1. Dee Dee Ramone (1951-2002) - As though Joey’s death in April 2001 were not bad enough. Two of my favourite (and cutest) punk rock boys gone in just over a year. Dee Dee’s musical and songwriting genius – the fact that he produced an autobiography and a novel in the last few years of his life – and the fact that it was due to freakin’ drugs, when he had stopped for a while (Janis Joplin or what?) – did The New York Dolls teach the musical denizens of that city nothing!? A bad brain, indeed – but a heart of creativity that stopped beating too soon as well…

(2) John Entwistle (1944-2002) - The Who, I will concede, were not one of my preferred bands. However, John Entwistle was up there with Bill Wyman in terms of being the calm centre of a wild and crazy band (ok, so Charlie Watts was a Buster Keaton look-a-like, compared to Keith Moon’s Errol Flynn, but you know what I mean…), and his bass and french horn parts were always catchy and supportive (besides, I do like ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ and ‘My Generation’). However, like Mr. Wyman’s problem with the Mann Act (figuratively speaking), Mr. Entwistle had a serious vice; to wit, a fondness for snow – and it froze him dead. I suppose it got him out of another unstoppable series of final tours for his long-term band, but John Densmore might have had the better idea when he said he thought the actions of his former musical partners were a cash grab and wanted nothing to do with the Doors re-opening… And once again, drugs are to blame. Meet the new boss – same as the old boss.

(3) Mary Hansen (1966-2002) – From Stereolab, my favourite Marxist/Situationist keyboard-dominated, droning, Krautrock-influenced British band with a French-speaking chanteuse, she provided guitar and secondary vocals for that groop (as it called itself). Hit by a truck while riding her bike. If ever the need for groups like Critical Mass (a bicycle advocacy group) were demonstrated, here it is. The two types of transport should be able to co-exist and have mutual respect – is that so much to ask?

4. Joe Strummer (1952-2002) – This is getting monotonous. Can we have ONE 70’s punk rock icon live to old age and prove the fire does not have to go out at some arbitrary, low year count? The Clash managed to be a pop band AND a political band, a balance difficult to achieve without compromise on either side (OK, Cut The Crap, a piece of excrement, when Mick Jones left the band…let it be reflected that Joe knew to stop after that). The good thing is that he appears to have died of natural causes.