Artists and athletes have a profound way of touching people's lives that is really unlike anything else in the human experience. As trivial as their contributions to the world may be in the grand scheme of things, the thrill that comes from watching a master of their respective craft or how through the sheer power of their words or sharing their emotions can directly relate to something someone experienced in their own life establishes a connection that is as uniquely impactful and deeply felt as any other important relationship in life. In 2020, we lost a lot of these people that brought joy and comfort to the masses. Losing these beloved public icons just added an extra layer of shit to a year that was defined by tragedy, mass loss of life and unprecedented emotional and economic suffering. As I wrap up my 2020 year-end entertainment retrospectives, I felt it was appropriate to briefly honor the legacies of a handful of pop culture figures that passed away in 2020 that meant a lot to me.
Kobe Bryant (died: January 26th)
It pains me to admit this as a Celtics fan, but Kobe Bryant was the first player to spark my interest in basketball. It seemed like every time you'd turn on Sportscenter during the NBA season in the late 90's/early 2000's, you'd see him effortlessly dropping 40 points with a string of absolutely ridiculous shots or beating up on opponents in the playoffs alongside Shaq to help establish the next chapter of the Lakers dynasty. As I grew older, I only grew to appreciate him more. He's the only player I've ever seen drag a team to a title by exclusively being a scoring juggernaut and had an intellect and work ethic that was greater than any of his peers. Even when injuries robbed him of his ability to take over games at will and subsequently the Lakers ability to be perennial title contenders during the final act of his career, his willingness to challenge his teammates to be great and freely discuss how much he hated losing through sarcastic deadpan humor in press conferences just added more notches to his deep resume. Basketball hasn't been and will never the same without him, but the tenacity and confidence he played with every time hit the floor will continue to inspire players across the world for generations to come.
Fred Willard (died: May 15th):
Guarantees are few and far between in life, but among that elite company is Fred Willard getting laughs every time he appeared on screen. His jovial demeanor and unbelievable willingness to commit to any absurd gag that was thrown his way made him a consistent scene-stealer in everything from Christopher Guest movies to Netflix's demented sketch comedy show I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson. Even on the rare occasion he'd agree to appear in something awful (Epic Movie, Date Movie), he'd make things better just by being there for a couple scenes. He was a timeless comedic weapon with a devastatingly high kill rate and his reliable presence in dumb comedies or even throwaway monologue sketches on Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be sorely missed.
Eddie Van Halen (died: October 6th):
Any "Greatest Guitarist of All Time" conversation will likely be headlined by names such as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn. For me, the answer to that hotly debated question is Eddie Van Halen. Van Halen wasn't just a technical wizard capable of melting frets on both electric and acoustic guitars, he played the instrument with a level of maximalist flare that hadn't been seen before. Everything from the riffs to the solos to the bravado that he carried himself was larger than life and that embrace of all things excess conjured up this level of spellbinding magic every single time he played that was just exhilarating to behold. I wouldn't be the indulgent guitar fiend that I am today without hearing Van Halen's playing so much growing up and I'd like to thank him for cementing a love of over-the-top guitarwork that has already brought me enough joy to fill several lifetimes.
MF Doom (died: October 31st):
With an abstract style and genuine mystique that was manifested through his supervillain alter ego, MF Doom changed the rules of what hip hop could be. Dropping bizarre rhyme schemes over off-kilter production that's loaded with grainy samples from old movies gave Doom an unapologetic weirdness that allowed him to entertain and enlighten in equal measure. Even though his post-Born Like This projects didn't grip me the same way that his early material did, Doom was the all too rare example of a rapper that successfully challenged the boundaries of the genre and carved out a sound that was truly one of a kind.
Alexi Laiho (died: late December):
It's surreal that Eddie Van Halen and Alexi Laiho died a couple months apart because Laiho was a direct descendant from the Van Halen. Laiho was the flamboyant ringleader of a sinister circus known as Children of Bodom who brought theatrical cheese to the world of extreme metal. He wrote every solo like he was going to have a spotlight shined over his head while playing it in front of a sold out crowd and belted out every anthem about the Grim Reaper, Satan or death by supernatural entity with as much as gusto as a scream can possibly emote. In a genre that can take itself too seriously at times, Laiho was always having fun and that spark plug energy along with his immense talent as a frontman/guitarist allowed him to amass one of the most impressive discographies in the history of metal.
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