IF They Had Lived: My opinions let's hear yours.

[DougF]

Buddy Holly. Still makes records for a couple of years but more and more gets
into behind the scenes of the music business. Starts own record company with average success until the outlaw country movement of the 70's when it blossoms. Artists include Waylon Jennings and eventually the Everly Brothers. Has a surprise hit in the late 60's or early 70's, much like Ricky Nelson. Buys several radio stations. Divorces and marries several times. Later in life owns part of a Nascar team. Records album with Willie Nelson.

Ritchie Valens. Has many memorable hits for several years after 1959. Considered the father of Hispanic rock music. Actively tours and records for many years.

Big Bopper. Popular artists and song writer for many years untill his death from natural causes in the 70's.

Eddie Cochoran. Has several hits until the British invasion. Has a surprisingly good set at Woodstock.

Elvis. Bigger in the eighties and 90's than in the 50's. Huge resurgence in popularity. Dumps Col. Parker finally and tours the world with a more tighter approach to his music than the lounge act of the 70's. Starts appearing in films, with some very chic roles. Appears in a Quentin Taritino film. It is Elvis, not Roy Orbison, in the Traveling Wilburys. Makes an album with Tina Turner. Makes several apperances as judge and performer on American Idol. The leather 68 comeback special Elvis is on display and the jump-suited Elvis is buried like he never existed. Makes more money now than he did in the 50's. Sings with Keith Richards and Ron Wood at Live Aid.

Jim Morrison. I don't have a clue...no ambition to keep on living it seems.

Jimi Hendrix. The disenchantment between Hendrix and his fans continues through the seventies to the point where for awhile Jimi is seldom seen and living in Europe. However, much like Elvis Jimi's new generation of young admirers eventually propel him back into the spotlight in the eighties and 90's to where he is once again a major force in music. His version of "All Along the Watchtower/Voodo Slight Return" is the definitive moment of Live Aid. The reigning high priest of electric guitar. Makes killer album with Carlos Santana. Tours with Stevie Ray Vaughan and Buddy Guy on one of the most must see tours of the 90's. Today fans eagerly await any new music from Jimi. Makes a cool Ipod commercial.

John Lennon. Continues to make good, not great albums through out the nineties. Not as politically active as many would think. Tours again, and surprise appearances of George Harrison and Ringo at times during the tour are happy moments. The Beatles finally do reunite for a one-off concert much like Cream and Zeppelin in conjuction with the Anthology series, which by the way Lennon is rather critical of. Interviewed often during elections and becomes slightly more conservative in his political views, but of course is absolutely dead set against the war in Iraq. The cover boy for Rolling Stone, is seen as the spokesman for his generation. Still happily married to Yoko. Sings on "We Are the World"

[jazztele]

janis joplin: keeps recording well into her 50's, sparing us all from bad kareoke versions of "me and bobby mcgee" from every female fronted bar band since.

nah, they woulda did that anyway.

[refin]

On Lennon-----
In 1978,regarding the Beatles never playing together again He was quoted as saying "None of us want to be the first to say never....never is a long time."
I think the Beatles would've gotten back together for some sessions and albums without formally regrouping; the Anthology project was being discussed before Lennon died,and he was keen on it.

[Post Toastie]

Stevie Ray Vaughn jumps into another Helicopter and Eric Clapton gets into the Ill fated one???

[Tdub]

Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page do stuff together. Not music, but getting together for tea and scrapbooking.

[Muddslide]

Bob Marley continues to be a peace movement all his own.

[shakewithsquier]

John Bonham - Led Zeppelin continue to tour, with Jonesy continuing his greater influence on the band's music to produce more great and wild albums. The band continually tour and show the world how rock should be done. Zep would still fade in terms of popularity (like they have (to an extent)) as the 80's pogress due to their relative incompatability with the media (A world where Zeppelin and MTV exist together doesn't seem right to me).

Bradley Nowell - There'd be alot more *good* ska songs about.

Otis Redding - Tenderness might be tried more often!

