For example, I also checked Brian Wilson's message board, and no one, so far as I can see, has started a thread there about Michael.
Hardly surprising. At a charitable guess, of the 1137 posters registered on the Bloo, I'd say maybe 25 would have heard the name, much less have more than the vaguest notion as to who he was.
That could be applied to any number of names which could be called "household names" around here, yet outside of this segment of fans and followers the names aren't known. Pick any of the behind-the-scenes people from the history of the band who are discussed every day on this board among others, and I'd bet the same ratio would apply, from friends to musicians to collaborators who have been involved in the history. And I'd say that also is the difference between a lot of the folks here who seek out the information and look for more of the story versus those who just like the music and buy the music with nothing beyond that. There is room for both, yet there is a divide.
At the same time, considering all of the information that is out there beyond message boards and fan communities and forums, and instead coming from the dozens of official books and documentaries and all that, you'd have to *not* read or not have seen even the most basic histories to be unaware of some of these people.
And my 2 cents...assuming that is the case, and there are genuinely people who are fans but who might ask "Who was Michael Vosse?", this thread was important not only to let them know who he was and how he fit in, but also convey some sense of what he did in the history of the group.
And in a thread where people who have direct family ties to the names being discussed came on and posted their thoughts and condolences, I thought it was inappropriate if not distasteful to post things which are not only untrue and can be proven so if time is taken to dig deeper into the story, but which seek to diminish a person's or group of people's legacy and reputation rather than pay tribute to someone who had passed away.
I'm tired of losing people, period, it's hit me too often in recent years and it will only get more frequent with age It's a part of life, it won't change, it happens to all of us, but it also reminds us that when each of us are gone, all that's left is our legacy and reputation, and along with that the effect we each have on those around us who will be saying our name decades after we've passed. And it's not my place or any others to act as a defender for anyone, but at the same time let's not put forth an incorrect *perception* or *opinion* of who someone was in a place where that person is being remembered and celebrated for living an accomplished life, and for the effect they had on others, even if only for a short time, or for decades.
So there is my motivation: If there are that many people asking "Who is Michael Vosse?", let's try to respect him and his legacy enough by telling those who are asking an accurate version of the story.
That doesn't seem too much to ask, for Michael Vosse or anyone for that matter.
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