RIP Elliott Smith 1969-2003

[Dit bericht is gewijzigd door Timo20 op 22-10-2003 11:07]

V.

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Op woensdag 22 oktober 2003 11:12 schreef Grobbel het volgende:
Jesus, wat een schok... Staat er ook nog bij waaraan hij is overleden?
Behoorlijk onverwacht, dit.

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American singer songwriter has died at the age of 34 of an apparent suicide.

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Jeeemig...

Elliott relocated to Portland, Oregon as a Sophomore at Lincoln High School where he achieved the rank of National Merit Scholar. During his time at Lincoln High School, Elliott joined the band Stranger Than Fiction in which he composed music and performed until his graduation in 1987.

Elliott later attended Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, where he majored in Philosophy and Political Science. During his time at Hampshire, Elliott, known then as Elliott Stillwater-Rotter, co-founded the band A Murder of Crows. He later became a member of well known band Heatmiser. It was during this time that Elliott began to release music as a solo artist.

During his lifetime, Elliott released five full-length albums as a solo artist as well as a number of singles. Elliott was nominated for an Academy Award for Miss Misery, his musical contribution to the Academy Award winning movie, Good Will Hunting.

At the time of his death, Elliott was recording his sixth album, From A Basement on the Hill.

Elliott is survived by a host of family, friends and fans.

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Op woensdag 22 oktober 2003 11:22 schreef Theeboon het volgende:

[..]

Hier was ik erg naar aan 't uit kijken... Klote zeg dit...

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Op woensdag 22 oktober 2003 11:22 schreef PsychoDude_666 het volgende:
wie?

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Op woensdag 22 oktober 2003 11:25 schreef DaisyDuke het volgende:

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had 'm graag nog een keer live gezien...

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Op woensdag 22 oktober 2003 11:22 schreef Theeboon het volgende:

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Hier was ik erg naar aan 't uit kijken... Klote zeg dit...

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Folk-punk singer/songwriter Elliott Smith rose from indie obscurity to mainstream success in 1997 on the strength of "Miss Misery," his Academy Award-nominated song from the film Good Will Hunting. A native of Portland, OR, Smith began writing and recording his first songs at age 14, later becoming a fixture of the city's thriving music scene; 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 onstage alongside superstars Trisha Yearwood and eventual award-winner Celine Dion in one of the most notably surreal musical moments in recent memory; his DreamWorks label debut, XO, followed later in 1998, and Figure 8 arrived in early 2000.

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Op woensdag 22 oktober 2003 11:45 schreef Theeboon het volgende:

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Idd, z'n verschijning en liedjes (stem) zijn vrij fragiel, 't zou haast cliché zijn.

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Customers who bought albums by Nick Drake also bought:

Either/Or
~ Elliott Smith

Elliott Smith
~ Elliott Smith

XO
~ Elliott Smith

't is kut!

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Once upon a time there was a tall, reedy, long-haired Englishman named Nick Drake who recorded three albums of poignant, whispery folk songs about isolation and alienation before overdosing on antidepressants in 1974. In the years since his death a cult has grown up around him which regards him (quite rightly) as one of the great unheralded talents in all of pop music, the brightest light in the British folk-rock scene of the '60s and '70s, and one of the artists most responsible for the development of the singer/songwriter pop idiom we know today. Drake's legacy makes mention of his name virtually unavoidable when discussing Elliott Smith, and for some, Smith seems like the late '90s American reincarnation of Drake, with his starkly minimal acoustic arrangements and breathy gossamer voice.

There are differences, of course, perhaps the most critical that Drake was, at root, a lonesome melancholy hippie, while Smith is, in essence, a defiant, angry punk. But the basic feel, of a brilliant loner making sad, solitary music with his acoustic guitar, is the same, and Smith, like Drake is a true master of this craft. With little more than some beautifully fingerpicked guitar and that plaintive voice, Smith covers a far greater emotional range than most rock combos. With every release he has matured as a songwriter, combining raw, rough poetry with backhandedly memorable melodies and subtle arrangements. Today he is among the best -- and certainly the most recognized -- in the increasingly crowded indie singer/songwriter world.

Strangely enough, it is to indie film director Gus Van Sant that Smith probably most owes his success. Van Sant, as you probably recall, used Smith's music on the soundtrack to Good Will Hunting, leading to a surprise Oscar nomination for Smith. At that time (1997), Smith had already been around awhile, as long time member of Portland rock band Heatmiser and an established solo artist with three albums to his credit. Those albums, by the way, were Roman Candle ('94), his brilliant Kill Rock Stars debut Elliott Smith ('95), and Either/Or ('97), the last of which featured a couple of songs that appeared on the soundtrack. The movie's success got Smith noticed in a big way, and earned him a deal with Dreamworks Records, which released his next two albums, XO ('98) and Figure 8 (2000). Those two records saw Smith move away from the extraordinarily intimate, stark fare of his previous releases and towards something cleaner, glossier, better produced, and more pop-oriented, but on the albums, his prodigious songwriting talent is as much in evidence as ever.

