By
Doug Poe
Submitted On January 21, 2016
Of all the remembrances made in regard to the late Glenn Frey,
none sounded as sincere as that of his main songwriting partner in the
Eagles. Don Henley, with whom Frey co-wrote the band's biggest hits like
"Hotel California" and "One of These Nights," referred to the late
guitarist as his "brother."
The reason the remark sounded so poignant is the fact that Henley was an only child, who never actually had a brother. Frey must indeed have seemed the closest thing he had ever had to a sibling.
Even though Frey himself had several brothers, many musicians tend to emerge from single child homes. The King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, is perhaps the most famous only child. His twin brother, Jesse Aron Presley, was still born.
Another musical Elvis, the one who currently records with the last name Costello, offers a logical explanation for an unusual number of musicians being only children. In his recent autobiography, Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink, Costello says that his lack of siblings naturally led him to an increased chance of pursuing music. Unlike other childhood pastimes like sports or games, music is an activity that does not require a second person.
The drummer for the most famous band ever, The Beatles, shared that exact logic on a recent two-part interview with TV talk show host Tavis Smiley. Ringo Starr admitted that being an only child, in addition to being a sickly child who spent many months in a hospital, contributed to his turn toward music.
Drumming, the forte of both Starr and Henley, might be a little harder to master individually. A more natural instrument to take up, one would assume, would be the guitar.
As a matter of fact, two of the greatest guitarists in history were raised without siblings. Keith Richards, who co-founded the Rolling Stones with singer Mick Jagger, is an only child. Queen guitarist Brian May, too, has lived his entire life without a sibling.
The only-child phenomenon is not limited to music veterans like the ones listed above. One of the most successful young recording artists of today, Mark Foster, is his parents' lone offspring.
He is the mastermind behind the band Foster the People, whose smash hit "Pumped Up Kicks" helped their debut album Torches reach platinum status. Foster has also mentioned that being an only child was a factor in his decision to play music.
Certainly most of us, if given the choice, would prefer to share our childhoods with siblings. Being an only child, though, could be a motivating factor when it comes to practicing music.
The reason the remark sounded so poignant is the fact that Henley was an only child, who never actually had a brother. Frey must indeed have seemed the closest thing he had ever had to a sibling.
Even though Frey himself had several brothers, many musicians tend to emerge from single child homes. The King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, is perhaps the most famous only child. His twin brother, Jesse Aron Presley, was still born.
Another musical Elvis, the one who currently records with the last name Costello, offers a logical explanation for an unusual number of musicians being only children. In his recent autobiography, Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink, Costello says that his lack of siblings naturally led him to an increased chance of pursuing music. Unlike other childhood pastimes like sports or games, music is an activity that does not require a second person.
The drummer for the most famous band ever, The Beatles, shared that exact logic on a recent two-part interview with TV talk show host Tavis Smiley. Ringo Starr admitted that being an only child, in addition to being a sickly child who spent many months in a hospital, contributed to his turn toward music.
Drumming, the forte of both Starr and Henley, might be a little harder to master individually. A more natural instrument to take up, one would assume, would be the guitar.
As a matter of fact, two of the greatest guitarists in history were raised without siblings. Keith Richards, who co-founded the Rolling Stones with singer Mick Jagger, is an only child. Queen guitarist Brian May, too, has lived his entire life without a sibling.
The only-child phenomenon is not limited to music veterans like the ones listed above. One of the most successful young recording artists of today, Mark Foster, is his parents' lone offspring.
He is the mastermind behind the band Foster the People, whose smash hit "Pumped Up Kicks" helped their debut album Torches reach platinum status. Foster has also mentioned that being an only child was a factor in his decision to play music.
Certainly most of us, if given the choice, would prefer to share our childhoods with siblings. Being an only child, though, could be a motivating factor when it comes to practicing music.
No comments:
Post a Comment