Rock-togenarians

[Keebleman]

Come on, guys, let's stick to rock stars, by which I mean those who saw the new popular music idioms developed in the 60s as a field quite distinct and separate from 'fun for all the family' light entertainment.

Not yet mentioned: Grace Slick, born October 30th, 1939.

[Brundle-Fly]

OoooOOooo, get Tommy Vance here.

[Satchmo Distel]

Gordon Lightfoot, 1938. Connie Francis also 1958 but definitely not rock.

1937: Don Everly and Roberta Flack are still with us. Hat fucked: Everly is only 9 days older than Flack.

[idunnosomename]

Rolf Harris 30 March 1930

[rue the polywhirl]

Rolf Harris 30 March 1930

Erm... he's not much of a rock musician and is in his nineties now which makes him a nonce-agenarian[nb]nonce instead of non[/nb].

[The Culture Bunker]

That said, I was trying to think who the oldest currently living person is that's had a UK #1 single, wondering it was Frankie Valli, but Harris is older.

[rue the polywhirl]

Well, Captain Tom has definitely stripped him of that honour anyway and there is also Harry Belafonte with Mary's Boy Child in 1957.

[The Culture Bunker]

Well, Captain Tom has definitely stripped him of that honour anyway and there is also Harry Belafonte with Mary's Boy Child in 1957.

Captain Tom, yes, but then that ill-judged family holiday happened. Any bids higher than Harry?

[Clatty McCutcheon]

Captain Tom, yes, but then that ill-judged family holiday happened. Any bids higher than Harry?

Can't beat Belafonte, but apparently one of the uncredited session singers on the 'Theme from MASH' was this guy, now aged 89:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Freebairn-Smith

One of the four singers listed by Wikipedia doesn't have an age listed, but it's safe to say that the 4 must have a combined age of over 300.

[rue the polywhirl]

Tony Bennet, born August 3rd 1926. Scored a UK number 1 with Stranger in Paradise in 1955. Has an MTV Unplugged album which puts him in the same category as Eric Clapton and Nirvana.

[NoSleep]

Louis Armstrong was topping the charts in 1967 and was born in 1901.

Ravi Shankar played the Monterey Pop Festival and was born in 1920.

[idunnosomename]

Erm... he's not much of a rock musician and is in his nineties now which makes him a nonce-agenarian[nb]nonce instead of non[/nb].

i was perhaps being a little cheeky

it is amazing the cunt isnt dead though. i didn't realise he had broken 90

[ajsmith2]

Talent and charm free zone Phil Spector was born 1939 and was still alive up until a few months ago.

[holyzombiejesus]

Talent and charm free zone Phil Spector was born 1939 and was still alive up until a few months ago.

Is that meant as 'talent-free and charm free' or 'talent, and charm-free', Captain Barnacles?

[ajsmith2]

Is that meant as 'talent-free and charm free' or 'talent, and charm-free', Captain Barnacles?

The former. I don't like him at all. Well overrated. One trick pony production wise. Everything he pioneered was done better imo later by folk like Brian Wilson or even Roy Wood . All of his great 60s classic songs were very suspiciously co writes with established song writing duos who wrote many other hit singles in their own right, whereas the only hit song Spector ever wrote on his tod was his first with the Teddy Bears (which I'll admit was quite a good 'un). And before we even get to the murder he did, all evidence from all sources points to him being a deeply unpleasant individual. No 'he had his off days' or 'didn't suffer fools gladly' qualifications, the guy just seemed to revel in being a dick 24/7. AND YET Brian Wilson The Beatles The Ramones etc worshiped the guy for some reason despite all evidence seeming to point to him getting by on very little. Look, talentless is hyperbolic I know, he clearly had his own thing going and created his own sound which really affected a generation of musicians, but I don't get the mega adulation at all. I think in terms of musical legacy he should be more accurately filed alongside dubious eccentric/hype men like Kim Fowley or Jonathan King who were indirectly involved with a lot of artistic greatness over the years without having much themselves.

Feel like a dick now for saying all the above. People can love Spector if they do, it doesn't make them wrong. But the above is my take on him FWIW.

[pupshaw]

The former. I don't like him at all. Well overrated...

Well, as a person he's up there with the most detestable individuals ever to crawl the earth, but the very fact that Brian Wilson, and Roy Wood, and Todd Rundgren (on the Meat Loaf album), and probably a few other great producers even thought it was worth emulating his sound shows what it was worth to them. These are not just great producers, but great songwriters and musicians too.

It's not really all that hard to do the "Spector sound" once you have enough studio skills. Wanting to do it is what makes the difference.

He peaked very early and lived on that reputation for decades. Nothing he did after about 1965 is anything special. I find River Deep Mountain High instant ear-ache and
the the Ramones thing did no-one any favours.

But the Christmas album is perfect.

