Life and death of the great songwriter

Warren Zevon is considered by his contemporaries to be one of the great songwriters of our time. Bob Dylan once called him a “musician” and even covered him occasionally. In the mainstream, the musician, who died in 2003, is perhaps best known to many for his only real international hit, “Werewolves Of London.”

Later, pop culture picked him up again when his music played a recurring role in the HBO series “Californication.” Kid Rock also combined “Werewolves of London” with Lynyrd Skynrd's “Sweet Home Alabama” to create his questionable but highly successful mash-up “All Summer Long.” Talk show legend David Letterman, one of Zevon's great supporters and friends, has been calling tirelessly for many years for Zevon to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It would be worthy and right, but not particularly surprising for the HoF, if this did not happen anytime soon. Reason enough to take a look at the life, music and death of the great, complicated Warren Zevon – or, as he himself called it in his autobiography – Zevon's “dirty life and times.”

Warren Zevon: His background

Warren William Zevon was born on January 24, 1947 in Chicago, USA. His father, a Jewish immigrant from Ukraine, was actually called Zivotofsky, but had his name changed to Zevon. Warren quickly realized that he wanted to be a musician. In his teenage years, he played with a school friend in a band called Lyme And Cybelle, reaching number 65 in the Billboard charts with their debut single “Follow Me,” but even left the group after single number two (a cover version of the Dylan song “If You Gotta Go, Go Now”) flopped.

Warren Zevon: Failed debut album

Zevon remained true to music, but kept a low profile as a jingle composer, session musician and songwriter for other acts. He wrote several songs for The Turtles (including the songs “Outside Chance” and “Like The Season”), and one of his songs was also featured on the soundtrack of the 1969 John Schlesinger film “Midnight Cowboy”. In 1970 he released his first solo album, “Wanted Dead Or Alive”. Zevon played almost all of the instruments himself.

Originally, renowned producer and musician Kim Fowley (who wrote the album's title track together with Martin Cerl) was supposed to produce it. However, Zevon was so stubborn and resistant to advice that Fowley withdrew from the project. In his ex-wife Crystal Zevon's book “I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon” there is a nice quote from Fowley on this subject. “He didn't want to listen to anyone.”

I didn't try to produce him because you couldn't really produce Warren, at least not in those days, but I tried to help him make a record that would maybe sell more than ten copies, all bought by his friends. But he wouldn't listen to anybody, and one day I just came in and had enough.” “Wanted Dead Or Alive,” released under the name Zevon, flopped.

The career begins

Zevon toured the following year as the Everly Brothers' keyboardist and also wrote songs with the members for their solo album. Unhappy with his own situation, Zevon left the USA and spent some time in Spain. When he returned, he shared an apartment with Stevie Nicks and Lindse Buckingham from Fleetwood Mac. At this time he also began working with one of the most important people in his musical biography: Jackson Browne. Browne got him his first major label deal – and in 1976, six years after his failed debut album, “Warren Zevon” was released.

It includes classics such as “Frank And Jesse James”, “Mohammed's Radio” and “I'll Sleep When I'm Dead”. Jackson Browne, Eagles member Glenn Frey and Lindsay Buckigham support Zevon with guest contributions, and Phil Everly can also be heard as a background singer on two tracks. Leland Sklar, Jeff Porcaro, Waddy Wachtel and Glenn Frey are also other prominent guest musicians. However, it was the follow-up album “Excitable Boy” that made Zevon famous – with the song “Werewolves of London”, which is by far not the best of this magnificent long player. “Excitable Boy” made it to number 8 in the Billboard charts and brought Zevon gold in the USA and Canada, and even US platinum in 1997.

Alcohol problems and violence

Zevon had a lot of talent, but, it's no secret, he also had a lot of demons. His ex-wife and mother of his daughter Ariel, Crystal Zevon, experienced this intensely. “He had tons of charisma, but when he didn't want people to come to him, he had a reverse charisma,” The Guardian quoted Crystal Zevon as saying. For many years he hardly cared for his children (he had a son born in 1979 with another woman): “He had no language for dealing with children. As a teenager, I was angry that he wasn't there for me as a child, angry at him for treating my mother badly,” recalls daughter Ariel. Zevon drank a lot, too much – and when he was drunk, he reportedly became violent or apathetic.

The alcohol problems became more and more prevalent. In 1980, Zevon checked himself into a Californian rehab clinic and underwent a month-long intensive detox. “They do this intervention therapy where they take you into a room where everyone you know in the world is sitting. Each of them has a statement prepared about how often you were drunk, how they didn't want to tell you, what an ass you were making, and how you were endangering everyone around you. But they're there because they believe in you. It's pretty harrowing,” Zevon recalled of that time, according to forward.com. Zevon stayed sober for a few years, relapsed, but luckily managed to break free.

Zevon's career was full of ups and downs. He made great albums, but also produced a few flops. In 1979 he recorded a concept album called “Transverse City,” on which he channeled his love of William Gibson and cyberpunk. The album features jazz pianist Chick Corea, Grateful Dead boss Jerry Garcia, and Neil Young. It sounds interesting, but it didn't work out, at least commercially: Transverse City flopped, and Virgin Records dropped Zevon.

Speaking of literature: Zevon was not only a bookworm, but also friends with several well-known authors, including Hunter S. Thompson. He occasionally played guitar at book fairs with the all-star group Rock Bottom Remainders. The other band members: horror god Steven King, Simpsons creator Matt Groening, Amy Tan and Dave Barry. Zevon occasionally replaced Paul Shaffer in David Letterman's “The Late Show” band, whom Zevon described as “the best friend my music has ever had.”

“He saw things with a bitter eye”

In 2002, the terrible news came: Zevon had developed pleural mesothelioma – an aggressive form of cancer that affects the lungs, pleura and chest wall. Zevon could not cope with the shock and began drinking again after almost two decades of abstinence. He decided against aggressive cancer treatments – and instead spent his remaining time producing one last album.

Several of Zevon's friends appear on “The Wind”: Bruce Springsteen, Emmylou Harris, Tom Petty, Don Henley, Zevon's friend Billy Bob Thornton – and of course Jackson Browne. The single “Keep Me In Your Heart For A While” is particularly touching. He was able to complete the work. Warren Zevon died on September 7, 2003.

Zevon may never have made it to the top internationally, but for his friends and fans he remains one of the great, most original songwriters and performers of our time. “He wrote something that had real meaning, and it was funny too.” “I always envied that part of his ability and talent,” explains Bruce Springsteen in Crystal Zevon's biography. David Crosby, meanwhile, put it this way: “He was and remains one of my favorite songwriters. He saw things with a bitter eye that nevertheless recognized the humanity of things.”

Legendary last Letterman appearance

Warren Zevon's last talk show appearance by David Letterman is brilliant and highly recommended. Zevon knew at the time that he was going to die. That he didn't have much time left. He returned to the epicenter of late-night TV one more time, to his friend and supporter. It's not a show business conversation, it's about the nitty-gritty. Zevon says with his inimitable humor that he made a tactical mistake – namely, not seeing a doctor for years. He talks to Letterman, who clearly admires him, about the inevitable, and also performs songs.

The final applause is bittersweet, it is clear that these will be the last chords we will hear. After the show, it is said, Zevon gave Letterman the guitar that he had often played on the show, with the words that he should take good care of it. “Keep me in your heart for a while” was his last wish, which he sang – and Zevon still holds that wish place today, without question.