Warren Zevon was among the first group of musicians who emerged as both singer-songwriters and rock stars at the same time. Although he may not have achieved the lasting fame or relevance of his friends and collaborators like Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen, Zevon was one of the most unique and respected musicians to come out of the '70s.
Zevon's favorite topic was death and he made every attempt to incorporate it into his music. Some of his more memorable songs were \Werewolves of London,"" ""Lawyers, Guns and Money"" and ""Life'll Kill Ya."" But it was Zevon's combination of dark subject matter with tongue-in-cheek humor that elevated him above other artists. Zevon described his writing as ""a safe, kind of cheerful way of dealing with [death].""
Warren Zevon released his first album, Wanted Dead or Alive, in 1969. The album gave a hint of what was to come in a career laden with songs of death, violence and other bizarre topics. The album received little publicity and sales. After the failure of Wanted, Zevon took various jobs in the early '70s which included serving as a pianist and bandleader for the Everly Brothers and writing a string of songs for Linda Ronstadt.
It was not until Zevon's good friend Jackson Browne helped him produce his 1976 self-titled album that Zevon's career took off. The release that followed, 1978's Excitable Boy, would prove to be the biggest record of his career, spawning the radio staple ""Werewolves of London."" Zevon enjoyed moderate successes throughout the rest of the '70s and '80s, but a bout with alcoholism and a changing music scene caused him to mostly relinquish his fame. Still, Zevon remained a cult figure and found an audience eager to hear his mixture of humor and the macabre.
In late 2002, Zevon was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and was given only three months to live. Zevon lived another year, allowing him to compose one final, introspective album, and to celebrate the birth of his first grandchildren. Receiving almost exclusively positive reviews, The Wind entered the Billboard charts at number 16, making it his most successful album in years.
Zevon passed away in his West Hollywood apartment on Sunday, Sept. 7. He was 56.
