March 1, 1990—Buckhead
…Stuart made arrangements for a “companion” for Dad when he gets out. Went to the mall where I found a pair of gray Ralph Lauren boxer shorts, size 38—I’ve been in pursuit of for a long time; white sox, an ultra-mini umbrella (gray), all from Macy’s. Eleanor returned my call and we had a long talk—she’s wonderful.
March 2, 1990—Atlanta
…Eleanor got her flowers. Dad out of the hospital. The Renegades had 95 tickets, I heard…
STUART ROSS: He’d come off an earlier tour that cost a lot of money and lost a lot of money. Years later we’d be playing Chicago, and he’d get served with lawsuits from unpaid trucking companies, unpaid sound bills. He was seriously in debt to the IRS. So, a lot of this tour was about playing catch-up.
I don’t know what happened to his money because he earned pretty decent money on the road, and it couldn’t have been from album budgets because he switched recording companies every couple of albums. He had the same business management company for years, and he left all his affairs to them. He didn’t want to know. He didn’t want bad news ever. “How many tickets have we sold tonight?” Then, “Don’t tell me.” That would be him. He’d want to know, then he didn’t want to know.
March 3, 1990—Tampa
…Uncle Murray was at the show—happy, healthy and affectionate. He said “Your father and I are from different planets.” Called Eleanor. She asked if I thought of myself as a sexual person. I said, “Yes, very.” She said, “Yes, very.”
March 9, 1990—Dallas
…Eleanor arrived during the show…I glimpsed her in the wings while I was having a little non-chat with Edie Brickell. Eleanor looked spectacular. Our first kiss was amazing. She had me delirious on the bus ride…she’s wild…I guess I’ve grudge-fucked old girlfriends, distanced myself in the act with others, and become a sort of control freak…I’m readjusting to making love…I really like Eleanor. When she walks in the room, the floodlights come on throwing everything else into shadow.
March 21, 1990—San Diego
…Annette wanted me to call…ended up telling her I was seeing somebody—it was very rough; she was hurt & upset more than I guess I expected…monitors surprisingly bad…drove to L.A. The apartment was spotless, but Annette still had stuff here, and door keys—I hadn’t told her I’d be home tonight—made me uncomfortable.
Warren jumped into his relationship with Eleanor with more than his usual fervor. She was pretty and sexy, but best of all, she was Walter Mondale’s daughter.
MERLE GINSBERG: Warren made fun of celebrity, but he loved being famous. It was the only way he felt validated.
ROY MARINELL: There was a real star-fucker aspect of Warren…it was not pretty. This was also hurtful to me…Throughout his career, he would do, for example, “Jeannie Needs a Shooter,” and he’d say, “This is a song I wrote with my good friend, Bruce Springsteen.” Or, “This is a song I wrote with Jackson Browne” or “Thomas McGuane…” And then he’d come to “Werewolves” and he’d say, “This is a song I wrote.” Like I didn’t exist. That pissed me off, but more so, it hurt me.
Warren was not a political being. If you asked five people what his political positions were, they would give five different answers. It is rumored that the last time Warren voted was for Ross Perot. Yet, he was delighted to accompany Tennessee senator Steve Cohen* to the 2000 Democratic Convention; he didn’t hesitate for a second when he was asked to play for Jesse Ventura’s gubernatorial inaugural; he told Ryan Rayston that he was a Republican; Jorge Calderon says “Disorder in the House” expressed their mutual anti-Bush sentiments. Billy Bob Thornton may have come the closest to nailing Warren’s thinking—he said that he and Warren had similar political sensibilities as “moderate radicals.”
SENATOR STEVE COHEN, Tennessee senator: Warren talked to me about peace and international affairs. He taught me about things going on in Africa that I wasn’t aware of. His knowledge base was unlimited. He wasn’t that political personally. I’m not sure how much he voted. I suspect he did. He would’ve voted for Schwarzenegger. He told me that. Probably because he loved the movies. I don’t know if he was a Democrat or a Republican. I have no idea. He supported me, and he liked Arnold, and he liked Jesse Ventura.
