I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon
Encyclopedia
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon is a biography/oral history of rock musician Warren Zevon
compiled by his ex-wife Crystal Zevon and published May 2007 by Ecco Books.
The book is an unflinching look at Zevon's "high times and hard ways", and contains many admiring reflections on Zevon's work from his famous musical peers, alongside some unsavory revelations. Included are details about Zevon's abusive behavior toward his ex-wife and children in the 1970s, his many sexual dalliances and his return to drinking and drug use in the aftermath of his terminal diagnosis. Extensive use is made of excerpts from Zevon's private journals, which are concerned largely with his sexual partners, music industry worries and guilt over his relationships with children Jordan
and Ariel.
The book intersperses interviews conducted with 87 friends, lovers and collaborators including Bruce Springsteen
, Jackson Browne
, Stephen King
, Billy Bob Thornton
and Bonnie Raitt
. Before his death, Zevon is reputed to have given the project his blessing, and to have requested that the book be uncompromising in its honesty about even the most unflattering details.
Warren Zevon
Warren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his sometimes sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical themes.Zevon's work has often been praised by well-known...
compiled by his ex-wife Crystal Zevon and published May 2007 by Ecco Books.
The book is an unflinching look at Zevon's "high times and hard ways", and contains many admiring reflections on Zevon's work from his famous musical peers, alongside some unsavory revelations. Included are details about Zevon's abusive behavior toward his ex-wife and children in the 1970s, his many sexual dalliances and his return to drinking and drug use in the aftermath of his terminal diagnosis. Extensive use is made of excerpts from Zevon's private journals, which are concerned largely with his sexual partners, music industry worries and guilt over his relationships with children Jordan
Jordan Zevon
Jordan Zevon is an American singer, musician and songwriter. He is the son of rock musician Warren Zevon. Following his father's death in 2003, Jordan, his half-sister, Ariel, and longtime Zevon collaborator Jorge Calderón accepted Warren's two posthumous Grammy Awards for Best Rock Vocal...
and Ariel.
The book intersperses interviews conducted with 87 friends, lovers and collaborators including Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
, Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
, Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton is an American actor, screenwriter, director and musician. Thornton gained early recognition as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire and in several early 1990s films including On Deadly Ground and Tombstone...
and Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
. Before his death, Zevon is reputed to have given the project his blessing, and to have requested that the book be uncompromising in its honesty about even the most unflattering details.