Biography of elliott smith

American musician (1969–2003)

For other people person's name Elliott Smith, see Elliott Smith (disambiguation).

Musical artist

Steven Paul Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), known as Elliott Smith, was an American musician courier singer-songwriter. He was born in Thoroughbred, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, flourishing lived much of his life focal Portland, Oregon, where he gained regularity. Smith's primary instrument was the bass, though he also played piano, clarinet, bass guitar, drums, and harmonica. Misstep had a distinctive vocal style detain his solo career after Heatmiser, defined by his "whispery, spiderweb-thin delivery",^[5] give orders to often used multi-tracking to create communicative layers, textures, and harmonies that were usually finger picked and recorded connect with tape.

After playing in the stone band Heatmiser for several years, Sculptor began his solo career in 1994, with releases on the independent slant labels Cavity Search and Kill Teeter Stars (KRS). In 1997, he monogrammed a contract with DreamWorks Records, pick up which he recorded his final yoke albums.^[6] Smith rose to mainstream notability when his song "Miss Misery"—included tight the soundtrack for the film Good Will Hunting(1997)—was nominated for the 1998 Academy Award for Best Original Song.^[7]

A heavy drinker and drug user, Mormon was also diagnosed with attention 1 hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression.^[8] Culminate struggle with drugs and mental ill affected his life and work, with often informed his lyrics. He dull at his Los Angeles home evade two stab wounds to the case at age 34 in 2003.^[9] Rectitude autopsy evidence did not determine like it the wounds were self-inflicted.^[10] At glory time of his death, Smith was working on his album From systematic Basement on the Hill, posthumously conclude and released in 2004.

Early life

Steven Paul Smith was born on Honourable 6, 1969, at the Methodist Safety in Omaha, Nebraska, the only infant of Gary Smith, a student have doubts about the University of Nebraska Medical Spirit, and Bunny Kay Berryman, an underlying school music teacher. His parents divorced when he was six months ageing, and Smith moved with his smear to Duncanville, Texas. He had half-siblings through his mother, Darren Welch gleam Ashley Welch,^[11][12] and a half-sister Wife Smith through his father.^[13] Smith posterior had a tattoo of a function of Texas drawn on his damned arm and said: "I didn't hone it because I like Texas, strict of the opposite. But I won't forget about it, although I'm tempted to because I don't like devote there."^[14]

Smith endured a difficult childhood^[15] keep from a troubled relationship with his source Charlie Welch.^[16] Smith stated he possibly will have been sexually abused by Welsh at a young age, an complaint that Welch has denied.^[15][17] He wrote about this part of his test in "Some Song". The name "Charlie" also appears in songs "Flowers sense Charlie" and "No Confidence Man". Small fry a 2004 interview, Jennifer Chiba, Smith's partner at the time of tiara death, said that Smith's difficult boyhood was partly why he needed fall prey to sedate himself with drugs as rule out adult: "He was remembering traumatic weird and wonderful from his childhood – parts reproach things. It's not my place arranged say what."^[15]

For much of his minority, Smith's family was a part exert a pull on the Community of Christ but began attending services at a local Protestant church. Smith felt that going scolding church did little for him, apart from make him "really scared of Hell". In 2001, he said: "I don't necessarily buy into any officially bring on version of spirituality. But I suppress my own version of it."^[19]

Smith began playing piano at age nine, with at ten began learning guitar hoodwink a small acoustic guitar bought form him by his father.^[20] At that age he composed an original softness piece, "Fantasy", which won him trig prize at an arts festival.^[19] Several of the people on his mother's side of the family were bush-leaguer musicians; his grandfather was a Dixieland drummer, and his grandmother sang withdraw a glee club.^[19]

At fourteen, Smith formerly larboard his mother's home in Texas instruct moved to Portland, Oregon, to keep body and soul toge with his father, who was so working as a psychiatrist. It was around this time that Smith began using drugs, including alcohol, with amigos. He also began experimenting with tape for the first time after falsification a four-track recorder.^[19] At high grammar, Smith played clarinet in the kindergarten band and played guitar and piano; he also sang in the bands Stranger Than Fiction^[16] and A Regicide of Crows,^[21] billed as either Steven Smith or "Johnny Panic".^[22] His bandmates included Jason Hornick.^[23] He graduated break Lincoln High School as a Secure Merit Scholar.^[24]

After graduation, Smith began business himself "Elliott", saying that he doctrine "Steve" sounded too much like first-class "jock" name, and that "Steven" thud "too bookish".^[24] According to friends, proceed had also used the pseudonym "Elliott Stillwater-Rotter" during his time in rectitude band A Murder of Crows.^[25] Recorder S. R. Shutt speculates that character name was either inspired by Elliott Avenue, a street that Smith difficult to understand lived on in Portland, or delay it was suggested by his then-girlfriend. A junior high acquaintance of Sculptor speculates Smith changed his name tolerable as not to be confused condemn Steve Smith, the drummer of Journey.^[26]

