I read an interview with Carly Simon. Remember her? Carly was quite a celebrity in the seventies and was compared to great female singers like Carole King and Joni Mitchell. And she had that classic hit ‘You’re So Vain’ about…was it Mick Jagger, Warren Beatty or ….. ?? But she was equally famous for her relationship with fellow star James Taylor. Both great looking, talented, successful and on the top of their careers. Unfortunately things don’t last and this is now all history. But back to that interview. Carly talked the interviewer through her illustrious career showing plenty of pictures of famous friends and ex-lovers. But …not a single photograph of good old James in the house. When the interviewer cautiously tried ‘where is a picture of James..?’ she just replied ‘James who….?’
Early dementia? Probably not. More likely this had something to do with James’ infidelity and heroin addiction which blew the idyllic love affair to pieces. But for a while Carly and James were truly Rock Royalty.
Who else could claim Rock Royalty status and how many survived the stress of Sex, Drugs & Rock and Roll? I am personally not that interested in gossip and hardly follow the private lives of musicians. But I gave it a go and managed to come up with a respectable list of famous rock and rolling love affairs.
1. Johnny Cash & June Carter
Johnny Cash married himself into the absolute top of American music, the famous Carter Family. He adored the family and Johnny and June would stay together through some hard and challenging times. Everyone who ever saw the movie Walk The Line will remember.
2. Michael Jackson & Lisa Marie Presley
Same idea didn’t work out as well for Michael Jackson. Jackson married himself into true Rock Royalty by his marriage to Elvis’ daughter. Many believe that their marriage was a PR stunt to cast Jackson in a better light after allegations of sexual molestation charges involving a 13-year old boy. Jackson and Presley separated on December 10, 1995.
3. Marvin Gaye and Anna Gordy
Motown golden boy, Gaye married himself into the very top of Soul Royalty. He married the sister of Motown’s boss and founder Berry Gordy. Result: a great divorce album ‘Hear My Dear’. Things didn’t really work out for him. A few years later Marvin was shot dead by his own father.
4. Carly Simon & James Taylor
Famous marriage didn’t survive life on the road. They had a couple of children and son Ben is doing well with the Ben Taylor Band, sounding very much like his dad.
5. Kurt Corbain & Courtney Love
Troubled relationship ended with Corbain’s suicide. Courtney Love struggles on with her own band Hole
6. Marianne Faithful & Mick Jagger
Marianne Faithfull, a very young folk singer with aristocratic roots, met the members of Rolling Stones through their manager, Andrew Loog Oldham. Her first pop hit was a version of the Stones’ ‘As Tears Go By,’ and she was soon a key figure on the Swinging London scene. Faithfull was famous for her beauty and her long-running romance with Mick Jagger. In the ’70s, Faithfull split up with Jagger, developed a serious drug habit, and recorded rarely. But since then she made at come-back and has been recording some of her best albums.
7. John & Yoko
Yoko was a famous avant-garde artist when she and John met. Together they released a couple of albums as the Plastic Ono Band. She recently released a new album with son Sean.
8. Richard & Linda Thompson
Richard Thompson, a highly talented guitarist/singer/composer of Fairport Convention. Left the band and performed as duo with wife and folk singer Linda. Made some brilliant albums. Their divorce album ‘Shoot Out the Lights’, documenting the falling apart of their marriage, is a masterpiece. Their son Teddy Thompson is making quite a name for himself. He also helped his mother with a beautiful come-back album (‘Fashionably Late’). Has something of a Rock Royalty thing going for himself through his relationship with Martha Wainwright.
9. John & Beverly Martyn
Similar story as Richard and Linda Thompson. Talented folk singers John & Beverly Martyn married and then recorded two or three albums together and performed as a duo. John Martyn was far too restless and ambitious to stay too long in the same place. He moved on as solo artist and struggled with alcohol and drugs addiction. His brilliant album Grace & Danger is arguably the best divorce album of all time (songs like ‘sweet little mystery’ and ‘when that hurt in your heart is gone..’). John Martyn died last year.
10. Paul & Linda McCartney
Formed the band Wings and performed together until Linda’s death.
11. Jack and Meg White(The White Stripes)
Jack and Meg claimed to be siblings, but they are actually a married couple until 2000.
12. Janis Joplin & Leonard Cohen
Check out Cohen’s song Chelsea Hotel (‘I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel ..’). Supposedly about him and Janis having an affair in the most famous Rock hotel.
13. Kate McGarrigle & Loudon Wainwright III
One of the great musical families. Kate (from great Canadian folk duo Kate & Anne McGarrigle) and LoudonWainwright married young but it didn’t last very long. Two of their children are now famous musicians: Rufus Wainwright and Martha Wainwright. Judging on the song that Martha wrote about her father, the marriage had some problems and the divorce was painful. The title of that song? You motherf*@! asshole. Family is still on speaking terms and made a beautiful family album The McGarrigle Hour. Martha has a relationship with Teddy Thompson, son of Richard and Linda Thompson. Kate died a few months ago of cancer.
14. Ramasas & Selket
The strangest rock duo since the Egyptian Empire. Martin Raphael was working as a central heating salesman when he and his wife, Selket, emerged onto the late-’60s psychedelic scene. He was convinced that he (and his wife) was the reincarnation of the Egyptian deity whose name he had adopted. The couple recorded a great first album, ‘Space Hymns’, with the members of 10CC as backing musicians. The album is still collectors material and there are popular websites dedicated to the music of Ramases and Selket. He committed suicide in the mid-90’s.
15. Bob Dylan & Joan Baez
What could have been…but wasn’t to be. Joan Baez was the very talented singer/activist of the left wing folk/ protest movement of the sixties. Then out of the blue came Bob Dylan turned up and took everyone by surprise. Dylan was something special from the start and became the undisputed leader of that generation. Joan Baez and Dylan toured together (see: Don’t Look Back about the British tour) and something was happening.. But just as sudden as he had arrived, Dylan left everyone behind, including Baez. If you ever saw the great documentary by Martin Scorcese ‘No Direction Home’ you still feel the disappointment and unbelief with Baez . Dylan was Dylan, but the pain was still real. After their break up Dylan wrote the song All I Really Want To Do ( All I really want to do..Is, baby, be friends with you) and moved on.
I am not really that up-to-date with more recent Rock Royalty. Maybe the Jonas Brothers are doing it with Hannah Montana, …and who knows what that Justin Beaver is up to.
Tags: domino music, mick jagger, music, rock, rock royalty
