Celebrity Death Haiku

Richie Havens

1941–2013

Wow, what a career!
Opened at Woodstock! And ... and ....
Other stuff, I'm sure.

— Jeff Tiedrich

* * *

He had those sit down
can't cry oh lord gonna die
blues ... and now he's dead

—Babatjie

 

Storm Thorgerson

1944–2013

Took a pyramid
Sent prismatic bands through it
Colored our heartbeats

— Dr. Vitz

 

Van Cliburn

1934-2013

Outplayed the commies
While a grateful America
Pretended to care

— Jeff Tiedrich

Dave Brubeck

1920—2012

Made a whole album
That broke the rules of meters.
Just try that in hai

— Jeff Tiedrich

 

Marvin Hamlisch

1944–2012

Maestro's last bow — a 
Little traveling music,
Please! Roll credits

— O'Cyrus

 

Robin Gibb

1949–2012

Summer ends early
Then Robin cannot return
Disco’s really dead

— Dr. Vitz

* * *

Not stayin' alive
Huh huh huh huh huh huh huh
Not stayin' alive

— Jeff Tiedrich

Levon Helm

1940-2012

But they should never
Have taken the very best
Rest in peace, Levon

-- Jeff Tiedrich

Dick Clark

1929–2012

Let the last ball drop
On world's oldest teenager's
Rockin' Mid-Year's Grieve

— Jeff Tiedrich

 * * *

New Year's without Clark?
Still fun -- harder to dance to
I give it a six

-- Dr. Vitz

 

Davy Jones

1945–2012

Now Davy Jones? Jeez.
One more boyhood icon gone
I'm a bereaver

— Jeff Tiedrich

* * *

Pre-teen idol from
Pre-fab foursome
Croaks prematurely

— Russell 1000

* * *

Pop music sweetheart
Just when "sour" became the
Flavor of the month

— Lairbo

 * * *

Mock at your peril;
Stephen Stills auditioned
For the Monkees gig

— Abby Rhodes

 

Whitney Houston

1963–2012

A powerful voice
Gone silent much too early
Oh – hell to the no!

— Dr. Vitz

 * * *

Not nearly enough
Bodyguards to protect her
From her own worst self

— Philco

* * *

Hope that she will be
Remembered for her talent —
Not for the trainwreck

— Inshallah

 

Amy Winehouse

1983–2011

Hey Amy Winehouse — 
That "won't go to rehab" thing,
How did that work out?

— Jeff Tiedrich

 * * *

Cautionary tale:
When they say "go to rehab"
Don't say "no no no"  

— Jeff Tiedrich

* * *

Perhaps what's saddest
About this untimely death
Is that no one's shocked

— Inshallah 

Clarence Clemons

1942-2011

You can't imagine
Born to Run without sax break?
Now it's easier

Dr. Vitz

 

Suze Rotolo

1943–2011

Brushed off her brush with
Someone else's fame, alright
She didn't look back

— Lairbo

 

John Barry

1933 – 2011

Nobody did it
Better (music to spy by)
Barry, John Barry

— Lairbo

 

Don Kirshner

1934 – 2011

Sullivan in a
Leisure suit, only stiffer
And never blinking

— Lairbo

* * *

Impresario
For bubblegum and rock stars
But kept nerdy style

— Dr. Vitz

 

Gerry Rafferty

1947 – 2011

He leaves Baker Street
Rafferty starts afterlife
Stuck in the middle?

— Dr. Vitz

* * *

Dirt to the left of
Me, dirt to the right, stuck in
A coffin with you

— Jeff Tiedrich

 

 

 

Don "Captain Beefheart" Van Vliet

1941 – 2010

Van Vliet was a fraud!
First, he lied about his rank.
And his heart? Human.

— Jeff Tiedrich

Eddie Fisher

1928 – 2010

Left Debbie for Liz
To be left for Dick Burton
But left us Leia

— Dr. Vitz

* * *

Crooner in the age
Of rock and roll's ascension
Missed it by that much

— Lairbo

* * *

Career blown to bits
By Elvis, private life shot
To hell by himself

— O'Cyrus

* * *

When she married him
Liz was just getting warmed up
Four down, four to go

— Lairbo

* * *

Couldn't compete with
Elvis or Sinatra, but still
Got around plenty

— Russell 1000

Leonard Skinner

1933 – 2010

"You kids need haircuts!"
Said gym coach Leonard Skinner
And a band was born

— Jeff Tiedrich

Mitch Miller

1911 – 2010

At some point we've all
Sung along with him, whether
We knew it or not

— Phil Valens

* * *

With hipster's goatee
And that bouncing ball, Mitch got
Us to sing along

— Jeff Tiedrich

* * *

Now that Mitch has marched
Be Kind to Your Web Footed Friends
Shall be his glory

— Babatjie

Jimmy Dean

1928 – 2010

Realized people would
Pay more for country sausage
Than country music

— Lairbo

Lena Horne

1917 – 2010

Showstopper on stage

Trailblazer everywhere else

Weathered many storms

— Lairbo

* * *

Her Stormy Weather

Made smooth and sweet by voice and

Not looking too black

— Dr. Vitz

Dixie Carter

1939 – 2010

Designing woman

Or desperate housewife; a

Steely southern belle

— O'Cyrus

Meinhardt Raabe

1915 – 2010

He isn't only 

Merely dead; no, he's really

Most sincerely dead

— Lairbo

Malcolm McLaren

1946 – 2010

Malcolm McLaren

Probably would have claimed he

Invented death, too

— Jeff Tiedrich