Warren Zevon, acclaimed singer-songwriter, dies at 56 of rare lung cancer [by Dave Barry!]

Miami Herald ^ | 9/9/03 | Dave Barry

[Slings and Arrows]

Shadows are falling and I'm running out of breath

Keep me in your heart for awhile

Those are the opening words of the last song on Warren Zevon's haunting final album, The Wind. When he sang those words, he was, literally, running out of breath: He died of lung cancer Sunday night at his home in West Hollywood. He was 56, a new granddad.

[Slings and Arrows]

Sleep well, Warren.

[Archangelsk]

Truly a great appreciation by Barry. Sleep well WZ.

[NonValueAdded]

I was going to say someting about lawyers, guns, and money not being of help here but then I read DB's obit mentioning mesothelioma. Where did Warren get his exposure to asbestos? If all those TV commercials are correct, then lawyers will get the money, guns or not.

[RightWhale]

We did several of his songs, including Poor, Poor Pitiful Me; the hilarious Hula Hula Boys; and the legendary Lawyers, Guns and Money. We also did Werewolves of London, but Zevon insisted that it had to be sung by Stephen King

Any song sung by King is scary.

[Slings and Arrows]

I believe mesothelioma is usually, but not always, linked to asbestos. Sounds like it was just bad luck, like Gene Siskel dying of skin cancer. Like WZ said, life'll kill ya.

[mrbillxx]

I have the vinyl album "Excitable Boy" -- One of my favorite albums of all time. "Excitable Boy" and "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" are two of my favorites. Many big names backing him up on that album. He was a great artist, but certainly not mainstream.

[tupac]

Dittos - My older brother turned me on to that album sometime around '77, wore the grooves out. Waddy Wachtel made that album really rock.

[IronJack]

Zevon had a cutting cynicism that pierced the pretenses of our society. He never took it too seriously, and for that we owe him eternal gratitude.

He's just an excitable boy ...

[nuconvert]

Thanks for the post

[RonF]

I don't know if Zevon didn't take society too seriously or not, but the most endearing trait I can see is that he didn't take himself too seriously. A fault that infects many, many in the public eye, I'm afraid.

[Slings and Arrows]

You're quite welcome.

[nuconvert]

Catch David Letterman last night?

[LadyDoc]

alternative link if the first one doesn't work

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/entertainment/6726376.htm

[Slings and Arrows]

Stopped watching TV several years ago. What happened?

[nuconvert]

Letterman's eulogy.
Seems between both networks, Zevon appeared on Letterman about 30 times, as both musical guest and stand-in for Paul Schaeffer(?).
Touching, sincere tribute.

[truth_seeker]

Sober for 18 years, too.

[vrwinger]

I went home with the waitress
The way I always do
How was I to know
She was with the Russians too?

Send lawyers, guns and money.... The shit has hit the the fan...

Great song from the Excitable Boy album... R.I.P. WZ

[fishbabe]

his song carmelita sung by linda ronstadt is classic!!!!!!

[Criminal Number 18F]

Thank you for a great link. May God have mercy on his soul...

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[GSWarrior]

bump