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I'm listening to the music of  Leonard Cohen  today. He passed in 2016, one of many in the entertainment industry to die in that year. Cohen continued to perform well into his golden years and once likened touring to "taking the first step on a walk to China." Life on the road isn't easy and has crushed a good many performers a third his age (I'm looking at you,  27 Club ). Why did he continue? Surely for the love of music, performing, and his audience, but I suspect partly because his manager had embezzled $5 million from his retirement account. One doesn't recover quickly from such a crime, so you continue to work. Cohen simply did what he did best and kept playing. Rest in peace, Mr. Cohen. Your long road has ended and your music lives on.

(Yes, this mid-90s era photo is of Evan Dando dressed in a Gram Parsons t shirt) As I (and countless others) have written before, Gram Parsons left a huge musical legacy for a man who died an early death. While many have emulated his style, no one comes closer than Evan Dando, both with The Lemonheads and as a solo performer. The career of Dando has more than a few parallels with the career of Parsons, including being "the next big thing" while not quite making it. The Lemonheads' music was fun three chord rock during the Seattle grunge era, when everyone hated themselves and wanted to die. Thus, Dando's lyrics were often criticized for being childlike by people who missed the point entirely. Tho popular in the early to mid 90s, the Lemonheads never reached superstar status, in much the same way Parsons' work with the Flying Burrito Brothers and as a solo artist never seemed to get off the ground. The parallels don't end with great music gr...