Warren Zevon

Warren Zevon (born January 24, 1947, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.—died September 7, 2003, Los Angeles, California) American singer-songwriter whose poetic rock songs—by turns hard-boiled, humorous, tough, and tender—were acclaimed by critics and much admired by other songwriters.

Zevon studied classical piano before taking up songwriting. In the 1960s he wrote songs that were recorded by the Turtles, among other acts, while he performed in a folk rock duo. Wanted Dead or Alive, a solo album released in 1969 under the name Zevon, went mostly unnoticed, and for a brief period thereafter he served as music director for the Everly Brothers. He then employed his rough-hewn baritone on the well-regarded Warren Zevon (1976), several songs from which were covered by Linda Ronstadt—notably “Hasten Down the Wind” and “Poor, Poor Pitiful Me.” That album was followed by Excitable Boy (1978), which featured the rollicking “Werewolves of London”—Zevon’s only major hit—as well as the geopolitically inspired songs “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner” and “Lawyers, Guns and Money.”

Zevon’s subsequent recordings included The Envoy (1982), Sentimental Hygiene (1987), and Life’ll Kill Ya (2000). Although his commercial success was ultimately limited, he enjoyed a cult following; among his fans was TV talk-show host David Letterman, on whose programs he frequently performed. Zevon survived inoperable lung cancer long enough to complete a final album, The Wind (2003). It earned the Grammy Award for best contemporary folk album, and the single “Disorder in the House,” a duet with Bruce Springsteen, also won a Grammy.