Elliot Smith Dead

[Ksyrup]

Very sad. And it follows on the heels of the apparent suicide of another brilliant songerwriter, Matthew Jay, just a couple of weeks ago. They will be missed.



LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Elliott Smith, a singer-songwriter whose dark, introspective songs won him critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination, has apparently committed suicide, his publicist and coroner's officials said Wednesday. He was 34.

Smith's body was found by his live-in girlfriend Tuesday, Los Angeles County Coroner Records Supervisor Marsha Grigsby told AP Radio.

He sustained a single stab wound to the chest that appeared to be self-inflicted, she said.

Smith's New York-based publicist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also confirmed his death.

Smith released five solo albums that received widespread acclaim from rock critics and garnered modest commercial success. His song "Miss Misery," recorded for the film "Good Will Hunting," was nominated for an Academy Award in 1998.

[NoMyths]

FUCK!!!

Aw, man...Elliott Smith was one of my two or three favorite artists. What a loss.

[cthomer5000]

I am really upset to hear about this, and came here after a co-worker forwarded me the news.

I frankly think he is the best songwriter of this generation, and I'm quite sad to hear he never got his personal demons straightened out.

Those who listen to him realize what a loss this is. Those who haven't heard him should certainly take a chance to hear some of his work.

[Pyser]

this devastates me. i followed him quite a bit, and even got into a snl dress rehearsal (they do a dress rehearsal about 3 hours before the live airing)...

i never saw anyone look as scared as him as he walked onto the stage to perform his first song. he was the kind of guy that always looked like he needed a hug. i couldnt help but yell out "we love you elliott!" or some such stupid thing that a fan yells, but he looked up and waved. then the ret of the audience just broke into applause and yelled nice things at him. just one of those moments, you know? a guy you always felt like you had to help, even though you know he'd be fine without you.

ill miss him.

[Bosco]

I've heard he had a heroin addiction which I assume played a large role in this. Its still sad though.

[petrochile]

Truly sad news

[sabotai]

Am I the only one who read the title as "Emmitt Smith Dead"? For a few seconds there...

Damn, to kill yourself when your only 34. I wonder what his motive for it was.

[cuervo72]

Originally posted by sabotai
Am I the only one who read the title as "Emmitt Smith Dead"? For a few seconds there...

You're not the only one.

[damnMikeBrown]

Stabbed himself in the chest!? Geez!

[Ksyrup]

Originally posted by damnMikeBrown
Stabbed himself in the chest!? Geez!

That does seem strange (and unnecessarily cruel to yourself), doesn't it? Then again, you can't be all there if you are to the point where you are going to take your own life...

[Pyser]

in some strange way, him stabbing himself in the chest is fitting.

various rumors of his death have been popping up for years, and many fans (casual or other) have left just about every show of his thinking that that was the last time they'd see him alive.

to say he was severely depressed and his suicide is anything but a shock would be an understatement.

somehow, a gunshot to the head or a slit of the wrists didnt seem enough for someone who was on the brink of suicide every day for a decade, it seems.

[NoMyths]

Buddy of mine bumped into him in a bar in LA a couple of years back...said that Elliott's friends were basically having to steer him around the room, keep him from falling off his stool, that sort of thing.

I tend to agree with your sentiment, Pyser.

[astralhaze]

Recovering heroin addict AND recovering alcoholic. Also, and probably the other two were as a result of, a manic depressive. Such a goddamned tragic figure. The depression and substance abuse are what made his music so fucking brilliant. Beatle-esque melody with depressing and dark lyrics. I'm not shocked, but this hurts.

[Senator]

Met him a couple of times. The most lonely person I ever met. The brutal irony is that we would kill for his talent. Tragic.

[pjstp20]

Originally posted by Ksyrup
That does seem strange (and unnecessarily cruel to yourself), doesn't it? Then again, you can't be all there if you are to the point where you are going to take your own life...

Man this is sad news. I'm not suprised he took himself this way. You're absolutly right, when people come to this decision they dont have the mental capabilities to reason, something I tried to explain during my many Kurt Cobain posts. Depression is a disease, something people (particularily around here) don't get.

[astralhaze]

Originally posted by pjstp20
Depression is a disease, something people (particularily around here) don't get.

As I am a diagnosed sufferer of manic depression, I do. It is a shame that people do not realize that it is a disease and not some failing of character or constitution.

