With Friday’s passing of Eddie Money followed by the death of Ric Ocasek on Sunday, it was not a good weekend for hit machines. Both artists left behind a considerable library of hits that will keep their memories alive for years to come. Ric’s death, coming so soon after Eddie’s, caused listener Jackie Lowney to speculate that “Now we know why Eddie needed TWO Tickets to Paradise.” Nice.
We also received this Tweet that has a nice memory of Eddie visiting our area that even involves WAPL.
How cool!
However, of all the things I’ve seen written about Eddie since Friday, I think this article in the New Yorker by Ian Crouch, about how Take Me Home Tonight came to include the guest vocal by the great Ronnie Spector, may sum him up best. Writes Crouch, “With his hands, he committed all the notorious crimes of the rhythm-challenged—his fingers pointing, snapping, or else balled into a fist, punching the air. His hands found their most comfortable home on the microphone, which he often appeared to be strangling”. That may sound like a criticism, but it’s not. Just a description of what made a guy who was a great singer but not a natural-born performer still fun to watch in concert. Give the article a read. If for no other reason, to find out what Ronnie said, when Eddie called her to see she’d be on the record and he asked her “What are you doing these days?”
