RIP Johnny Cash and John Ritter

[jough]

It's dead John day today.

Cash had been ill for awhile (and now featured in Achewood more than once) but Ritter is quite a shock.  His new sitcom had been doing so well, too.

His Jack Tripper character on Three's Company brought me much delight in my youth.  He'll be missed.

Now it's time to play "Ring of Fire" ad nauseam for them both.

[Asherdan]

Johnny Cash was the soundtrack of many a youthful road trip.  All wheelin' up Hwy 14 into the Sierra Nevadas singing along to 'Walk the line' or, 'specially, 'Folsom Blues' as I drove by the joint.  Bad time comin' just got here.

John Ritter was a funny man who could pratfall with the best of 'em.

Ghoulish question: who's next?

[AugustWest]

Ritter was great in Sling Blade.

And Johnny Cash... what can you say about a cultural icon.  Great man, great musician.  He transcended genres and just made great music.

He and June owned a set of my great-grandmother's china.  My aunt owned an antique store in Owensboro, Kentucky in the 80's and my Grandmother had consigned her the china to be sold.  Johnny and June came in one day and bought it.

[pmcd9]

I'm not much of a fan of John Ritter.  It's sad that he has died so young, but really I don't give a fuck.  Johnny Cash on the other hand is tough to hear.  We've known it was coming for a while, but still, damn that sucks.  But, he's together again with June in Heaven, if you beleve that sort of thing.

~Paul

[jough]

Huh.  I kinda went the other way.  I figured Cash was pretty much no longer relevant, but John Ritter - what a loss.

I suppose I'll miss them both in different ways.

[pmcd9]

Huh.  I kinda went the other way.  I figured Cash was pretty much no longer relevant

Actually, nothing further from the truth could be said.  Far from slowing down, perhaps aware that his time was short he has, for the past 10 years been working at a breathless pace producing a bounty of grade a new material.  At the time of his death he was putting the finishing touches on a 5 disc box set of new material recorded over the course of the past decade or so.  He was scheduled to go to Los Angeles in two weeks to record more new material.  In my eyes Johnny Cash is a massive figure in American music and will be missed immensely.

~Paul

[satchel]

If you’d lost track of the recent Cash, I’d recommend Unchained or American IV to acquaint you. He was a giant. “Who is the best musician to come from Arkansas?” is a common question down here, and someone always thinks they’ve won the contest when they say “Al Green.” Then someone else trumps them with “Johnny Cash.”

I liked Ritter too. He was a good actor. Three’s Company charmed me during my childhood, and it was educational for a young boy destined for bachelorhood.

[andalucia]

I found more people I talked to cared about Ritter dying, me, my black armband (literally) was solely for Cash.

[jough]

I'll take Al Green over Johnny Cash any day, and luckily the Reverend Al is still alive and going strong.

The Man in Black will be missed, but I can't say I listened to much of his work.

I have, however, shot a man just to watch him die.

[satchel]

It’s interesting to hear the different perceptions. I would have thought the loss of Cash dwarfed that of Ritter. But it does depend on our individual feelings. One is music, the other is television and film, though Cash also had his t.v. shows. They were both humble. Cash performed at prisons, and made number-one albums of those concerts.

The sacred and profane collide harmoniously within the world of country-western music. ...stars like...Johnny Cash...—Roy Peter Clark

[V-Adore]

I think the reason that Ritter got the limelight in so many people's eyes is how unexpected it was. Unless he'd been sick for a while and I hadn't noticed, Ritter's death came from out of the blue; he was relatively young and still fairly active and present everywhere. Cash seemed to have been putting his affairs in order, even though he was still recording.

[AugustWest]

I have, however, shot a man just to watch him die.

Honestly, I'd have been surprised if this weren't true.

[Asherdan]

Ghoulish question: who's next?

Well, I got my answer today when I heard Robert Palmer and George Plimpton kicked it off yesterday.

I'll forever thank Palmer for 'Simply Irresistible' 'cause my insane-but-hot girlfriend of the time liked to do a strip to it for my enjoyment.  Talk about a song/person/event being permanently etched in the memory.

George Plimpton was an urbane and humble man (publicly, at least) I just listened to on the radio a few days ago when he was speaking of the reunion of Detriot Lions team he went through training camp with for Paper Lion.  The Bogey Man book of his life with the PGA wasn't a bad read either, for gimmick stuff.

[Limmo]

And now Donald O'Connor.  Sheesh.

[Nice Jough]

The Lord is calling his own back unto him.

Yay, Armageddon!