[cthomer5000]

"Everybody knows you only live a day, but it's brilliant anyway"

[Pyser]

if anyone is in the LA area, there is a memorial at the Figure 8 wall at Sunset & Fountain.

[timmynausea]

i've been too depressed since elliott died to even check this board. i came here just now to look back through to see if anyone had mentioned it. i'm glad that some other people here knew and cared. the most disheartening thing in all of this for me is that the majority of the public really don't know what a loss this is, so i was glad to find that some people here know.
elliott smith was without a doubt the best songwriter of this generation and one of best few of all time. the only surprise in his death is that even though we all saw it coming a mile away, it still hurts so fucking bad.

[cthomer5000]

I knew he was working on a new album, which I've subsequently discovered was planned to be a double album. At least 20 songs have been confirmed as recorded (in varying, unknown levels of completeness).

If/when his final works see release, I'm sure it'll be a bittersweet time for his fans, friends, and family.

It's really just a shame that he ultimately wasn't happy. That's the worst part.

[Ksyrup]

FYI, I came across a bootleg of a show of his from 2000. It's got a couple of skips in it, but otherwise, it's a decent recording. If anyone is interested in a copy, PM me.

[sabotai]

Damn....someone bumps this and once again I read it as "Emmitt Smith Dead". Maybe my unconscious is trying to command me to do something....

[Ksyrup]

I'm sorry. Maybe I should start a thread entitled, "Emmitt Smith's Career Is Dead."

[astralhaze]

Originally posted by Ksyrup
FYI, I came across a bootleg of a show of his from 2000. It's got a couple of skips in it, but otherwise, it's a decent recording. If anyone is interested in a copy, PM me.

I've come up with several I would be willing to share

[sabotai]

Originally posted by Ksyrup
I'm sorry. Maybe I should start a thread entitled, "Emmitt Smith's Career Is Dead."

Nah, we don't need anymore threads that state the clearly obvious.

[Ksyrup]

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) -- Los Angeles coroner's officials said Tuesday they could not determine whether the stab wounds that killed Oscar-nominated singer-songwriter Elliott Smith in October were self-inflicted.

An autopsy report appears to leave the nature of Smith's death, which was initially called a suicide by Los Angeles police, an open question.

The body of Smith -- who earned an Oscar nomination and widespread notice for his 1997 single "Miss Misery" from the film "Good Will Hunting" -- was found in October at his Los Angeles home by the musician's live-in girlfriend.

Coroner's spokesman David Campbell said Smith, 34, died from two "penetrating stab wounds" to the chest.

"The trauma that he sustained could have been inflicted by him or by another and the coroner has not been able to make a determination," Campbell said.

Campbell said toxicology tests found no illegal or controlled substances in Smith's system. The singer was apparently taking anti-depressants and medication for attention deficit disorder at the time of his death but was not abusing them, Campbell said.

He said the case would remain open and that coroner's officials would revisit their findings if additional information surfaced.

A spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department said homicide detectives also would "look again" at Smith's death following the autopsy report. He said the case was initially reported to the LAPD as a suicide.

[cthomer5000]

Aside from the wounds themself, I would think any prints on the knife and where the knife was relative to the body would be important here.

I read an article where a couple of friends of his thought there was a fairly decent chance it was a drug deal gone bad, where someone decided to just keep his money and the drugs, and kill the guy. He apparently kept company with some very shady characters.

[stevew]

Dang, I thought Emmitt had at least 1-2 more 1000 yd years left in him. The sports world is sad today

[Ksyrup]

hxxp://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/esmithaut1.html

This site has the coroner's report.

JANUARY 8--Los Angeles investigators probing the recent stabbing death of alt rocker Elliott Smith could not classify the incident as a suicide because several aspects of the knifing were not consistent with suicide and "raise the possibility of homicide." According to the below autopsy report, police discovered what appeared to be a suicide note--written on a Post-it note--when they responded to his home on October 21. "I'm so sorry-love, Elliot God forgive me," the note read, according to the report (a coroner's official told TSG that Smith's first name was misspelled in the report). And, the report concludes, Smith's history of depression and the "location and direction" of two stab wounds "are consistent with self-infliction." However, other aspects of Smith's death have caused investigators to wonder whether the performer was killed. The autopsy report cited the absence of "hesitation wounds," the presence of "possible defensive wounds," and "stabbing through clothing" as atypical of suicide. In addition, the actions of Smith's live-in girlfriend, musician Jennifer Chiba, were of concern to investigators. Chiba initially told cops that she had argued with Smith, 34, in their home and, at one point, locked herself in the bathroom. Chiba emerged when she heard Smith scream, and saw him standing with "a knife sticking out of his chest." The medical examiner noted that Chiba's "reported removal of the knife and subsequent refusal to speak with detectives are all of concern."

