It is not at all surprising that there are so many songs about famous
people. From the earliest days of civilization, people have looked for
ways to pay tribute to people in their lives, particularly to those who
are considered cultural heroes. Artists capture their images in paint or
clay, and for musicians and song writers, the best possible way for
them to show how deeply they care about the contributions that a person
has made to the world, or even just to them personally, is to use the
art form that they are most familiar with.
- American Pie – Don McLean
This song pays tribute to several well-respected rock and roll
celebrities who were killed in a tragic airplane crash on February 3,
1959. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper were all killed in
the crash. Their deaths were considered such a loss to the music world
that the date became known as “the day the music died”.
- Candle in the Wind – Elton John
Candle in the Wind was a song that was originally written in tribute to
Marilyn Monroe, the iconic American movie star. The song originally used
the words, “Goodbye Norma Jean”, which the singer later changed to
“Goodbye England’s Rose” in tribute to Princess Diana after her death in
an automobile accident.
- All Those Years Ago – George Harrison
George Harrison was a member of the iconic rock and roll band The
Beatles. Although the group had broken up several years earlier, when
John Lennon was murdered in New York City he wrote this tribute song in
remembrance of the joy of their friendship and their work together.
- Abraham, Martin and John – Dion
Rather than being written about a single person, this song was written
in tribute to four giants of social justice and progress, Abraham
Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy,
all of whom were killed by assassins.
- Happy Birthday – Stevie Wonder
Actually written as a protest song, Stevie Wonder penned the words to
Happy Birthday as a reaction to the rejection by political leaders of a
national holiday honoring the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
the national civil rights leader.
Certainly one of the most unusual songs written for a famous person,
King Tut was a comedy song written and sung by the comedian Steve
Martin. Though some of the song’s lyrics are quite silly, the song was
extremely popular and served to familiarize young people about some of
the history of the ancient Egyptian ruler.
Steve Biko was an anti-apartheid activist in South Africa in the 1970s.
He was arrested after having taken part in a variety of anti-apartheid
activities, and after his arrest he was beaten severely and taken to
prison, where he died. The song is a tribute to him, and was featured in
the movie Cry Freedom, which was about the activist’s death.
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