elliott smith - r.i.p.

[igor]

http://www.sweetadeline.net/

goodbye elliott

as you probably realize im pretty devastated about having to say goodbye to elliott. i've been so lucky enough to experience my own love and other's love of elliott and what his music has brought to us. its never easy to put into words what someone means to you. simply elliott was such a lovely man. i'll miss him so much. he was so kind and generous. he really made me feel so good whether being in his presence or watching him play a song or just driving in my car singing along. when i first meet elliott in 1998 after a show i was really worried to bug him for an autograph. it seemed like every article i read, elliott got into a fight somehow, so my perception was that you don't want to get him mad because you might get socked. well i was willing to take a chance that night and god i'm so glad i did. it was brief but it meant the world. with elliott holding a beer, i ran up to him asking for an autograph. with a soft spoken yes and a smile, he was willing to take time for me to sign my record. the fact he was willing to take time to do that for me meant the world. not only didn't i get socked but elliott put 'to charlie elliott' of course that just made me love him more :) as time went on, i got to meet elliott more and more and spend a little time with him backstage. as always he was sweet to me before even knowing who i was. but finally i told him. i was nervous but he was so comforting. he even gave me a pat on the back. some of the things he told me were cool, interesting, honest and funny. the best moment to me was when he told me how much he loved the site. the thing is that it reflects on everyone who contributed to the site and visited the site. elliott told me he thought the site was really nice and that he would come and visit it especially to check out the set lists to see what he played before so he could play a new set. he thanked me for it but really he was thanking everyone because he appreciated how much everyone cared about what he was doing. he also thanked us multiple times! so many times people close to elliott thanked us for doing this for elliott too because they knew how much it meant to him. you guys really did make him happy and brought a lot of good to his life. as fans gave to him, he was willing to give too. all the stories i read and heard from fans were never negative. everyone's experience with elliott was always positive. from elliott putting fans who didn't get tickets for the show on his guest list to giving money to the homeless to simply hanging out with fans and going out for a beer. i wish i could put so much more because that just doesn't add to all the kind things he was willing to do for anyone. i wish i could remember everyone's stories and list them all for you. i wish i knew every word he said to me word for word to share with you. im sorry i wish i could say more. im sad. so how can you say goodbye to someone who was and is so wonderful? you don't because elliott will be forever in my heart and hopefully yours. 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 love you so much elliott. thank you so much from the bottom of my heart and soul for making me happy when i need it or i just wanted to rock out. thank you for bringing such much joy to your love ones, family, your friends and all of us. i really pray you heard all the great things you gave us. love and friends. i'll miss you so much. we will all miss you. see you in heaven elliott.

charlie

if you would like to email something to elliott's family and friends, please send it to charlieramirez@sbcglobal.net


http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1479869/20031022/smith_elliott.jhtml?headlines=true

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

I wasn't a huge fan of Elliot's music, but some of the songs really touched me.  

RIP, my brother.

[my_evening_jacket]

elliot will be missed - rip my friend

[DD]

so the best part was how this thread was followed by "funny story" when i logged in so it looked like
elliot smith - rip, funny story.


ha ha ha ha ha ha

[Martijn]

the guy was like family for me.....I never loved someone so much that I didn't know personally... :'(

[hipkink]

This really shook me up yesterday. I wish he could've seen himself through his fans eyes.

[my_evening_jacket]

from Ted Leo: http://www.tedleo.com

Almost ten years ago, my old band, Chisel, was on our first full US tour.  Nothing west of Chicago was particularly well attended, but that never really gets me down -- I try to keep hopes up but expectations low.  Anyway, what was getting me down, was a certain lack of respect I was often feeling from people in a lot of places, which reached a real boiling point in Portland, Or., at a place called the "O," where we were being treated less than kindly by the promoter.  It was summer, and very very hot inside the club.  We attracted about 20 people that night, and played a pretty ripping set, if I remember correctly, during which I asked the promoter if I could have one of the 7-Ups he was selling for a quarter each from a cooler at the back of the room.  He said, "For a quarter!"  I thought he was joking, but he wasn't.  I sputtered through the sweat dripping down my face and across my mouth, "Well...  Can't I pay you after we're done playing?  Can't you take it out of our pay?"  He just stared at me, then made some quip about, "What pay?"  Which, since we'd only drawn 20 people, was a legitimate question, granted, but I was kind of dumbfounded -- I couldn't believe that he was going to not only NOT offer me a soda for busting my ass on stage, but was going to embarrass me in this way in front of an audience that was actually there to see us as well.  I had a serious existential crisis at that moment.  What the fuck am I doing here?  Why am I giving it up in this way every night?  Why are people so petty in their power struggles?   Is this all there is?  Just then, a person stepped out from the 20 person crowd, put a quarter in the promoter's hand, and walked the soda up to me on stage.  

It's largely due to that small gesture that I'm still playing music today, and in years to come, I got to know that person better, and count him as a friend.  That person was Eliot Smith.  And though I know he's now free from the very real demons that were gnawing at him...  Man, I think I'm going to miss him very very much.  My love to his other friends and family, and my love to you all.  Spare a thought for Eliot today.

[mollyringwald]

I was completely astounded by this news .... I spend time each day listening to Elliott Smith and marveling at his brilliant way with lyrics and his cool-as-a-bowl-of-berries voice.  As someone who just picked up the acoustic guitar about a year ago and started to get serious about learning, I have been immeasurably influenced and inspired by him.

If any of you are in the Ky area, there is an acoustic show in my basement on Nov. 7th and it is featuring Tyler McDaniel from Murfreesboro, TN. He is in a band there called The Falling.  There will be other acoustic performers playing that night as well.  We are doing it as a tribute to Elliott Smith and everyone playing will be covering at least one song by him.

We have basement shows at The Pirate House, 124 E. University Drive, Somerset, Ky, 42503.  Email piratecommunication@hotmail.com for more information.

"I had tender feelings that you made hard/but it's your heart not mine that's scarred"
- Elliott Smith, "You're Just Somebody That I Used To Know"  RIP

[Oz]

Wow... That's so unexpected. What exactly was the cause of his death? Maybe it's mentioned somewhere, I haven't read it that closely. I have no albums of him, he was one of those artists I always wanted to get into, but never really got to it. It's funny, a few weeks ago I was on a bus ride where they had 'Good will hunting' on the tv. I hate that movie, so I was looking out the window, when Eliott's songs appeared and they really moved me, again. Damn... Why do all the good people die?

[plank10]

suicide by stabbing

[Oz]

Fuck, is that true? Man... I'm... This is so sad. There's no fucking justice in this world.