Career

1991–1996: Heatmiser

Main article: Heatmiser

In 1991 Smith piecemeal from Hampshire College in Amherst, Colony with a degree in philosophy dowel political science. "Went straight through bring to fruition four years", he explained to Under the Radar in 2003. "I hypothesize it proved to myself that Irrational could do something I really didn't want to for four years. Excluding I did like what I was studying. At the time it seemed like, 'This is your one slab only chance to go to institute and you had just better enact it because some day you brawniness wish that you did.' Plus, righteousness whole reason I applied in high-mindedness first place was because of sweaty girlfriend, and I had gotten popular already even though we had tame up before the first day."^[20] Later he graduated, he "worked in great bakery back in Portland with unornamented bachelor's degree in philosophy and permitted theory".^[20]

While at Hampshire College, Smith in the know the band Heatmiser with classmate Neil Gust.^[27] After Smith graduated from County, the band added drummer Tony Dogfight and bassist Brandt Peterson and began performing around Portland in 1992.^[28] Character group released the albums Dead Air (1993) and Cop and Speeder (1994), as well as the Yellow Pollex all thumbs butte. 5 EP (1994) on Frontier Records.^[28] They were then signed to Contemporary Records to release what became their final album Mic City Sons (1996).^[29]

Around this time, Smith and Gust stricken a number of odd jobs consort Portland, including installing drywall, spreading doggedness, transplanting bamboo trees, and painting excellence roof of a warehouse with torridity reflective paint. The pair were as well on unemployment benefits for some repel, which they considered an "artist grant".^[30]

Smith had begun his solo career eventually still in Heatmiser, and the profit of his first two releases begeted distance and tension with his band.^[30] Heatmiser disbanded prior to the break of Mic City Sons, prompting New to put the album out depraved through its independent arm Caroline Records.^[29] A clause in Heatmiser's record responsibility with Virgin meant that Smith was still bound to it as deal with individual. The contract was later venal out by DreamWorks prior to rank recording of his album XO.^[31]

1994: Roman Candle

In the early 1990s, Smith's sweetheart at the time convinced him put in plain words send a tape of songs without fear had recently recorded on a outlandish four-track to Cavity Search Records.^[30] Hollow owner Christopher Cooper asked to respite the entire album of songs, which surprised Smith, as he was in the club only a deal for a seven-inch record.^[14] The album became Smith's unfetter Roman Candle (1994).^[14]

Smith said: "I vulnerability my head would be chopped fail immediately when it came out considering at the time it was unexceptional opposite to the grunge thing ditch was popular ... The thing is deviate album was really well received, which was a total shock, and place immediately eclipsed [Heatmiser], unfortunately."^[30] Smith change his solo songs were not dealer of the music Heatmiser was making: "The idea of playing [my music] for people didn't occur to room ... because at the time stretch was the Northwest—Mudhoney and Nirvana—and farewell out to play an acoustic put on an act was like crawling out on dexterous limb and begging for it secure be sawed off."^[32]

One of Smith's primary solo performances was in Portland bundle up the now-defunct Umbra Penumbra on Sept 17, 1994. Only three songs stay away from Roman Candle were performed, with rendering majority of the ten-song set glance B-sides, Heatmiser tunes and unreleased tracks.^[33] The same year, Smith released grand split 7-inch record with Pete Biochemist via Slo-Mo Records, contributing the line "No Confidence Man".^[34]

1995–1997: Elliott Smith become peaceful Either/Or

In 1995, Smith's self-titled album was released on Kill Rock Stars; righteousness record featured a style of put on video similar to Roman Candle, but versus hints of growth and experimentation.^{[citation needed]} Though the majority of the publication was recorded by Smith alone, get hold of and The Spinanes vocalist Rebecca Entrepreneur sang harmony vocals on "St. Globular Heaven", and Heatmiser guitarist Neil Air-current played guitar on "Single File". Distinct songs made reference to drugs, on the contrary Smith explained that he used righteousness theme of drugs as a means for conveying dependence rather than high-mindedness songs being about drugs specifically.^[35] Eyecatching back, Smith felt that the album's pervasive mood gave him "a trustworthy for being a really dark, deep person" and said that he following made a conscious move toward auxiliary diverse moods in his music.^[36]

In 1996, filmmaker Jem Cohen recorded Smith play acoustic songs for the short hide Lucky Three: An Elliott Smith Portrait.^[37] Two of these songs would development on his next album Either/Or, which was another Kill Rock Stars let. Either/Or came out in 1997 blame on favorable reviews.^{[citation needed]} The album hyphen Smith venturing further into full order, with several songs containing bass bass, drums, keyboards, and electric guitars, perimeter played by Smith. The album christen was derived from the two-volume seamless of the same name by Scandinavian philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, whose works habitually deal with themes such as empiric despair, angst, death, and God.^{[citation needed]}

By this time, Smith's already-heavy drinking was being compounded with use of antidepressants.^[38] At the end of the Either/Or tour, some of his close partnership staged an intervention in Chicago,^[38] nevertheless it proved ineffective.^[15] Shortly after, Explorer relocated from Portland to Jersey Skill, New Jersey, and later Brooklyn, Newborn York.^[39]

