What a tragedy!

A brilliant man. He shall be missed greatly...

"You gotta live in the world, go diggin'the new..."

-a

rest in peace Joe...

Oh well, enough said...

I am very sad by the loss of Mr. Strummer. He was a great musical and political voice for many generations and set the standard for many who still name The Clash as inspiration. He will be greatly missed.

A wee and s-s-s-spunky J. Razor discovers PUNK, upon purchasing "Never Mind The Bollocks" and the single "Complete Control" - leaving the arm up on the turn-table's spindle...looks like being 17 won't be so bad after all! 1978: viddy the Sex Pistols (Winterland...their swansong); and The Clash are in San Francisco...preparing for "Give 'Em Enough Rope" 1979: The Clash play S.F. for first time...drinkies and ciggies with Mick and Joe at our local PUNK dive, which Razor refers to as the Shab Mab... Mick and Joe, riding on a late night S.F. bus - using our city's transport! 1980: More Clash gigs, now larger venues...1985-86: At The Rite Spot, 1 of Razor's watering holes...after all these years, Yours Truly is now actually introduced to Mr. Strummer! 1989: Skip to London, Portobello Road, Reggae Festival - Joe hanging out, blending into the crowd...Razor "twigs" him despite dark shades!

Joe, thanks for all the memories!

All over the news spread fast
They're dirty, they're filthy
They ain't gonna last!

This is Joe Public speaking
I'm controlled in the body, controlled in the mind

"Complete Control"
The Clash

To a great and talented man, I guess the should I stay or should I go teaser has been answered in the worst possible way,
The Clash and The Smiths....two of the finest bands ever!
Rest In Punk!
Kes!

He will sorely be missed. My deepest condolences to the friends and family involved.

This still is very hard to take in. A true talent, a true voice, a true man , true till the end! My thoughts are with his family and the legion a people he has inspired over the last 25 years. Rest in peace Joe.

A damn shame. The world is a poorer place today.

RIP Joe.

I posted this item to the board back in '98 under my real name (*gasp*) thought it was worth a re-post. BTW, I love the Clash, about the only other band that rivals my passion for the Smiths.

Moz mention in Clash bio

Thanks to Al Young for the following item:
Little interesting thing that I found, that connects two of my favorite bands together...

In Marcus Gray’s Clash bio, "Last Gang in Town", there is a brief Moz mention.

Around 1975, Mick Jones and future Clash Manager Bernie Rhodes had a band called the London SS which ran several ads in the Melody Maker looking for musicans into the Stooges, Mott, the MC5 and the New York punk scene. The London SS eventually included or auditioned several of the key players of what became the London punk scene (including future members of the Damned and Generation X);

As Moz fans may guess, knowing his pre-Smiths history, and Gray reports:

"...A rabid Dolls and Mott fan and would-be singer called Steven Morrissey contacted Mick and started a brief correspondence, but as he was based in Manchester, it was not possible for him to contribute in a more practical way."

The London SS eventually evolved into the Clash, and recruited a singer named Joe Strummer, but it would’ve been different, wouldn’t it?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was lucky enough to see and meet The Clash in Tucson in 1983 and it was an experience I will never forget. After an amazing show, I was invited to drink Becks beer and eat Chinese food with them. Joe was such a nice person that night. As I was getting his autograph, he winked at me and said " Here you go, mate" as he handed the autograph back to me. He was a genuinely kind and sincere person who really cared for his fans.
So long friend, you will be missed!
STAY FREE

Terrible, terrible, terrible, news, but I know he's in a better place. He will be missed, but he'll never be forgotten.

We love you, Joe. RIP

completely shocking. obviously i've been living in a news-proof plastic sheath.

the clash was the first "real" band i started listening to.

this sucks. 50 is way too young, even if you live with gusto.

a very great man. When I heard about this...I just cannot type the feeling...only a half hour ago and I'm still crying...
Before you go to sleep tonight, listen to a Clash or Mescaleros album, and I think you might agree with me...

-Ivan? 11:30pm

I remember seeing The Clash playing live in Athens in 1985.One of my greatest memories ever
Danton

A great man, poet, rebel and musician died so early...
I feel so sad for those who love him, especially for my husband still listening to his huge Clash and Mescaleros collection for hours, wearing an hand-made T-Shirt saying how much he will miss him...
Thanks for all Joe, RIP

You'll be missed, Joe

Why him ?

Why not Ricky Martin, Britney Spears, Céline Dion, Robbie Williams, Cristina Aguilera, Victoria Beckham, Phil Collins, Elton John, Paul Mc Cartney or anyone who's been choking in their own caviar ?

It's unfair.

Why did he die , it shouldnt be like this....heroes are meant to live forever...I was lucky enough to see him and Mick Jones play a few weeks ago in Acton , if only I knew what was to come next.....

The clash were a fucking awesome band! Theyre songs were totally cool. But the song that touched me and affected me most was Rock The Caspah. im Muslim n ever since the establishment of Isreal thee has been feuds betwwen Jews and muslims.The video showed that we can all get along n go party n shit. Before September 11 my brothers name was Sharif,"Sharif dont like it" but we had to change it cuz we were getting lots of shit. God bless his soul.

Joe was one of the finest English artists of all times and a major inspiration to me (both musically and aesthetically). His contribution to modern music will remain intact for years to come and I shall undoubtedly miss his poetry and energy. As Billy Bragg precisely said:

The Clash were the greatest rebel rock band of all time. Their commitment to making political pop culture was the defining mark of the British punk movement.

They were also a self-mythologising, style-obsessed mass of contradictions.

That's why they were called The Clash.

While Paul Simonon flashed his glorious cheekbones and Mick Jones threw guitar hero shapes, no-one struggled more manfully with the gap between the myth and the reality of being a spokesman for your generation than Joe Strummer.

All musicians start out with ideals but hanging on to them in the face of media scrutiny takes real integrity.

Tougher still is to live up to the ideals of your dedicated fans.

Joe opened the back door of the theatre and let us in, he sneaked us back to the hotel for a beer, he too believed in the righteous power of rock'n'roll.

And if he didn't change the world he changed our perception of it. He crossed the dynamicism of punk with Johnny Too Bad and started that punky-reggae party.

Radical band

He drew us, thousands strong, onto the streets of London in support of Rock Against Racism.

He sent us into the the garage to crank up our electric guitars. He made me cut my hair.

The ideals that still motivate me as an artist come not from punk, not even from the Clash, but from Joe Strummer.

------------------

Without him Clash would´ve never showed its political side and without the Clash, the whole punk movement would have been much softer.

London still calls us...in the faraway towns...God save Joe!!! The clash can still be heard.

A devoted fan

i pulled out "Combat Rock" and listened to "straight to hell", and cried and cried.

he seemed like such i nice and genuine person.....

i pay tribute with a quote i heard joe speak about another unsung hero, Little Richard:

"I imagine Little Richard washing dishes... in a bus station in Macon, GA...and he knows he's gonna make it...out of that bus station and into the history books....i think that's great. he is great. his records sound great, they always will"

-Joe Strummer, 1952-2002 R.I.P.

After hearing about it on this site, I started freaking out pretty much. Then I was thinking how awful it is, jsut a few days before Christmas. That night, my Clash poster fell off the wall, shocking me awake. Coincidence? We think not.

Your lack of basic knowledge is best kept private.

Er. I think that people here do know who Joe Strummer was.