Judee Sill

Judee Sill
Birth nameJudith Lynne Sill
Born(1944-10-07)October 7, 1944
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedNovember 23, 1979(1979-11-23) (aged 35)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • composer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • keyboards
Years active1960s–1970s
LabelsAsylum

Judith Lynne "Judee" Sill (October 7, 1944 – November 23, 1979) was an American folk rock singer-songwriter and musician. Her songs were inspired by Bach and Christian themes such as the rapture.[4][5]

Career

Sill released her debut album in 1971. She later released Heart Food in 1973.

When she was alive, she did not find commercial success.[6] When she died, no obituary was published.[6] However after her death, several musicians said that Sill was an inspiration for them.[6] These musicians include Andy Partridge, Liz Phair, Warren Zevon, Shawn Colvin, Steven Wilson, Robin Pecknold, Daniel Rossen, and Bill Callahan.[5]

Sill was openly bisexual.[5][7] Her romance with the singer-songwriter JD Souther inspired her song "Jesus Was a Cross Maker".[5][8]

Death

Sill had a drug addiction through much of her life. She died of a drug overdose in Los Angeles, California on November 23, 1979 at the age of 35.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Edwards, Gavin (May 25, 2020). "10 Folk Albums Rolling Stone Loved in the 1970s You Never Heard". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  2. ↑ Thompson, James F. (February 15, 2016). "Thomas Cohen is the ex-S.C.U.M. frontman who has nothing to hide – first interview". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  3. ↑ Contemporary Musicians. Vol. 61. Gale. September 28, 2010. p. 1971. ISBN 9781414410265.
  4. ↑ Lewis, Grover (April 13, 1972). "Judee Sill: Soldier of the Heart". Rolling Stone. San Francisco, CA: Jann Wenner. Archived from the original on April 29, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Hoskyns, Barney (December 12, 2004). "The Lost Child". The Observer. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Pak, Minju (23 January 2020). "Overlooked No More: Judee Sill, Singer Whose Life Was Cut Short". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  7. ↑ Vooje, Popel (July 14, 2006). "Julian Cope presents Head Heritage | Unsung | Reviews | Judee Sill – Abracadabra: The Asylum Years". HeadHeritage.co.uk. Archived from the original on April 18, 2018. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  8. ↑ Rachel, T. Cole (May 11, 2015). "The Tender Hand of J.D. Souther". Interview. New York: Brant Publications. Archived from the original on November 28, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2016.

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