RIP Elliott Smith?
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RIP Elliott Smith?
I've read a couple of rumors online that Elliot Smith died yesterday - can anybody confirm or deny? I found this which is apparently the official fan site, but no news stories anywhere.
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grant
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From The Guardian:
More at the link.
Wednesday October 22, 2003
US singer-songwriter Elliott Smith has died, according to reports. Websites and various radio stations are reporting that the singer passed away yesterday (October 21) at the age of 34. A statement from the Los Angeles County Department of the Coroner's office states that his death was apparent suicide. MTV.com reports, "A single knife wound that appeared to be self-inflicted was evident on the body, though police detectives are investigating the incident for foul play and/or other possibilities."
More at the link.
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Unremarkable
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Damn, that really sucks.-
grant
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Has anyone else seen the frighteningly prescient review for Figure 8 at amazon.co.uk?
grant wrote:Has anyone else seen the frighteningly prescient review for Figure 8 at amazon.co.uk?
Gave me chills...
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A Brutaful Smile
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since i can't reply in that other thread for some reason, i'll say it here....
while i do find this sad and i was stunned to hear, i was not a fan. i just never got into that singer/songwriter style of musicians such as himself. i saw him a couple times by chance and altho i thought it good, i never ran out to purchase his cds.
i am not shocked very much by his death since i have heard he was a troubled person. i'm more shocked by his choice of death.
side note: his real name, steven smith, is also the name of my boyfriend. i found that out yesterday.
while i do find this sad and i was stunned to hear, i was not a fan. i just never got into that singer/songwriter style of musicians such as himself. i saw him a couple times by chance and altho i thought it good, i never ran out to purchase his cds.
i am not shocked very much by his death since i have heard he was a troubled person. i'm more shocked by his choice of death.
side note: his real name, steven smith, is also the name of my boyfriend. i found that out yesterday.
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dear_prudence
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Liesbeth
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I think you don't have to be biggest Elliott Smith fan in the world to recognize his contribution to music. That is, music as something you live, breathe, are, as opposed to a profit-driven industry.
To me Elliott Smith represented that, and - his choice to step out and his music aside - that is why it makes me so very sad to see him go.
To me Elliott Smith represented that, and - his choice to step out and his music aside - that is why it makes me so very sad to see him go.
i have a general tendency to skip all the stages of grieving except anger, depression and acceptance. in this case, i've been vascillating rather wildly between them.
there was just no way for me to be shocked or surprised, either at his death or at the nature of it. i didn't know elliott, but i t was apparent to me in his music and his demeanor that he was just barely hanging on to what was becoming an increasingly tenuous grip on this world. so my first reaction was something like, 'oh, well, of course.'
but hot on the heels of that was a fierce kind of anger that i always have when people disappoint me, especially people with the kind of influence over young, sad, lonely people that elliott had. especially the intelligent, creative, kind people.
and then, for two days, i just sank into an all-too familiar funk, from which only the parisota hot club, a bottle of red wine, and hours of talking with my delectable friend rachael rescued me. and i realized that the thing that bothers me most about, not just elliott, but all the other artists and musicians and poets out there who have offed themselves, is that they are the folks that kids like the kid i used to be admire and respect and revere. and every time one of them dies because of drug use or suicide or good old fashioned stupid hijinks, it perpetuates this myth that i wore like a mantle for at least a decade: smart, kind, creative people just can't survive in this world, and be happy and forge good lives for themselves, no matter how hard they might try. and suicide/drugs/etc. are the tragically glamorous (inevitable) end for all of us born with the unfortunate affliction of being artists of one sort or another.
so, i guess i'm likely to go on thinking things like 'dammit, elliott, why couldn't you just take antidepressants and stop being so melodramatic?' for a while, and i'm likely to inflict some type of boring lecture on my kids about how it's definitely possible to be an artist and NOT be depressed, and i'd just like to thank TLW for, ummm, being happy and, ummm, not suicidal...and stuff. yeah.
ok, end of rant. (i feel very, very old)
there was just no way for me to be shocked or surprised, either at his death or at the nature of it. i didn't know elliott, but i t was apparent to me in his music and his demeanor that he was just barely hanging on to what was becoming an increasingly tenuous grip on this world. so my first reaction was something like, 'oh, well, of course.'
but hot on the heels of that was a fierce kind of anger that i always have when people disappoint me, especially people with the kind of influence over young, sad, lonely people that elliott had. especially the intelligent, creative, kind people.
and then, for two days, i just sank into an all-too familiar funk, from which only the parisota hot club, a bottle of red wine, and hours of talking with my delectable friend rachael rescued me. and i realized that the thing that bothers me most about, not just elliott, but all the other artists and musicians and poets out there who have offed themselves, is that they are the folks that kids like the kid i used to be admire and respect and revere. and every time one of them dies because of drug use or suicide or good old fashioned stupid hijinks, it perpetuates this myth that i wore like a mantle for at least a decade: smart, kind, creative people just can't survive in this world, and be happy and forge good lives for themselves, no matter how hard they might try. and suicide/drugs/etc. are the tragically glamorous (inevitable) end for all of us born with the unfortunate affliction of being artists of one sort or another.
so, i guess i'm likely to go on thinking things like 'dammit, elliott, why couldn't you just take antidepressants and stop being so melodramatic?' for a while, and i'm likely to inflict some type of boring lecture on my kids about how it's definitely possible to be an artist and NOT be depressed, and i'd just like to thank TLW for, ummm, being happy and, ummm, not suicidal...and stuff. yeah.
ok, end of rant. (i feel very, very old)
Regarding Omphale's interpretation of Elliot Smith's suicide
In fact, I'd like to posit that our own John Roderick is a testament to the fact that very smart, creative people can overcome the temptations of depression, forge much better lives for themselves, and come out better artists for it.
