What happened to our hero's?

Musical hero's in this case. Two artists in particular have been dropped into the dregs due to sexual assault accusations, both of whom I have looked up to for their songwriting abilities and performances for decades. Before getting to who they are, I wish to make a statement and my view of how to deal with this as a listener and a fellow artist. Because someone has been accused (key word) does not mean they are guilty. If they are found to be guilty in a court of law and not public opinion, certainly they deserve to be punished professionally and possibly lose their freedom. Being accused is not akin to guilt. I have seen morons in both online and in print publications stating how these artists should be shunned and listeners should reject their music; stop listening. Time out. Anyone can accuse - it costs nothing. Proving is a whole different ballgame. Does a song lose meaning because the artist has done something bad to another person? Not to me. Sorry if that offends, well, actually no. I'm not sorry. Deal with it.

Ryan Adams and more recently Mark Kozelek both have been accused of sexual misconduct/assault. They've both denied any wrong doing. If it can be proven, then throw them in jail if that's what's needed. I however will continue to listen. The world has changed. Rock and Roll artists of the not too distant past have done much worse and have told stories. Zeppelin & Vanilla Fudge with the roadie and the fish, Maynard from Tool, Happy Gilmore and the groupie, Manson, Korn, David Lee Roth, Motley Crue. The list goes on and on. If sexual misconduct means I can't listen to their music and I can't separate the music from the artist's personal life, it means I have the problem.

Our musical hero's aren't hero's, they're just people. Imperfect, sometimes fatally flawed people. The greats were great because their brains are wired differently. Many died young because of that wiring but left behind some incredible music. I won't begrudge Janice Joplin or Lane Staley their legacy for drug use that eventually killed them. I won't stop listening to Ryan or Kozelek due to accusations.