Freddie Mercury - Queen wouldn't release god-awful albums with singers like Wyclef in his place, and much like Zeppelin, more great albums. Many more catchy anthems too.

[Artemio_Cruz]

Robert Johnson: continued playing blues, makes an electric album playing a telecaster in the late 50's, but gets back to acoustic, misterious death

[Mike Eskimo]

Jimi Hendrix : Super Bowl halftime special guest with Elton John.

Turns into a semi-regular/occasional embarrassment much like Eric Clapton.

Janis Joplin : OD's a couple years later.

Jim Morrison : doesn't have the sense to die right after two great albums (Morrison Hotel, LA Woman) instead dies in '73 after putting out a final Doors album as bad as the Soft Parade and Waiting For The Sun combined...

[Derek S]

Brian Jones-Would've stayed wasted for awhile but eventually sobered up and become a producer and added all sorts of weird instruments to his proteges tracks. Eventually would have wrote some material and did world music and ambient albums.

Eddie Cochran-Would've kept on rocking and evolving because the guy was a genius. He would have eventually moved into heavy rock and then gone back to his rockabilly roots in the '70's. Known as the greatest of all time.

Jimi Hendrix-Would have chilled for awhile and then come back as a jazz fusion player making his earlier work look tame in comparison. Beats the snot outta Lerb in the late oughts and disappears to Hawaii.

[Fendrcaster]

Mama Cass - Did the lounge act in Vegas for a few years, is now a franchise manager at KFC.

[JCSouthpawtele]

Duane Allman - would have kept a tighter grip on the Allman Bros. band ,but would also branch out to do more Jam band type music playing alongside Tray Anistasio and Jimi Hendrix in a spacey trance jam project using Parker fly Guitars with synth pickups.

Kirk Cobain - would have been through rehab several times until a chance meeting with a Joel Osteen provided the enlightenment he was searching for and after a few years of seminary opens a traveling non denominational concert/church drawing millions of people around the world.

Hank Williams - would have left Music for a while ony to return as a true Nashville outcast and play along side several Alt. Country traditionalist acts making that music more mainstream than Nashville pop country.

Jon Denver- would be working alongside Jeff "skunk" Baxter on Nuclear energy regulation and have been intrumental in the current push for alterantive Bio-fuels and wind/solar energy.

[E5RSY]

Originally Posted by shakewithsquier

catchy anthems

Is that even possible???

[absurdplanet]

Tommy Bolin would have a successful solo career; continued doing guest spots on albums, and find his rightful place as a guitar superstar

[absurdplanet]

Mile Bloomfield would have continued playing the Blues--have a career boost when Blues became popular again . . .

[absurdplanet]

Paul Kossoff would have a reunion with Free--blow Bad Company off the stage artistically, and formed a band that would Rock!

[octatonic]

Kurt Cobain: Would have died from an overdose a week later.

[Carzee]

2012: I just came home from a Jeff Buckley & friends "Save the CD" benefit show down at the mall carpark. "Friends" included -surprise- a subdued Paul McCartney. Jeff's number with Paul Simon somehow comes off well. All of 'em jumped the shark a long time back but fans like me will keep them in touring for years.

[mudshark]

2005: Jimi Hendrix tweaks his Line 6 amp, shoulders his Parker Fly, and starts to play.

[TG]

Ögedei Khan doesn't die in 1241 and instead lives another year. The Mongol army continues their 1241 westward invasion of Europe and effortlessly conquer Austria, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands and Britain.
No Rennaisance. No discovery of the Americas. No Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese or British overseas expansion/empires. No industrial revolution.

No telecasters.

[castpolymer]

Elvis and Bob Marley would have formed Dread Zeppelin.

[geoff_in_nc]

Keith Moon - Continues the rocking hard living lifestyle until 1984, at which time he gets involved in trancendental meditation, calms his life down, and opens a combination photo studio and florist shop he calls "Pictures of Lilies".

[brokenjoe]

Keith Richards- Continues to record generic 'rock' records with The Rolling Stones©.

[otterhound]

Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin both live . The Bee Gees go to a retirement home and disco is aborted in the first trimester .

