Does the conduct of a musician / singer put you off listening to their music?

[Iwanttoliveinagardencentre]

The other day I was listening to a compilation on apple music and a Michael Jackson song started playing.

I love his music, there is no denying his talent.

I do believe he abused children (and the point of this thread is not whether he did or didn’t) however I hadn’t expected the visceral reaction I had to hearing a song I had previously loved. I had to turn it off because all I could see was those little boys.

There are others who have been found guilty of abuse - R Kelly for example.
I had never liked his music anyway but wonder if those who did have found themselves equally unable to listen to it anymore.

Yes. Used to be a huge MJ fan. Can't listen to him anymore. His music is tainted to me now. I've noticed he's hardly played on the radio nowadays.

Yes.

I can't listen to anything by MJ anymore. Same with Marilyn Manson.

Yes it does put me off- not always - depends on the power of the music , and I often think the very creative often have very difficult lives - in the case of MJ his childhood would surely be classed as abusive , but I do still struggle with his music

Even more simply / on stage those who interact with their band appeal much more than those who don’t

I guess so - can’t bare to listen to MJ now and used to really enjoy a lot of his old stuff.
Similarly loved Lily Allen’s early music but think she’s a twat now and have no interest in her new release.

I can’t listen to his music anymore either, for the same reason.

Someone at work threw all their Gary Glitter records out, on hearing about him.

For me it does come down to will they financially benefit from me listening to the music. So if the person is still alive ands getting royalties then no I won’t listen to it.

If the person is long dead (some classical composers were not nice people!) then it don’t bother me. I can listen to the music without concern.

Recently dead is a bit harder ethically for me. They aren’t profiting but it still feels like you are supporting them in someways. So I wouldn’t skip a song in a playlist but probably wouldn’t deliberately pick it.

Other way round - I watched a film about Bruce Springsteen who I think is a nice bloke. I’m thinking I should listen to more of his music. And he hates Trump too.

Agree. I was never a huge MJ fan but would sing along. Now, if a song of his comes on, I switch the radio off.

To a degree. I have a few of Marilyn Mansons songs, largely his covers, they’re in my running and exercise playlists. I still listen to them but I wouldn’t buy any thing else from him.

I’ve never been an MJ fan but there’s one song that a friend and I would hear and we’d always jump up on to tables in clubs, to dance to. I can separate that song from him, my memories with my friend (sadly now gone) are stronger than what I know he has done.

I'm torn regarding Gary Glitter. He is a colossal pervert and git yet he made some classic records in the early seventies. There is no justification for his conduct yet his music was so good. So difficult. I'm less affected by the Michael Jackson scenario as his guilt was never proven and I wasn't that much of a fan anyway. Not denying his dazzling success, obviously.

I loved the Lost Prophets but have now deleted all their stuff from my playlists and chucked the band t-shirt away.

My cousin and I always sang and performed The Court of King Caractacus as kids and when we had kids, we taught them and would always perform it at family parties.
Still do, despite learning it and associating it with Rolf Harris. Suppose it does feel a bit weird

My son loves MJ so it plays a lot in our house. I completely believe those men but I don’t want to get into that conversation with my son who has autism. I am glad he is dead.

My eyebrows probably reached my hairline when my daughter's class sang 'Heal the World' at the end of their class assembly recently. I wouldn't have picked MJ at all any more.

Blimey!
Is the teacher too young to know the history?

No!

I was at the Arsenal stadium yesterday. They played Black or White by Michael Jackson and showed lots of pictures of little kids on the big screen. Felt very inappropriate.

Maybe a die hard fan then. But shouldn’t be involving children who don’t know the situation.

The Smiths were ruined for me when Morrissey turned out to be an arsehole 😔

In what way? I haven’t heard this

Yes it does. I used to be a huge Billy Bragg fan. I can't listen to him now as he's such a misogynistic idiot. He really really hates women for some reason.

Christ yes. What a dickhead

I love Morrissey. What do you mean? Please give examples.

Me too.

I saw MJ live in the 80s he was phenomenal. I don't play his music and you rarely hear it now.

He was pretty messed up. Mind you I wouldn't have let my dss stay with a grown man. All of it is weird as fuck.