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Ik ben met mijn naieve kop al een kwartier aan het zappen langs de verschillende muziekzenders, onder de misplaatste illusie dat ze tussen Britney Spears en 50 cents door even tijd zouden maken om stil te staan bij dit feit. Maar hij had wel talent, en daar houden ze daar niet zo van, geloof ik..

Ik heb Elliott Smith pas laat ontdekt, namelijk tijdens het kijken naar Good Will Hunting 5 jaar geleden, maar voor ik het wist, had ik either/or, roman candle, elliott smith en 2 albums van heatmiser in mijn platenkast staan.
Vlak daarna kwam XO uit en ik vond het onvoorstelbaar hoe iemand zo snel zoveel moois kon maken.
Vervolgens duurde het even, maar daarna kwam ook Figure 8, en ik wachtte nu al een paar jaar op From a basement on the hill. Het album had nogal wat vertraging opgelopen door Elliott's vertrek bij zijn maatschappij.

Ik heb hem pas 1 keer live kunnen zien, in Paradiso,een paar jaar terug. Dat had wel meer mogen zijn..

Als zijn talent ook maar een beetje erkend was, hadden ze nu alle muziekzenders een dag op zwart gezet met alleen zijn muziek op de achtergrond, maar dat ben ik dan weer.
Ik ga vannacht in ieder geval lekker in mijn eentje stomdronken worden met de volumeknop op 10, melodramatisch of niet, dat zal me een worst wezen. De muziekwereld is iets heel moois kwijtgeraakt, en dat mag best herdacht worden in gepaste stijl.
Jammer dat hij zo ongelukkig was, maar ik twijfel er geen minuut aan dat het een weloverwogen beslissing van hem was om zijn leven te beeindigen. Hij heeft in ieder geval iets tijdloos achtergelaten.

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Op woensdag 22 oktober 2003 12:44 schreef Lamon het volgende:
Zo, de muziekwereld is weer een stukje kaler..

[...]

Als zijn talent ook maar een beetje erkend was, hadden ze nu alle muziekzenders een dag op zwart gezet met alleen zijn muziek op de achtergrond, maar dat ben ik dan weer.
Ik ga vannacht in ieder geval lekker in mijn eentje stomdronken worden met de volumeknop op 10, melodramatisch of niet, dat zal me een worst wezen. De muziekwereld is iets heel moois kwijtgeraakt, en dat mag best herdacht worden in gepaste stijl.
Jammer dat hij zo ongelukkig was, maar ik twijfel er geen minuut aan dat het een weloverwogen beslissing van hem was om zijn leven te beeindigen. Hij heeft in ieder geval iets tijdloos achtergelaten.

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*rouwt mee*

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Maybe I have a problem,
But thats not what I wanted to say.
I prefer to say nothing.
I got a long way to go
Getting further away.

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Het is blijkbaar nog geen common knowledge, het feit dat hij zelfmoord heeft gepleegd..

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Elliott Smith Dead at 34
[Updated Wednesday, October 22nd, 2003 07:45:00 Pitchfork Central Time]

Will Bryant reports:
Elliott Smith has died at age 34, according to an obituary posted late Tuesday on Sweet Adeline, Smith's official website. Rumors had been circulating on the Internet all day about Smith's apparent suicide; by early evening, the overwhelming traffic from well-wishers and fans was crashing Sweet Adeline's discussion board. A handful of posts indicated that representatives from Smith's label, Dreamworks, were attempting to contact Charlie Ramirez, the webmaster for Sweet Adeline.

Within hours, Ramirez posted the following: "As you probably realize, I'm pretty devastated about having to say goodbye to Elliott... it's never easy to put into words what someone means to you... Elliott was such a lovely man... I will always have his love, kindness, intelligence, humbleness, creativeness, greatness and so much more in me forever because that's what he was and i'll always love him for being who he was... I'll miss you so much. We will all miss you. See you in heaven, Elliott."

Smith had been working on his sixth studio album, From A Basement On The Hill, since late 2001. At various points, the self-recorded album was being shopped to indie labels and later, tentatively scheduled as a double-disc offering on DreamWorks' 2003 schedule.

Last November, Smith was reportedly involved in a scuffle with Los Angeles county sheriffs at a Flaming Lips show. Smith retained the services of an attorney in the matter, and had publicly sought witnesses to the incident on Sweet Adeline. Smith reportedly claimed his hand was injured in the fracas, causing the cancellation of at least one planned show this spring. But this wasn't the first time Smith had cancelled a show because of pain in his arm. A February 2002 London concert was postponed after Smith had flown all the way across the Atlantic-- claiming he'd slept on the arm during the flight. In May 2002, Smith flubbed more than half of his planned setlist at a Chicago show, again claiming difficulties with an uncooperative hand.

