Crystal Zevon: The Rolling Stone Interview
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ม.ค. 2016
- BURLINGTON BOOK FESTIVAL 2008 | Sept. 13, 2008
Warren Zevon's former wife and partner in crime has had one of the biggest hits of the year with her critically acclaimed biography, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon. Contributing Editor Anthony DeCurtis has interviewed the royalty of rock & roll for Rolling Stone. Watch a master in action as he speaks with Crystal about her book and her life with the musical legend.
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I've read Crystal's book at least three times now and I'm still stunned by how brilliantly well written and brutally honest it is.
Been over 10 years since I read the book,and the lasting image is when Warren became isolated and smeared his feces on the wall.
Jackson Browne is quite the empathetic human...he also tried very hard to help David Crosby during his worst drug addiction days, including chartering private jets to take him to rehab, paying up front for rehab, and then having Crosby skip out on day 1 or 2. So he has done a lot for many friends and family...
Crystal, my name is Jean, I live in Batemans Bay NSW Australia. I'm 66 years old today. I desperately wanted to at least read, yet alone, own your book. Today for my Birthday my gorgeous daughter surprised me with a copy that she ordered from America, to hopefully arrive on or before my Birthday. It came late yesterday. Then my son told me he was getting it for me for Christmas. How lucky am I. As I haven't read your book yet, I can't comment but I just can't wait to get stuck into it. It would be silly to say I loved Warren, as I wasn't that familiar with him but thanks to TH-cam and a growing appreciation of the Genius that was your Warren thankyou for opening old wounds and a genuine love of Warren from you. Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou. Always strive to be happy. 🥴
Reading the book now. I love Warren and his music so much I named my only child, my son, Warren. The man was troubled for sure, a genius, with a voice like no other. So glad I got to see him live a couple of times. Thank you to Letterman for his support and devoting that last show to Warren. Wow.
The first time I saw this...If there was one person I would have enjoyed having a conversation with, it would have been Warren Zevon. He sat right next to me (on my left) on a flight from Chicago to Albany in 1992 maybe 1993, I was headed home on military leave. I saw his equipment being loaded on the AA flight. Being heavily into music, I knew someone was about to board the aircraft. It was Warren. Next to me, he made a phone call from the aircraft phone on the back of the seat to speak to his Wife and his daughter. As I recall, he explained to his daughter "he loved her and he would be home soon". He asked the stewardess how long the flight was. I wanted to whistle Warewolves of London as he was seated next to me (like---hey...I know who you are...), but out of respect, I refrained. That's a memory I will never forget. May he sleep peacefully.
Good story, I was stationed in England back in the 80s. On one evening my buddy and I were at St. James Tavern in London It was packed but as a seat opened up at the bar to my left I was looking to the right speaking to my buddy when I saw his eyee go wide it was obvious that he was looking at something behind me. So I thought it would be in my best interest to turn my head just in case I was about ready to get clocked,and just like you would see in a movie turned my head saw a guy sit down I said Hi turn back to my friend and it hit me it s Rod Stewart So confirming quietly and quickly with my buddy at the bar that it was indeed who I thought it was so As cool as I could be I turned to him and all I could do was muster my name is Charlie and right at the moment he politely replayed with hi I'm Rod a female at the back of the bar spotted him and started screaming in a thick Cockney accent it's Rod, Rod Stewart he turned his pint up downed it in 3or 4 gulps and rapidly departed getting into a chauffered car parked by the front of the bar and sped away. Had it been Warren Zevon who knows.
Too bad you didn't say anything to him. I would have. I've run into several minor celebrities of Zevon's stature in my time, and I think that as long as you're respectful and polite and treat them respectfully and like a normal person, they're happy to talk to you.
@@chazvalvo2840 i
Do you have any evidence of this? How do you know he was married and more, GAY?
Thank you for your service.
He might have asked you to whistle "Zippity Doo-Dah" out of your ass hole, instead, because "Sweet Home Alabama" sucks ass, as does "Kid Rock."
she sounds absolutely honest and sincere
That line at the end about Old Girl... Wow. I'm speechless...
Found the passage at 43:27 but I have to admit I do not quite understand the meaning of it. (English is not my first language.) What did he mean with 'We made it to front porch'? Is it meant as a symbol for a place of peace where you finally arrive when you grew old together?
Yeah, that one hit me. Lump in the throat.
@@MartinWukits I think that's it. Looking back at 22:16 and on where Crystal tells the story of them being in Spain. Warren wrote a song Old Girl about them growing old, sitting on the front porch and remembering their past. After they'd split up, at various times over the years apparently Warren would ask if it "was time, Old Girl", perhaps looking to get back together. At that late time in Warren's life when the two of them sat together with the joy of their grandbabies having just been born, there they were, still together in a way, still tied at the heart, and doing as old couples do.
