The other day, I saw something on Twitter that required further research. After a little Googling, I discovered that this information has made the Internet rounds and has been written about a bunch. However, that is not going to stop me from putting my spin on it.
Anyway, it goes like this.
In February 1970, Circus magazine pictured a bunch of people on its covered and asked if they would survive the following decade.
It was a morbid idea for a cover, but it has led to an interesting question. How many of them made it?
The following list is in the order of their appearance.
Johnny Cash survived the 1970s and lived until 2003. Luckily, I was able to meet him when we ran into each other in a bookstore.
Pete Townshend is still living and is about to go on another tour. I saw The Who on their last tour but left the arena disappointed.
Jim Morrison passed away in 1971 and is buried in a Parisian cemetery.
Paul McCartney is alive and recording. In fact, he just did a thing with Kanye West and Rihanna.
Grace Slick is very much alive but probably not as slick.
Bob Dylan is still around and will soon be performing in Nashville. I just read that the Country Music Hall of Fame is opening a new exhibit about him and Johnny Cash.
Janis Joplin passed away a few months after the issue hit the stands.
John Lennon made it through the 1970s but was gunned down in 1980.
Jimi Hendrix also died a few months after this issue first came out.
Johnny Winter survived the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2014.
Alvin Lee died one year earlier in 2013.
Ray Davies is still alive and doing his thing.
John Mayall is also still with us.
Mick Jagger just announced a stadium tour for The Rolling Stones. They will be returning to Nashville.
Elvis Presley died at Graceland in 1977. Luckily, my parents took me to one of his concerts a few years before that.
George Harrison was the second Beatle to leave us. He passed away in 2001.
Ringo Starr is still playing drums and getting help from his friends.
Charlie Watts is also still around. I wonder if he will be doing that stadium tour.
Jimmy Page is definitely alive. I read that his girlfriend is the same age he was when he appeared on that cover.
David Crosby is also in the news. A few days ago, he ran over a jogger.
What does all that mean?
It means that Circus put out a dumb cover and a dumb article.
It also means that most of these rockers, despite their crazy lifestyles, made it out of the 1970s. Of the 20 that were listed, 11 of them are still alive 45 years later. Out of the 9 who have passed away, 4 lived into the 21st Century.
Four of them passed away in the 1970s. Three of those due to drug use, and the fourth, Jim Morrison, remains a mystery.
However, I have a few questions. Who thought up this article? Did any of those featured read it? Did they get made or laugh at it?
I guess someone could ask those who are still on this earth.
SBI: A Thinning Crowd 
Did the editors make it through the 1970s? That’s MY question.
I’m sure they were living similar lifestyles as those on the cover.
I’d just be curious. It’s a karmic thing.
“Grace Slick is very much alive but probably not as slick.”
My favorite is this one!
Also the one about Ringo Starr
This means that the magazine was running out of stories and probably thought of doing something meaningless! Nice post.
Also, if they put a bunch of people on the cover, then all of their fans might buy it.
Dumb or not, that cover must’ve done wonders for the circulation. Google/Wiki reveal that the mag itself shut down in 2006.
Then, it was around for a while. No doubt this cover generated sales. Heck, I would have bought it.
Given the lifestyles I suppose it was a valid article. I was surprised to see Charlie Watts included, if I had been drawing up the list and wanted a second Rolling Stone I think I would have picked Keith Richard. They should have had Keith Moon on the list of course!
I can’t believe they left out the two Keith’s. They would have been obvious choices.