Has any popular Rock star really done anything beside their music for the world?

[Landys ghost]

C'mon, really now - Geldorf did a lot for famine relief, but the rest? , apart from charity stuff [ all very laudable of course] have they really changed the world? isnt it a bit ego -centric if they think they have and a bit delusional of their fans too?...anyway imho not to any great quantifiable degree, but this is one for Kent , representing the Dylan worshippers to slug it out with Tony "Imagine John Lennon" to slug out, for me it's back to the mystic garden [ dont get excited Kent I'm only cutting the lawn LOL]

[zimmy]

oops this is for Kent, never mind

[Landys ghost]

noooo anyone can join in

[zimmy]

i forgot what I was gonna say, something about Dylan's Christmas Album
but if musicians in any way generate love and compassion, somehow, it's good. When many people share the same music and love for music, I think it binds us mysteriously somehow.
:P

[Landys ghost]

Well it might drive an emotional slant to a movement , like say , "We shall overcome" ie become a movement anthem, but movements like Anti Vietnam protests or Civil Right Marches would exist whether they had their own tunes or not, as for "bind us mysteriously" sorry but that sound s to me like hippy waffle, lots of people share lots of very inconsequential music too it's called popularity

[Kent Allard]

We should meet at the Eye and Crown pub. Mine's an ice cold Guinness.

[aspicco]

how did i get dragged into this?

[Isis]

how did i get dragged into this?

you'll never know..........:scratchhead:

[Landys ghost]

how did i get dragged into this?

LOL :) Welllllllllllll JL is often touted as being a "force" for world peace , and your a JL fan ...therefore......

[aspicco]

hmmm... JL is more the philosopher than the activist... other than the Bed-In for Peace, and his song lyrics, I can't say he personally did much... but I believe he & his wife invested in green technology long befpore it was hip... I could be wrong

But... why single out rock stars or any celebrity to do something for the world... we ALL should be doing that every day...

[Isis]

but when people try to do something for the world they get so critizied for whatever they do. Oprah got torn apart for that girl's school. And a lot others too. Even Mother Teresa I heard were accused of bad stuff..... so I wouldn't want to do anything so the media would know about it. (If I had the means to do something that is lol)

[Landys ghost]

Why? well because their deemed to be influential I guess

[Landys ghost]

hmmm... JL is more the philosopher than the activist... other than the Bed-In for Peace, and his song lyrics, I can't say he personally did much... but I believe he & his wife invested in green technology long befpore it was hip... I could be wrong

But... why single out rock stars or any celebrity to do something for the world... we ALL should be doing that every day...

Why? well because their deemed to be influential to the masses I guess

[zimmy]

Hey if John Foggerty could become inducted into the baseball hall of fame for his song CENTERFIELD (which i don't particularly care for) then YES, it means music binds us mysteriously.
Masybe it was just the song inducted, either way, ...just sayin

[Garilia]

I would say that if John Lennon did nothing but his music, he was a force for good in the world. That he fought the power and won the right to stay in the USA means he absolutely did something else good for the world, even if it was for selfish reasons.

[Landys ghost]

Really? how? and what good did he do for how many people? - you know...real good not quasi good or made them enjoy his music and what is this philosophy that he's supposed to have?

[aspicco]

you can be an influence in your own neighbourhood... we all have that responsibility

[Garilia]

Really? how? and what good did he do for how many people? - you know...real good not quasi good or made them enjoy his music and what is this philosophy that he's supposed to have?

Hmmm, you don't think that standing up to the president and the director of the FBI was a good thing?

[Garilia]

Sonny Bono became a politican.

There are some who thinks Bono is a force for good in the world, and there are others who think he's a pompous wanker.

