Mitch Mitchell and the Jimi Hendrix Curse

I got a call yesterday from long time Get Out Of Life Alive reader, and my good friend, Hank aka Big Country. He told me that he had just heard Mitch Mitchell, the drummer for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, had died.

I was sad.

Mitch was the last member of a super group who had inspired countless musical acts and non-musical acts over the last 4 decades. After the initial shock, I started to think about the group in general...

Jimi died in 1970, at the age of 27.
Noel Redding, the Experience bassist, died in 2003, aged 57.
Mitch died in 2008, aged 61.
Chas Chandler, the group's manager, died in 1996, aged 57.

All of these ages seem young to me. (Younger than the 71 normal life expectancy for males.)

Jimi's post Experience band, the Band of Gypsys, also had three members...

Buddy Miles died this year, aged 60.
Billy Cox is the sole living member of the two groups...he's 67.

Maybe Jimi was cursed! Here are some other acts Jimi played with in the early days:

Slim Harpo: died aged 46, heart attack
Tommy Tucker: died aged 48, food poisoning/inhaling carbon tetrachloride refinishing hardwood floors
Sam Cooke: died aged 33, shot
Jackie Wilson: died aged 49, coma after suffering a heart attack
Curtis Knight: died aged 54, ??

Of course Jimi played with Little Richard, too, and he's alive along with Billy Cox, and I'm sure countless others. But, dang, that's numerous premature deaths!

(Editor's Note: Don't give me the whole, "they all probably were druggies and that caused their early deaths because you know that's crap. Look at Keith Richards...he's 64 and alive, did lots of drugs, too. None of the above died from drugs, either.)

So, what's the moral of this? I don't know. Just interesting. Maybe Jimi was cursed...I say watch out Billy Cox!! (Little Richard is safe...he's 75.)

RIP, Mitch.

My Voice Was Heard...My Vote Counted!

I sat and watched anxiously as the election results began to pour in. Would this be the year that MY voice would be heard? Would this be the year that MY vote would count? I stayed up late into the night...well, actually, early into the morning, and finally it happened!

I couldn't believe I made a difference! My man was elected!!

So, let me be the first to congratulate you, Allen Smith, you won your bid to become Bartholomew County Coroner, easily defeating Vest Coroner, or Bulletproof Vest, or whatever his name was!

Congrats, Allen! Now go out there and Coroner to the best of your ability!!

Vote !!!

There are a few things that I try desperately not to talk about on this blog. One is religion...and another is politics. It's simple really, with both you seem to get a lot of, in my case, unwanted attention. But today, on the eve of a monumental Presidential election, I just wanted to drop a post to encourage everyone to vote!

Yes, vote. Republican, Democrat, Independent, or whatever you want. A lot of people have fought and died so you can have this privilege, so go out there and do it tomorrow!!

Funny side story...

Becky and I were driving out of our town when Becky went on a rant about one of the political signs we saw.


(The sign in question.)

Becky: "There's no way I'm voting for that guy!"

Me: "Who? Vest?"

Becky: "Yep, I mean look at that huge sign and he can't even put Elect Vest FOR Coroner...just Elect Vest Coroner. I mean, how hard would it have been to put FOR in there...it's a huge sign, he had the room."

Me: "Maybe his name is Vest Coroner...you know, Vest Coroner, Attorney-at-law...I'll take crime off the streets!"

Becky: "That's not what a Coroner does..."

Me: "Whatever."

Becky: "Well, I'm not voting for him."

Me: "Is he a Democrat or Republican?"

Becky: "I don't know..."

Me: "Maybe that's what the signs of people running for Coroner usually say."

After driving a few blocks we came upon Vest's opposition...Allen Smith. His sign said "Elect Allen Smith for Bartholomew County Coroner"...it was a little yard sign, too, which made Becky's mind even MORE made up.

Becky: "See, he has a small sign and he can fit all that in there. Vest is being cocky with his big sign, and his lack of the word FOR."

Me: "I guess..."

So, there you have it. Becky will not be Electing Vest Coroner.

For the record, all you political people out there, Becky and I are not all willy-nilly with our votes. We usually take our time and do our due diligence to select the candidate who fits our beliefs. But in this case, Becky isn't budging...I mean, it is Coroner here, not President or Mayor...and, would you vote for a guy who has a gangsta lean going like our boy Vest there??

I thought not.


(Look at that lean. I wonder what Vest's first name it? My money is on Bulletproof!)

Now GO VOTE!!

(NOTE: Mr. Vest's first name is Jason. So, his first name is NOT Bulletproof...but I bet his middle name is!!)