Famous punk rocker Jim Carroll has passed away at 60
Poet and punk rocker Jim Carroll, whose life story was famously documented in his autobiography The Basketball Diaries, died following a heart attack on Friday, September 11th in New York City. Carroll was 60, the New York Times reports.
More from the Australian:
Carroll's poetry career started even earlier. He was in his teens when he first received recognition for his poems, especially Organic Trains in 1967, then 4 Ups and 1 Down in 1970.
It was his raw and fiery poetry, in verse form and in his lyrics for the Jim Carroll Band, that quickly earned him a reputation as a new Bob Dylan.
"I met him in 1970 and already he was pretty much universally recognised as the best poet of his generation," singer and poet Patti Smith told The New York Times.
"The work was sophisticated and elegant. He had beauty."
For me it was "People who died" I most remember, an adrenaline-fuelled punk tune cataloging the people he knew who diesd, and how.
My favorite verse
Brian got busted on a narco rap
He beat the rap by rattin' on some bikers
He said, "Hey, I know it's dangerous, but it sure beats Riker's"
But the next day he got offed by the very same bikers
60 is awful young to go.
We'll miss you, man.
Crank it.