[Landys ghost]

I thought he died in a skying accident , standing up to the President? well lots of people stood up against Nixon, Bernstein and Woodward for instance the poor kids at Kent State, thats political action, but was it a force for world good? I doubt it really, we may love these people but I think we imbue them with having more influence than they really had in relative proportion to the actual results, as for Tony 's piece of rhetoric , sorry mate thats a bit hippyish for me,

[Garilia]

Here's the thing you old goat, your curmudgeon meter is running a bit high. if they are philanthropists, or use their celebrity to bring attention to a cause are they doing good? For that matter, what do any of us do? Politicians certainly aren't a force for good in the world, neither are businessmen and lawyers, right? If a celebrity engages in charity privately, we'll never know, but if they publicize it on Oprah we call them attention whores. They can't win with some folks simply because of their celebrity.

[aspicco]

"sorry mate thats a bit hippyish for me"

funny... i thought "Love they neighbor as I have loved you" kinda pre-dated hippies... by... i dunno... 2.000 years?

[Garilia]

Landy, I don't know if you know the extent of John Lennon's clout at that time in the USA, coupled with FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover's paranoia, and Nixon's paranoia. People credit John with being personally responsible for getting John Sinclair released from prison. Sinclair was a hippy who was fighting for the legalization of marijuana, and also a heavy user. He got busted for giving two joints to an undercover police officer and sentenced to 10 years in jail. He had done over 2 years already, and friends had been fighting on his behalf, helping with his legal defense fund. John and Yoko found out about his case, John wrote a song about it, and they staged a concert for him. It was a 12 hour concert. Earlier, the Michigan State Court of Appeals had upheld his conviction, the day after the concert they reversed their verdict. John Sinclair credits Lennon with being the force that made the difference.

Meanwhile, in his deportation case, he was being wiretapped and followed by the government. They sought to deport him based on a marijuana conviction from Britain. The thing is, Lennon didn't just defend his right to stay in the country, he actually sued the United States government and won, and in so doing exposed the illegalities of the FBI and Nixon (not the Watergate specific stuff, but the illegal wiretapping and such). You mention Carl Bernstein, and he applauds Lennon's courageous stand and fight against Nixon, Attorney General John Mitchell, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and so on.

I'm not suggesting you put on rose tinted spectacles, but take off the blacked out ones.

[Isis]

It seems to me that when a rich person tries to do good in the world, other people think he or she has to do it for himself or herself to get recognition how good they are and so forth. That doesn't have to be true at all but I think this is a reason why some well to do people are hesitant to do anything because they are fully aware of the critisism they are in for and in a rock stars case it COULD be bad for the career ...at least I really think so.

People can help, but anonymously is best for famous people.

[zimmy]

Shake it sugaree! Hey now did you hear about Jerry Garcia Bobble Head night at the Giants AT&T stadium. Phil Lesh Bob Weir and their back up singer (FURTHUR) trioed the National Anthem ANNNNNNDDDDDD at 7th inning stretch they had a 10,000 kazoo choir playing TakeMe Out to the BallGame lead by Bill Kruetzman and Mickey Hart! Wonder if they broke the Guiness(sp) World Record.
Wow Those boys rock and benefitted many people with entertainment! cooooooooool

[Landys ghost]

Garilla - I Stand - partially - corrected , I was unaware of that level of "fight" pity he couldnt back the miners in the 70's when they were under attack from our govmt, he never came back to the UK,no I'm not a Lennon fan - thats great above - but it's very much a parochial struggle - it's also sad that he treated Julian in the very way he criticised his own father for doing, so, ok Lennon helped expose - as if it needed exposing - tricky dicky and his transvestite chum, and Geldorf organised Live Aid - of far greater significance surely - but I still say we hero worship people with feet of clay

[Landys ghost]

"sorry mate thats a bit hippyish for me"

funny... i thought "Love they neighbor as I have loved you" kinda pre-dated hippies... by... i dunno... 2.000 years?

oh I'm far too cynical for that LOL

[Isis]

Rockstars are no heros. I do not know a single one that I would worship. That's nonsense. They play music ok but why worship them? God is the one we should worship and nobody else.