Smith's continued difficulty with live performances and the multiple delays with Basement-- including claims that Smith disappeared for days and couldn't be found-- led many to speculate that the singer might be using heroin or other hard drugs. Smith had written very candidly about past drug use in his songwriting, most notably in the 1995 track "The White Lady Loves You More." In January, Smith even played a benefit show for a free needle exchange aimed at preventing the spread of AIDS and hepatitis among intravenous drug users. Smith's new songs deal frankly and obsessively with drug use and suicide: a quick perusal of the Basement song titles alone yields the now-poignant "Memory Lane," "Strung Out Again," "Let's Get Lost," "Shooting Star," "A Distorted Reality Is Now A Necessity To Be Free" and "Fond Farewell." "Give me one reason not to do it," Smith taunts in "King's Crossing," another unreleased Basement cut.

I last saw Elliott Smith at the Henry Fonda Theater in Los Angeles nine months ago, a birthday gift from my girlfriend. Out of all the live shows I've ever witnessed-- and I've witnessed a lot-- I've never left a show feeling more uneasy and concerned for the well-being of the artist performing. Smith's live sets have always been hit-or-miss; in particular, his live gigs from the past couple of years have often been marred by forgotten lyrics, butterfingers on his own florid guitar parts, and so on. But on this night, Smith performed beautifully-- mostly unaccompanied on acoustic guitar, but also with some spare drumming and backup vocals on a few songs.

It was his between-songs banter, fractured and urgent, that really fostered my concern. Smith couldn't have asked for any better-- a sold-out, shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, focused intently on the frail and inarticulate figure center stage. "My heart's weak because, like, uh..." Smith started at one point, trailing off in mid-sentence before launching into the obscure single "No Confidence Man." As soon as the song began, Smith became erudite, focused, passionate. Between songs, he stuttered and aborted sentences mid-thought, as if utterly unable to communicate without his music.

Smith was scheduled to play the Los Angeles-area incarnation of this year's All Tomorrow's Parties in November. As previously reported, Smith released the single "Pretty (Ugly Before)" as a limited-edition seven-inch on Suicide Squeeze in August; the single was expected to serve as a teaser for the forthcoming album. In June, Smith was awarded a "Best Rock/Pop Songwriter/Composer" award from the alternative paper LA Weekly.

Like me, Smith grew up in Dallas, TX and was physically and emotionally tormented by insensitive schoolmates before moving west. Smith went to high school in Portland, OR and attended college in Massachusetts. In 1992, Smith formed Heatmiser with bandmates Neil Gust, Tony Lash, and later Sam Coomes. Heatmiser released three albums and an EP, but it was Smith's self-recorded 1994 effort Roman Candle that drew attention to Smith's spare, confessional songwriting and innovative guitar work. After Heatmiser disbanded in 1996, Smith's solo career took off-- eventually landing the singer several songs on the soundtrack to Gus Van Sant's 1997 film Good Will Hunting, including the Oscar-nominated "Miss Misery."

Smith signed with Dreamworks in 1998, quickly serving up the baroque XO and ambitious Figure 8, backing both releases up with extensive full-band tours. Last year, Smith enlisted Flaming Lips manager Scott Booker to manage his career and shop Basement to indie labels. In the last ten months, Smith had played acoustic sets extensively across the U.S., including stops in Los Angeles, New York, Austin, Philly, and Hoboken. Smith's last public performance was at the University of Utah's Redfest festival last month in Salt Lake City.

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De Amerikaanse zanger en
tekstschrijver Elliott Smith is
gisteren op 34-jarige leeftijd
overleden.De dood van Smith is
bekendgemaakt door verscheidene
radiostations in Amerika en
fanwebsites.Het is tot op heden
onduidelijk waaraan Smith zo plotseling
is overleden.De zanger kwam bij het
grote publiek in het nieuws met zijn
nummer Miss Misery? uit de film Good
Will Hunting.Smith werd hiervoor in
1997 genomineerd voor een Academy Award
in 1997.Smith was nu bezig aan zijn
nieuwe album From A Basement On the
Hill,dat hij eind dit jaar zou
voltooien.

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Op woensdag 22 oktober 2003 15:59 schreef methodmich het volgende:
Ik las net ergens dat hij zichzelf doodgestoken zou hebben...

