There is child’s book that I read to my children (and perhaps you read it to yours,) called “Everyone Poops!” There is the possibility that some of my British friends actually don’t but I may be deceived because of that elegant British accent.
After this week and given the last six months for me, I’m beginning to believe there should be an adult version of that book and it should be titled “Everyone Dies…”
Death has been walking in the door this year for many of the musicians and icons I’ve grown up with. So far the body count of people I have known includes my best friend and mentor, Michael Gross… and host of people you may have heard of…
4/21/2016 57 Prince Music
4/17/2016 90 Doris Roberts Entertainment
4/6/2016 79 Merle Haggard Music
3/29/2016 69 Patty Duke Entertainment
3/28/2016 94 James Noble Entertainment
3/24/2016 66 Garry Shandling Entertainment
3/24/2016 92 Earl Hamner, Jr. Entertainment
3/23/2016 71 Ken Howard Entertainment
3/23/2016 90 Joe Garagiola Sports,Entertainment
3/18/2016 84 Joe Santos Entertainment
3/17/2016 66 Larry Drake Entertainment
3/16/2016 72 Frank Sinatra, Jr. Music,Entertainment
3/10/2016 71 Keith Emerson Music
3/9/2016 91 Robert Horton Entertainment
3/8/2016 90 George Martin Music
3/6/2016 94 Nancy Reagan Politics,Entertainment
3/4/2016 86 Bud Collins Sports,Journalism
3/4/2016 70 Pat Conroy Literature
2/28/2016 91 George Kennedy Entertainment
2/24/2016 69 Lennie Baker Music
2/22/2016 87 Sonny James Entertainment
2/19/2016 84 Umberto Eco Literature
2/19/2016 89 Harper Lee Literature
2/16/2016 93 Boutros Boutros-Ghali Politics
2/15/2016 98 George Gaynes Entertainment
2/13/2016 79 Antonin Scalia Law
2/4/2016 85 Ed Mitchell Exploration
2/4/2016 74 Maurice White Music
2/2/2016 92 Bob Elliott Entertainment
1/26/2016 94 Abe Vigoda Entertainment
1/24/2016 88 Marvin Minsky Science
1/18/2016 67 Glenn Frey Music
1/15/2016 74 Dan Haggerty Entertainment
1/14/2016 69 Alan Rickman Entertainment
1/11/2016 96 Monte Irvin Sports
1/10/2016 69 David Bowie Music
1/7/2016 94 Kitty Kallen Music
1/6/2016 86 Pat Harrington Entertainment
1/5/2016 90 Pierre Boulez Music
12/31/2015 82 Wayne Rogers Entertainment
12/31/2015 65 Natalie Cole Music
12/27/2015 83 Meadowlark Lemon Sports,Entertainment
12/19/2015 88 Kurt Masur Music
12/4/2015 85 Robert Loggia Entertainment
12/3/2015 48 Scott Weiland Music
12/2/2015 70 Sandy Berger Politics
11/28/2015 97 Marjorie Lord Entertainment
11/21/2015 87 Kim Young Sam Politics
11/20/2015 82 Jim Perry Entertainment
11/16/2015 77 David Canary Entertainment
Right now, I’m just happy my name (and yours) isn’t on this list. Still, I feel sadly remorseful because I really enjoy living. Waking up everyday is still my favorite thing to do. I just wish my friends could come over and we could have a great big party and smile and laugh and hug and talk and drink wine and roll out blankets on the floor and have a big slumber party and wake up the next morning and watch cartoons like I once did with my brother and cousins Jeff and Jerry while we ate butter and jelly biscuits until we were stuffed.
Back in the time when no one died, mom tucked me in, and everything was right with the world.
