“A writer, when he's asked to discuss his craft, ought to get up and call out in a loud voice just the names of the writers he loves… I won't name any living writers. I don't think it's right.” J.D. Salinger.

It was intriguing when I read that quote. Aside from Turlough O'Carolan, my Celtic music icons are almost all alive. I would be hard-pressed to create a list of dead Celtic music idols. Outside of Celtic music, the list grows a bit, but it is still 20th century.

I guess I find it notable, because the reputation of musicians outside of the classical genre seems highly limited. The advent of recorded music changed that in the 20th century.

Maybe I'm just drawing a blank on popular musical heroes of the past. I guess it's just interesting to think about the impact of recorded music on our society.