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Op woensdag 22 oktober 2003 12:44 schreef Lamon het volgende:

Als zijn talent ook maar een beetje erkend was, hadden ze nu alle muziekzenders een dag op zwart gezet met alleen zijn muziek op de achtergrond, maar dat ben ik dan weer.
Ik ga vannacht in ieder geval lekker in mijn eentje stomdronken worden met de volumeknop op 10, melodramatisch of niet, dat zal me een worst wezen. De muziekwereld is iets heel moois kwijtgeraakt, en dat mag best herdacht worden in gepaste stijl.
Jammer dat hij zo ongelukkig was, maar ik twijfel er geen minuut aan dat het een weloverwogen beslissing van hem was om zijn leven te beeindigen. Hij heeft in ieder geval iets tijdloos achtergelaten.

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rip.

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Cult Star Elliott Smith Dies

By Anthony Barnes, Showbusiness Editor, PA News

Oscar-nominated musician Elliott Smith has died at the age of 34, it emerged today.

The cult US singer/songwriter, who battled drink and drug problems, is believed to have committed suicide.

Smith came to prominence after his track Miss Misery featured in the soundtrack to the movie Good Will Hunting.

And his version of The Beatles Because was included in the film American Beauty.

His website reported that he died yesterday and the Los Angeles county department of the coroners office confirmed the death of a man called Paul Smith, the singers real name.

Smith won huge acclaim for his most recent album, Figure 8, in 2000, the fifth of his career and his second on a major label.

The album, partly recorded at Londons Abbey Road studios, was reminiscent of the Fab Four and Beach Boys.

His material tackled difficult subjects such as his own unhappiness, his drug problems and heartbreak.

Smith, who lived in LA, turned to a solo career after playing in the band Heatmiser.

He found a global audience when he performed at the 1998 Oscars ceremony, creating a huge buzz around his work.

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Folk-punk singer/songwriter Elliott Smith has died, an apparent suicide, according to the Los Angeles County Department of the Coroner's office. Smith's body was found in his apartment, in the Silverlake section of Los Angeles, by a female friend, who took him to a local hospital at approximately 12:18 p.m. on Tuesday.

He was pronounced dead at Los Angeles County University of Southern California Medical Center just over an hour later. He was 34.

A single knife wound that appeared to be self-inflicted was evident on the body, though police detectives are investigating the incident for foul play and/or other possibilities. No other details were available at press time.

Smith (real name Steven Paul Smith) had battled drug and alcohol addiction throughout his career. His first two albums, 1994's Roman Candle and the next year's self-titled LP for Olympia, Washington's Kill Rock Stars label, intimated these subjects with haunting, sparsely recorded acoustic songs such as "Needle in the Hay" that drew comparisons to 1960s singer/songwriter Nick Drake and Simon and Garfunkel. He reportedly cleaned up midway through his career, but the problem was believed to have escalated in recent years due to a reclusive nature and sporadic public performances.

A cornerstone of the indie-rock scene in Portland, Oregon, in the mid-1990s, Smith gained critical acclaim with 1997's Either/Or and 1998's XO, albums that best demonstrated his ability to delicately deliver poetic, emotional lyrics and beautifully dark, lush pop melodies. "Miss Misery," his contribution to the film "Good Will Hunting" that earned him an Academy Award nomination in 1997, brought mainstream recognition to the artist regarded as a figurehead of the indie-rock underground, and who influenced such artists as Bright Eyes and Dashboard Confessional.

Born August 6, 1969 in Omaha, Nebraska, Smith grew up near Dallas and took an interest in music at age 9, and began writing and recording original compositions as a teenager. He moved to Portland in high school, where he played in a local band, before attending Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Returning to Portland, he formed the alternative-rock quartet Heatmiser with future Quasi member Sam Coomes. The band released three albums and disbanded after hitting its creative stride with 1996's Mic City Sons.

While still a member of Heatmiser, Smith retreated to his basement to focus on more intimate material in vast contrast to Heatmiser's heavier sound. Roman Candle, on which he played all the instruments, was recorded on a four-track and epitomized the lo-fi DIY aesthetic while showcasing Smith's talent to craft emotive song structures that emphasized the dark themes of his lyrics.

The promise of a great songwriter was furthered on Smith's self-titled album. While keeping with an overall melancholy vibe, he concentrated on beautifying the melodies. The songs floated like lullabies, though the lyrics could disrupt sleep for weeks.

Smith continued to play all the instruments on 1997's Either/Or, while focusing on the arrangements. Dramatic constructions combine with Smith's eerily potent stripped-down fare for the album that cemented his role in the indie-folk pantheon. At the time of the LP's release, filmmaker and Portland resident Gus Van Sant used Smith's music for the soundtrack to "Good Will Hunting." Smith performed "Miss Misery," which was nominated for Best Original Song, at the Academy Awards show in April 1998. The Oscar went to Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On," from "Titanic," though simply being nominated helped his subsequent LP, 1998's XO, become Smith's best-selling album.

