I’m going by order of the news announcing their passing, not by how much I actually enjoyed their work.
First is the sad death of Sinead O’Connor. I was never a big fan of her stuff which mostly came out while I was in college. Due to her shaved head, we usually mocked the singer by calling her “Skin’ead O’Connor.” The couple hits from the debut album were decent as her Irish origin helped propel popularity being the wake of the overrated U2. I think the cool guitar parts from “Mandika” were played by Johnny Marr. To me, the kiss of death wasn’t her politics or outspokenness, it was covering a Prince song and this becoming the general public’s true introduction. Turned her into a one-hit-wonder overnight with America. The incident on SNL, feh. If Charlie Rocket carried on after the saying the F word in 1981, she would’ve bounced back but Sinead never let up on her beliefs. Nothing wrong with sticking to your beliefs in my opinion, Show Business just doesn’t care for it and having truly good music won’t save you. The Media hasn’t revealed her cause of death. I fear it was likely a suicide. She seemed to be someone in much pain from her numerous struggles both from work and personal.
Second is bass player/singer Randy Meisner, a founding member of The Eagles. I forgot he stuck around through Hotel California but it was the final straw for him, namely how hard the tour was. They say he was homesick. I’d say all the drugs, booze alongside the swelling egos of Don Henley and Glen Frey taking over the band; I would throw in the assholism of Joe Walsh joining. Randy was a silent member, only singing about one song per album yet he is behind their first super hit, “Take it to the Limit.” For me, “Try and Love Again,” is under appreciated along with “Wasted Time” on Hotel California. Obviously, life after the Eagles was a mixed bag; after being in one of the biggest Rock acts defining the sound of what the Seventies were like, Randy lived mostly in obscurity. Sure, he formed new bands and even rejoined Poco, he was the original bass player until 1969. Nothing really repeated all the past success he had experienced. I think the what really hurt the most was Henley and Frey never inviting him on stage to sing lead on their big hit together whenever Randy was in the same city.
Nevertheless, I loved his voice on the tunes he got the lead for. It was a nice change of pace from Henley’s seriousness and Frey’s often cavalier tone since Meisner’s voice was more vulnerable. And like many vanguard Gen Xers, I had a copy of Eagles Greatest Hits which is the best selling album of all time, around 50+ million sold; and I got into an Eagles funk during my senior year in North Dakota.
Farewell Sinead and Randy. Thank you both for what you contributed to the world’s pop culture. Sinead, you were yourself and I may not have bought your stuff, at least you were genuine and not a fame hag like Madonna and Lady Ga Ga, blech! Randy, I appreciate all you did and if I were immortalized by one hit song, I would wish it to be yours.