Songs that pay homage to deceased artists, no covers

[pinball1970]

Gram Parsons, Emmy Lou still going

 

[Hornbein]

"Janis." One more from the Country Joe and the Fish second album in '67.

From https://www.songfacts.com/facts/country-joe-the-fish/janis is this:

Joe McDonald wrote this song for Janis Joplin when they were living together in 1967. According to Joe, she was upset with him for breaking up with her to be with Robin Menken, whom he subsequently married, but asked him to write a song for her, and this was the song.

Here it is from the studio album of '67 (which I like best) and a '73 MacDonald poignant, acoustic version. She died in '70.

The second album I ever bought. I'd completely forgotten about this tune. I like the way he uses out-of-tuneness in his singing. It makes it more touching.

Later in his career he felt trapped in a contract. "I thought I would never get free." So he produced very bored sounding albums. He wouldn't even smile for the camera.

 

[difalcojr]

Interesting. Here's photo of of Robin Menken from a 1970 album without the Fish. From wiki:

McDonald was married to Kathe Werum from 1963 to 1966. On 31 March 1968, McDonald married Robin Menken, a year after his divorce from Werum. In 1968, Menken gave birth to the couple's first daughter, Seven Anne McDonald, in San Francisco. McDonald has four other children, Devin (b. 1976) and Tara (b. 1980) from his marriage to Janice Taylor, and Emily (b. 1988) and Ryan (b. 1991) from his marriage to Kathy Wright

Still not smiling. Had a good voice. He was best with the Fish, I thought. If someone asked you to name one psychedelic (acid rock) album of that era, one of their first 2 albums would surely come up. Also, in addition to "Janis" tribute, the 2nd album had maybe the most effective anti-war song of all time, following the fine tune of "Muskrat Ramble."

 

[Hornbein]

It was 40 years later I realized it was Muskrat Ramble.