XO and his final album, 2000's Figure 8, both released on major-label DreamWorks Records, were marked by lush textures and acoustic melodies inspired by the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson and latter-day Beatles, that brimmed with a sunny brilliance, but still retained Smith's keen commentaries and forlorn sentiments. He had been working on a follow-up album, From a Basement on the Hill, at the time of his death (see "Elliott Smith Flying Solo On Next LP, But It Won't Sound Like It").

The limited-edition 7-inch single "Pretty (Ugly Before)" was released in August on Seattle indie Suicide Squeeze Records, and the previously unreleased songs "Splittsville" and the instrumental "Snowbunny's Serenade" appear in the film "Southlander: Diary of a Desperate Musician," directed by Silverlake resident Steve Hanft, who's helmed videos for Beck. After limited theatrical showings, the movie was released on DVD October 7. Hanft was also responsible for the Smith documentary "Strange Parallels," released in 1998.

In June, Smith performed on the second stage of the Field Day festival in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which was headlined by the Beastie Boys, Radiohead and Blur. A brief tour of the U.S. followed. He was scheduled to perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Los Angeles on November 9.

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Ik lees het nu pas, met een brok in mijn keel..

k was zeker wel een liefhebber van zijn muziek

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Op woensdag 22 oktober 2003 18:55 schreef piertje2 het volgende:
wie is dit?/

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Heel jammer dit

[Dit bericht is gewijzigd door theofiel172 op 22-10-2003 19:00]

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Op woensdag 22 oktober 2003 19:00 schreef ChrisJX het volgende:

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Nee, dat blijkt wel...

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But now I feel changed around,
And instead falling down,
Im standing up the morning after.

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Schokkend bericht, ik heb er inderdaad op de radio niets over gehoord, lees het hier voor het eerst.

-edit: offtopic gedeelte verwijderd.-

[Dit bericht is gewijzigd door Seborik op 23-10-2003 12:03]

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Op woensdag 22 oktober 2003 19:47 schreef sniper20 het volgende:

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Wel een hele ophef over een relatief onbekend iemand.

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verder ben ik een heletijd weg van fok (alleen het nieuws) vanwege de domme reacties, en het bevalt me heel goed, na dit topic ben ik ook weer weg, nog 3 maanden aruba te gaan...
maar wat voor een inhoud heeft zon post van dat persoon nou,
ik ken dat mens toch ook niet, dat ga ik toch ook niet posten
"hey ik ken jou niet, hehe wat ben ik leuk en interssant om dit te posten"

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Op woensdag 22 oktober 2003 19:47 schreef sniper20 het volgende:

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Wel een hele ophef over een relatief onbekend iemand.

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Op woensdag 22 oktober 2003 19:54 schreef Theeboon het volgende:

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Kan erg kwaad worden om dit soort shit.

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net of als Puff Daddy (of P.Diddy) overlijdt dat rouwen dan wel mag (en misschien dan MOET volgens sommige mensen)

_{van mij hoeft dhr. Diddy niet dood overigens}

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Op woensdag 22 oktober 2003 19:57 schreef vdo28 het volgende:
Ik ken deze gozer ook niet maar heb wel respect voor iedereen die hier bij stil wil staan...

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Ik heb 'm 1 keer life gezien, op Lowlands '98 in de Chill-out tent. Op zondag geloof ik. Weinig belangstelling toen, maar dat maakte het heel speciaal. Prachtige, rustige muziek. Waltz #2 zal altijd 1 van m'n favorieten blijven.

Om half negen een special/interview met 'm.

Opgenomen uiteraard.

Prima, maar reageer hier dan niet. Niemand vraagt je op je 'm kent.

Beetje respect voor de mensen die wel geraakt zijn door dit overlijden graag..

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Op woensdag 22 oktober 2003 20:08 schreef Breuls het volgende:
Als je de man niet kende..

Prima, maar reageer hier dan niet. Niemand vraagt je op je 'm kent.

Beetje respect voor de mensen die wel geraakt zijn door dit overlijden graag..

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Meer voorschut kun je je zelf niet zetten.

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Op woensdag 22 oktober 2003 19:47 schreef sniper20 het volgende:

[..]

Wel een hele ophef over een relatief onbekend iemand.

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en dan nog...

Zulke onnozele reacties wil je vast ook niet als jouw favoriete artiest komt te overlijden. Op www.allmusic.com kun je alles opzoeken wat je wilt, desnoods gebruik je google als je echt wilt weten wie het is.

En dan spraken zijn liedjes me wel aan.

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Op woensdag 22 oktober 2003 20:47 schreef birthday_girl het volgende:
Shit, ik hoorde hem vaker voorbij komen op Kink.

En dan spraken zijn liedjes me wel aan.

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Op woensdag 22 oktober 2003 23:48 schreef Theeboon het volgende:

[..]

