Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Edwyn Collins Is Sick, And I'm Sad
Holy crap. Edwyn Collins, one of my favorite singers in the whole world, had a cerebral hemorrhage on Sunday, Feb. 20. He had emergency surgery this past Friday and, according to his website "He has come through it as well as can be hoped for and is continuing to fight."
Edwyn's 1995 album Gorgeous George, which I didn't get until the end of 1996, was probably my most-listened to album of the second half of the 1990s. I haven't made a personal desert island discs list in a long time, but I know George would be one of the ten I'd grab on my way to the island. In 1997, at the height of my Edwynmania, his next album I'm Not Following You was picked up by Epic, and I got to work on the packaging for the U.S. release. I saw him play two brilliant nights of shows at The Mercury Lounge, and I had the pleasure of interviewing him too. He's only released one album since, the completely overlooked Doctor Syntax, and as far as I know has only played New York one more time, a charming acoustic set I caught at The Mercury in September 2003.
He's been working less in recent years, raising his son, producing and running his recording studio that's stocked with all kinds of cool vintage equipment. Here's hoping he makes a fast, full recovery.
