It's not quite your favourite style of music, but I think you might be able to appreciate some of his lyrics, at least. Some of his compositions have an "edge" (musically, not just lyrically) that you'd like, despite being in the wrong genre. Yes, you're really missing that much. I'll fill you in sometime over a more suitable medium (such as face-to-face conversation, ideally with a stereo system handy). As has been pointed out in some obits, he only had one Really Big Hit for everyone to recognize, and as much as I love that song, it's not his most powerful or most interesting work: "Werewolves of London". So your not having heard of him isn't necessarily an age thing.
(Though the songs I know about that other artists made famous were mostly pretty early -- before he got noticed doing his own songs -- I think. Most people know "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" and "Carmelita" from the Linda Rondstadt versions, and those would be from a period you probably missed due to age even if she was popular up there, which I have no idea about.)
If nothing else, I'm going to have to play "Lawyers, Guns, and Money" for you, and I think you would get a kick out of "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner". And there's a wicked nasty modulation between verses of "Tenderness on the Block" that I think you might appreciate as an arranger.
Re: I know you're going to be terribly disappointed in me, but...
(Though the songs I know about that other artists made famous were mostly pretty early -- before he got noticed doing his own songs -- I think. Most people know "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" and "Carmelita" from the Linda Rondstadt versions, and those would be from a period you probably missed due to age even if she was popular up there, which I have no idea about.)
If nothing else, I'm going to have to play "Lawyers, Guns, and Money" for you, and I think you would get a kick out of "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner". And there's a wicked nasty modulation between verses of "Tenderness on the Block" that I think you might appreciate as an arranger.