Sunday, January 31, 2016
Monday, January 18, 2016
Too Many, Too Soon
First David Bowie, now Glenn Frey. Both were artists that greatly influenced and shaped me as an artist. Very sad day and very sad start to 2016. I hope that I can honor both their memories by striving to be the best artist that I can be.
If it wasn't for the Eagles I probably never would have been interested in Country music. They were that country/rock bridge that was a gateway to opening up my mind to other possibilities when I would never be caught dead listening to anything other than rock. They wrote songs that were sometimes so simple that they were brilliant. Every songwriter should take the time to study their music. It's a lesson in less is more. I can't tell you how many times I hear Hotel California being played in the acoustic room at Guitar Center. Even though not technically country, their contributions can be heard in every modern country band.
Bowie was the artist that shaped my creativity in ways that were outside the box. He made me feel comfortable in my own weird skin. He made it cool to be different. It was cool to be artsy. I was always an artist/painter/poet that never really fit in. I remember buying my ex-fiance a DVD copy of Labyrinth and the soundtrack. We watched and listened for hours. Not only did I enjoy him as a singer/songwriter, I enjoyed his effortless acting in movies such as The Hunger, The Man Who Fell to Earth, etc... I even learned and sang As the World Falls Down at one point. He greatly influenced one of my favorite artists as a young adult, Trent Reznor. I know that's probably pretty shocking to some people. But influences and listening pleasures vary greatly.
Without either one of these artists, I'm not sure that there would be a Jason Gerrish, the artist that you see today. Two artists that were very different yet had a huge impact on me. Thank you for your artistic contributions and RIP David Bowie. RIP Glenn Frey.
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