Personal Stories
Warren Zevon
Warren Zevon, a singer and songwriter best known for his hit "Werewolves of London," died at age 56 of mesothelioma in Los Angeles on September 7th.
A jack-of-all-trades musician adept at both piano and guitar, he performed with the Everly Brothers, headed the band on David Letterman's show, and wrote songs that were performed by Linda Ronstadt, Bob Dylan, and the Turtles.
Born in Chicago and raised in Arizona and Los Angeles, Zevon was the product of a Russian Jewish father and a Mormon mother.
A student of classical piano as a child, he went on to create ten albums that were noted as much for their witty, story-laden lyrics as their musicianship.
After a colorful, productive career that included collaborations with Jackson Browne, R.E.M., Bruce Springsteen, and other well-known rock musicians, Zevon started work on an album, "The Wind," in August 2002. After experiencing pain in his chest, however, he was diagnosed with mesothelioma and told that he had just months to live.
Rather than undergo treatment, Mr. Zevon chose to work on the album and be with his family.
The roster of guest musicians on "The Wind," which hit the charts at the end of August, showed the breadth of his friendships and influence: from rockers Don Henley and Tom Petty to country stars Emmylou Harris, Ry Cooder and Dwight Yoakam.
Some obituaries for Mr. Zevon have noted that he was a lifetime smoker, and have created the mistaken impression that he died of lung cancer. Few stories have mentioned mesothelioma, or noted the connection to a cancer whose only cause is asbestos.
The Committee to Protect Mesothelioma Victims (CPMV) offers its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Warren Zevon, a wonderfully talented singer, bandleader and songwriter. His legacy will live on in many ways.
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