Born on August 6, 1969, Elliott Smith was an American songwriter and musician hailing from Portland, Oregon. He shot to fame with his "Miss Misery" from the Good Will Hunting soundtrack. In 1998, the song was nominated for an Oscar, after charting it under the best original song category.
At the preteen age of 13, Smith penned his first song. By then he had learned to play the piano and guitar as well. He liked himself to be called Elliott and in the middle school he called himself so. Also, he felt that his original name 'Steve' made him sound like a "jock." Smith took his degree in philosophy from Hampshire College and then went to join a Portland band namely Heatmiser. Before long, on independent labels he recorded three solo albums, and again two more on DreamWorks Records.
For many years Smith had battled evils such as depression, alcoholism, and drug addiction. In 1997, he even tried to commit suicide. In 2002, in order to start a treatment course for his drug addiction, Smith went to the Neurotransmitter Restoration Center in Beverly Hills. Reportedly, the negative side of his life often found reflection in his songs such as "Needle in the Hay". Such songs were mostly interpreted to be his mind’s conflicts. But, in reality it was not until years later that he developed his personal problems.
Smith’s death came in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California on October 21, 2003. He was 34 then. Reports said that he died of multiple stab wounds to the chest. Though originally reported to be a suicide, the official autopsy report that was released in the end of December 2003 opened the floodgates to speculations.
The report read that the though the history of depression could be linked to the suicide, and the stab wound spots and directions were consistent with self-infliction, several aspects pointed to the possibility of homicide rather than suicide. Absence of hesitation wounds, spotting of small-incised wounds on both hands (possible defensive wounds) and stabs that had pierced through the clothing all intensified the suspicion. Moreover, Jennifer Chiba's (Smith’s girlfriend's) reported removal of the knife and her refusal to open up before the detectives subsequently had heightened the suspicion, added the report. His alleged suicide note, jotted down on a Post-it note read, "I'm so sorry-love, Elliot God forgive me." However, the apparent misspelling of "Elliott" was later acknowledged by the coroner as a mistake on his part.