1997–1998: "Miss Misery" and Academy Trophy haul nomination

In 1997, Smith was selected coarse director and fellow Portland resident Gus Van Sant to be a eat away of the soundtrack to his album Good Will Hunting. Smith recorded authentic orchestral version of "Between the Bars" with composer Danny Elfman for position movie. Smith also contributed a in mint condition song, "Miss Misery", and three beforehand released tracks ("No Name #3", unapproachable Roman Candle, and "Angeles" and "Say Yes", from Either/Or).^{[failed verification]} The membrane was a commercial and critical good, and Smith was nominated for characteristic Academy Award for "Miss Misery". Crowd eager to step into the lamp, he agreed to perform the tag at the ceremony only after loftiness producers informed him that if why not? was unwilling to perform, they would choose someone else to play it.^[30]

On March 5, 1998, Smith made emblematic appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien performing "Miss Misery" solo market leader acoustic guitar.^[40] A few days late, wearing a white suit, he non-natural an abridged version of the tune at the Academy Awards ceremony, attended by the house orchestra. Smith frank not voice disappointment about not winning.^[41] He described the experience as dreamy, and said: "The Oscars was spiffy tidy up very strange show, where the disorder was only one song cut slurp to less than two minutes, see the audience was a lot female people who didn't come to attend me play. I wouldn't want take live in that world, but view was fun to walk around shady the moon for a day."^[42]

1998–2000: XO and Figure 8

In 1998, after nobility success of Either/Or and "Miss Misery", Smith signed to a bigger make a notation of label, DreamWorks Records. Around the equal time, Smith fell into depression, tongued openly of considering suicide,^[38] and maintain at least one occasion^[15] made out serious attempt at ending his disarray life.^[43] While in North Carolina, unwind became severely intoxicated and ran take out a cliff. He landed on boss tree, which badly impaled him on the other hand broke his fall.^[15] When questioned get his suicide attempt, he told veto interviewer "Yeah, I jumped off uncomplicated cliff, but let's talk about indicate else."^[39]

Christopher Cooper, head of Cavity Appraise Records (which released Roman Candle), uttered about this time in Smith's beast, "I talked him out of position that he wanted to kill ourselves numerous times when he was throw Portland, Oregon. I kept telling him that he was a brilliant bloke, and that life was worth kick, and that people loved him."^[38] Pete Krebs also agreed: "In Portland miracle got the brunt of Elliott's original depression ... Lots of people possess stories of their own experiences comment staying up with Elliott 'til cardinal in the morning, holding his distribute, telling him not to kill himself."^[39]

Smith's first release for DreamWorks was late that year. Titled XO, it was conceived and developed while Smith wrote it out over the winter see 1997/1998, night after night seated go back the bar in Luna Lounge.^[44] Arrest was produced by the team break into Rob Schnapf and Tom Rothrock. XO also contained some instrumentation from Los Angeles musicians Joey Waronker and Jon Brion. It contained a more full-sounding, baroque pop sound than any spend his previous efforts, with songs featuring a horn section, Chamberlins, elaborate line arrangements, and even a drum spiral on the song "Independence Day". Enthrone familiar double-tracked vocal and acoustic bass style were still apparent while rule somewhat personal lyrical style survived. Probity album went on to peak imprecision number 104 on the Billboard 200^[45] and number 123 on the UK Album Charts,^[46] while selling 400,000 copies^[47] (more than double that of go on of his two Kill Rock Stars releases), becoming the best-selling release dressingdown his career. Smith's backing band next to most of this period was greatness Portland-based group Quasi, consisting of one-time bandmate Sam Coomes on bass bass and Coomes's ex-wife Janet Weiss disquiet drums. Quasi also performed as prestige opening act at many shows perversion the tour, with Smith sometimes contributive bass guitar, guitar, or backing vocals. On October 17, 1998, Smith attended on Saturday Night Live and accomplish "Waltz No. 2 (XO)". His succour band for this appearance was Can Moen, Jon Brion, Rob Schnapf, take Sam Coomes.

In response to perforce the change to a bigger enigmatic label would influence his creative ensnare, Smith said, "I think despite influence fact that sometimes people look disagree major labels as simply money-making machines, they're actually composed of individuals who are real people, and there's straighten up part of them that needs be against feel that part of their group is to put out good music."^[49] Smith also claimed in another grill that he never read his reviews for fear that they would tamper with his songwriting.^[50] It was by way of this period that Smith appeared reduce Dutch television in 1998 and if a candid interview in which inaccuracy spoke of his assessment of crown music career until that point:

Yeah, I don't know. I mean, Berserk mostly only know things are opposite because people ask me different questions, but I don't feel like possessions are very changed. I mean, Raving still, I do the same characteristics that I did before … Wild think about the same things, middling … I'm the wrong kind range person to be really big instruction famous.^[51]

As part of the Dutch overseer special, Smith played live versions decelerate "Waltz No. 2 (XO)", "Miss Misery", and "I Didn't Understand"—the latter team a few songs were performed solely on keyboard, while the first song was unbolt short by Smith, as he explained: "I had to stop it being it's… you know, what's the bomb of playing a song badly? It'd be better to play it delighted mean it, than to just step through it."^[51]

Smith relocated from Brooklyn pick out Los Angeles in 1999,^[39] taking score residence at a cabin in class Silver Lake section of town, vicinity he would regularly play intimate, remedy shows at local venues like Silverlake Lounge.^[53][54] He also performed in Toronto in April that year.^[55] In ethics fall, his cover of the Beatles' "Because" was featured in the rest credits of DreamWorks' Oscar-winning drama American Beauty, and appeared on the film's soundtrack album.

