Totally normal and appropriate for any public figure that you've formed an emotional connection to, be it through music, sports, movies, television, politics, and so on. I happened to be in LA on Sunday, and while passing through downtown, I stopped by Staples Center. Thousands had already gathered there and their grief for Kobe and his daughter was unbearably heartbreaking. Why should the passing of musicians be any different? Particularly if it's out of the blue and entirely unexpected. For me, the relatively recent deaths of Cornell, Petty and (now) Peart have hit much harder than I would have thought.

For those old enough to remember, aside from the Kennedys and MLK, there have been no larger expressions of mass public grief/mourning in the USA than from the deaths of John Lennon and Elvis. I mean, there were verified reports that some fans actually committed suicide after hearing the news. So the whole mourning thing - totally acceptable.