An Open Letter & THANK YOU from Mike Portnoy
I hate to be overly emotional (& morbid), but with the recent passing of Bowie, Lemmy & Chris Squire (all approx aged 70),
it's dawned on me that we are about to enter a new unprecedented era of Rock & Roll deaths...
I know it's horrible to think of, but the reality is that all of our musical heroes that emerged in the 1960's & 1970's are now entering their 70's & 80's...
It's crazy to think of a world without Paul McCartney or Elton John or Mick Jagger...but it's very possible that that time may be approaching sooner than later.
It's a sad, stone cold reality....
I've always hated when artists pass away and only THEN do they get the love and recognition they deserve...(ex: Bowie scoring his FIRST #1 album in the US this week)
So I'd like to take this moment to thank my biggest living musical heroes while they are still alive for changing my life for the better and making me who I am:
Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon, Brian Wilson, Charlie Watts,
Mick Jagger, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman, Alan White, Robert Fripp, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford, Steve Hackett, Tony Banks, Ozzy Osbourne,
Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward, Ian Paice, Roger Glover, Ian Gillan, Richie Blackmore, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson & Neil Peart....
(and thousands of other musicians & bands that followed...)
THANK YOU from this humble drummer as well as on behalf of millions of others around the world whose lives you have touched with your tremendous talents and passion...may you still be here for decades to come,
but I wanted to thank you NOW while we are all still here....
And To Keith Richards: thank you as well...and please take care of this planet for my grandchildren after we're all gone...
With Love & Respect,
MIKE PORTNOY
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