I'll Sleep When I'm Dead

Book excerpt: New York Times–Bestseller: A “sharp, funny, jaw-dropping” portrait of Warren Zevon told by friends, family, fellow musicians, and his own diaries (Publishers Weekly, starred review). When Warren Zevon died in 2003, he left behind a rich catalog of dark, witty rock and roll classics, including “Lawyers, Guns and Money,” “Excitable Boy,” and the immortal “Werewolves of London.” He also left behind a fanatical cult following and veritable rock opera of drugs, women, celebrity, genius, and epic bad behavior. As Warren once said, “I got to be Jim Morrison a lot longer than he did.” Narrated by his former wife and longtime co-conspirator, Crystal Zevon, this intimate and unusual oral history draws on interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Stephen King, Bonnie Raitt, and numerous others who fell under Warren’s mischievous spell. Told in the words and images of the friends, lovers, and legends who knew him best, I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead captures Warren Zevon in all his turbulent glory. “A no-holds-barred oral history that captures a lovable but wildly aberrant personality . . . an unforgettable journey into the depths of Mr. Zevon’s mad genius.” —The New York Times “[A] stunning biography.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Riveting.” —Rolling Stone “This often searing, humorous, and brutally honest book captures him at his best and his worst.” —Booklist Includes photographs