warren zevon

[Guest guest]

I'll miss him a lot.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Warren Zevon, who wrote and sang the rock hit ``Werewolves of London'' and was among the wittiest and most original of a broad circle of singer-songwriters to emerge from Los Angeles in the 1970s, died Sunday. He was 56.Zevon died of lung cancer at his home, his manager Irving Azoff told the Los Angeles Times. Azoff did not return calls from The Associated Press early Monday.Zevon faced death with the same dark sense of humor found in much of his music, including songs like ``I'll Sleep When I'm Dead,'' ``Life'll Kill Ya'' and ``Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead.''He gained attention in the '70s by writing a string of popular songs for Ronstadt, including ``Poor, Poor Pitiful Me,'' ``Carmelita'' and ``Hasten Down the Wind.''His two albums, 1976's ``Warren Zevon'' and 1978's ``Excitable Boy,'' followed those songs with darkly humorous tales of prom-date rapists; headless, gun-toting soldiers of fortune; and werewolves who drank pina coladas at singles bars and were particular about their hair.They cemented Zevon's reputation as one of rock music's most politically incorrect lyricists, giving him a lifelong cult following that included gonzo journalist Hunter S. , former Minnesota Gov. Ventura and ``Late Show'' host Letterman, who provided backing vocals on ``Hit Somebody,'' Zevon's 2001 elegy to a professional hockey goon who longs to be a goal-scoring hero.Not that all of his music was dark and violent. His oveure contained some straight-out comedy as well, including ``Mr. Bad Example,'' ``The Hula Hula Boys'' and ``Gorilla You're a Desperado.'' The latter told the tale of a Los Angeles Zoo ape who escapes by locking a yuppie in his place and going off to live in the man's apartment, only to end up depressed and divorced.In his final months, he summoned the energy to complete a last album, ``The Wind,'' released in August. It includes the poignant ``Keep Me in Your Heart,'' a cranky ``Disorder in the House'' and a remake of Dylan's ``Knockin' on Heaven's Door.''Zevon moved to Los Angeles in the 1960s, making a living writing jingles for television commercials. He also composed the song ``She Quit Me Man'' for the movie ``Midnight Cowboy.'' He was just out of his teens when he went to work for the Everly Brothers, first as a pianist and later as their band leader. 09/08/03 07:31 EDT

Be good to yourself,LizAttitude determines altitude. - unknown