[Ksyrup]

From Billboard:


Final Elliott Smith Album Due In Fall

Elliott Smith's final studio album will be released in September or October, according to a message from the late artist's father on the Smith fan site Sweet Adeline. "We are beginning the final mixing and production phase in mid-May," Gary Smith said. An announcement as to which label will issue the set will be made "by the end of the month."

Although Smith was signed to DreamWorks when he committed suicide last October, he had reached an unusual agreement with the company to allow him to release the work-in-progress album, tentatively titled "From a Basement on the Hill," on an independent label of his choosing.

"He was really having fun experimenting with recording," Smith's DreamWorks A&R man Luke Wood told Billboard last year. "And as always with Elliott, the lyrics were incredibly poignant and very consistent and very beautiful."

Songs Smith was working on included "Strung Out Again," "Let's Get Lost," "Shooting Star," "A Distorted Reality Is Now a Necessity To Be Free" and "Fond Farewell," titles which suggest he may have been contemplating suicide and revisiting his frequent themes of addiction.

The artist had been recording in his own Los Angeles studio, which his family has lately been trying to sell. "We had hopes that someone would come along, take it over and run it as Elliott might have envisioned," Gary Smith said. "This was a good idea, but turned out to be ultimately unrealistic."

"We have had many wonderful responses from people who want to manage the space but do not have the financial means to keep it going," he continued. "We have also had many inquiries from people who have been interested in purchasing pieces of studio equipment for their own use. We have decided that we can no longer attempt to keep it open as 'Elliott's studio.' In addition, we do not feel comfortable selling it piece by piece. So, we are going to let a responsible music dealer find someone who is able to purchase the equipment for their own studio, and move it to a new space. Elliott's instruments will not be sold."

[korme]

One of my best girlfriends absolutely loves Elliot Smith.. she told me he was dead and not knowing much of him I felt like I already knew that.

The wonders of FOFC (not to make light of his death, just speculating)

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Shorty3281

One of my best girlfriends absolutely loves Elliot Smith..

Wait...are you a male? If so, you either have a friend, or you have a girlfriend. Only women refer to their non-sexual friends as "girlfriends" or "boyfriends."

[korme]

haha one of my best friends absolutely loves Elliott Smith, she likes him almost as much as she loves my

humor.

[DanGarion]

Maybe he has multiple girlfriends! You are jealous aren't you!!!

[korme]

'attaboy dan

[korme]

if Neuqua replies i'll kill him

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by dangarion

Maybe he has multiple girlfriends! You are jealous aren't you!!!

For some reason, I ruled that possibility out rather quickly.

Actually, come to think of it, I didn't even consider it at all.

[cthomer5000]

Details on the last album are now final:


Elliott Smith's from a basement on the hill to be released on ANTI- records

The estate of Elliott Smith has just completed their deal with ANTI- records to release from a basement on the hill on October 19th, 2004. The 15 tracks comprising the album were completed by Elliott prior to his death in the Fall of 2003.

ANTI- is the home to other such talents as Tom Waits and Nick Cave.

from a basement on the hill, took its final shape in the same studio where Elliott recorded much of the material on, 1998's XO and its 2000 follow-up, Figure 8.

"This is prime Smith, with the kind of meticulous, evocative lyric, bittersweet melody and intimate delivery that made him one of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of his generation." - Richard Cromelin, LA Times

Elliott Smith: from a basement on the hill
1. Coast to Coast
2. Let's Get Lost
3. Pretty (Ugly Before)
4. Don't Go Down
5. Strung Out Again
6. Fond Farewell
7. King's Crossing
8. Ostriches & Chirping
9. Twilight
10. A Passing Feeling
11. Last Hour
12. Shooting Star
13. Memory Lane
14. Little One
15. A Distorted Reality is Now a Necessity to be Free

[lcjjdnh]

From a Basement on the Hill comes out in 13 days, but it has already been reviewed by Rolling Stone.

hxxp://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/6530066/elliottsmith?pageid=rs.Reviews&pageregion=double1

