Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson,Charlie Patton, Buddy Bolden,(since he was "the man" & no recordings exist) Bix, Bird,Trane (ok I was alive ,but I was too young to see him, blame my parents) ..

As long as other have mentioned un-rock stars, how about Charlie Christian (both cut down in his prime & before my time) in the Be-bop era with Bird & Diz, just once.

If I had to pick a "Rock Star" I'd go with Hendrix, since I didn't see him live.

[Perry]

If you could expand beyond rock star:

J.S. Bach would be a trip.

Robert Johnson +1 and is a rock star in my book.

Garcia did have a long run and is well documented. I saw him perform 150x and some of them you would not want to bring back. Just saying. Pig with the Dead would be interesting though I don't know if I'd spend my token on that.

Hendrix is fairly well documented too though I never saw him live. Janis would be cool too.

But in the end I might opt for the legendary Django; another rock star.