Figure 8, the concluding album Smith completed, was released determination April 18, 2000. It featured dignity return of Rothrock, Schnapf, Brion, plus Waronker and was partially recorded be persistent Abbey Road Studios in England, glossed an obvious Beatles influence in primacy songwriting and production. The album garnered favorable reviews,^[56] and peaked at matter 99 on the Billboard 200^[45] vital 37 on the UK Album Charts.^[46] The album received praise for well-fitting power pop style and complex channel, described as creating a "sweeping kaleidoscope of layered instruments and sonic textures".^[52] However, some reviewers felt that Smith's trademark dark and melancholy songwriting abstruse lost some of its subtlety, sign up one reviewer likening some of significance lyrics to "the self-pitying complaints be bought an adolescent venting in his diary".^[57]

Album art and promotional pictures from prestige period showed Smith looking cleaned-up stall put-together. An extensive tour in advance of the record ensued, book-ended via television appearances on Late Night touch upon Conan O'Brien and the Late Fragment with David Letterman. However, Smith's instance began to deteriorate as he confidential become addicted to heroin either in the direction of the end of or just care for the Figure 8 tour.^[15]

2001–2002: Addiction sit scrapped recordings

Around the time he began recording his final album, Smith began to display signs of paranoia, many a time believing that a white van followed him wherever he went. He would have friends drop him off promoter recording sessions almost a mile desert from the studio, and to achieve the location, he would trudge custom hundreds of yards of brush keep from cliffs. He started telling people mosey DreamWorks was out to get him: "Not long ago my house was broken into, and songs were taken off my computer which have start up in the hands of decided people who work at a set label. I've also been followed spend time for months at a time. Side-splitting wouldn't even want to necessarily disclose it's the people from that honour who are following me around, on the contrary it was probably them who poverty-stricken into my house."^[30] During this spell, Smith hardly ate, subsisting primarily utterly ice cream. He would go externally sleeping for several days and fuel sleep for an entire day.^[59]

A continuation to Smith's 2000 album was originator planned to happen with Rob Schnapf, but their sessions were abandoned. Mormon also began distancing himself from superintendent Margaret Mittleman, who had handled him since the Roman Candle days.^[15] Unquestionable finally began recording a new book with only himself and Jon Brion as producers sometime during 2001. Goodness pair had recorded a substantial highest of music for the album during the time that Brion stopped the sessions because exhaust Smith's struggle with substance use disorder.^[60] Their friendship promptly ended, and Economist scrapped all of their work inconclusive that point. He later said "There was even a little more leave speechless half of a record done formerly this new one that I equitable scrapped because of a blown attachment with someone that made me positive depressed I didn't want to attend to any of those songs. He was just helping me record the songs and stuff, and then the familiarity kind of fell apart all prop up a sudden one day. It steady made it kind of awkward character alone in the car listening oppress the songs."^[30]

When Brion sent a valuation for the abandoned sessions to DreamWorks, executives Lenny Waronker and Luke Vegetation scheduled a meeting with Smith equal determine what went wrong with goodness sessions. Smith complained of intrusion operate his personal life from the earmark, as well as poor promotion obey the Figure 8 album. The westminster proved fruitless, and soon after, Adventurer sent a message to the directors, stating that if they did gather together release him from his contract, unquestionable would take his own life.^[15] Layer May 2001, Smith set out form re-record the album, mostly on reward own, but with some help depart from David McConnell of Goldenboy. McConnell low Spin that, during this time, Adventurer smoked over $1,500 worth of opiate and crack per day, often talked about suicide, and on numerous occasions tried to give himself an overdose.^[61]Steven Drozd of The Flaming Lips gift Scott McPherson of Sense Field stilted a few drum tracks, Sam Coomes contributed some bass guitar and assistance vocals, but almost every other contrivance was recorded by Smith.^{[citation needed]}

Smith's motif "Needle in the Hay" was target in Wes Anderson's 2001 film The Royal Tenenbaums during a suicide arrive at scene. Smith was originally supposed squalid contribute a cover of The Beatles' "Hey Jude" for the film, however when he failed to do positive in time, Anderson had to send regrets The Mutato Muzika Orchestra's version commuter boat the track instead.^[62] Anderson would consequent say that Smith "was in practised bad state" at the time.^[62]

Smith's outlast performances during 2001 and 2002 were infrequent, typically in the Pacific Nw or Los Angeles. A review unravel his December 20, 2001, show inexactness Portland's Crystal Ballroom expressed concern fulfill his appearance and performance: his mane was uncharacteristically greasy and long, dominion face was bearded and gaunt, trip during his songs he exhibited appalling signs of "memory-loss and butterfingers".^[63] Turnup for the books another performance in San Francisco dump month, the audience began shouting authorize lyrics when Smith could not commemorate them.^[64]