ARIEL ZEVON: He would sort of dismiss or make fun of some of the charitable things I was doing, like working with underprivileged kids—he called it “working with the little brown children.”
JENNIFER HOLT, USC professor and Warren’s girlfriend: We met around the elections in 2000. I said something about getting out to vote and he said, “I don’t vote.” I said, “What do you mean you don’t vote?!” He said, “I don’t vote.” I said, “You have to vote.” I’m a professor and I’m big on getting all my students out to vote, especially now…We got into it. It was the first time I realized there was this really deep, dark side of Warren. He fought me a bit, then he said, “Some of us don’t have the right to vote. I’ve done many things in my life that have taken the right to vote away from me.”
CRYSTAL ZEVON: Neither Ariel nor I ever met Eleanor Mondale, but Warren called me from the road after they met. I got the impression he was literally going through his phonebook, calling people to tell them…I don’t know what…that he was only four election cycles removed from the White House or something. He was very proud, and very cocky. I was always outspoken politically and he thought his association with Eleanor would impress and please me.
What did impress me was that while I was in Oregon struggling with our twelve-year-old daughter who was tattooing herself with incense sticks and India ink, sneaking out in the middle of the night, and getting blackout drunk with guys old enough to be her father, Warren was gallivanting around Australia with Eleanor Mondale and basically cosigning Ariel’s new lifestyle.
April 5, 1990—Sydney, Australia
…Reviews said I had them howling…They dug me. I called Ariel. She told me she and a friend got “wasted.”…good she talked to me about it. Eleanor gave me the best head I’ve ever had, then she went out with the promoter’s wife and came back a little drunk…very upsetting to me.
April 6, 1990
…Still strained with Eleanor. She feels bad. Show went mostly good tonight—I still have trouble remembering how “Excitable Boy” goes…
April 18, 1990—Brisbane
…Eleanor had upsetting news from home about her dog—she was sad. I hope it’ll work out for her—her job uncertainties, too—and what, one wonders, will we do? Live together? I’m sure I’m in love with her.
April 19, 1990
…Eleanor went out to dinner with Peter’s wife. She came back and I said, “Are you tanked?” She said, “Only half.” Long discussion—fight…I don’t know whether I’m making something out of nothing or she has a problem…
May 3, 1990—Adelaide
…Eleanor faxed Minneapolis gossip column about us.
May 10, 1990—Gold Coast
…Derek says something about “models” coming, and Glenn says, “Model what?” I said, “Model Citizens.” Found fast, funny changes for the phrase in G tuning—A flat/E flat/C/G.
May 12, 1990
…Got another song idea from a stripper’s name in the credits of a “B” British horror (comedy?)—“Suzie Lightning.”
The day after Warren returned from Australia, he was on a plane to Minnesota.
May 17, 1990
…Went to the Mondales’ for dinner: Walter Mondale, Joan Mondale, sons Ted & William, Ted’s wife Pam & their baby Louis. They were all very nice, friendly, funny.
June 8, 1990—Don Henley Concert
…We were stressed and I disgusted myself compulsively schmoozing & glad-handing Irving Azoff et al.
June 11, 1990
…An alarming call from Crystal came through on the bedroom line—the Bat phone. Britt gave her the number—without being asked for it (“She seemed upset,” Britt explained). I don’t know how serious Ariel’s problems are…it’s Crystal’
s birthday, too, it turns out.
June 13, 1990
…Dad in Intensive Care. Playing cards round the clock and smoking non-stop did him in. Went to visit him with Jordan. Not such a pleasant talk with Eleanor today. She says I’m not interested in her job. Worked on “Suzie Lightning.”
June 23, 1990
…It’s a good day when you lean on the lighter in your car until half the electrical stuff goes out, then you pay $1.25 for a new fuse at Chevron. Sometimes you get off cheap.
June 25, 1990
…Doesn’t look good for $25,000 advance. Andy will lend me $5,000. Not enough, but enough to make me feel indebted.
