September 3rd, 2020
In my current work in progress, the protagonist loses her father in a tragic accident in August of 1980. The people around her are whispering that he committed suicide. She knows that he didn’t and says so much. Then the whispers turn to how she is out of touch with reality. Had he killed himself? Was she as sure as she thought she was?
Bill Evans, the jazz pianist and author of Gilda’s father’s favorite song, “Peace piece,” died on the same day. Bill Evans had lost his brother and then was never the same. Was his alcoholism and untimely death related to the loss and guilt he felt over his brother’s death? We’ll likely never know. What we do know now in 2020 is that his music has endured long after he left us.
John Bonham died a similar tragic death in 1980 due to his alcoholism. His death killed the band Led Zeppelin, the members of which suffered from losing him, but still managed to thrive individually as they evolved away from the monster success that Led Zeppelin had been. Even Jimmy Page who struggled with his own addictions, has gown into a seemingly contented old man. And Robert Plant who had previous to Bonham’s death suffered horrific traffic accidents, the deterioration of his voice, and the death of his young son, has likewise grown into a person who still holds that creative spark. Bonham and Led Zeppelin live on in YouTube videos, and a variety of audio formats, books, and movies. The surviving members having lived second and maybe third lives separate from the group. I mustn’t forget John Paul Jones, who for all the world appears to have been stable from the beginning, not so much evolving as continuing to be a creative explorer.