If you could bring back one great artist that has

It's Richard Manuel of The Band I miss the most from my lifetime, but who wouldn't want J.S. Bach walking around! By the way, if JSB were, it would be Garth Hudson he would be hanging with, not Keith Emerson.

Not knowing is OK, not willing to know and/or to care is ignorance.

Wow i didn't know that.

All nations have blood on the hands historically, but that does not make their atrocities equal.

A few examples, both Great Britain and the U.S. practiced slavery, but the plantation system and the institutionalized racism was far more brutal. The U.S. committed genocide against the native Americans, but they didn't gas and burn them as a matter of policy. Towards the end of WW2, if you were German who would you rather have surrendered to, U.S./Britain or Russian forces?

Well, Ghosthouse, 12 million Native Americans were exterminated like rats under the guise of "manifest destiny"
as the US stole their lands from coast to coast, just for starters.

There is NO major country in this world that does not have blood dripping from every pore.

USA=Russia=Germany=France=Britian ad infinitum.
We are ALL guilty ! And your LEAVE crap is the ready and sure reply of the fool.

Not Lenin....Lennon.

speaking of ignorance....

Czarivey what are you smoking?

Abrew19, unfortunately John Lennon is the last one I want to bring back if I got the chance. I believe he's got what he deserved as payback for his brutality, violence and ignorance.

I'll respond only for popular music and leave the classical to the more informed than me.

The most tragic and biggest loss is John Lennon, hands down.
But he had already made his mark before he died, and despite whatever wonderful music we missed out on because of this untimely death at age 40, his best work was surely behind him.

So from the standpoint of who we lost at the peak or upswing of their career, I'll go with Buddy Holly overall (though before I was born I'm aware of his impact). And from a musician standpoint, Duane Allman. So much brilliant music never got made...

GEORGE CARLIN deserves to come back as no one else in this world. Forget JC, he'll come back on his own LOL

Always thought Whitney Houston had a great voice.Marvin Gaye is missed as well.

Johnny Cash.

^^^ Regrettable.

John Lennon..hmmm. I was listening to an old interview with his first wife a week or so ago on NPR, and for someone who promoted love and peace, it certainly seems that he didn't practice it in his own life. Yoko was even worse.
He didn't support his ex-wife or son even though he was extremely wealthy.
I never counted him among my favorite artists, but now even less so.

John Lennon...he may have already been cited -- haven't perused the list. Missed...terribly :-(

Warren Zevon
Janis Joplin
Wolfgang Mozart

Warren Zevon.

Don Ellis...gone far too soon.

Paul Desmond. One of a kind sax player.

Oh Schubert, of course you are right him too!

When Schubert died at 31 he had composed more generally considered masterworks than either Mozart or Beethoven had at age 31.

What I would like to see was a longer life of what could have been to the one's that left us too early. All those timeless melodies and standards unwritten. To that end I would include Mozart, Chopin and Gershwin as a few good examples.

So far as rock artists are concerned I can think of no better candidate than Buddy Holly, song writer, producer, and performer that by the time of his death at 22 was really just warming up to his unlimited potential, a pretty good example of "if only".

So far as Bach is concerned how much more could he have packed in his 65 years? Father of 22, composer of upward of 500 cantatas mostly lost, accomplished organist/keyboardist and composer of some of the revered music ever written, a musician's musician at the top of the heap. Imagine what he accomplished relative to today's artists to get a sense of his greatness. Not only that but that family musical legacy continued after his death. Bach lived the fulfilled life in the truest sense. I can think of few other historical figures that accomplished so much. A keyboardist with a progressive rock group? That's funny but it might be fun too! Imagine what he might have contributed to rock, Yes's "Roundabout" for instance?

Oh yeah, I sure would have loved to hear the young Louis Armstrong sitting on the Mississippi riverbank as that horn carries over the still darkness of that mighty river, the inspiration of another one that died too young, Bix Beiderbecke. Or maybe the Duke or Count Basie "One more time"!

Miles Davis.

Sarah Vaughn.

Count Basie. Swing is the thing.

I'll go with 3: Jerry Garcia.....Jerry Garcia......and Jerry Garcia.

Stephane Grappelli. There are countless greats chosen above-and I appreciate virtually all of them- but; Stephane was a very unique genius playing an instrument that's revered for it's wide ranging emotional impact. I saw him live outside London, England, near the end; sat immediately in front of him, was lucky he made the connection, and mine was the only program he signed. The only autographed item I have. Most interesting; his stage manager was a Canadian.

Or Chairman of the Bored.

Schubert,

I did a Princeton sponsored summer field course one summer while at Rutgers. I was somewhat the sweat hog in that crowd but did OK.

Map, Should have went to Princeton.

John Lennon, because the arc of his full life was important to so many.
Buddy Holly because of what he would have created. A true genius.

As a Rutgers College Grad in particular, I can relate to the Paul Robeson nomination.

Definitely an underappreciated talent in his day.

The songs on Dylan's new album are covers of songs recorded by Frank Sinatra. So maybe he's trying to bring back the Chairman of the Board.

I hear that, Almarg.
One of the greatest artists, and human beings, the USA has ever produced.

I think that Paul Robeson would be a good choice. I suspect that he would be much more "at home," and therefore less radicalized, in today's society than in the society of his time, and politics and controversy would therefore not overshadow his immense singing (and many other) talents.

I have some of his recordings, and his voice was truly special.

Regards,
-- Al

If Bach came back, he'd probably hang with Keith Emerson.

But my main vote goes to Jeff Buckley because he died way too good, too soon.

I was very upset knowing that I won't hear Michael Brecker live again. I tried (and many more did) to bring him back when was submitting my bone marrow sample to cure his MSD when he was in Sloan Kettering

Lowell George.

HEy look, can't speak for Satan, only mapman. I'd be pleased as....well most anything but hell I suppose.

After all if TOny Bennet can work with Lady Gaga, who knows what other odd couple pairings might work? As long as they have something in common.

Schubert, if he did, I'd be willing to bet he would be one of the good guys doing it. Might even be able to have a positive influence on some in need the most.

Not sure I could see him working with Kanye West, Rolling Stones, or many others. I could see it working out with Metallica maybe. That would be interesting! Can't speak for Satan though. maybe it would worry him perhaps just a tiny bit? :^}

Satan would be pleased as hell to see one of his greatest foes come back as a rocker EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKK .