Rock Turtleneck: From the Marina to the Big House: R.I.P. Dan Fogelberg & Ike Turner

The Yacht Rock sail blows at half mast as we mourn the loss of a true titan of super-mellow, bell-bottomed seventies soft rock singer-songwriters: Dan Fogelberg, who succumbed to prostate cancer Sunday at age 56. In the late 70s, when mellow gold like Ambrosia and Firefall was the currency of AM radio, Fogelberg out-mellowed them by a mile with hits like "Longer," "Leader of the Band" and "Same Old Lang Syne." In my own experience, I have found it virtually impossible to utter the word “Fogelberg” without saying “mellow” shortly thereafter. Just try it. See, I told you couldn’t.

The post-Fogelberg era begins only days after a death at the far opposite end of the rock & roll spectrum. Ike Turner, 76, was a mean sonofabitch, but he was also a talented mofo and one of rock & roll’s true trailblazers.

In 1951, he co-wrote and played on “Rocket ’88,’” by Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats. With its distorted guitar and above all, attitude, it’s considered by many to be one of the first true rock & roll songs. It was the first big hit for Sun Records, the greatest label of all time, and paved the way for B.B. King, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and a Tupelo hillbilly named Elvis Presley.

Of course, Ike also discovered a naive, wildly talented teenager from Nutbush, TN named Anna Mae Bullock and turned her into Tina Turner. The Ike & Tina Turner revue blazed across this country and around the world through the 60s and 70s. They were one of the most electrifying live acts to ever grace a stage, despite (some might say because of) the unsavory things that may have happened offstage. He did some time in the clink in the late 80s while ex-wife Tina was simply the best. But he came back strong in his later years and his CD Risin' with the Blues won the Grammy for best blues album in 2006.

Herewith, some choice Ike and Dan YouTube moments. RIP, gentlemen.

Dan Fogelberg, "Same Old Lang Syne"