A well-deserved tribute to an original
The suicide death of celebrity chef and food travel correspondent Anthony Bourdain on Friday shocked many, leading tributes to pour in from all corners of the world. Irish rockers U2 dedicated a fitting song to Bourdain at their Apollo Theater show on Monday night.
“It’s been a funny few years,” he said. “We lost a lot of very inspiring, useful people and gained a few useless people.” – Bono
Frontman Bono called the chef and writer “a great storyteller who had stories he couldn’t tell us,” and then launched into “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of”. The Grammy-winning song from their 2000 album All That You Can’t Leave Behind was written for INXS singer Michael Hutchence, who was found dead in 1997 from an apparent suicide.
I’ll be honest, this one hit me harder than Chris Cornell, Scott Weiland, or Chester Bennington. It is hard to say why that is. Maybe because, in my eyes, Anthony Bourdain was living the life that myself and just about everyone I know wanted to live. He was admired by many, saw so many places around this world, he was a writer, he ate amazing food, and he knew when to have manners and when not to. He also didn’t apologize for himself but seemed to look for ways to be better. What’s not to like about someone like that? My first thought was, “if he can’t make it, what hope do any of us have?” I still kind of feel that way.
Anytime we have to write something like this I can’t think of a reason not to give out the number for the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention. So once again, if you or someone you know is acting off, sad, depressed, or has said something that worries you, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text TALK to 741741. Look after each other. The number is important and so is the message, but a phone number can’t save it all.
