Goodbye Lee

It wasn't a surprise to hear that Lee Hazlewood passed away this past Saturday (Aug 4, 2007), but damn it's still sad. At least he knew it was coming and could prepare -- settling back down with family, recording one final album, and living long enough to soak up the newfound attention and acclaim. Lee was the ultimate existential cowboy, pondering big questions, facing darkness, but never afraid at the same time to get a little kooky. He was a bit of a crank when I met him briefly in '95; but from the sound of things he mellowed quite a bit in recent years and welcomed the attention. Good for him, good for us.