[Isis]

so Handy Landy you only love your wifie?lol

[Isis]

Michael Jackson did a beautiful thing when he wrote We are the world. It made me feel very good.

[Landys ghost]

and kids and family and the Ospreys rugby team tho' they frustrate the fuck out of me,greece,beer,oow lots of things, but my neighbour? nah not my type, nice guy , so is his wife and sons, but lerve? no, in fact it's a load of utopian sillyness thinking you can wander around with a silly grin lerving everyone man, and charity shall cover up a lot of things, and peace is defined as the moment you re load your rifle

[Landys ghost]

Michael Jackson did a beautiful thing when he wrote We are the world. It made me feel very good.

crap pretentiousness and not a patch on feed the world, gosh , didnt those songs make people feel better about themselves

[Isis]

Terror rules the earth and peace is far away?

[Isis]

crap pretentiousness and not a patch on feed the world, gosh , didnt those songs make people feel better about themselves

Nothing of that went to ease the hunger? I thought that all went to charity? Oh if anybody is cynical about charity it's me. If I want to help somebody I have to go therein person or somebody else will grab it.

[Landys ghost]

oh dont get me wrong - if the song parted people with money for the starving thats great, but the song was awful, as for JL well, as good as that was, has it really changed anything in the world?

[Isis]

There are changes in the world all the time that we can not see with our eyes......

[Landys ghost]

oooww - like wot? oh wise one? red sky at night language

[Garilia]

Well it seems that nothing can be done to meet whatever standard you've set as defining good for the world, and then any good some artist has done is marred by your personal feelings about them. Philanthropy or social and political activism aside, maybe their music just helps some people feel good. Maybe their music awakens a call in someone to be more socially aware, and charitable and philanthropic.

[Isis]

Well it seems that nothing can be done to meet whatever standard you've set as defining good for the world, and then any good some artist has done is marred by your personal feelings about them. Philanthropy or social and political activism aside, maybe their music just helps some people feel good. Maybe their music awakens a call in someone to be more socially aware, and charitable and philanthropic.

excellent post!

[Garilia]

I don't have a problem with an artist staging an event for a cause, or going on Oprah, or whatever talk show and promoting their cause. I do dislike when they preach from the stage during a concert about their cause.

[Garilia]

excellent post!

thank you

[Isis]

I remember that Neil Young told people to buy eggs from cage free chickens from stage during a concert. I don't have a problem with that. Chicken's can not talk for themselves and there is no "right" time to speak for the animals.
My opinion is that if I can not afford to bye eggs from chickens that hasn't been tortured then I am not buyin any eggs at all.
Chickens that live their life in a cage so small they can not move......I wish the people that grow these kind of chickens would be put in a cell so they could not move.

[Landys ghost]

Well it seems that nothing can be done to meet whatever standard you've set as defining good for the world, and then any good some artist has done is marred by your personal feelings about them. Philanthropy or social and political activism aside, maybe their music just helps some people feel good. Maybe their music awakens a call in someone to be more socially aware, and charitable and philanthropic.

surely we should,primarily, be appreciating the music they make and the impact that makes on peoples lives - I totally agree your last sentence and think thats as good as it gets and thats something - because thats what they primarily are, anything else is a bonus - thats where I'm coming from, but not setting them up as quasi - gods when they make a charity record,or use their position to point something out,because they arent - primarily - "leaders" of movements within a secular sense, but maybe I'm being too exacting and failing to put my point across...let the work stand

[Isis]

It is too much to expect from any artist that they should change the world?

There are a few prominent strong men that changed the world like Martin Luther King and others but they all had to pay such a high price.

If all the great singers, poets and artists went the same way and partook in demonstrations and so on they would go the same way?

I keep Victor Jara in mind...and Joe Hill and so many more. Everybody is not called to change the world I don't think.

An artist can change the world by opening people's eye's and minds too through the lyric....ah well Nobody can win the battles the world faces today? or does somebody think so?

[thin man]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADUC4l6t3Bk&