WHEN DID WARREN ZEVON DIE PROFESSIONAL

Zevon was on stage with the Everly Brothers in July 1973 when they dramatically called it quits mid-song, breaking up the act for more than a decade.ĭuring this time, Zevon continued to write songs.

WHEN DID WARREN ZEVON DIE PROFESSIONAL

This period proved to be an invaluable learning experience, and also resulted in a lifelong personal and professional relationship with then-unknown guitarist Waddy Wachtel, who would become one of the most in-demand session players for the next 30 years. In the early 70s, Zevon was hired as the musical director for the Everly Brothers’ touring band. Through Howe, he met Howie Kaylan and Mark Volman of the Turtles, who picked one of Zevon’s songs for the B-side of their mega-hit, “Happy Together.” After a short career at the label, Howe helped Zevon get a contract with Liberty Records, which released Zevon’s first solo album, the uninspired “Wanted Dead or Alive.” He got his start with White Whale records, where he was introduced to legendary producer Dayton “Bones” Howe, purveyor of “Sunshine Pop” from such bands as the Turtles, the Association, and the Fifth Dimension. Zevon’s career was rooted in the Southern California music scene. Zevon underwent the treatment but soon relapsed and eventually broke off contact with most of those who’d sought to help him. There were several attempts to encourage Zevon to seek treatment, the most dramatic of which was an intervention led by Crystal Zevon and Browne. His behavior eventually led to his abandonment by lovers and distancing by friends, including Jackson Browne, who was instrumental in getting Zevon a contract with Asylum Records. Kushins is unsparing in his detailing of the many instances of Zevon’s excesses. Zevon was a classic example his addictions dominated his life until he achieved lasting recovery in the mid-1980s. Research tell us that the earlier one begins using substances, the more likely one is to develop a substance-use disorder.

He took to it with as much enthusiasm as he did music. The other major preoccupation for the adolescent Zevon was alcohol. Zevon, who, by this time, had developed a passion for rock ‘n’ roll, rededicated himself to classical composition and theory, an effort that would be reflected in his work a decade later. The two classical composers were sufficiently impressed with the 13-year-old Zevon to encourage him to continue with his classical education. One of his teachers arranged a visit to the home of Igor Stravinsky, who was conducting a session with Robert Craft. Zevon showed an aptitude for music, especially composition, at an early age. Zevon’s penchant for “song noir” (dark and violent songs such as “Lawyers, Guns and Money” and “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner”) was inspired by his love of the great trinity of hardboiled writers - Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and especially Ken Millar (aka Ross Macdonald) - and by the legacy of his gangster father, William “Stumpy” Zevon, who served as best man at mobster Mickey Cohen’s wedding. But he does not spare the reader from the unpleasant aspects of Zevon’s alcohol- and drug-fueled behavior that placed tremendous strains on his relationships, many of which did not survive the assault. His musical background enables him to write about Zevon’s art with authority and insight. Nothing’s Bad Luck is his first book, and he has written a sympathetic but unflinching portrait of Zevon. Kushins is a journalist and musician performing under the name Muckiness Child. Kushins’ new volume is the first traditional biography of one of rock ‘n’ roll’s finest songwriters. Not to mention Crystal Zevon’s I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon, part memoir from his ex-wife, part reminiscences from family and friends. George Plasketes’ Warren Zevon: Desperado of Los Angeles tries too hard to match Zevon’s gonzo attitude, while James Campion’s Accidentally Like a Martyr: The Tortured Art of Warren Zevon is a scholarly examination of Zevon’s songwriting. Nothing’s Bad Luck: The Lives of Warren Zevon is the third full-length book about Zevon to appear in the past four years.

The time may now be right for renewed appreciation of the work of this troubled and undeservedly overlooked songwriter and musician. It’s been nearly 16 years since Warren Zevon died.

When did warren zevon die