[Keebleman]

The former. I don't like him at all. Well overrated. One trick pony production wise. Everything he pioneered was done better imo later by folk like Brian Wilson or even Roy Wood . All of his great 60s classic songs were very suspiciously co writes with established song writing duos who wrote many other hit singles in their own right, whereas the only hit song Spector ever wrote on his tod was his first with the Teddy Bears (which I'll admit was quite a good 'un). And before we even get to the murder he did, all evidence from all sources points to him being a deeply unpleasant individual. No 'he had his off days' or 'didn't suffer fools gladly' qualifications, the guy just seemed to revel in being a dick 24/7. AND YET Brian Wilson The Beatles The Ramones etc worshiped the guy for some reason despite all evidence seeming to point to him getting by on very little. Look, talentless is hyperbolic I know, he clearly had his own thing going and created his own sound which really affected a generation of musicians, but I don't get the mega adulation at all. I think in terms of musical legacy he should be more accurately filed alongside dubious eccentric/hype men like Kim Fowley or Jonathan King who were indirectly involved with a lot of artistic greatness over the years without having much themselves.

Feel like a dick now for saying all the above. People can love Spector if they do, it doesn't make them wrong. But the above is my take on him FWIW.

That's an impressive diss.  The only other time I can remember someone going all Emperor's New Clothes on Spector was John Dunn, the lanky DJ who had the early evening slot on Radio 2 for years.  After playing, I think, River Deep Mountain High he said something to the effect of he had always thought the Wall of Sound was an undifferentiated Slab of Racket.

[wosl]

Not yet mentioned: Grace Slick, born October 30th, 1939.

A couple of other qualifying 'Airplaners:

Spencer Dryden (1938-2005)
David Freiberg (1938-)

[wosl]

John Phillips (1935-2001)
Hans-Joachim Roedelius (1934-)
Conrad Schnitzler (1937-2011)

[JaDanketies]

The former. I don't like him at all. Well overrated. One trick pony production wise. Everything he pioneered was done better imo later by folk like Brian Wilson or even Roy Wood . All of his great 60s classic songs were very suspiciously co writes with established song writing duos who wrote many other hit singles in their own right, whereas the only hit song Spector ever wrote on his tod was his first with the Teddy Bears (which I'll admit was quite a good 'un). And before we even get to the murder he did, all evidence from all sources points to him being a deeply unpleasant individual. No 'he had his off days' or 'didn't suffer fools gladly' qualifications, the guy just seemed to revel in being a dick 24/7. AND YET Brian Wilson The Beatles The Ramones etc worshiped the guy for some reason despite all evidence seeming to point to him getting by on very little. Look, talentless is hyperbolic I know, he clearly had his own thing going and created his own sound which really affected a generation of musicians, but I don't get the mega adulation at all. I think in terms of musical legacy he should be more accurately filed alongside dubious eccentric/hype men like Kim Fowley or Jonathan King who were indirectly involved with a lot of artistic greatness over the years without having much themselves.

Feel like a dick now for saying all the above. People can love Spector if they do, it doesn't make them wrong. But the above is my take on him FWIW.

sounds like if DJ Khaled shot someone

[Jittlebags]

Lenny Peters of 70s folk due Peters and Lee would be in his 90s if he were still around. Apparently he was Rolling Stones' drummer Charlie Watts uncle. The poor twat got blinded in one eye in a car crash aged 5, then blinded in the other eye by a thrown brick when he was 16. I remember them being suprisingly popular back in the 70s. But then again, so were floor standing ashtrays.

[Oz Oz Alice]

sounds like if DJ Khaled shot someone

"As Spector was led from the courtroom having been found guilty of Clarkson's murder, he turned to the jury to yell "WE THE BEST!""

[NoSleep]

John Mayall whose band has been a veritable cornerstone of rock music is still going, aged 87.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Lenny Peters of 70s folk due Peters and Lee would be in his 90s if he were still around. Apparently he was Rolling Stones' drummer Charlie Watts uncle. The poor twat got blinded in one eye in a car crash aged 5, then blinded in the other eye by a thrown brick when he was 16. I remember them being suprisingly popular back in the 70s. But then again, so were floor standing ashtrays.

Died of bone cancer at the age of 60 , poor cunt. The Lee half would go on to appear in the lead female role in Jim Davidson 's Adult Crimbo Pantos. Quite a tragic tale for the pair of 'em, really.

[Famous Mortimer]

Nico, born 1938. Died in 1988 aged 49.

Undoubtedly true, but in what sense is she a "rock-togenarian"?

[NoSleep]

Carla Bley is 84. Although she works mostly in the jazz field, she was a member of Jack Bruce's band in '75 and has also collaborated with Robert Wyatt, Nick Mason & John Greaves.

[Nice Relaxing Poo]

Wanda Jackson- 1937

She's retired now though.