Ik zet zo XO voor je op en voor mezelf eigenlijk ook.

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Op woensdag 22 oktober 2003 23:58 schreef sooty het volgende:
Is het een schande als ik zeg dat ik er nog nooit van gehoord heb ?

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Op woensdag 22 oktober 2003 20:59 schreef Summoner het volgende:
Posts in de trent van "WIE?!", "Wie is dat?" en "Nooit van gehoord" worden vanaf dit punt verwijderd. Dan lees je het topic maar even hoor.

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Dit nachtje gaat bij mij even helemaal over Elliott Smith.
Het klinkt een beetje flauw, maar so be it.
Je kunt het bagataliseren, maar de waarheid is toch, dat ik in de afgelopen jaren zijn muziek toch gebruikt heb als begeleiding voor de vele emoties die ik gevoeld heb. Ik moet daar simpelweg toch even bij stil blijven staan..

Waarom moeten de echt grote artiesten altijd zo snel sterven?

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Op donderdag 23 oktober 2003 00:41 schreef nozem het volgende:
De mensen op dit forum die Elliott Smith waarderen zijn precies de mensen van wie ik het had verwacht, vraag me niet waarom..

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Ik maar denken dat er bijna geen fans bestonden..

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Op donderdag 23 oktober 2003 00:49 schreef Lamon het volgende:

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Mee eens.
Waarbij ik wel de kanttekening wil maken dat jullie je ook wel eens hadden mogen laten zien in Elliott Smith

Ik maar denken dat er bijna geen fans bestonden..

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Op donderdag 23 oktober 2003 01:29 schreef vantilt het volgende:
Ook ik zie nu pas dit topic.

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waiting for sedation to disconnect my head
or any situation where i'm better off then dead

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Op donderdag 23 oktober 2003 02:12 schreef Batuwu_Griekgriek het volgende:
Worden jullie er ook zo vreselijk melancholisch van? De muziek is al zo prachtig en nu krijgen al die teksten nog eens extra betekenis.

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it's always been wait and see
a happy day and then you pay
and feel like shit the morning after

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Op donderdag 23 oktober 2003 08:03 schreef QyRoZ het volgende:
But now I feel
Changed around
And instead
Of falling down
I'm standing up
The morning after

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Ik ben al jaren fan en hij heeft de mooiste melancholiek in zijn nummers die er is, de echte...

Ik kan echt wel , de dood van een artiest heeft me nog nooit zo aangegrepen. Het heeft er vooral mee te maken dat hij gevoelens van mij zo goed heeft verwoord in vele van zijn nummers vanaf Roman Candle tot aan Figure 8...

Ik ga zijn nummers missen en de prachtige melancholiek en kennis die uit zijn muziek en teksten sprak...

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Will Bryant reports:
Elliott Smith has died at age 34, according to an obituary posted late Tuesday on Sweet Adeline, Smith's official website. Rumors had been circulating on the Internet yesterday afternoon about Smith's apparent suicide; by early evening, the overwhelming traffic from well-wishers and fans was crashing Sweet Adeline's discussion board. A handful of posts indicated that representatives from Smith's label, Dreamworks, were attempting to contact Charlie Ramirez, the webmaster for Sweet Adeline.

Within hours, Ramirez posted the following: "As you probably realize, I'm pretty devastated about having to say goodbye to Elliott... it's never easy to put into words what someone means to you... Elliott was such a lovely man... I will always have his love, kindness, intelligence, humbleness, creativeness, greatness and so much more in me forever because that's what he was and i'll always love him for being who he was... I'll miss you so much. We will all miss you. See you in heaven, Elliott."

Kill Rock Stars, who released Smith's 1995 self-titled solo album and 1997's Either/Or, changed their website's splash page to a pensive photo of Smith this afternoon in silent tribute to the beloved songwriter.

"We are deeply saddened by Elliott Smith's tragic death and send our condolences to his friends and family," read a statement posted by Dreamworks late this afternoon on the label's website. "He was perhaps his generation's most gifted songwriter. His enormous talent could change your life in a whisper. We will miss him."

Outside the Solutions! speaker repair shop on Sunset Boulevard, a makeshift memorial to Smith was assembled by fans on Wednesday evening. Amid assorted notes from fans, photographs, scribbled lyrics, memorabilia, and several dozen candles were empty bottles of Christian Brothers brandy and Johnnie Walker Red, a tiny lapel pin printed with the world "Happiness," and a picture of Smith emblazoned with the slogan "HERO." The broad facade of the store, with its bold red and blue stripes, served as the background for the cover of Smith's 2000 album Figure 8. Fans have begun scrawling messages to Smith between the stripes on the wall: "I'm damaged bad at best. You are deeply missed," read one such message.

