This is terrible news, just in from Nancy Nall: Warren Zevon has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. We met Warren at the LA Blogger Bash at Brain Linse's house in July. Both Dawn and I thought he was pretty surly and uncommunicative. I guess he had more important things on his mind than entertaining us with sparkling repartee. I wrote this right after the party:Legendary rocker Warren Zevon and equally legendary video producer Nigel Dick were there as well, dislocating my brain to other times and other parties and the dissonance was too much for me to handle. After I mumbled something about "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" being my theme song and modus operandi for about 15 years, I wandered off to resume my bloggy socializing. Warren was like a ghost from a scary past of tinselly debauchery, a past of style before substance, of coolness over sincerity, surface over depth. I am a huge fan of Warren's but the records mean much more to me now than the person behind them: it's the records I have the personal relationship with, not the person who happened to have recorded them.
That was quite self-absorbed of me.…
Article comments
26 - Betty Brevig
To Warren...your songs have given me many years of pure enjoyment & delight. Your music and spirit will live on in my heart always. I wish you an eternity of peace, music and love...& I hope that you know how much you are respected. I saw you perform only once (live in Virginia Beach)and it was nothing less than remarkable. You will be missed in more ways than you will ever know. My heart aches for you & your family. You're the BEST...the world is a much cooler place because you've been in it. All my love to you & yours.
27 - Betty Brevig
To Warren...your songs have given me many years of pure enjoyment & delight. Your music and spirit will live on in my heart always. I wish you an eternity of peace, music and love...& I hope that you know how much you are respected. I saw you perform only once (live in Virginia Beach)and it was nothing less than remarkable. You will be missed in more ways than you will ever know. My heart aches for you & your family. You're the BEST...the world is a much cooler place because you've been in it. All my love to you & yours.
28 - Betty Brevig
To Warren...your songs have given me many years of pure enjoyment & delight. Your music and spirit will live on in my heart always. I wish you an eternity of peace, music and love...& I hope that you know how much you are respected. I saw you perform only once (live in Virginia Beach)and it was nothing less than remarkable. You will be missed in more ways than you will ever know. My heart aches for you & your family. You're the BEST...the world is a much cooler place because you've been in it. All my love to you & yours.
29 - Betty Brevig
To Warren...your songs have given me many years of pure enjoyment & delight. Your music and spirit will live on in my heart always. I wish you an eternity of peace, music and love...& I hope that you know how much you are respected. I saw you perform only once (live in Virginia Beach)and it was nothing less than remarkable. You will be missed in more ways than you will ever know. My heart aches for you & your family. You're the BEST...the world is a much cooler place because you've been in it. All my love to you & yours.
30 - Betty Brevig
To Warren...your songs have given me many years of pure enjoyment & delight. Your music and spirit will live on in my heart always. I wish you an eternity of peace, music and love...& I hope that you know how much you are respected. I saw you perform only once (live in Virginia Beach)and it was nothing less than remarkable. You will be missed in more ways than you will ever know. My heart aches for you & your family. You're the BEST...the world is a much cooler place because you've been in it. All my love to you & yours.
31 - Betty Brevig
To Warren...your songs have given me many years of pure enjoyment & delight. Your music and spirit will live on in my heart always. I wish you an eternity of peace, music and love...& I hope that you know how much you are respected. I saw you perform only once (live in Virginia Beach) and it was nothing less than remarkable. You will be missed in more ways than you will ever know. My heart aches for you & your family. You're the BEST...the world is a much cooler place because you've been in it. All my love to you & yours.
32 - Betty Brevig
To Warren...your songs have given me many years of pure enjoyment & delight. Your music and spirit will live on in my heart always. I wish you an eternity of peace, music and love...& I hope that you know how much you are respected. I saw you perform only once (live in Virginia Beach) and it was nothing less than remarkable. You will be missed in more ways than you will ever know. My heart aches for you & your family. You're the BEST...the world is a much cooler place because you've been in it. All my love to you & yours.
33 - Greg
Can anyone tell me if Warren is still alive? I was told that he is not but I don't know. Thank you
Greg
34 - Phillip Winn
Indeed, Greg, and now a double-grandfather to boot.
35 - Peter Fumberger
Am very saddened to hear the news of Warren's illness. Have been a great fan since 1979, when a friend on HMAS Melbourne put me on to WZ when we were in Hawaii for the RIMPAC exercises. Had the pleasure of seeing him live in Sydney about 10 years ago, in a pub, and being right at the front brought it all home just how wonderful an artist he is. He even allowed me to take several photos as he finished for the night, and I also have a signed copy of 'Warren Zevon', plus a few of the picks he discarded. I love his music & lyrics, especially the soaring guitar work on classics like 'Play it all night long'.
I wish WZ all the best in the next few months, and hope that his quality of life remains as it is today. Having lost my mother to cancer only 6 weeks ago, I know how difficult a time it may be for him. All the best and thank you for bringing me, and countless others, many many hours of pleasure. You are rightly a legend.
36 - monita
I've always been a fan. Every year that Warren Z performed at "Sugarloaf", I'd intend to be there. Someting always came up...I'm so sorry I never made the time.
We watched the VH-1 special the other night...very touching. My husband has mesothelioma.
Very, very sad!
37 - Eric Olsen
Thanks Peter and Monita - it's great to hear from fans. And the very best to your husband as well, Monita.
