Happy Holidays-in-Progress, Miraclers
Just want to pause a moment to honor a fallen Miracle maker, Vic Chesnutt, who passed away yesterday after a rough/short/prolific life. Here's a little thrown-together bunch of links about his life, as well as a sampler of his stuff.
Mini-obit from Rolling Stone:
Vic Chesnutt, the Georgia-based singer-songwriter known for his darkly comic songs, died yesterday in Athens, Georgia, after spending several days in a coma caused by an overdose of muscle relaxers. Chesnutt, who was confined to a wheelchair after a car crash at age 18, was discovered in the late 1980s by R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe, who produced his first two albums, Little and West of Rome. “We have lost one of our great ones,” Stipe said in a statement posted on the Constellation Records Website, which confirmed the musician’s death. “His songs and his story remain.”
VC's music was featured in a fantastic tribute album, Gravity of the Situation, benefiting Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, in which some covers are, dare I suggest, as great as the originals.
More stuff:
NYT obit here. Rolling Stone obit here. Obit from his friend/Throwing Muse Kristin Hersh here. Wikipedia bio here.
Great piece by NPR's All Songs Considered's Robin Hilton, as well as video of VC at an NPR 'Tiny Desk Concert.'
Interview with Terry Gross from earlier this month, in which he discusses his latest album, "At the Cut," as well his health issues, suicide, and his views on health care reform.
Best bio ever here, one that got me rethinking my entire resume.
If you feel moved to donate a few bucks to help VC's family defray recent hospital costs, his friend Kristin Hersh has set up a PayPal-friendly site in which all the proceeds will go toward his family.
Thoughts goin' out to VC and his fam-friend-fandom,
XOK
4 comments:
Vic Chesnutt-- a great artist. Sad, sad news.
Last heard Chesnutt play at the tiny Cactus Cafe in Austin, opening for Jonathan Richman. One month after Hurricane Katrina destroyed New Orleans, both artists brought on the tears. Tears of sadness, tears of joy.
At the end of his set Vic asked with complete sincerity if anyone in the audience had any pot. At the time I really wished I had some to share with him. Now more so.
I got to see Vic play in Athens, GA. He was a talented lyricist and songwriter, and like Kristin Hersh mentioned, his bark was always worse than his bite. I got to have a conversation/beer with him onceand found him to be the most humble, humorous guy. RIP Vic.
a great little tribute here too: http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/7751-appreciation-vic-chesnutt/
love this! Can't believe I've made it this far and never really listened to Vic Chestnut. Many thanks.
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