| I just wanted to express my disgust at the "cool music critic-star" cover article ("Downloads and dead venues: The Calgary rock-crit posse dissects the year in music," Cover, December 23-29, 2004).
With all due respect to the late Lester Bangs, critics have no business riding the celebrity spotlight crest. Most current music journalism is bogus and the monkeys that contribute to it are little more than a clique of egotistical, trendy little pedantic snob-snots who spend too much time trying to be cool and clever. At least Lester was self-effacing.
But my revulsion at this was nothing compared to the anger I felt reading Brad Halasz's comments in the 2004 wrap-up list under the category "Most predictable deaths of 2004." Sorry to correct you Brad, but Johnny Ramone did not die of a heroin overdose this year. He actually succumbed to the cancer he was battling for eight-or-so years. Dee Dee Ramone died of a heroin overdose two years ago.
It's this kind of insensitivity and ignorance of the facts that give your profession a bad name. Furthermore, the brave struggle demonstrated by Johnny (not to mention his integrity and discipline), and the legacy he and his cohorts left will be remembered long after you've written your last glowing review of some overrated pussy college-rock album. You have insulted his memory and disrespected the millions of true rock ’n’ roll fans worldwide.
T. Wm. Heilman
Calgary, Alberta
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