The three contemporary icons I have chosen to write on are Freddie Mercury of Queen, Andy Warhol, and Pete Townshend of the Who. These three individuals are all artists. Freddie Mercury and Pete Townshend fall under the category of rock musicians, while Andy Warhol was a pop artist. All three have made their marks in history, and are popular icons of our culture today.
Freddie Mercury was the front-man for the rock band, Queen, during the mid-1970’s until his death in 1991. He was extremely charismatic and flamboyant, and one of the most innovative and talented singers during this era of rock. (Freddie Mercury Biography, 2008). Mercury had a voice that could span four octaves. (Freddie Mercury Biography, 2008). He shared that talent during one of Queen’s most famous hits, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” a rock operetta lasting seven minutes. (Freddie Mercury Biography, 2008). This song, featured in the movie Wayne’s World, helped escalate Freddie Mercury to pop icon status. Although the band has numerous top hits, it’s Freddie Mercury’s skilled showmanship, his entertainment style, and his ability to connect with the fans that made him one of the top singer/songwriters of the Twentieth Century.
Pete Townshend, a guitarist for The Who, is probably best known for his trademark windmill strumming, and outrageous violent stage acts of smashing guitars during the band’s performances. (Kemp, 2010 ). Townshend was the driving force behind the 1960’s British rock band sensation, The Who. (Peter Townshend, 2010). Known for his outstanding composing abilities, he has written many of the band’s top hits, including the 1970’s hit “Pinball Wizard” for the rock opera Tommy. (Kemp, 2010). But it is his gigantic windmill strums and guitar smashing antics that awarded Pete Townsend his iconic status.
Andy Warhol had the ability to combine art, wealth and fame, producing pop art like no other artist had done. (Summary of the Life of Andy Warhol, n.d.). He produced some of his most famous works of art during the 1960’s. Some of these pieces included the famed Campbell’s Soup Cans, Coke bottles, and several pop icon portraits, such as the portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Jackie Kennedy, and Mickey Mouse. (Wrbican & Huxley, 2009, p. 57-58). The eccentric Andy Warhol embraced popular culture. His artwork is as iconic as his person.
I chose these three icons for their representation of artistic genius. Each has made a great contribution to the world of art, whether it is in music, songwriting, singing, entertaining, painting, or communicating. These three people not only have the ability to entertain, but they exude a high level of intelligence in understanding how to reach the public through their art form.
For me, these icons represent a time in my life of being carefree and having fun. I grew up during the late 1960’s and 1970’s. I listened and danced to Freddie Mercury and Queen. I hung out at the lake with Pete Townshend and The Who playing on the car stereo. My girlfriends and I watched the movie version of the rock opera, Tommy, on the big screen at the Gage Center Theaters. And, more recently, I visited the Andy Warhol exhibit at the Wexler Center on The Ohio State University campus. These three “guy-cons” stuck out to me because of their creative genius, along their ability to take me back to a time when I thought life was easy, and I didn’t have so much responsibility.
REFERENCES
The Biography Channel. (2008). Freddie Mercury Biography. Retrieved March 1, 2009, from http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=9382540.
Kemp, Mark. (2010, March 28). Pete Townshend, Biography. Retrieved July 7, 2010, from http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/pete-townshend/news/artists/8865/65134/153018.
Answers Corporation. (2010). Pete Townshend. Retrieved July 7, 2010, from http://www.answers.com/topic/pete-townshend.
Summary of the Life of Andy Warhol. (n.d.). Retrieved July 7, 2010 from http://www.artquotes.net/masters/warhol-biography.htm.
Wrbican, M. & Huxley, G. (2009). Andy Warhol Treasures. London: Carlton Books, Ltd.
Freddie Mercury was the front-man for the rock band, Queen, during the mid-1970’s until his death in 1991. He was extremely charismatic and flamboyant, and one of the most innovative and talented singers during this era of rock. (Freddie Mercury Biography, 2008). Mercury had a voice that could span four octaves. (Freddie Mercury Biography, 2008). He shared that talent during one of Queen’s most famous hits, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” a rock operetta lasting seven minutes. (Freddie Mercury Biography, 2008). This song, featured in the movie Wayne’s World, helped escalate Freddie Mercury to pop icon status. Although the band has numerous top hits, it’s Freddie Mercury’s skilled showmanship, his entertainment style, and his ability to connect with the fans that made him one of the top singer/songwriters of the Twentieth Century.
Pete Townshend, a guitarist for The Who, is probably best known for his trademark windmill strumming, and outrageous violent stage acts of smashing guitars during the band’s performances. (Kemp, 2010 ). Townshend was the driving force behind the 1960’s British rock band sensation, The Who. (Peter Townshend, 2010). Known for his outstanding composing abilities, he has written many of the band’s top hits, including the 1970’s hit “Pinball Wizard” for the rock opera Tommy. (Kemp, 2010). But it is his gigantic windmill strums and guitar smashing antics that awarded Pete Townsend his iconic status.
Andy Warhol had the ability to combine art, wealth and fame, producing pop art like no other artist had done. (Summary of the Life of Andy Warhol, n.d.). He produced some of his most famous works of art during the 1960’s. Some of these pieces included the famed Campbell’s Soup Cans, Coke bottles, and several pop icon portraits, such as the portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Jackie Kennedy, and Mickey Mouse. (Wrbican & Huxley, 2009, p. 57-58). The eccentric Andy Warhol embraced popular culture. His artwork is as iconic as his person.
I chose these three icons for their representation of artistic genius. Each has made a great contribution to the world of art, whether it is in music, songwriting, singing, entertaining, painting, or communicating. These three people not only have the ability to entertain, but they exude a high level of intelligence in understanding how to reach the public through their art form.
For me, these icons represent a time in my life of being carefree and having fun. I grew up during the late 1960’s and 1970’s. I listened and danced to Freddie Mercury and Queen. I hung out at the lake with Pete Townshend and The Who playing on the car stereo. My girlfriends and I watched the movie version of the rock opera, Tommy, on the big screen at the Gage Center Theaters. And, more recently, I visited the Andy Warhol exhibit at the Wexler Center on The Ohio State University campus. These three “guy-cons” stuck out to me because of their creative genius, along their ability to take me back to a time when I thought life was easy, and I didn’t have so much responsibility.
REFERENCES
The Biography Channel. (2008). Freddie Mercury Biography. Retrieved March 1, 2009, from http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=9382540.
Kemp, Mark. (2010, March 28). Pete Townshend, Biography. Retrieved July 7, 2010, from http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/pete-townshend/news/artists/8865/65134/153018.
Answers Corporation. (2010). Pete Townshend. Retrieved July 7, 2010, from http://www.answers.com/topic/pete-townshend.
Summary of the Life of Andy Warhol. (n.d.). Retrieved July 7, 2010 from http://www.artquotes.net/masters/warhol-biography.htm.
Wrbican, M. & Huxley, G. (2009). Andy Warhol Treasures. London: Carlton Books, Ltd.
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