July 2, 1990—Minnesota with Eleanor
…I told Eleanor I didn’t know if I could handle the long distance relationship…She said she wasn’t going backwards in the relationship and if I started seeing other people—sleeping with them—that was it. It seemed to be it anyway. A very sad parting.
July 5, 1990
…Ran into Annette—sitting by the pool looking great…she even invited me to dinner at her place—pretty extraordinary. I left a message for the DJ (& got one back later).
July 7, 1990
Made love with Annette on the couch.
* Writer of hard-boiled fiction, author of The Last Good Kiss.
* Steve Cohen was elected to U.S. Congress in 2006.
TWO
FISTFUL OF RAIN
You can dream the American Dream
But you sleep with the lights on
And wake up with a scream
You can hope against hope
That nothing will change
Grab ahold of that fistful of rain
July 9, 1990
…Message from the Hawthorne Police in the afternoon—I knew. He died—last night, apparently. I drove down—coroner and a couple policemen there. He was laying under a blanket by the bed, on the floor. I lifted the blanket, took a look, touched him. Long wait with the Coroner for his van—he was a nice guy; apologized for the timing but said he was a fan. I called Andy, then Jordan, while we waited. I told Crystal when I got home. Talked to Ariel when she got home. By then, Jordan was here—he spent the night. It was good that we were together. I didn’t really cry until I found the baby picture of me Dad kept in his wallet.
JORDAN ZEVON: I didn’t know anybody on Dad’s side of the family very well. We’d go down to Gardena, we’d meet him at the casino. We’d have a steak dinner, he’d hand me a hundred-dollar bill, which Dad had instructed me prior I should just accept and not make a big deal of because he wouldn’t like that, and then he passed away. I remember thinking, God, I wish I’d gone down there with a video camera. Made some HBO documentary asking about Mickey Cohen…or played Black Jack with him. I was so regretful after he died because he was such a character, but I didn’t get to know him…
ARIEL ZEVON: We were in Oregon when I heard that my grandfather was dead, and the news really upset me. I went down to L.A. for the funeral. After my grandfather died, every once in a while Dad would say things that his dad had said to him—they were always tough-guy sentiments…hard-knock life or buck-up things.
MATT CARTSONIS, musician: Warren told me his dad was very mercurial, including the way he would treat Warren. He said, and I quote Warren here, if he was in a good mood and complimenting Warren, he would call him “Cunt Lapper,” and if he was mad at him, he would call him “Cock Sucker.”
July 11, 1990
…2:00 appointment at Hillside [Cemetery]. I was there 4 ½ hours. It’s hard enough for an obsessive compulsive to make a bed—imagine choosing an eternal resting place.
July 12, 1990
…Looking for a black suit—went to Maxfield’s…Jordan picked me up and we went to Dad’s. We packed up some things & threw the rest out…I told Jordan: your Dad passes away peacefully at home at 86, you got along great & said everything you needed to, your son’s by your side—doing most of the work—without being asked. It’s about as good as life on this planet gets.
July 13, 1990
…the DJ called so I had her come over and we made love on the couch. The check finally arrived at Gelfand’s.
July 15, 1990
…dressed in black. Limo came at 2; Jordan, Ariel & I left for the cemetery. The director started to tell me why Dad couldn’t be viewed—in front of Ariel—I went into an office with the embalmer who was telling me Dad had had his “little friends”—flies—with him. It was terrible stuff to hear. But the service, in the sun, was nice. Jimmy, Waddy, Sam Farkas, Milt, Jackie, Marge, Archie and others. Rabbi Rubin did a good job. Andy was there although he’s been sick. He & Jordan, Ariel & I went to the Ramada Inn dining room. It was a long day; a long week. I definitely want to be cremated now.
With the death of his father and rekindled feelings with his children, Warren again turned to the woman who fit into his paradigm of family and faith. Annette seemed to be present and willing each time he was in need, and he was definitely in need now. He began seeing her every day, and most nights…for a while.
August 8, 1990
…Showered and went to Annette’s. She made a wonderful dinner…made love. Snuggled and watched a movie in bed.