Wire reports from the Associated Press and Reuters today confirm that Los Angeles county coroner's officials believe the death is a suicide, indicating that the singer's body had sustained a single stab wound to the chest. Smith was found by his live-in girlfriend yesterday afternoon, according to the AP report. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.

Smith had been working on his sixth studio album, From A Basement On The Hill, since late 2001. At various points, the self-recorded album was being shopped to indie labels and later, tentatively scheduled as a double-disc offering on Dreamworks' 2003 schedule.

Last November, Smith was reportedly involved in a scuffle with Los Angeles county sheriffs at a Flaming Lips show. Smith retained the services of an attorney in the matter, and had publicly sought witnesses to the incident on Sweet Adeline. Smith reportedly claimed his hand was injured in the fracas, causing the cancellation of at least one planned show this spring. But this wasn't the first time Smith had cancelled a show because of pain in his arm. A February 2002 London concert was postponed after Smith had flown all the way across the Atlantic-- claiming he'd slept on the arm during the flight. In May 2002, Smith flubbed more than half of his planned setlist at a Chicago show, again claiming difficulties with an uncooperative hand.

Smith's continued difficulty with live performances and the multiple delays with Basement-- including claims that Smith disappeared for days and couldn't be found-- led many to speculate that the singer might be using heroin or other hard drugs. Smith had written very candidly about past drug use in his songwriting, most notably in the 1995 track "The White Lady Loves You More." In January, Smith even played a benefit show for a free needle exchange aimed at preventing the spread of AIDS and hepatitis among intravenous drug users. And in a recent, extensive interview with Under The Radar magazine, Smith admitted having undergone an intravenous treatment meant to clear his body of toxins resulting from drug and alcohol abuse. The entire text of the interview (including some quotes that didn't make the print edition) can be found at the magazine's web site linked below.

Smith's new songs deal frankly and obsessively with drug use and suicide: a quick perusal of the Basement song titles alone yields the now-poignant "Memory Lane," "Strung Out Again," "Let's Get Lost," "Shooting Star," "A Distorted Reality Is Now A Necessity To Be Free" and "Fond Farewell." "Give me one reason not to do it," Smith taunts in "King's Crossing," another unreleased Basement cut.

I last saw Elliott Smith at the Henry Fonda Theater in Los Angeles nine months ago, a birthday gift from my girlfriend. Out of all the live shows I've ever witnessed-- and I've seen quite a few-- I've never left a show feeling more uneasy and concerned for the well-being of the artist performing. Smith's live sets have always been hit-or-miss; in particular, his live gigs from the past couple of years have often been marred by forgotten lyrics, butterfingers on his own florid guitar parts, and so on. But on this night, Smith performed beautifully-- mostly unaccompanied on acoustic guitar, but also with some spare drumming and backup vocals on a few songs.

It was his between-songs banter, fractured and urgent, that really fostered my concern. Smith couldn't have asked for any better-- a sold-out, shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, focused intently on the frail and inarticulate figure center stage. "My heart's weak because, like, uh..." Smith started at one point, trailing off in mid-sentence before launching into the obscure single "No Confidence Man." As soon as the song began, Smith became erudite, focused, passionate. Between songs, he stuttered and aborted sentences mid-thought, as if utterly unable to communicate without his music.

Smith was scheduled to play the Los Angeles-area incarnation of this year's All Tomorrow's Parties festival in November. As previously reported, Smith released the single "Pretty (Ugly Before)" as a limited-edition seven-inch on Suicide Squeeze in August; the single was expected to serve as a teaser for the forthcoming album. In June, Smith was awarded a "Best Rock/Pop Songwriter/Composer" award from the alternative paper LA Weekly.

Smith grew up near Dallas, TX, where he often had trouble fitting in and was physically and emotionally tormented by insensitive schoolmates. Smith went to high school in Portland, OR and attended college in Massachusetts. In 1992, Smith formed Heatmiser with bandmates Neil Gust, Tony Lash, and later Sam Coomes. Heatmiser released three albums and an EP, but it was Smith's self-recorded 1994 effort Roman Candle that drew attention to Smith's spare, confessional songwriting and innovative guitar work. After Heatmiser disbanded in 1996, Smith's solo career took off-- eventually landing the singer several songs on the soundtrack to Gus Van Sant's 1997 film Good Will Hunting, including the Oscar-nominated "Miss Misery."

Smith signed with Dreamworks in 1998, quickly serving up the baroque XO and ambitious Figure 8, backing both releases up with extensive full-band tours. Last year, Smith enlisted Flaming Lips manager Scott Booker to manage his career and shop Basement to indie labels. In the last ten months, Smith had played acoustic sets extensively across the U.S., including stops in Los Angeles, New York, Austin, Philly, and Hoboken. Smith's last public performance was at the University of Utah's Redfest festival last month in Salt Lake City.

