Today we learned of the passing of one of the founders of the Doors, keyboardist Ray Manzarek at the age of 74.

The Doors, just like the Beatles, the Rascals, and God-knows how many other groups, were all part of the soundtrack of my youth.

I could remember being in the backseat of my friend Joey Prestino’s car speeding up the FDR with an 8 track of the “Soft Parade” playing in my ears.

It was Manzarek’s eerie keyboard that, to this day, sticks in my ear.

According to a message posted on the band's Facebook page, Manzarek died of bile duct cancer while in Rosenheim, Germany, on Monday, May 20. He was 74. Wife Dorothy Manzarek and brothers Rick and James were by his side.

An excerpt from the Facebook announcement is below:

"Manzarek is best known for his work with The Doors who formed in 1965 when Manzarek had a chance encounter on Venice Beach with poet Jim Morrison. The Doors went on to become one of the most controversial rock acts of the 1960s, selling more than 100-million albums worldwide … After Morrison's death in 1971, Manzarek went on to become a best-selling author, and a Grammy-nominated recording artist in his own right.

And it goes on and on from there.

But I wonder, outside of John Lennon, who’s passing affected probably most of us who grew up with the Beatles, or Michael Jackson, who’s passing probably had an impact on a good many Gen-X-ers, which musical icon’s passing made you stop and take note?

For my money, and this is a very disparate coupling, besides the obvious, I’d have to go with Jimmy Ellis, lead vocalist of the R and B group the Trammps a little over a year ago; and Adam Yauch, otherwise known as MCA of the Beastie Boys around this time last year.

As an aside, Yauch will be honored at a hip hop festival in Brooklyn this summer.

Late BEASTIE BOY ADAM 'MCA' YAUCH is set to be honored with a special tribute at the 2013 Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival in his native New York.

News of the tribute emerges two weeks after a park in Yauch's old Brooklyn Heights neighborhood was renamed in the star's honor.

(Personal aside: it’s probably the park I used to take my daughter to facing the downtown waterfront. Beautiful view of the harbor!)

Feel free to share some of memories of music icons who's passing have affected you the most!

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