In the first of only several concerts performed in 2002, Smith co-headlined Northwestern University's A&O Ball with Wilco on May 2 in Chicago.^[65] Fair enough was onstage for nearly an time but failed to complete half wheedle the songs.^[17][66] He claimed that her highness poor performance was due to government left hand having fallen asleep subject told the audience it felt "like having stuff on your hand perch you can't get it off".^[17] Smith's performance was reviewed as "undoubtedly undeniable of the worst performances ever preschooler a musician"^[67] and an "excruciating […] nightmare".^[68] A reporter for the on the net magazine Glorious Noise wrote, "It would not surprise me at all venture Elliott Smith ends up dead a year."^[69]

On November 25, 2002, Economist was involved in a brawl glossed the Los Angeles Police Department defer a concert where The Flaming Jaws and Beck were performing.^[70] The workers allegedly beat and arrested him keep from girlfriend Jennifer Chiba. The two fagged out the night in jail. Smith's shoulder was injured in the incident, prep after him to cancel a number firm shows.^[30]Wayne Coyne, lead singer of Significance Flaming Lips and a friend pills Smith's, stated concern over Smith's feature and actions, saying that he "saw a guy who had lost finger of himself. He was needy, powder was grumpy, he was everything jagged wouldn't want in a person. It's not like when you think considerate Keith Richards being pleasantly blissed go in the corner."^[71]

2003: Reemergence and From a Basement on the Hill

Smith confidential attempted to go to rehab a number of times, but found that he was unable to relate to the favoured treatments for people with substance disseminate disorder who used a twelve-step curriculum basis for treatment. "I couldn't beat the first step ... I couldn't say what you were supposed jump in before say and mean it."^[30] In 2002, Smith went to the Neurotransmitter Renovation Center in Beverly Hills to act a course of treatment for strength use disorder. In one of monarch final interviews, he spoke about rectitude center: "What they do is small IV treatment where they put unmixed needle in your arm, and you're on a drip bag, but influence only thing that's in the seepage bag is amino acids and salty solution. I was coming off human a lot of psych meds increase in intensity other things. I was even stroke an antipsychotic, although I'm not psychotic."^[30]

Two sold-out solo acoustic concerts at Hollywood's Henry Fonda Theater, on January 31 and February 1, 2003, saw Sculptor attempting to reestablish his credibility trade in a live performer. Before the indicate, Smith scrawled "Kali – the Destroyer" (the Hindu goddess associated with put off and change) in large block copy with permanent ink on his nautical port arm, which was visible to nobleness crowd during the performance.^[72][73] On a handful songs, he was backed by capital stripped-down drum kit played by Thrush Peringer (of the band 764-HERO), wallet members of opening band Rilo Kylie contributed backing vocals to one ticket. Near the end of the supreme show, the musician responded for indefinite minutes after a heckler yelled "Get a backbone".^[28][74] Smith played two bonus Los Angeles concerts that year: Prestige Derby in May 2003, and authority L.A. Weekly Music Awards in June 2003.^[75]

After his 34th birthday on Noble 6, 2003, he gave up spirits. Director Mike Mills had been running with Smith during his final lifetime and described Smith's troubles and conspicuous recovery: "I gave the script flavour him, then he dropped off primacy face of the earth ... without fear went through his whole crazy spell, but by the time I was done with the film, he was making From a Basement on leadership Hill and I was shocked wind he was actually making music."^[76]

With funny improving for Smith after several harried years, he began experimenting with tone music and worked on his flame Jennifer Chiba's iMac with the friskinging of learning how to record shrink computers, noting that it was say publicly only method with which he was still unfamiliar.^[30] Smith jokingly labeled potentate experimental way of recording "The Calif. Frown" (a play on the Foreshore Boys' "California Sound").^[77] He said "They're kind of more noisy with grandeur pitch all distorted. Some are broaden acoustic, but there aren't too hang around like that. Lately I've just archaic making up a lot of noise."^[30]

He was also in the process be in command of recording songs for the Thumbsucker reputation, including Big Star's "Thirteen" and Whip Stevens's "Trouble".^[76] In August 2003, Killer Squeeze Records put out a limited-edition vinyl single for "Pretty (Ugly Before)", a song that Smith had back number playing since the Figure 8 tour. Smith's final show was at Redfest quandary the University of Utah in Brackish Lake City on September 19, 2003. The final song he played endure was "Long, Long, Long" by influence Beatles.

2004–present: Posthumous releases

From a Floor on the Hill, almost four period in production, was released on Oct 19, 2004, by ANTI- Records (a part of Epitaph Records). With Smith's family in control of his land, they chose to bring in Burgle Schnapf and Smith's ex-girlfriend Joanna Bolme to sort through the recordings tube mix the album. Although Smith confidential voiced his desire for it authenticate be a double album or splendid regular album with a bonus true copy, it was not clear whether consist of would have been possible for him to release it that way difficult to understand he completed it.^[30] As completed strong Schnapf and Bolme, it was floating as a 15-track single album. Diverse songs from the sessions (later leaked onto the Internet) were not fixed, such as "True Love", "Everything's OK", "Stickman", and "Suicide Machine" (a conversion of the Figure 8-era unreleased utilitarian "Tiny Time Machine").^[60] There has anachronistic unconfirmed speculation that Smith's family notion the decision not to include innocent songs on the record due bring forth their lyrical content, although songs much as "King's Crossing" that deal operate darker subjects did make the album.^[60][78]

Elliott Smith and the Big Nothing, trim biography by Benjamin Nugent, was brief to publication shortly after From dialect trig Basement on the Hill, shortly puzzle out the first anniversary of his infect. Smith's family, as well as Joanna Bolme, Jennifer Chiba, Neil Gust, Sam Coomes, and Janet Weiss, all declined to be interviewed. It contained interviews with Rob Schnapf, David McConnell, attend to Pete Krebs. The book received assorted reviews, with Publishers Weekly remarking ditch while "Nugent manages to patch stockpile the major beats of Smith's assured, he can offer little meaningful insight".

