Warren Zevon was born 76 years ago today.
A rock singer-songwriter and musician, Zevon was known for the dark and somewhat bizarre sense of humor in his lyrics. His work has often been praised by Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Neil Young.
Zevon’s best-known compositions include "Werewolves of London," "Lawyers, Guns and Money," "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" and "Johnny Strikes Up the Band," all of which are featured on his third album, Excitable Boy (1978).
Other well-known songs written by Zevon have been recorded by other artists, including "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" (a Top 40 hit by Linda Ronstadt), "Accidentally Like a Martyr," "Mohammed's Radio," "Carmelita" and "Hasten Down the Wind."
Along with his own compositions, Zevon recorded or performed occasional covers, including Allen Toussaint's “A Certain Girl,” Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" and Leonard Cohen's "First We Take Manhattan."
Zevon had a lifelong phobia of doctors and seldom received medical assessment. Shortly before playing at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival in 2002, he started feeling dizzy and developed a chronic cough.
After a period of suffering with pain and shortness of breath, Zevon was encouraged by his dentist to see a physician. He was diagnosed with inoperable peritoneal mesothelioma (a form of cancer associated with exposure to asbestos).
Refusing treatments he believed might incapacitate him, Zevon instead began recording his final album, The Wind, which includes guest appearances by close friends including Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley, Jackson Browne, Timothy B. Schmit, Joe Walsh, David Lindley, Billy Bob Thornton, Emmylou Harris, Tom Petty and Dwight Yoakam.
Zevon died on September 7, 2003 at age 56 at his home in Los Angeles.
The Wind was certified gold in December, 2003.
Here is Zevon in full concert at the Capitol Theatre in 1982