Thank you for the courage and dedication to write so movingly and openly about your personal life and experiences. No one else could have shared so intimately and compassionately the details of a brilliant and flawed genius.
RIP Warren.
You were an American Master Entertainer.
David Letterman helped out by giving him work filling in with the band on his show...he appeared on Dave's show and talked about finding out about his terminal status...watch it. It's good
The work described in the Big Book of alcoholics anonymous is a beautiful life process . A solution . Continuous, complete, NeverEnding .
Warren drank at the end because that was his only solution .There's a big , huge difference between recovered and recovering .
Godspeed my brother .🎸😎
he had terminal cancer and had months or years to live, you're honestly telling me the big book would condemn that?
@@elliotmoriarty7536 Where did I say that ?
And the big book doesn't condemn anyone , anywhere for anything .
Ever .
In the chapter Working with Others there is a very clear definition for my suggested actions and how I should spend my time which is the 2nd most valuable thing I have .
I've learned to find peace somewhere else other than the bottom of a vodka bottle .
And just for reference , I think of Warren all the time .
Great insight of an amazing artist......Flaws and all, what a complex man. I will be buying the book.
Wombat Care Bundanoon
I just finished it...
I hope you read it.
It’s a great read for any fan.👍
@BillMcGirr Yup, I'll second that.
Great book, turned me into a WZ addict.
I asked him where he got the idea for SUZIE LIGHTNING. He said, "I was usually high when I wrote those songs, so I really couldn't tell you."
Roderick Molasar **HigheR ConSciouSnesS** 🙏 #NaMasTe
Thank you so much for posting this. I always wondered what happened to Crystal and she seems to me just a she was way back when. Then and now she was and is a real person with a heart of gold. I wish she'd been my wife, lol. She loves unconditionally and I wish her a long and wonderful life.
It is my understanding that Crystal has died. Sorry I don’t know the date.
@@stargazer6753 nooooo, she's alive and kicking!
@@cristinapopescu3819 My mistake. I read it somewhere but did not confirm. I researched this time and am happy to say that you are correct.
@@stargazer6753 i know because i am following her initiative on facebook in which Warren Zevon's library is auctioned for a charitable cause
@@cristinapopescu3819 she should have gotten some of the cash and his children, seems to me, for all the bs
All of us old drunks used the blackout in order to escape blame and pretend to forget the bad things we did to the ones we loved .
"We made it to the Front Porch Old Girl "
MIISS YOU WARREN.
I was worried this was going to be a hatchet job on his memory, thank goodness she did nothing like that. She told of things that happen when you love an alcoholic, but I could tell she did indeed love him for a time. I feel I understand him much better than I had. Thank you
He was less than nice to everyone and deserves a hatchet job if anyone does, in spite of his talent.
@@celticgodsoriginal I agree. Warren from all I read by those who knew him best was not a good man especially w women
Warren was a wonderful artist, songwriter and performer...
But he was a troubled man... prone to abusive behavior and superstition.
I read this book... I recommend it.
It doesn’t pull any punches.
Crystal not only had Warren's blessing to include all of the sordid details about his life in her book, he insisted that she do so. I sometimes wonder what I would think of this guy if I weren't so madly in love with his music and talent (as well as his intelligence and deadly humor) but even without the music (or poetry or whatever creative output Warren Zevon would have undoubtedly produced during his life), he would still be one of the most fascinating humans who ever lived. The fact that I was lucky enough to learn about him and even see him perform while he was alive will always be one of the greatest blessings of my life. And becoming acquainted with and a fan of Crystal's after reading her book and learning about her humanitarian work is icing on the cake.
@@BillMcGirr you have to wonder how much Zevon's acne scarred skin played into his behavior. Often times people with that problem will use drink and drugs to hide their pain, especially when you're in a business where appearance is very important.
Interesting, as is the documentary
Whew, not for the faint of heart.
Don't let us get sick.
I never met a person who didn't like warrens music.
My RA at college thought Warren's music was a drag. :-(
+RETN. As I hear this story about how Jackson helped Warren and his Godchild and Crystal and how he knew when to step back , it just breaks my heart , because it seems that something went wrong in their relationship, maybe resentment on the part of Warren that he couldn’t do it on his own. This is only conjecture as I have no way of knowing. Jackson should be on the short list for sainthood when it comes to Warren. Just imagine , Crystal calls Jackson , Jackson takes Crystal and his Godchild back to his place for safety , drives back and engages Warren in songwriting about his daughter (Tenderness on the Block). At another time Jackson drove him to rehab.
