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View Full Version : Poet, songwriter, composer and singer Rod McKuen died Thursday in Beverly Hills



Tyr-Ziu Saxnot
01-31-2015, 10:39 AM
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/oscar-nominated-songwriter-rod-mckuen-dies-at-81/ar-AA8Kgks?ocid=ansVariety11

Poet, songwriter, composer and singer Rod McKuen died Thursday in Beverly Hills after suffering from pneumonia, friend and producer Jim Pierson told the L.A. Times. McKuen was 81.

McKuen was twice-nominated for Oscars, first for the song “Jean” from the film “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” in 1970, which won him a Golden Globe, and then again in 1971 for his work on the animated film “A Boy Named Charlie Brown”; he also received a Grammy nomination for his work with the team that included Vince Guaraldi.

Born in Oakland, McKuen moved to Paris in the 1960s, where he wrote poetry before returning to the U.S. where he worked as a poet, singer and film composer in the late 60s and throughout the 70s. His hit songs “If You Go Away” and “Seasons in the Sun” (performed by Terry Jacks) was based on a Jacques Brel song and he also translated other French songwriters into English.

His composing work also included “Joanna,” “Scandalous John,” “Emily” and the TV movies “Lisa, Bright and Dark” and “The Borrowers.” His work continued to be used through the years in major productions, appearing in film and television series including “Cheers,” “Better Off Dead…” and “Zodiac.”

McKuen was also a prolific songwriter, working with artists including Johnny Cash, Barbara Streisand and Frank Sinatra; Sinatra recorded an album of McKuen’s songs and poems in 1969, “A Man Alone: The Words and Music of Rod McKuen,” which included one McKuen’s most popular hits, “Love’s Been Good to Me.”

He published 30 books of poetry including “Listen to the Warm,” which sold millions of copies and won a spoken word Grammy for “Lonesome Cities.”

All return to dust
our path ends we must
dwell in another place
wear a different face
Lie in sleep to be awaken
our Souls are His to be Judged and Taken..
01-31-2015.. Robert L.

I am a big fan of McKuen, the man had such talent and great intellect..
A truly fine poet as well... -Tyr

LongTermGuy
01-31-2015, 10:59 AM
My Mother loved this guy....and shared with me.....


RIP....Rod Mckuen

jimnyc
01-31-2015, 05:35 PM
Yep, the writer of one of my all time favorite songs! Here's one with the lyrics included.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPT9ZqCn5AU

Tyr-Ziu Saxnot
01-31-2015, 05:51 PM
Yep, the writer of one of my all time favorite songs! Here's one with the lyrics included.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPT9ZqCn5AU

That was my first wife's favorite song! I know because I had to listen to it played about 5,000 times!
Lyrics are great but too much is just too much. Hell, I even liked it the first few hundred times..
After that, not so much. :laugh:

Its like getting totally shitfaced drunk, its fine until the ffing vomiting and headaches begin!
Even worse when falling down and doing some kind of major damage.
I did that once on badass "downers" and PGA... I never made that dumbass mistake again. My left arm was out of service for a couple months which left me totally vulnerable to attack from the cadre of enemies I had at the time. And I do mean seriously badass mmtherffkkers that would have beat me to death.
When healed I returned to the clubs and bars ready to go but alas the usual suspects saw no advantage existed and were silent.
Then I was pissed because I went a couple months with no action. Damned if you do, damned if you don't I guess. :laugh:
Truthfully, I do believe I was more than a bit crazy during those few decades! -Tyr