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July 2, 2008
Rocking Their Way To The Other Side
Some people believe in life after death, reincarnation, Heaven, Hell and probably a whole lot of other things I have never heard of. Personally, I don’t know what to believe when it comes to the subject of death, but it’s a fact that some people are choosing to depart this world to the sound of their favorite rock songs.
Funeral directors in Australia are reporting that Queen’s "The Show Must Go On," Led Zeppelin’s "Stairway to Heaven" and AC/DC’s "Highway to Hell" are among the most popular funeral songs in South Australia. This information comes to us by way of Centennial Park, which is the state’s largest provider of cemetery, crematorium and memorial services.
Other varieties of music are also well represented when it comes to funeral music. Other popular choices include Frank Sinatra’s "My Way" and and Louis Armstrong’s "What a Wonderful World," which seem to make sense under these circumstances.
However, some of the more creative choices made for their funerals by the departed include "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead" from the Wizard of Oz, Queen’s "Another One Bites the Dust" and Willie Nelson’s "Hit the Road Jack." Those have to be people with a sense of humor or perhaps even some that were not too well-liked by whomever made the decisions regarding funeral arrangements.
I remember a kid I hung around with back in the old neighborhood in Massachusetts who always used to say that he wanted "Magnum Opus" by Kansas played at his funeral. Sadly, a few years later, he committed suicide. I never did find out if they played "Magnum Opus" at his funeral, since it was a very private affair, and attendance was strictly limited to family members, but I’d like to think that the sounds of Kansas filled the room on that day.
March 6, 2008
Hall of Fame Petition Drive For Yes
I’ve definitely got a soft spot in my heart for Yes, one of my favorite progressive groups of the 1960’s and 1970’s, so I wanted to help make other Yes fans aware of this effort.
Although I have not been able to find much detail regarding this, I did 
receive an e-mail message informing me that a Philadelphia talk show host has started an online petition to promote the induction of Yes into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
For me, the album that stands out was Fragile, which the group released in 1972. At the time, I had not previously heard anything quite like it and was amazed by the musicianship that was represented on that album and have been a Yes fan ever since.
Currently, some members of the group are still touring on their own or with other groups. However, there are some rumors around that claim a Yes tour is being considered and other rumors that claim it is a reality and will happen this summer. We shall see.
In the meantime, if you are a fan who believes that Yes belongs in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, you may want to head on over and sign the petition.
