So, wow.

I’m not going to link a news story here.   

Why would I?  It would be like posting a news story that says “Oxygen proved important to breathing” or “feet needed for walking.”  You know what happened – at the least the main headline of it all.

Needless to say, this is a bummer.  It is a bummer when an icon dies.  It is a bummer when a young father dies.  This is sad, sad news.

But as sad as it is, I don’t have a short memory.  It is the curse, I think, of being the age I am.  I remember the rise, the weirdness, the allegations, the fall.  I remember all of it.

This is a man who created great music.  And this is a man who did sketchy things with underage boys.  I can’t separate my sadness for his passing with my feelings that he never, truly, paid for some of the things he did.

Let me be clear – I do not cheer this on any level.  I am as shocked as anyone else.  It is sad, sad news.  

But with all the tributes to his talent, it needs to be remembered – there was something… not well with this guy, and if that quirk of his personality was damaging children for any reason, all the talent in the world cannot outweigh that.

So, I hope wherever he is, he’s at peace.  I wish his family peace.  His kids peace.

But I also can’t stop but think – this is also the Jesus Juice guy.  The Bubbles guy.  The degenerative plastic surgery guy.  The sleepover with kids guy.  This is a guy who more than likely did some questionable (at best) things to some of the weakest members of society.

I mourn the loss of an iconic talent – the “Elvis of Gen X” as someone put it.  

But it’s tinged with reality.  He did not pass a martyr to me, he passed a flawed, flawed man.

And parts of him will truly be missed.  I will try to remember those.