Two geniuses of pop music turned 70 years old this month … Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney! I still have “When I Grow up To Be A Man” and “When I’m Sixty Four” on my shuffle. It takes one aback! Hang in there, boys! Both are still out touring, looking a little better than Keith Richards in my book  (who turned 80 when he was about 35 – but still out there rockin’!).

We lost more than a handful of great ones this year, sorry to say: Whitney; Donna Summer; Adam “MCA” Yauch (Beastie Boys), another Gibb brother, Robin; Etta James, Earl “Breakdown” Scruggs; Levon Helm; Donald “Duck” Dunn, Davy Jones, Bugs Henderson. Have to mention Dick Clark and Don Cornelius too. Mercy…

But the music captures the memory and stays forever alive. That’s the magic! Here’s a toast to you all! Everyone present and accounted for in my ear buds.

— Jim Swayze