Sublime is my favorite band of all-time, and Bradley Nowell is my favorite singer. 20 years ago today, Nowell died of a drug overdose. Dying just two months before the release of Sublime's self-titled major label debut album in 1996, it's a case of another creative artist gone too soon in the world of music. The album put Sublime on the map, but he was already gone. He would never see the success that the band was destined for.
Nowell's death at a young age is reminiscent to that of Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Bob Marley, Jim Morrison, or Kurt Cobain in that his stock rose even more when he died. For some reason, there is a certain mystique about someone's music when they die. In Nowell's case, it's actually eery. He even predicted his own demise: "One day I'm going to lose the war," he sang in 1994 on the song Pool Shark. The point here isn't to glamorize his death, it's to celebrate his music.
Sublime was a little before my time. I was only 7 when their famous album dropped. For me, the band opened doors to music that I had never heard before. Bradley Nowell introduced me to reggae. To Bob Marley and The Wailers, to the Toots and the Maytals, to Peter Tosh. He introduced me to punk. To Green Day and Blink-182. He introduced me to psychedelic rock. To the Grateful Dead. To the Doors. He introduced me to ska. He changed the way I think hip hop. He opened my eyes and my ears. You name the genre, and I'll show you a Sublime song that covers it. Brad Nowell was a true innovator, and he was one-of-a-kind.
I have seen both Sublime with Rome and Badfish each on multiple occasions. While they both do a great job of keeping Bradley Nowell's spirit alive, they are cover bands and nothing more. Without Bradley Nowell, there is no Sublime. The band died with Bradley in that hotel room, but not the music, which lives on to transcend time today.
Nowell had admitted that he began using heroin to feel larger than life. While his music and subsequent death shouldn't eulogize drug use, it does characterize the danger and perils of addiction, an issue that is still front and center in our society 20 years later. Sublime's music is more relevant than ever and lives on thanks to him. Today, we pour one out and light one up for Bradley.
I have seen both Sublime with Rome and Badfish each on multiple occasions. While they both do a great job of keeping Bradley Nowell's spirit alive, they are cover bands and nothing more. Without Bradley Nowell, there is no Sublime. The band died with Bradley in that hotel room, but not the music, which lives on to transcend time today.
Nowell had admitted that he began using heroin to feel larger than life. While his music and subsequent death shouldn't eulogize drug use, it does characterize the danger and perils of addiction, an issue that is still front and center in our society 20 years later. Sublime's music is more relevant than ever and lives on thanks to him. Today, we pour one out and light one up for Bradley.