Aug 9, 1990
…Went to the airport—Ariel was wearing the dress I sent her—braces off—she looks incredibly beautiful. She’s also being terrific. Got Thai food, watched a horror movie, then Annette came over. Ariel’s on the couch. We’re comfy.
ARIEL ZEVON: I don’t remember ever expressing my feelings to my dad. I was angry, but I didn’t talk to him about it. I was too intimidated to confront him. We did get into arguments. He didn’t like me wearing all the makeup and we’d argue, but I was mostly too afraid of him to say anything directly to him about the things I was feeling or going through.
August 10, 1990
…Picked up Annette at her theater and we went to see “Flatliners.” Now Ariel’s wishing she could go home to see her boyfriend sooner. I walked Annette home and we went in and made love. Call from Andy—it seems Eleanor is going out with Don Henley—came on to him at a Minneapolis concert. I told Andy I didn’t really blame her—he does. I don’t give a fuck. I suggested the album title “Things To Do In Denver When You’re Dead” to Ariel and was pleased to get a big rise out of her.
August 13, 1990
…set off for Oregon at 2:00. Saw Mom & Nam in Fresno. It was pleasant, but I hear a right-left combination of teddy bear stuff from Nam & future arrangement stuff aside from Mom…We went off playing Shostakovich all the way to Ashland. Talked to Crystal then sacked out in their guest room.
August 15, 1990
…Dinner at The Ivy with Bob Bortnick. Serious talk with Annette…she ran across pictures—“much love” inscriptions…She wanted to talk about our relationship and wanted to know if I was sleeping with anybody. No picnic. We ended up making love, but it was not loving like usual. Whatever. I did come up with a title for the hate song “Finishing Touches.”
August 17,1990
…Talked with guy from Giant Records.
August 31, 1990
…I took the “Drug Wars” cassette to Bob Bortnick—he gave me a copy of the new movie “The Unbelievable Truth” with his girlfriend’s best friend—who wants to meet me—in it. She looks very pretty. Later, message from Bob said Julia, the actress in the movie, is going to call me tomorrow.
JULIA MUELLER, actor, Warren’s girlfriend: I had just moved to L.A., and the film I had done was about to open. In the land of fear of success, I got a terrible case of bronchitis so I wasn’t able to go to the opening of the film. Linda, my best friend, was living with Bob Bortnick at the time and she would bring me chicken soup. She came over one day and I was coughing, and she said, you will never guess who Bobby’s doing A&R for—Warren Zevon.
I am there having bronchitis and Linda is talking to me about how she and Warren and Bobby are on the phone into the wee hours of the morning, and she pauses and goes, “I think you and Warren would get along.
” I am like, “Yeah, right (hack, hack, spew).” She tells Bob and it turns into this little Hollywood thing. The grossest part is that as soon as Bobby and Linda started thinking about it, they figured that Warren wouldn’t want to meet me on their word alone, so they showed him my movie. And, they gave me a tape of Hindu Love Gods, which had just come out.
Suddenly, Bobby is calling me from the office like it’s a music business thing—“I can get Warren a girlfriend” kind of thing—but I was still sick. I said, “I would love to meet him but I can’t for a while.” Then, Bobby says, “Could you call him?” “Could I call him!?” “He’s afraid to call you.” I said, “If I call him it’s like I am some groupie.” He said, “Please, Julia, do this for me.” I get off the phone and I am thinking, it’s so wrong, there is no way…I call back and say, “Bobby, it is just wrong. Can’t he call me?” He says, “You are totally right.” As if, let’s play this right. In a minute my phone rings and it’s Warren. I am freaking out. I am talking to Warren Zevon, and I have to say excuse me and go spit up. He wants to go out, and I say I can’t yet.
ANNETTE AGUILAR RAMOS: We went through a cycle of on and off. I lived in the same apartment complex as he did while he was dating someone else, Julia, I think. He eventually lived with her, and I was shocked. I said, “I can’t believe you actually lived with someone.”
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