Elliott Smith Biography, Songs, & Albums |

Elliott Smith was a musician and songwriter from Portland, Oregon. He is best known for his song “Miss Misery,” which has been covered by artists such as Johnny Cash, The White Stripes, and Radiohead.

Elliott Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely considered one of the most influential artists of his generation, and in 2003 Rolling Stone ranked him number 42 on their list of the 50 Greatest Artists of All Time. Read more in detail here: elliott smith best songs.

Elliott Smith, a renowned singer/songwriter with an uniquely melancholy tone, was a member of Portland, Oregon’s flourishing music scene in the mid-’90s when he started producing a series of very influential solo albums. From the quiet acoustic guitar recordings of his 1994 solo debut, Roman Candle, to the orchestrated studio artistry of his fifth album, Figure 8, released in 2000, his musical pallet grew with time. Nonetheless, they were all marked by a sensitive attitude communicated by passionate but wispy voices (sometimes double-tracked) and intimate lyrics that addressed topics such as addiction, despair, and isolation. Artful chord changes, which he considered his favorite element of songs, also influenced the nature of his music. In 1997, his contributions to the Good Will Hunting soundtrack earned him an Academy Award nomination, catapulting him from underground cult to mainstream fame (“Miss Misery”). He only made six solo albums, five of which were released before his tragic death in 2003 at the age of 34.

Elliott Smith was born Stephen Paul Smith in Omaha, Nebraska, but grew up mainly in Texas. His musical inspirations included Bob Dylan, the Kinks, Big Star, Elvis Costello, and the Beatles; he claimed The White Album encouraged him to become a musician. Around the time he moved to Portland, Oregon at the age of 14, he started composing and recording his first songs. Smith went to Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts to study philosophy and political science after high school. It was then that he met Neil Gust, his future bandmate. Smith and Gust returned to Portland after graduating in 1991, and the co-singer/songwriter/guitarists established the indie rock band Heatmiser with bassist Brandt Peterson and drummer Tony Lash. They joined with Frontier Records, who released Dead Air and Cop and Speeder in 1993 and 1994, respectively, combining Smith’s melancholy-pop sensibilities with Gust’s more aggressive approach and a noticeable grunge influence. Peterson then departed the organization, and Sam Coomes took his place.

Meanwhile, Smith’s then-girlfriend persuaded him to submit some of his solo demos to Cavity Search Records in Portland. The label showed instant interest in publishing a full-length record. Roman Candle was recorded on a four-track tape recorder at home and features sparse acoustic guitar ruminations with just a few additional instruments utilized as accents. Four of the tracks have no titles at all. It stood in stark contrast to the alternative music that dominated the scene at the time of its debut in 1994. For the next year’s Elliott Smith, he joined with renowned indie label Kill Rock Stars. It was partially recorded in his bandmate Lash’s home, and Gust contributed extra guitar. Heatmiser was quickly eclipsed by the attention the recordings garnered, but they did help Virgin Records sign the band for their last album, Mic City Sons. Caroline Recordings, a division of Caroline Records, released it in 1996. Heatmiser dissolved before the album’s release.

Smith’s more ambitious but completely self-recorded third solo LP, Either/Or, came in early 1997 as he continued to grow as a songwriter. The album’s increased instrumentation featured many songs with full-band arrangements and even keyboards, with the title derived from a Sren Kierkegaard novel of the same name. Even among a few brighter, uptempo songs, the results were nonetheless personal, characterized by his whispery, sometimes melancholy voice and lyrics. Smith and Heatmiser producers Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf mixed the record.

Gus Van Sant, a film director, had become a fan of Smith’s music and requested permission to use it in an upcoming film. Four of his previous songs might be heard in the critical and box financial smash Good Will Hunting later in 1997, including an orchestral version of “Between the Bars” produced with score composer Danny Elfman. “Miss Misery,” Smith’s original song for the film, was also featured on the soundtrack. The tune was a surprise inclusion in the Best Original Song category when the Academy Award nominees were revealed the following February. Despite the fact that it didn’t win, Smith made his network television debut a few days before the Oscars by performing an acoustic guitar version live on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Following that, he sang “Miss Misery” live on the Oscars broadcast, backed by the Broadcast Orchestra.