[mlove3]

Randy Rhodes quits Ozzie's band and releases a record of his solo acoustic songs, which sells 437 copies. Realizing he needs to play to his strengths and needing money he joins White Lion for a tour, then Whitesnake, then White Zombie, the Great White, then the Funky White Boys, which includes Flea on bass, Perry Farrell on vox and Meg White on drums, who is replaced by Bun E Carlos on tour.
When the FWBs bomb at Live Aid (mostly due to Flea's huge ego spot light hogging and Farrell's incoherent ramblings) he replaces CC in Posion, becomes depressed almost immediately and hits the junk, eventually cleans up at the urging of Ozzie who is trying to woo him back because Zack sucks, rejoins Oz for a tour then bails and becomes a Hare Krishna but continues to put out records of blazing fast guitar/Krishna chant music.
Marries Meg White and lives happily ever after.

[sunkidd]

I was wondering the other day if Hendrix, etc... would have become Icons, Rock Gods if they'd have lived?
or would they be doing reunion tours and not getting that much attention playing State Fairs and Indian Casinos?

[Wardpike]

As much as I love them, I always believed the Stones' refusal to retire kept many other bands from having an opportunity to have a career, and I believe that is true with a lot of 60s rockers during the 80s. A lot of commercial territory was occupied by come-back artists. We'll never know what we could have had.

And please don't take this as crass...I'm just pondering here!
The same is true for those who died and made room for the careers. For example, had Hendrix not self-destructed, would we have had the careers of Eric Johnson and others?
Had Don Rich not passed on to his good reward, would he have become a session ace in Nashville and prevented the take-off of careers like the Brents? Or would he have drifted into obscurity like so many others?

By going onto the next life after such a brief appearance in this, they all are assured immortal fame. "Go out when you're on top" is advice given to many entertainers. I have infinite respect to those with the good graces to retire before they turn into 65 year old prancing fools on stages pretending they're still 25.

YMMV!

Ward

[Flashback]

why is your text in blue?

Anyway...

I think Bonham would have had to face his alcohol problems later on in life.

Hendrix would probably have to go to rehab or something similiar.

[Post Toastie]

Originally Posted by absurdplanet

Tommy Bolin would have a successful solo career; continued doing guest spots on albums, and find his rightful place as a guitar superstar

Man that would have been great to see.I could envision Tommy playing with Jeff Beck, Santana or Jimi Hendrix.

[rand z]

jimi hendrix would have teemed with miles davis in the late seventies and they would have created some great, lasting work...

pushing the limits of rock, blues, fusion and mainstream jazz.

rand z

[Maggot]

Jimi Hendrix - Plays more and more uptight fusion music throughout the 70s until everyone is sick of it. Inspired by Sonic Youth to record a couple of experimental rock albums in the early 90s which some people love and others hate. Does an "Unplugged" set of only material from his first three albums plus "Little Red Corvette" by Prince. Everyone goes crazy for it. Joins Prince's band with Mavis Staples, Larry Graham et. al. in the 90s and gets his groove back.

Janis Joplin - Cleans up in the 70s and goes into therapy. Loses most of the range of her voice, but adds humor and wisdom. Alternates loud and messy, bluesy and funky, and inspirational. Predictably, she's better at loud and messy. Her "Unplugged" album is mainly uproarious monologues delivered stone-cold sober.

Sid Vicious - goes to prison for manslaughter for a couple of years in Nancy's death. Comes out sober but crazy. Is hospitalized. Learns to play bass. Writes books. Makes albums that are so-so, but entertaining. Works as a sideman for people who need a charismatic bass player.

[bingy]

John Lennon would be enjoying semi-retirement and his grandchildren someplace other than New York city.
I loved the fact that he was living in and enjoying New York.
As an American I have always felt shame that it ended the way it did.
He was my favorite Beatle. It was his band.