They gave it 3.5 stars and here is the actual review:

For many fans, Elliott Smith's greatest gift to the world was his sadness. He was thirty-four when he died on October 21st, 2003, from two stab wounds to the chest. But the more we learned about his death, the less we knew. For a while, everybody (including the police) assumed it was suicide; then others started to suggest, ominously, that it wasn't, and a coroner's report, issued last December, said the evidence was inconclusive. So bereaved fans were left with nothing but their own dull grief, which came to seem like an echo of Smith's own implacable melancholy. Their sadness was his. But sadness was never what set Smith apart from the other rumpled punky strummers. By 1994, when he started branching out from his post-punk band Heatmiser to record solo albums, the real surprise was Smith's sweetness. He was a punk who cleaned up good, who could turn an excruciating song about dope addiction into something whistle-able and Beatlesque. When he ambled onstage at the 1998 Oscars, fluorescent in an all-white suit, singing an expurgated "Miss Misery" (from the Good Will Hunting soundtrack), it somehow made sense. With songs like that, why shouldn't he have been serenading millions of listeners?

The crossover started and ended that night, and not just because he lost the Oscar to Celine Dion. His appealing 1998 album, XO, had grander production but slighter songs than 1997's marvelous Either/Or, and after 2000's Figure 8, he more or less disappeared. Now, days before the one-year anniversary of his death, comes From a Basement on the Hill, the album he was still tinkering with when he died.

It starts thick and hazy, with "Coast to Coast" slowly fading in; atop an elegant jumble of guitars, he sings, "I've got no new act to amuse you/I've got no desire to use you." Like most of the fifteen songs here, this one hints at drugs and death, wasted nights and wasted lives. This is an album about the seductions of oblivion, and a few of the more densely arranged songs mimic the characters in the lyrics, stumbling around without quite connecting.

More often, though, Smith teases extraordinary wit and warmth from songs that float lazily toward happiness. Despite the foreboding title, "Strung Out Again" is a lilting, slyly persuasive ode to a pleasure that comes and goes like the ocean: "The tide's coming in/And I'm strung out again." Then there's "Memory Lane," a bitter two-and-a-half-minute cautionary tale, sung and fingerpicked so gently that it sounds like a lark. And the woozy "Don't Go Down" begins with something resembling a joke: "I met a girl, snowball in hell/She was as hard and as cracked as the Liberty Bell."

Yes, there's plenty of sadness here. On "Pretty (Ugly Before)," Smith and his former Heatmiser bandmate Sam Coomes sing, "I felt so ugly before/I didn't know what to do." But the harmony tells a different story, and the two repeat the complaint until it sounds like a blissful affirmation.

The album's centerpiece is "A Fond Farewell," which is exactly what Smith fans need: an upbeat but ambivalent song with a contagious chorus that sticks in your head after the rest of the CD is over. When he murmurs, "This is not my life/It's just a fond farewell to a friend," you can't tell what, exactly, he's eulogizing: A bad habit? A good lover? Himself? But you can tell it will be missed.

Their two previous reviews of Smith's albums were 3.5 Stars for Figure 8 and 3 stars for XO.

[BigJohn&TheLions]

Never heard of the guy, but from what is said about his music the suicide kinda fits in a sad, ironic way. But to stab yourself in the chest? Damn...

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by BigJohn&TheLions

But to stab yourself in the chest? Damn...

Twice even...

[JeeberD]

Ugh, damn this thread and my being half asleep. For the first time I thought this was an "Emmitt Smith is dead" thread, even though I've seen this one for what it is numerous times...

Probably has something to do with that damn parody thread.

[korme]

i'm looking forward to this cd

[Bomber]

I think it leaked a while ago. I have it.

[Pyser]

the leaked verison doesnt sound properly mixed to me (hard to hear the vocals). ill still be picking this up the day it comes out.

[Pyser]

what a HUGE day for elliott smith fans. 22 unreleased tracks have been leaked online. thats the equivalent of two brand new elliott albums.

a link for those who care: hxxp://www.filefarmer.com/raindog/elliott/basement2/

you can download the songs in m4a there...and im sure switching it to mp3 is no problem for people these days. enjoy!

[Clown2]

I have been looking for that song for awhile...it sounded like Simon and Garfunkel
I just Limewired it.....that guy really could sing...Im sad to say I am a fan after his death.
This is a real loss.