"This is only conjecture" ~ yes, so keep it to yourself.
Youre right. You dont know. None of us do. We werent apart of it
I MET Warren Zevon...when he was in South Florida hanging with author buddy Carl Hiaasen.
I found him warm, charming, and yes..incredibly handsome. We talked about books-I still have the book of poetry I'd been carrying around with intent to buy-"Stanyan Street And Other Sorrows" by Rod Mckuen. Warren asked to see it, complimenting me on my taste. I still have it.
The Warren Zevon I met was nothing like the monster depicted in all the books about him. But perhaps I have a bit of insight into him which might make him LESS of a BAD BOY: HE IS QUITE LITERALLY THE REASON I'M STILL ALIVE. HE SAID ONCE: "I THINK IT'S A SIN..NOT TO *WANT* TO LIVE." I watched that clip in tears: my beloved big brother had fought cancer unsuccessfully; and when I was diagnosed, I decided I WOULD NOT fight and instead would enjoy what time I had left. THEN I HEARD WARREN'S WORDS...AS IT WERE FROM BEYOND THE INFINITE. SO I FOUGHT TO LIVE.BECAUSE OF THE SOFT-SPOKEN WORDS OF MY ROCK GOD HERO....WHO HAD BEEN GONE FOR 7 YEARS.
That was not a Monster I met that day in a So. Florida bookstore. It was a kind, warm, INCREDIBLE Man. My God Of Music.
My Legend. My Hero.
And the man who SAVED MY LIFE.
The rest of you make of him what you will.
He can't be hurt or misjudged any more.
LIVE FOREVER, PIANO FIGHTER!
GODS AND LEGENDS NEVER DIE..
AND YOU ARE *BOTH* !
I saw some Jackson Browne's interviews and he mentioned helping Warren, so I am guessing that Warren made his amends with Jackson? But I also heard some people saying that Jackson wasn't very good with women .I just don't know how much the fans should know--we just liked the music. Now it's kinda tainted, at least for me.
elbee the music
I met Jackson Browne at Auckland Airport, back in either the very late '70s or very early '80s.
My girlfriend was best mates with my flatmate, and we were all in our late 20s.
These ridiculous ladies, (?), behaved like a 2 woman Beatles riot. Not sure if they threw their panties at him, but I'd believe it if someone said it was true.
2 starstruck ladies. (?), going on a berserk rampage of idolisation.
I sat with him, talking, while the girls swooned, giggled, and attempted to flirt, (giggling), and I'd not have been surprised had they stripped naked, and offered themselves to him in the main lounge of NZ's largest international airport. (Which, at the time, was about the size of a double-wide trailer). Mr B said that he really disliked touring, simply because of this nutty screeching.
He struck me as a quiet guy - a thinker. Happy to talk, but uncomfortable with attention.
So why is he a perfomer?
I dunno - I guess one doesn't have to be an egotistical arsehole because they can sing, and sell records.
Not sure how he'd be drunk out of his mind...
I gave those 2 tarts shit for years after that episode of them both humiliating themselves. Ha! Power!!!
It WAS amusing, though.
Bottom line - Warren was a beast, and it's sad to know that he'll not sing again, at least in this world.
I'd like to talk to Jackson Browne about their background and personal and musical relationship, as he and WZ worked brilliantly together.
Maybe I need to hang around international airports more often.
I guess I'll still never meet WZ, though.
Rats.
I would give anything I own for one of those shirts.
WHAT HAPPENED TO FOSTER KIDS?
Read the book. It's kind of rambling and confusing, but a good read.
When drunks are drunk, they are unpredictable. Kind of like a Buffalo, they will go along with the program, until they don’t want to anymore.
I’m glad he drank before he died.
He was dying.
And people judged him for drinking while he was terminally ill.
Sorry. Give me a break.
Judge an amazing artist for drinking in his last days of life.
WZ beat her many times during their marriage. Treated his kids like dirt. He left a path of destruction.
Scott Harrisohn
Unfortunately it’s true.
That no good draft dodger!
Sounds like most alcoholics...they leave a path of destruction.
Scott ~
Ah, but that is not all
he left . . .
🎐
There’s nothing brave about settling scores with the dead--especially when you have other people tell the story. I’m sure Crystal’s children have stories about her to tell. May they keep them to themselves. Warren Zevon died worried about not being remembered. If his ex-wife has her way, he’ll be remembered only as another angry drunk who hit the sauce again when he knew he hadn’t long to go. What we saw was a man doing what he could to leave a more positive legacy in his last days, as noble a struggle there is. There was a reason people were drawn to Warren and stuck by him like they did. It’s hard to find in her book.