[mr natural]

I've often thought about what Hendrix would have done. Here's my take:
He'd make that album with Miles Davis and Gil Evans. This plus his growing spiritual side would inevitably lead him into fusion in the early 70's. He would start to hang out with Devadip Carlos Santana, Mahavishnu John McLaughlin and Narada Michael Walden and those cats and start following Sri Chinmoy. He'd change his name to Govinda James Hendrix make a few over the top fusion albums. Then his spiritualism would lead him to retire from music and start a charity that encourages music education in elementary schools. By the late 70's his legal troubles would be cleared up and Electric Lady Studios would start making him lots of money. By the mid 80's, rap and early hiphop would get him interested in music again and he'd come back as a producer and occasionally do a guest appearance on guitar on some early rap albums. He'd briefly develop a bad coke habit, but kick it successfully by the late 80's By the early 90's he'd get interested in blues and old R&B again and make a couple of blues albums with Clapton. Then he'd start an R&B revival band with Billy Cox and play old school R&B with matching suits and all. This would be moderately successful. By the turn of the millenium, he'd reform the original Experience and do a nostalgia tour for a while. Then he'd retire from music again, marry his third wife (his manager) and start a winery in Napa valley. He'd make occasional guest appearances at charity gigs and stuff.
-Mr. N.

[SatelliteOrders]

Duane Allman is the big one, the king of Southern Rock guitarists, but I am sure that a big part of his shadow is his "died young" bit. If he hadn't been riding his bike like that, I'm not sure that he might not have been like one of the guitarists in Skynyrd or the Outlaws or .38 Special or something. He'd have fans, he'd probably still be playing, he'd be making his living by recording, but he wouldn't still be getting "How to play like" articles in guitar mags.

And, it is likely that Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes and Jimmy Herring would never have risen to national prominence.

[Dave Hopping]

Ahhh......Alternate history.Here's an alternate take on the idea.What would Willie Nelson's career have looked like if Waylon Jennings had gotten on the plane with Buddy Holly? What would the Gibson product lineup look like today if Les Paul's auto accident in the late '40s had been just a little worse? Would we be paying big bucks for '59 Gibson Chet Atkins Sunbursts?
In the mid '50s,Leo Fender came down with some kind of chronic(respiratory?) condition that some say motivated him to sell the company a decade later.Would anyone remember Fender instruments today if Leo's condition had been fatal? Conversely,if Leo had gotten better immediately,would we now be looking up Elvis Costello/Sonic Youth Fender Marauders on the MF website?

EDIT:
The really big one is to ponder what rock and roll would look like today if JFK had not ordered the dismounting of the clear plastic top of his Hess & Eisenhart Lincoln limousine on the morning of November 22,1963.

[Goluphi]

Hendrix - releases coke-fueld, over-bloated over-produced albums in the 80s, falls from grace with fans, gains 100 lbs, cleans up in the 90s, finds God, releases a few Gospel albums to minimal fanfare, mounts a comeback tour in the new millennium, all people can talk about is how much better he used to be in the 60s.

Stevie Ray Vaughn - finally gets the recognition he deserves. Keeps releasing rocking albums, and constantly stays on tour. Plays a series of sold out stadium shows with John Mayer. Gets a haircut, fans are outraged.

[robb3566]

If Jim Morrison were alive, I think he'd own a vineyard, weigh 350 lbs, and look like Dom Deluise.

[Wardpike]

Originally Posted by Flashback

why is your text in blue?

Because I'm special. And I figured out how to go

[ color = blue ] insert colorized text here
and then [ / color ]

I'm extremely talented in many other ways, and have a knack for the obvious!

[hooverrocks77]

This is a fun thread. And is funny, but also thought provoking. I picture a dead guy super group with Jim Morrison singing, and some duets with Janis, John Coltrane on Sax, Jimi and Duane trading off on guitar and Bonzo on the drums. I need help with the bass player though!

[robb3566]

Originally Posted by hooverrocks77

This is a fun thread. And is funny, but also thought provoking. I picture a dead guy super group with Jim Morrison singing, and some duets with Janis, John Coltrane on Sax, Jimi and Duane trading off on guitar and Bonzo on the drums. I need help with the bass player though!

Dee Dee Ramone, to remind all those other dead people not to play too many notes.