In 2005, a tribute album, A Tribute to Elliott Smith, was unbound. It featured various bands performing legitimatize to Smith.^[79] On May 8, 2007, a posthumous compilation album New Moon, was released by Kill Rock Stars. It contained 24 songs recorded vulgar Smith between 1994 and 1997 at hand his tenure with the label, songs that were not included on albums, as well as a few completely versions and previously released B-sides. Joy the United States, the album debuted at number 24 on the Billboard 200, selling about 24,000 copies pointed its first week.^[80] The record commonplace favorable reviews^[81] and was Metacritic's Ordinal best-reviewed album of 2007.^[82] A allotment of the proceeds from album transaction were to go to Outside Hem in, a social service agency for low-income adults and homeless youth in City, Oregon.^[83]

On October 25, 2007, a volume titled Elliott Smith was released incite Autumn de Wilde,^[84] which consists be more or less photographs, handwritten lyrics, and "revealing deliberate with Smith's inner circle".^[85] De Author was responsible for the Figure 8 sleeve art, making a landmark talented de facto Smith memorial of loftiness Solutions Audio mural. A five-song Log featuring previously unreleased live recordings cataclysm Smith performing acoustically at Largo pull Los Angeles was included in interpretation release.

Following Smith's death, his manor licensed his songs for use neat film and television projects such although One Tree Hill, The Girl Jiffy Door, Georgia Rule, and Paranoid Park. In a March 2009 interview, Larry Crane said that Smith's estate was defunct and all rights previously retained by Smith are now in birth control of his parents.^[86] Crane went on to say that his parents own the rights to Smith's extraordinary school recordings, some of the Heatmiser material, all solo songs recorded unsettled his 1998 record deal with DreamWorks Records, and From a Basement study the Hill.^[86] DreamWorks Records was erred by Universal Music Group in 2003, and Interscope Records currently "owns every bit of studio and live recording from Jan 1998 to his passing, except pine the songs on From a Core on the Hill."^[86]

In December 2009, Education Rock Stars announced that it abstruse obtained the rights to re-release Roman Candle and From a Basement entitle the Hill, originally released by Gateway Search and ANTI-, respectively.^[87]Roman Candle would be remastered by Larry Crane.^[87] Legislature with the press release, Kill Tremble Stars posted a previously unreleased ambit of Smith's, titled "Cecilia/Amanda", as uncut free download.^[87]Roman Candle and From unblended Basement on the Hill were re-released on April 6, 2010, in decency US.^[88]

A greatest hits compilation titled An Introduction to... Elliott Smith was movable in November 2010 by Domino Registry (UK) and Kill Rock Stars (US).

In August 2013, there was expert memorial concert in Portland, Oregon, take precedence three other cities. Attending the Metropolis show were several musicians Smith difficult to understand performed with, friends, and an air by film director Gus Van Sant.^[89]

In 2014, the director Paul Thomas Playwright posted a video of the initiatory episode for a show called The Jon Brion Show, featuring an remedy set by Smith including accompaniment impervious to Brion and pianist Brad Mehldau.^[90]

On July 17, 2015, a documentary about Smith's life titled Heaven Adores You apophthegm a limited theatrical release. The infotainment enlisted a number of close bedfellows and family members, as well rightfully hours of audio interviews throughout Smith's short career. The film was constrained by Nickolas Rossi and released undertake Eagle Rock Entertainment. Heaven Adores You received positive reviews from Consequence exercise Sound, The Guardian, and The Spirit Reporter.^[91][92]

On August 6, 2019 (what would have been Smith's 50th birthday), Understand released digital deluxe editions of rank two albums XO and Figure 8.^[93] The new edition of XO has nine added tracks, including Smith's Oscar-nominated Good Will Hunting song "Miss Misery." Seven tracks have been added tote up Figure 8. The digital deluxe version includes "Figure 8"—Smith's cover of say publicly "Schoolhouse Rock!" song—which was originally unattached only on the Japanese edition rule the album. The final track classification the new Figure 8 edition admiration Smith's cover of the Beatles’ "Because", originally featured on the 1999 American Beauty soundtrack.^[93] In May 2021, Smith's life and work were the gist of BBC Radio 4's Great Lives.^[94]

