According to the Oxford English dictionary, an icon is something greatly admired, loved or revered. Hence the pop idol!
From Elvis to The Beatles and Michael Jackson to Madonna, their popularity is only enhanced by their music, which in turn becomes a soundtrack to our lives.
But while we follow and watch their familiar faces staring up from a magazine cover, it can all come crashing down when they suddenly are no more. The deaths of Elvis, John Lennon, Kurt Cobain and Michael Jackson all left the world reeling with dismay. When a pop star dies it can hit home hard, because for many they form a part of their persona. How many teenagers throughout history try to dress like their heroes?
But for those teenagers, and older, losing that chart-topping pin up can be akin to a bad ending fairytale. When Dolores recently passed away, social media was abuzz with sentiment from Gen Yer’s. They reflected on listening to The Cranberries during homework, school dances and first kisses. Such sentiment also came from the Gen Xer’s over Michael Jackson and Kurt Cobain. And for the Baby Boomers it was Lennon, Joplin, Hendrix and Elvis.
More recently the deaths of Bowie, Prince and George Michael made the New Romantic children of the Eighties address their own mortality and forgotten youth. And for many, the loss of David Cassidy last year brought back memories of weekday afternoons watching The Partridge Family while sipping Fanta.
As far as pop idols go, Cassidy certainly made his mark. As a precursor to Harry Styles and Justin Beiber, he set the pace literally, with girls stampeding at his concerts. To get more insight, you can read the recent tribute I wrote about David Cassidy for DNA Magazine.
Every year, thousands of Elvis fans flock to Graceland and Jim Morrison’s grave at the Paris Pere Lachaise Cemetery, always has a bottle of whiskey left near by. It’s somewhat refreshing to know that when it comes to the loss of a pop star, each generation feels the same emotion, sentiment and devotion as the last.
In the Pretenders song Popstar, Chrissie Hynde sings “They don’t make ‘em like they used to.” Contrary to those lyrics, I think they make ‘em every bit the same!
