Elliott Smith

There will be a benefit for Elliott Smith Memorial Fund, set up by his family members in the wake of his tragic death two years ago this week, tonight at the Brick. The fund is Free Arts for Abused Children and will feature Kansas City artist performing ES songs. Born Steven Paul Smith in Omaha, Nebraska, but mostly grew up in Texas. Smith learned to play both the piano and guitar as a child and wrote his first song when he was 13. At 14, Smith moved from Texas to Portland, Oregon, and graduated High School on June 3rd, 1987. He then changed his name to Elliott because he though Steve sounded too much like a jock.
As a member of the band Heatmiser, he debuted in 1993 with the LP Dead Air, issuing his first solo effort Roman Candle on the tiny Cavity Search label a year later. For his 1995 self-titled album, Smith signed with the noted Kill Rock Stars label; Either/Or followed in 1997, around the same time that filmmaker and longtime fan Gus Van Sant requested permission to use the singer's music in his upcoming Good Will Hunting. Smith also composed a handful of new songs for the soundtrack, among them "Miss Misery," and when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced its Oscar nominations the following February, the track was a surprise entry in the Best Original Song category. Although he did not win, Smith performed the song live at the televised Oscar broadcast, appearing on-stage alongside superstars Trisha Yearwood and eventual award-winner Celine Dion in one of the most notably surreal musical moments in recent memory. Smith's DreamWorks label debut, XO, followed later in 1998. Two years later he delivered Figure 8, which indulged in lush arrangements and orchestrations more so than any of his previous solo efforts. For the next two years, Smith labored over what was to be his next album, From a Basement on a Hill, he would not live to see its completion. The record was released two days shy of the first anniversary of his death.
Smith battled depression, alcoholism, and drug addiction for many years, which is sometimes evident in his music; however, seemingly obvious songs such as "Needle in the Hay" were frequently misinterpreted to be about his own battles, when in reality his own problems with drugs did not develop until years later. He died in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California at age 34, from multiple stab wounds to the chest. While the death was originally reported as a suicide, the official autopsy report released in late December 2003 left the question open.
Anyway..listen for yourself to Heatmiser and the more pop friendly Figure 8, quite a transition.

Heatmiser
Yellow No. 5 EP
Figure 8
part1
part2