Fri, September 12, 2003

This past weekend, the music world mourned the loss of Warren Zevon, who had been diagnosed over a year ago with cancer. Talk show host David Letterman, described by Zevon as "the best friend my music ever had," eulogized the musician/songwriter on The Late Show Monday night. It was a moving and personal tribute and illustrates why Letterman, third in late night ratings, is still at the top of his field.

I know relatively little of Zevon or his music. I was only introduced to him, as most of us were, by Letterman. He was a frequent guest on Letterman's shows, even filling in for musical director Paul Schaffer on occasion. I'm hardly an expert on music, so it would be very difficult for me to describe Zevon's style. It is unique, in my opinion, for its ability to defy expectation. From what little I've heard, his music doesn't have a catchy and memorable tune the way most successful rock songs have, but it represents expertly crafted composition and his lyrics are, as Dave describes them, "vivid and evocative."

Shortly after he received the gloomy prognosis in the fall of 2002, Zevon appeared on an episode of The Late Show which devoted an entire hour to him, with interview segments and musical performances. It was a remarkably touching hour of television because despite my relative unfamiliarity with Zevon, his warmth and sincerity came across immediately, as did Letterman's obvious attachment. The host was clearly holding back tears throughout much of the interview, while Zevon radiated his characteristic charm and good humor in the face of his impending fate. The musical performance closed with an emotional rendition of the appropriately selected song "Mutineer," which tells the story of someone who willfully ignores the consequences of self-destructive choices, only to end up facing them later in life. Letterman rebroadcast the performance on Monday's program.

Monday's brief speech was incredibly touching; again, not so much because of my connection to Zevon (fantastic though he is), but because of Letterman's clearly heartfelt fondness for him. Dave is a gifted speaker and storyteller and does a magnificent job of relating to his audience. Moments in which he addresses us directly at the start of the show are among the chief reasons that he remains my favorite late night host. Not that he has any competition in his time slot, but Conan is a funny if less sincere runner-up. Letterman is a master humorist and a brilliant wordsmith and the reason he's so appealing is that he is so genuine and familiar.

In particular, I'm fascinated with his interest in Zevon's music because Letterman is for the most part such a private individual. We know very little about his personal life, and for him to share such an obviously dear interest with us is a rare thing. That Zevon is so meaningful to Dave makes him more than worth a casual listen. I for one will be picking up a copy of his recent and final album "The Wind." (That's right, at a music store. Take that, RIAA! "Wah! Nobody buys any music any more! Wah!")

***

By the way, if you're not watching The Ellen DeGeneres Show, (syndicated, check local listings) you really should be. She's as charming as ever, and she's bringing glamour back to daytime television.

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