In addition to his work with Heatmiser and his brief but productive solo career, Smith also lent his songs and musicianship to friends and fellow artists including Mary Lou Lord, Pete Krebs, Lois, The Spinanes, Quasi, No. 2, Guided By Voices, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and Goldenboy.

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Op donderdag 23 oktober 2003 11:09 schreef Man_in_a_Shed het volgende:
Er staat ook een stukje in de Volkskrant over hem.

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Op een fragiele manier somber

'Je wordt nogal verdrietig van het leven, hè?' Knullige, aanmatigende vraag, natuurlijk. Maar verzin maar eens iets beters na twintig minuten aan een tafel met Elliott Smith (34), kleine nomade uit de Verenigde Staten en schepper van kleine, klassieke, even lichtvoetige als melancholieke popliedjes. 'Nee hoor', ontkende hij. Even keek hij vanonder zijn mutsje op, om te zien of het antwoord in de smaak viel. 'Nee' was één van zijn favoriete antwoorden, net als 'ja' en 'kweetniet'. Ditmaal gaf hij er warempel een paar bonuswoorden bij: 'Ik zie er de humor wel van.'

Elliott Smith (34) zong liever dan dat hij praatte


Dat was drie jaar geleden in Amsterdam, vlak voor het verschijnen van zijn vijfde solo-album Figure 8. Het interview was ongeschikt voor een verhaal in de krant.

Nu is Elliott Smith dood. Hij zag er blijkbaar de humor niet meer van. Steeds meer bronnen (MTV, tijdschrift NME) bevestigen dat hij zelfmoord heeft gepleegd. Met een mes, in zijn appartement in Los Angeles.

Smith was zijn zesde album aan het opnemen, dat eind dit jaar had moeten verschijnen. Voorlopige titel: From A Basement On The Hill. Zijn producer en goede vriend Jon Brion maakte zich al langer zorgen. Volgens Brion zag Smith er slecht uit en herkende hij hem nauwelijks toen hij hem in een platenzaak tegenkwam.

Zijn echte voornaam was niet Elliott, maar Steven Paul. Hij werd geboren in Nebraska, groeide op in Texas, studeerde in Massachusetts en woonde de laatste tijd in California. Hij speelde in bands als Stranger Than Fiction, A Murder Of Crows en Heatmiser voor hij in 1994 solo ging.

Het grote publiek leerde hem kennen toen hij het liedje Miss Misery schreef voor de film Good Will Hunting (1997) van regisseur Gus Van Sant. Het leverde hem zelfs een Oscar-nominatie op.

De albums Either/Or (1997) en vooral XO (1998) gelden als zijn beste platen, waarop echo's van klassieke songsmeden als The Beatles en Paul Simon doorklinken. Door de zwierige melodielijnen klonken veel liedjes niet somber. Maar ze waren het wel, op de verraderlijke, fragiele manier die ook van Nick Drake postuum een cultlegende maakte. Live voerde hij ze soms met een band uit, soms ook alleen.

Van praten hield Elliott Smith niet. Wat hij echt voelde, zong hij liever, met zijn hoge, ijle stem. Zoals in In The Lost And Found (2000): 'I'm alone/ That's okay, I don't mind/ Most of the time/ I don't feel afraid to die.'

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Op donderdag 23 oktober 2003 16:44 schreef QyRoZ het volgende:
Hele dag naar zijn muziek geluisterd, wat zitten er af en toe enorm mooie nummers tussen. Doodzonde dat hij er niet meer is. Doodzonde.

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Op donderdag 23 oktober 2003 16:46 schreef DaisyDuke het volgende:

[..]

Veel meer dan 'af en toe'...........

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* Dezz zet XO maar weer op...

een mes in zn hart...hoe verzint ie het ook..

Zonde, absoluut...en jammer dat ik m nooit live heb gezien..kan me nog steeds voor mn kop slaan dat ik hem totaal niet had opgemerkt op t lowlands programma in 98...

Het ging de laatste tijd niet zo goed met m, heb ik begrepen...

Nou ja, z'n muziek hebben we in elk geval..al heeft zn muziek een veel heftigere inpact op me nu..:(

Snap er helemaal niks van, die vent maakte zulke prachtige muziek

Triest...

Waltz 2 was mijn eerste kennismaking en ik luister nu naar het volledige album (XO), waarbij ik alleen maar kan zeggen dat ik het echt helemaal te gek vind! Gelijk Waltz 2 leren spelen natuurlijk.

Het is spijtig dat ik tot voor zijn dood nog nooit bewust van hem gehoord had, maar anderzijds ben ik er blij om dat ik nu dan toch kennisgemaakt heb en dat het niet geheel aan mij voorbij gegaan is.
_{Bedankje voor degene die daarvoor verantwoordelijk is}.