The Funniest People in Music, Volume 3: 250 Anecdotes

Some samples: 1) Rock goddesses have kids, too. Pat Benatar was a major 1980s rock star and continues to play today. Her songs such as “Heartbreaker” are on Guitar Hero, and lots of children—and adults—rock out to them, including her two daughters, Haley and Hana. Of course, kids can ask embarrassing questions, and Haley and Hana sometimes ask their mom this question about the Spandex pants she used to wear on stage: “How did you get into those pants?” 2) What if you were in a plane, a storm arose, and you realized that your life could possibly end in a few minutes? What would you think? What would you say? What would you regret not having done? Andre Previn was in a plane with the conductor Sir John Barbirolli when this situation happened. Sir John, dismayed, said, “Oh it’s too awful! I haven’t even done all the Bruckners!” Fortunately, the plane landed safely. 3) The goal is perfection, but seeking perfection is more important than achieving perfection. Indian tabla master Zakir Hussain learned this important lesson from jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd. Following a concert, one of Mr. Lloyd’s friends told him, “Charles, that was amazing—that was perfect!” Mr. Lloyd replied, “Man, I haven’t played good enough to quit yet!” Ms. Hussain identifies what he learned from this short conversation: “If I think I play well enough now, I might as well hang up my boots. It’s not about the goal; it’s about the journey. This is a learning experience all through your life.”