NickEaton.net

Just the other day, I was driving around listening to George Carlin on my iPod, and I thought, “Man, it will suck the day he dies.”

It sucks.

Carlin, 71, died yesterday of heart failure. The counterculture comedian was a hero of many generations, from the Boomers to X to Y to the Millennials. He got my friends and me through our “angry” private high school years, and I have all his books. I have mentioned before that I have been known to listen to his books on tape (disc? mp3?) while going to sleep. As raspy and invasive as his voice can be, it’s surprisingly soothing. A real radio voice (which is how he got his start).

When I was in Denver, I saw a promo for an upcoming performance by Carlin there. I’ve always wanted to see him in person. I think he came to Seattle a few times when I lived there. I’d be surprised if he ever came to Spokane. But now it’s disappointing to know I’ll never see him in concert. The closest I’ll ever come, now, is his famous HBO specials.

I guess he swallowed too much of his own saliva.

RIP, George.