Cobain, Layne, & now Weiland
Cobain, Layne, and now Weiland.
Died at age 27, 34, 48.
When we are teenage musicians, we study our musical heroes underneath their posters tacked to our bedroom wall.
When we are adults, we might not have those posters on our walls, but we continue to see them rock the stage; usually the audience demands to hear the old hits, but hopefully the artists make art that challenges the culture.
Last year, when Weiland had a rough gig in Texas, it was easy to see his decline, easy to write a headline, even a joke. When substance abuse of the famous leads to tragedy, it sometimes feels so distant to our own lives, but it’s not.
Addictions are rampant in our towns and circles, in our communities. And it’s passed over the counter, or written on a script. Amy Winehouse’s father often said it was the alcohol abuse that killed her. Prescription medication abuse is a growing epidemic.
Yes, this requires a discussion of personal responsibility; but it’s also a discussion of community responsibility. Today we are going to discuss a loss of a musical icon. Tomorrow, we need to continue the discussion of substance abuse and how to help those suffering, and discuss how to help the friends and families trying to help the addicted, too.
A crime or a health problem? Maybe both, but in the Odyssey, we are warned of the universal dangers in a chapter called the lotus eaters; it’s the shipmates that return, following the orders of their captain, pull their lost companions out, and get them back on course.
Some musicians can’t pull themselves out; the gigging road can often seem like returning to the lotus eater’s island.
Cobain, Layne, and now Weiland.
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