Warren Zevon Rocks On

The late LA-based singer-songwriter Warren Zevon would have liked last week's book and album release party in Gotham. Then again, in his cowboy days, there weren't many parties he didn't like. But this was almost a family affair celebrating his gritty biography "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead," by ex-wife Crystal Zevon, and an album of previously unreleased recordings by son Jordan Zevon. For most of the night, Jordan held court at one end of a townhouse while Crystal took the other side. A book editor explained there might be tension between the two because Jordan did not want Crystal to publish Zevon's sordid tales. But Zevon made her promise to tell the whole ugly truth. "Warren created these scenes and dramas so he could live them and write about them," she said of Zevon, who died of cancer in 2003. "Writing this book was cathartic." At evening's end, Jordan finally walked over to Crystal and whispered something. She kissed him and touched his face before both said goodbye. "Did you see that?" asked HarperCollins editor David Hirshey, who worked on Zevon's book and CIA director George Tenet's controversial tell-all. "That was a moment. They must have made up." He then added, "I am sure wherever Warren is — and given the life he lived, I trust the weather is warm — he's probably waving a fifth of vodka in Crystal's honor, turning those speakers up full blast and playing all night long."  (J. Clarke Jr.)

Comments

[Dave Lifton]

I don't think Jordan is unhappy about the book. I've interviewed both Jordan and Crystal for my podcast, which is available at www.wingsforwheels.net, and Jordan freely mentioned the book. Also, Jordan is frequently quoted throughout the book, and Preludes, the set of unreleased recordings, features excerpts from the book within its liner notes.