38 - Lana
But he's not dead...and won't ever attain that hallowed status...he made the mistake of writing musical lyrics like no one else.Damn you,you magnificent bastard...I'm not the only one who will listen to you as long as I live. And trust me,I will continue to spread/share (pick your adjective) your music amongst all I know...music that bites and stings simultaneously.
39 - Steve
Warren has the kind of "precious mettle" that shines brighter and longer than gold or platinum. He shows how love and humor casts out fear. This guy is immortal.
40 - Ben
No Songs matter since i;ve been singing your lyrics in my head 24-7 for over a year now ....Your'e a class act, my friend, I'll see you on the other side..
41 - Lynn
I'm so glad I grew up in Warren's generation of some depth of lyric and true musicianship. Today's scene is a wasteland of disposable acts of supreme superficiality and narcissism. Thank you Warren for your many shades of philosophic musings, undercut by those bluesy rockin' licks. Get the message here folks: life is short, even if you live to 100. Life is precious even when it seems it isn't. And enjoy every sandwich.
42 - Jon ALlen
Man, I just gotta give up this smokin' crap. But givin' up my tequila is entirely out of the question.
43 - dave from montreal
damn a great one is gone. loved his words and his sounds. at least we'll still be able to listen - and remember - peace to you wz. daveg
44 - Natalie Davis
My dad died late this morning. I hope he runs into WZ on his new journey. Now *that* would be cool. The two of them had similar attitudes, similar senses of humor. They would get along like the proverbial peas in a pod.
45 - pete
i didn't discover your music till this year 2003 .....thanxs wz i'll catch up now.....you make me smile,,,,
pete
46 - Allyson Moore
Hi Everyone,
Just thought you might like to know that DIG (The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's internet radio station) has put up the transcript of an interview Warren completed with one of our journos, as a mark of respect on his passing.
You can find the interview at:
http://www.abc.net.au/dig/stories/s944032.htm
Hope you can pass the info on to other fans.
Regards,
Allyson Moore
Marketing Manager
DIG Internet Radio
MUSIC WITH DEPTH
w: http://www.abc.net.au/dig
47 - Eric Olsen
Thanks Allyson, will do
48 - Cal
1978 concert at UCSB stadium, with several groups that included a nobody band called "WHAQUE", "ELVIN BISHOP" , and the "GRATEFUL DEAD ". Of course it was a concert headlining the "DEAD". And most everybody there was for that. Dumb group came on and got booed off the the stage. They maybe played three songs at best before they left. Then came "WARRON ZEVON". He stumbled on to the stage and sat down on his piano bench and started to play a song. Nobody really cared what it was the crowed didnt care. And he too got booed. Only this guy was'nt going to leave. And with his fifth of whiskey he proceeded to tell the crowd just what he thought of them. "...Ah, Fuck the grateful dead...you bunch of fucking sixties rejects..." And pounded out "werewolves..." in a very ugly way...then he too left the the stage.
49 - Eric Olsen
Dude was very angry for a long time, hence the irony of handling disease and death so well.
50 - Craig Lyndall
This kind of act by an audience is bullshit. I went to see Primus open up for Rush back at the old Richfield Coliseum and all the mulleted redneck rush fans booed Primus, who I was there to see. I don't care who your favorite band is. If they are playing a big venue then they probably had the power to choose their own support acts. Booing them off the stage is an insult to the guys who picked em who are the ones you are probably there to see. Shut your face and try and expand your horizons morons. Sorry, I am still bitter.
51 - Eric Olsen
I agree entirely - unless an act is aggressively obnoxious, show them some common courtesy and expand your horizons at the same time.
52 - Mark Saleski
yea, i've never understood that either. gees, you pay all that money for a ticket, why not try to get the most out of it?
side note: i saw Primus open for Fishbone...there were some Primus-newbies sitting behing me who were disturbed at the crowd's "Primus Sucks!" outbursts...they kept saying to each other "why do the think Primus sucks...i think they're great".
i didn't have the heart to tell 'em the truth.
53 - Eric Olsen
At least they cared.
54 - grimmy
Thank You Warren for the soundtrack of my life. Sadly missed and loved. Got to see you at sugarloaf usa Maine. Thanks for all that you have meant in my life.
55 - lithium circus
On this subject of being booed on stage I remember a sacramento concert with Y&T, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Sammy Hagar. Everyone booed SRV also and he played an even longer set than usual and was great. I also saw Stu Hamm playing with Satriani and everyone was yelling "STUUUU" but it sounded like "BOOOOO" so go figure. Its a tough life being an artist. Once in Germany during Metallica's first tour the kids were spitting on them, so the tour manager stuck a hammer up his sleeve and went out into the audience and smacked the guys that were doing it in the head and took them out. Thats what its like on the road. Im sure Warren found the bad times just as invigorating as the good times. It made him know he was alive. I wish he still was.
K
56 - Treat-Cancer
Treat Cancer with Flavonoids:
www.treat-cancer.nl
Treat-Cancer.nl
57 - Stellis
saw Zevon at the Bronco Bowl in Dallas in 88 or 89. Brilliant. Forward 15 years, introduce the mrs to My Ride's Here. Brilliant. Forward 5 more years, my 4 year old's favorite tune is Hit Somebody.
WZ, your music made an impact on me so deep, i couldn't help but share. Thank you sir!