Ric Ocasek

Being a teenager in the 80's and growing up in Massachusetts the music of The Cars was a big part of the backdrop of my formative years. From my senior year yearbook quote "Let the good times roll" (from the above Cars song) to the memory of "Phoebe Cates has left the pool" (done to The Cars Moving in Stereo) in Fast Times at Ridgemont High the fingerprints of Ric Ocasek seemed to be everywhere in my life.

And that was OK by me because I liked The Cars. Everyone liked The Cars.

Plus the man married supermodel Paulina Porizkova! At the time that union gave hope to all us goofy teenage boys. But looking back it was Paulina Porizkova who married Rock and Roll Hall of Famer to be Ocasek.

By all accounts Ric Ocasek seems to have lived a full life. Not sure if its only in my orbit of people but the reaction to the news of his passing was a bit of a shock. He was 75-years old and passed in his sleep from heart failure (i.e natural causes). Has dying at 75 become dying too young? That seems to say a lot about the state of medicine.

Benjamin Orr who co-founded The Cars with Ocasek - now he died too young. At 53 from pancreatic cancer.

Thanks for all the great songs Mr. Ocasek. You will be missed but the music you left us will live on.