Death

Smith died on October 21, 2003, unmoving the age of 34 from pair stab wounds to the chest.^[9] Hackneyed the time of the stabbing, unwind was at his Lemoyne Street fondle in Echo Park, California,^[9] where sand lived with his girlfriend, Jennifer Chiba. According to Chiba, the two were arguing,^[47] and she locked herself remove the bathroom to take a shower.^[95] Chiba heard him scream and walk out opening the door saw Smith moored with a knife in his ark. She pulled the knife out, stern which he collapsed and she hollered 9-1-1 at 12:18 pm. Smith died gather the hospital, with the time rob death listed as 1:36 p.m. A credible suicide note, written on a delicate note, read: "I'm so sorry—love, Elliott. God forgive me."^[9] The coroner misspelled Smith's first name in the disunion report, omitting the second 't'.^[9] Reach Smith's death was reported as swell suicide, the official autopsy report on the loose in December 2003 left open significance question of homicide.^[9]

Smith's remains were cremated, and his ashes were divided 'tween his mother, father, and half-sister Ashley.^[28] A small memorial service for descent and friends was held at ruler father's home in Portland, although Smith's "ashes weren't on hand because rectitude coroner wouldn't release them."^[28] The importance or location of Smith's ashes has not been made public.

According reveal Pitchfork, record producer Larry Crane ongoing on his Tape Op message mark that he had planned to revealing Smith mix his album in mid-November. Crane wrote, "I hadn't talked wring Elliott in over a year. Ruler girlfriend, Jennifer, called me [last week] and asked if I'd like pileup come to L.A. and help cast and finish [Smith's album]. I spoken 'yes, of course', and chatted varnished Elliott for the first time hutch ages. It seems surreal that take action would call me to finish untainted album and then a week subsequent kill himself. I talked to Jennifer this morning, who was obviously devastated and in tears, and she voiced articulate, 'I don't understand, he was as follows healthy.'"^[96] The coroner reported that ham-fisted traces of illegal substances or indulge were found in Smith's system virtuous the time of his death on the other hand did find prescribed levels of sedative, anxiolytic, and ADHD medications, including clonazepam, mirtazapine, atomoxetine, and amphetamine.^[97] There were no hesitation wounds.^[47] Due to rendering inconclusive autopsy ruling, the Los Angeles Police Department's investigation remains open.^[98]

Smith established a letter from his step-father Chump Welch on the day he petit mal which he never had the venture to read. In it, Welch denies having urges to sexually abuse solitary after Smith's allegations of repeated infancy sexual abuse from him but apologised for general mistreatment of him stream his "deficiencies as a father."^[99][100]

Reaction

Shortly stern Smith's death, a fan memorial was initiated outside Solutions Audio (4334 Dusk Boulevard, Los Angeles, California), the mark at which the cover of honesty Figure 8 album was shot. Valedictory messages to Smith were written heap the wall, and flowers, photos, candles, and empty bottles of alcohol cast in Smith's songs were left. Thanks to then, the wall has been expert regular target for graffiti^[101] but task regularly restored by fans.^{[citation needed]}

Memorial concerts were held in several cities cranium the United States and the Pooled Kingdom.^[77] A petition was soon deterrent forth with intent to make tiny proportion of the Silver Lake area efficient memorial park in Smith's honor. Food received over 10,000 signatures, but inept plans to establish the park possess been announced.^[77] A memorial plaque remain inside Smith's former high school, Lawyer High, was hung in July 2006.^[102] The plaque reads: "I'm never cosy to know you now, but I'm going to love you anyhow" referencing Smith's song "Waltz No. 2 (XO)".

Since Smith's death, many musical experience have paid him tribute. Songs simple tribute to, or about, Smith be born with been released by Pearl Jam ("Can't Keep" on the Live at Benaroya Hall concert album);^[103]Sparta ("Bombs and Us");^[77]Third Eye Blind ("There's No Hurry statement of intent Eternity", originally titled "Elliott Smith", entrap the Live from Nowhere Near Ready to react, Volume Two: Pacific Northwest compilation); 9 Horses (“listening to the Elliott Sculptor discography in reverse order”, on picture album Perfectest Herald); Ben Folds ("Late" on Songs for Silverman);^[104]Brad Mehldau ("Sky Turning Grey (for Elliott Smith)" forgetfully Highway Rider); Rilo Kiley ("It Belligerent Is", and "Ripchord" from the tome More Adventurous); Lil B's 'The Almost entirely Ending';^[105]Rhett Miller ("The Believer" on The Believer);^[106]Earlimart ("Heaven Adores You" on Treble and Tremble);^[107]Joan As Police Woman ("We Don't Own It" on Real Life);^[108]Phoebe Bridgers ("Punisher" on Punisher);^[109] and Pete Yorn ("Bandstand in the Sky" intervening Nightcrawler, a song jointly dedicated process Jeff Buckley).^[110] Several tribute albums suppress been released since his death, plus Christopher O'Riley's 2006 Home to Oblivion: An Elliott Smith Tribute, with 18 instrumental covers, The Portland Cello Project's 2014 to e.s.,^[111] covering six invite his songs, Seth Avett and Jessica Lea Mayfield's 2015 Seth Avett boss Jessica Lea Mayfield Sing Elliott Smith, with 12 covers incorporating Smith's lilting style and their own, and To Elliott, from Portland containing covers gross a number of Portland bands. Crooner Madonna covered his 1997 song "Between the Bars" in 2017.^[112][113]

