Elliott Smith

Elliott Smith

Birth : 1969-08-06, Omaha - Nebraska - USA

Death : 2003-10-21

History

Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and lived for much of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity. Smith's primary instrument was the guitar, though he was also proficient with piano, clarinet, bass guitar, drums, and harmonica. Smith had a distinctive vocal style, characterized by his "whispery, spiderweb-thin delivery", and used multi-tracking to create vocal layers, textures, and harmonies. Smith died on October 21, 2003 at the age of 34 from two stab wounds to the chest. A possible suicide note, written on a Post-it note, read: "I'm so sorry—love, Elliott. God forgive me."

Profile

Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith

Movies

Heaven Adores You
Himself (archival footage)
Heaven Adores You is an intimate, meditative inquiry into the life and music of Elliott Smith. By threading the music of Elliott Smith through the dense, yet often isolating landscapes of the three major cities he lived in -- Portland, New York City, Los Angeles -- Heaven Adores You presents a visual journey and an earnest review of the singer's prolific songwriting and the impact it continues to have on fans, friends, and fellow musicians.
Searching for Elliott Smith
Self (archive footage)
The unauthorized biography of the Patron Saint of Indie Rock.
Elliott's Suicide
Music
A homage to the late American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith, Elliott’s Suicide is a sentimental 15 minute tribute, lacking Anger’s usual irony for obvious reasons. The film begins with shots of friends’ and fans’ last words written on Smith’s memorial on Sunset Boulevard, then to footage of a Macy’s parade, focusing closely on the oddly outfitted participants, some in renaissance attire, cowboys with lassos, and beauty queens. The film is scored with Smith’s music, resulting in a melancholy effect, especially in the segment that follows Smith through the woods and films him as he digs up a guitar, then plays a song. This footage is repeated in the end of the film, but in a negative reversal print, suggesting pretty damn clearly that the subject matter has moved beyond the veil.
Behind the Scenes Documentary: Thumbsucker
Music
The making of Mike Mills & Walter Kirn’s ‘Thumbsucker’ included on the DVD
Southlander: Diary of a Desperate Musician
Bus Driver
Chance, a hapless Los Angeles musician is searching for the coveted Moletron synthesizer through the classified ad paper the "Southlander", and meeting interesting characters along the way.
Paperboys
Music
Training his lens on a once ubiquitous but now fading slice of Americana, documentarian Mike Mills profiles six paperboys who call Stillwater, Minn., home. Featuring interviews and footage of the youngsters pedaling through their daily rounds, the film is a paradigm of America's changing face as adults assume a role formerly filled by pubescent entrepreneurs.
Strange Parallel
himself
Strange Parallel is a documentary/short film revolving around the American singer/songwriter Elliott Smith. The film features interviews with Elliott himself as well as fans, friends and other acquaintances of his (including Gus Van Sant, Larry Crane, and the members of Quasi). The film also includes snippets of Elliott Smith performing as well as footage of him recording an unreleased song, "Brand New Game". The film sometimes moves out of reality, with acted-out, metaphorical sequences that involve Elliott considering purchasing a mechanical hand (a "robot hand" ) to improve his music.
Good Will Hunting
Songs
When professors discover that an aimless janitor is also a math genius, a therapist helps the young man confront the demons that are holding him back.
Lucky Three
Editor
Described as "a cross between a video and a documentary, but actually being neither of the two", singer/songwriter Elliott Smith plays three acoustic songs in this Jem Cohen-directed short film.
Lucky Three
Himself
Described as "a cross between a video and a documentary, but actually being neither of the two", singer/songwriter Elliott Smith plays three acoustic songs in this Jem Cohen-directed short film.
Elkapni a gyilkost
Gas Station Attendant
"To Catch a Killer" tells the true gruesome story of John Wayne Gacy - a good friend and helpful neighbour, a great child entertainer, a respectful businessman, and a violent serial killer who raped and murdered over 30 young boys.
Elliott Smith - Olympia, Washington
Live performance from Elliott Smith 1. Son Of Sam 2. Angeles 3. Rose Parade 4. Happiness 5. Easy Way Out 6. Southern Belle 7. Wouldn't Mama Be Proud 8. Division Day 9. The White Lady Loves You More 10. Stupidity Tries 11. See You Later 12. Independence Day
The Jon Brion Show
Himself
The concept of the show is that Brion will play accompaniment to his guest, sometimes inviting other performers on stage to assist. Like the regular Friday night shows that Brion performed at the club Largo in Los Angeles at the time, the performance is largely improvised. Those Largo performances, displaying the depth of Brion’s pop knowledge and musicianship, were huge successes. And in this instance, with Smith, the result is one amazing musical moment after another.