By Dave Babbitt – Special to the Sydenham Current
Several years ago, I began collecting quotes that I feel are either funny, a different way of looking at things, or profound. I now have quite a collection on my iPad, and I frequently re-read them to provide perspective on a variety of situations.
One quote that I have returned to many times is from Chris Hadfield’s book, An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth. In explaining that even after all his time, success, and fame from his record-setting time on the International Space Station, when he returned to terra firma, he instantly became yesterday’s story, and NASA no longer wanted his input.
He said, “As the ex-whatever, you only get so many golden opportunities to keep your mouth shut, and you should take advantage of every single one.”
While he wasn’t talking about musicians per se, I feel that music artists should adapt his words to their careers. We are at a point in music history where the pioneers of rock/pop music are now in their 80’s. Some know when it’s time to close their mouth, while others do not.
It not really fair to only pick on the rock/pop artists however as there are countless examples of artists of all genre’s who kept performing well beyond their “best before date.” But because rock/pop music concerts have typically been big, bombastic displays of energy and often athleticism, it’s just not right watching stars such as Ozzy Osbourne or Phil Collins perform from a stool or a wheelchair, with horrific vocals.
But why did, or do they continue to put themselves “out there”? I believe that most “stars” who are used to rabid fans and big stages have ego’s that need to be stroked until the day they die, but many of them also need to continue performing for the income required to maintain a lifestyle they’ve become accustomed to.
The proof of that lie in the book I just finished reading, The Way It Was – My Life with Frank Sinatra by Eliot Weisman, Frank’s longtime manager. It also became clear that managers of the stars also push their clients to keep performing as it is a major source of income for themselves as well.
As a big fan of Ol’ Blue Eyes the book was revealing with Weisman stating that even in a failing state, he had to keep Frank performing for the income to maintain his lifestyle, plus he also felt that if Frank quit performing, he would die quickly.
Frank was having memory issues in his later years. Even with a teleprompter he was missing lyrics much of the time. There was great debate about whether the cause of his memory problems was a “prescription-induced medical fog” or a form of dementia. Either way, sadly the “Chairman of the Board” was put on display well past his best before date, sometimes confused, and in less than the incredible voice we all remember him for.
Occasionally a very elderly performer such as the late, great Tony Bennett defies their age and can still deliver a great performance. I suggest that readers search YouTube and observe Tony singing “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” with Lady Gaga at the amazing age of 95. At this point, Alzheimer’s Disease had control over his mind, but he was still in mighty fine voice!
In my opinion, a must-watch is I’ll Be Me, a film about the late Glen Campbell and his farewell tour as he battled Alzheimer’s disease. I don’t believe that I’ve ever watched a film that was so triumphant, yet so sad at the same time. Glen was still in fine voice and his guitar skills still over-the-top phenomenal, until the progression of the disease forced him to quit mid-tour. Readers will have different opinions as to whether the family did the right thing or not.
He had to be led to the stage, but once the guitar was in his hands, his long-term memory kicked in and he displayed his magic once again. His voice and fingers were on fire as he fed off of the crowd. Perhaps performing allowed him to live out his life in a relatively happy way, but I also feel that he was eventually being put on display with others benefitting from his ticket sales. Was it the right call?
I have a CD of a Christmas concert by Perry Como recorded in Dublin in 1993 when he was 81 years old. He shouldn’t have been singing still.
I was a huge Gordon Lightfoot fan and had seen him in concert at least a dozen times. He was captivating, and his concerts note-perfect reproductions of his recordings. Gord continued to tour right up to the bitter end a few years ago, but he shouldn’t have. As he was aging and had health issues, I wanted to see him one last time, but I watched video of him in his last 10 years that was less than flattering, and in fact not even a reasonable facsimile of what he once was. I did not want to remember him that way.
KISS has had many farewell tours so let’s hope that they now stay home and don’t mount another one. Elton John (78) and Paul Simon (83) have quit the road. I give them credit for keeping their legacy intact. Many others such as The Who, Paul McCartney, and Billy Joel are still out there touring and as much as I’d like to see them, I hope they too will know when it’s time to quit.
As I say all of that, I contemplate my own music career. While I’m a trumpet player and not singer, the same applies as playing the trumpet is a very physical process that must be pursued regularly to maintain one’s “chops.”
At one time, I was participating in five different bands and practicing between rehearsals. I was playing so much that I once perforated my lip. As I will soon turn 69, like the artists I’ve mentioned, my good playing days are largely behind me. I once had much better range, better tone, endurance, and played in tune much better, but time is slowly taking its toll.
My role with the WCB requires huge swaths of my time and I don’t get the practice time in that I need to be a good player. Even in leading the Brass Factory big band, my playing role is much reduced. Whether it be penning this column or playing the trumpet, as Chris Hadfield suggested, I hope that I know when to shut my mouth or put down my horn. And if I don’t know any better, please advise.