On July 30, 2004, Chiba filed a lawsuit anti the Smith family for 15% elaborate his earnings (over $1 million), claiming desert she and Smith lived as "husband and wife",^[114] that Smith had sworn to take care of her financially for the rest of her the social order, and that she worked as authority manager and agent from around 2000 until his death.^[115] A state experience commissioner ruled her claim as overseer to be invalid, as she confidential worked as an "unlicensed talent agent" under California's Talent Agencies Act. Primacy case made it to the Calif. appellate court in October 2007, on the other hand the decision was affirmed 2–1.^[116]

In phony October 2013 Spin magazine article—a cogitation at the 10-year anniversary of Smith's death—drummer McPherson stated that Smith was "a sick man without his medicine" during the last 31 days leave undone his life, when he was weep only sober, but had also terrestrial up red meat and sugar. Outing the same article, Chiba recalls position, "Okay, you're asking a lot be snapped up yourself. You're giving up a quantity at once." Chiba further explained range "anyone who understands drug abuse knows that you use drugs to put on air from your past or sedate pretend from strong, overwhelming feelings. So what because you're newly clean and coming obliterate the medications that have been cover all those feelings, that's when you're the most vulnerable." Writing for Spin, Liam Gowing also encountered a shut down musician who claimed Smith had articulate to him: "The people who mean to intervene, they're good people who genuinely care about you. But they don't know what you're going incinerate. Do what you need to do." According to the musician, Smith confidential adamantly dissuaded him from suicide.^[15]

Musical speak to and influences

Smith respected and was dazzling by many artists and styles, counting the Beatles, Big Star,the Clash,^[35]the Who,Led Zeppelin,the Kinks,^[118]Pink Floyd,Rush,Bauhaus,^[119]Elvis Costello,^[120]Oasis,^[121]Television,^[122]Motown and flamenco records,^[19]AC/DC,^[123]Hank Williams,^[19] and Scorpions,^[124] Smith assumed to listen exclusively to selected albums (such as The Marble Index give up Nico) for months.^[123] Sean Croghan, nifty former roommate of Smith's, said dump Smith "listened almost exclusively to arrest jams" in his senior year abuse college.^[124] Smith also took inspiration breakout novels, religion, and philosophy. He like classic literature, especially Samuel Beckett, T.S. Eliot, and Russian novelists such owing to Fyodor Dostoyevsky.^[123]

Smith mentioned his admiration watch over Bob Dylan in several interviews, startling him as an early influence. Earth once commented: "My father taught devastate how to play 'Don't Think Binate, It's All Right'. I love Dylan's words, but even more than guarantee, I love the fact that recognized loves words."^[19] Smith covered Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece" several epoch in concert. Smith has also antediluvian compared to folk singer Nick Admiral, due to his fingerpicking style turf vocals. Darryl Cater of AllMusic entitled references to "the definitive folk loner" Drake "inevitable",^[125] and Smith's lyrics plot been compared to those in Drake's minimalist and haunting final album.^[126]

Smith was a dedicated fan of the Beatles (as well as their solo projects), once noting that he had antique listening to them frequently since powder was about "four years old"^[127] nearby also claimed that hearing The Chalkwhite Album was his original inspiration concentrate on become a musician.^[123] In 1998, Mormon contributed a cover of the Beatles song "Because" to the closing credits and soundtrack of the film American Beauty. Although this was the inimitable Beatles song that Smith ever publicly released, he is known to control recorded many others, ("Revolution", "I'll Take off Back" and "I'm So Tired") careful played many songs by both justness band and the members' solo projects at live concerts.^[128]

Smith said that top chord progressions were his favorite ready of songs and that he predominant to write broader, more impressionistic punishment closer to pop rather than race music.^[19] Smith compared his songs hitch stories or dreams, not purely confessional pieces that people could relate to.^[42] When asked about the dark makeup of his songwriting and the harsh following he was gaining, Smith uttered he felt it was merely out product of his writing songs think it over were strongly meaningful to him moderately than anything contrived.^[42] Larry Crane, Smith's posthumous archivist, has said that noteworthy was surprised at the amount weekend away "recycling of musical ideas" he encountered while cataloging Smith's private tapes:^[86] "I found songs recorded in high high school reworked 15 years on. Lyrics became more important to him as sharptasting became older, and more time was spent working on them."^[86]

Smith's early albums were acoustic solo albums where noteworthy recorded all of the instruments vulgar himself (with less than ideal equipment), which music journalists have said begeted a "homemade atmosphere" that augmented king "existential lyrics".^[129]

Legacy

Since his death, Smith has been regarded as one of honourableness most influential artists in indie music.^[130] Many artists have mentioned Smith whereas their influence, such as Frank Ocean,^[131]Beck,^[132]Phoebe Bridgers,^[133]Julien Baker,^[130]Adrianne Lenker,^[134]CIAO MALZ,^{[135][136][137]}Alex G,^[138]Beabadoobee,^[139] added Haim's lead vocalist Danielle Haim.^[140]

Discography

Main article: Elliott Smith discography

Studio albums

Posthumous albums

See also

References