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| Singer/songwriter Elliott Smith dies, aged 34 |
| 2003-10-22 |
| Not the typical Rantburg subject matter, so feel free to delete, Fred. But it’s the saddest news I’ve heard today. 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." Born in 1969 in Nebraska, Smith started his music career as a member of Portland, Oregon band, Heatmiser, in the early 90s. He earned plaudits for his 1994 debut solo release Roman Candle, with critics comparing his stripped down, melancholic melodies to the likes of Nick Drake and Neil Young. His 1997 album, Either/Or, brought him wider acclaim, though his greatest mainstream success followed the same year’s Oscar nomination for the song Miss Misery from his score for Gus Van Sant’s Good Will Hunting. His music has since featured regularly on other movie soundtracks, including Wes Anderson’s New York disfunctional family drama, The Royal Tenenbaums. Amazon.com hailed his second self-titled album "one of the most understated and incredible albums to emerge from the indie-rock scene in the 1990s." He released five albums during his brief career, and was apparently working on a new album, nominally titled From a Basement on the Hill. |
| Posted by:growler |
| #1 I dunno, I'm more depressed by the death of racecar driver Tony Renna in a testing accident today. |
| Posted by: Hiryu 2003-10-22 4:32:26 PM |