Smith’s sudden fame led to a record contract with DreamWorks, and his debut album was recorded in professional facilities. Though he had moved to Brooklyn after touring for Either/Or, he went to Los Angeles to work on the significantly more complex XO with artists like as Jon Brion and Joey Waronker. The Beatleseque production, which was released in 1998, was once again mixed by Smith, Rothrock, and Schnapf. It was his first album to chart on the Billboard 200, and it peaked at number 104 in the United States, as well as in Australia and Sweden, where it charted in the Top 50. In October 1998, Smith appeared on Saturday Night Live with Schnapf, Brion, Coomes, and John Moen. He relocated to Los Angeles in 1999, where he started work on his DreamWorks sequel after contributing a version of the Beatles’ “Because” to the soundtrack of Best Picture winner American Beauty. Smith, Rothrock, and Schnapf co-produced his fifth solo album, Figure 8, which was recorded in part at Abbey Road Studios in London in 2000. Its richer orchestral arrangements generated even more parallels to the Beatles’ subsequent albums. Figure 8 reached number 99 in the United States and many European nations.

Smith worked on what was to be his next album over the following couple of years. He left DreamWorks, and following a dispute with Brion, he shelved an album they were working on together. Meanwhile, Wes Anderson utilized “Needle in the Hay” from his eponymous album to accompany a suicide attempt scenario in his film The Royal Tenenbaums. Smith ultimately started again with his sixth album, mixing home recordings with material from Goldenboy’s Dave McConnell’s sessions. Parts of a proposed double CD were performed by musicians such as Coomes and Steven Drodz of the Flaming Lips. Smith, on the other hand, would not survive to see it finished.

Elliott Smith was discovered dead in his house on October 21, 2003, with two knife wounds in his chest. The coroner was unable to decide whether he committed himself or was murdered, and the investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department is still ongoing. Smith’s estate enlisted the help of Schnapf and his ex-girlfriend Joanna Bolme to finish the record. They finished From a Basement on the Hill after mixing — or in some instances remixing — 15 songs from the over 30 he left behind. Anti- published it as a single album only two days before the first anniversary of Smith’s death, and it received a positive response from critics. It was his lone Billboard Top 20 album, peaking at number 19 on the chart.

Smith’s old label, Kill Rock Stars, published a two-disc collection of previously unreleased material in 2007, all of which was recorded between 1994 and 1997. The 24-track album, named New Moon, included three songs previously only available on obscure compilations or soundtracks, including an early version of “Miss Misery” and a rendition of Big Star’s “Thirteen.” It, too, charted in a number of nations, reaching number 24 in the United States. In 2010, An Introduction to Elliott Smith was released, and in 2015, Smith was the subject of the documentary Heaven Adores You. The first documentary to be granted permission to utilize his music, the film’s soundtrack CD was released in 2016 and reached number one on the Billboard soundtracks list. In 2017, Smith was reintroduced to the Billboard 200 thanks to a 20th anniversary extended edition of Either/Or. Kill Rock Stars released Smith’s self-titled second album three years later, including Live at Umbra Penumbra, a 1994 recording of Smith’s debut solo concert.

The how old was elliott smith when he died is a question that has been asked many times. Elliott Smith was born on March 2, 1967 and died on October 21, 2003 at the age of 34.

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Either I wish I was in New York or The sound of silence.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”How many Elliot Smith songs are there?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Elliott Smiths most famous song?

Either I wish I was in New York or The sound of silence.

How many Elliot Smith songs are there?

There are 12 songs by Elliot Smith.

Was Elliott abused?

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