''AAARRRR
AAOOOWWW''
Warren had a few fun songs like Werewolves and Gorilla. But , I think his songs went over most people heads. That is why he wasn't as big as his peers.. I myself love most of his songs.. But, everyone I know doesn't get his music...
HOW COME THESE STUPID MICROPONES AR ENEVER UP LOUD ENOUGH TO EVER HEAR?
Looks like this might be a three-bottler.
Charles Bukowski
Twenty-three minutes in and no mention of the death from meso cancer. When does this come up or doesn't it?
I have no sympathy for men who mistreat their wives. My dad knocked up his buddy's wife while my mom was 3 months pregnant with me. He destroyed both families. He waited until my mom's death to apologize to me, 44 years after his awful acts. I tried to love him but now that he's dead, I don't care.
For an alcoholic of Warren's caliber to continue in his state, he had to have enabler's of the caliber which he did. He emerges in this biography as a compelling character, but there is still that response DeCurtis mentions," how could I possibly like this guy?". Warren's behavior was inexcusable despite all of the excuses and romanticizing his fans concoct. And writing a few interesting songs certainly doesn't justify any of Warren's destructive excesses.
+Tim W. As Warren would say “make us be brave and make us play nice ....."
Don’t expect any likes on this comment besides the one.
@@user-xj2sm3xd5l Agreed.
Wow, you are a serious asshole. As a recovering alcoholic and clinical therapist the level of animus you point toward a person who was just as human as any saint or sinner was is detestable.
I would say that you should deal with the trauma that the person you are really angry at perpetrated on you and stop shooting at others who had nothing to do with the hurt you have.
Its common to outsource your trauma....
Indiana Jones 💯👍👏🙏
He should have stepped on a few cracks, might have scored him the multi-platinum albums he deserved.
I LOVE WARREN'S USIC BUT CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY?????????????? WOMEN CONTINUE TO HAVE SEX WITH DRUNKEN AND DRUGGED OUT MEN? WHY?
$$$ and the prospect of changing/saving the man
Women can be drugged out drunks too, you know. It all goes back to the bad boy mystique. I've been on earth 40+ years and still haven't met a girl who doesn't prefer the bad boy over the good one.
@@zeldafreak1975 , agreed. One such woman was the mistress Anita Gevinson. I skimmed through this video. I only heard Crystal vaguely refer to Warren as immediately getting into another relationship. Anita was a well-known local rock deejay in Philadelphia. She wrote a rambling e-book about her live-in relationship with Zevon in the early 1980’s. It’s the proverbial “sex and drugs and rock & roll” and booze bio.
Because they are in an addiction themselves and
They become co dependent.
They are usually dead or recovered, if they are still
Alive.... and no longer with
the abuser.
(21 YRS. RECOVERED )
rasperery borrey
The kind you find in a second-hand store?
She rambles and doesn't answer the question(s) asked!
Opportunist. :(
Thomas Kirby Warren asked HER to write the book.
I agree. And he asked her because she knew him best, warts and all, and she truly loved him anyway. She is an ethical person and he knew she would be careful with the material while being honest..@@personale-mail1393
indeed
He asked her to write the book and he told her to write warts n all, he gave his blessing. Also, he owed her thousands and thousands in child support, so she has every right.
Find out about things before casting aspersions.
Or maybe it was Warren who was the opportunist.
What do you call a musician without a girlfriend? .....Homeless.
This was a slash & burn job by a bitter ex. Did anyone who is praising this even read it? Very poorly written.. I read the book & ended burning it. It was a HUGE dis on a great man.
It sounds as though you, as Warren Zevon’s wife, would have endured the drunken beatings for a lot longer.
@@seanm3226 I’m glad he drank before he died.
He was dying.
And people judged him for drinking while he was terminally ill.
Sorry. Give me a break.
Judge an amazing artist for drinking in his last days of life.
You are partially correct, but I didn't think it was poorly written. You have to go into it realizing she's his ex. But I actually was glad to read all the gory details of his life and times. She admitted in the book that it was her who became the alcoholic mess later after he'd sobered up. Everyone makes mistakes and some are worse than others. From the president of the United States, to the lowliest rock and roll star. 😉
They all have done abhorrent things at some point in their lives. What I've noticed from alot of these comments is that people seem to think they are without sin and that they never have done anything wrong. Warren Zevon is a true American icon, albeit a flawed one. Fact is we are all flawed.
walk a mile in another's shoes
He asked her to write the book and not leave out anything that would reflect poorly on him