What do you think?
Rate this book
Shooting Star: The Definitive Story of Elliott Smith
'A masterpiece. Beautiful, tragic and immaculately researched.' - Matt Everitt
'Elliott was one of the best songwriters of our day and a formidable musician.' - Beck
'There's an undercurrent of real sadness in a lot of his music ... and that's just really the way he was.' - Steve Drozd, Flaming Lips
In 2003, Steven 'Elliott' Smith died from two stab wounds to the heart. To this day, the autopsy evidence remains inconclusive as to whether the wounds were self-inflicted or the result of homicide. Either way, this tragic end to Elliott's short-lived though prodigiously talented life became the dark denouement of a story riddled with depression, mental illness, addiction and chronic substance abuse.
Yet it is also a story of worldwide critical acclaim, of Oscar nominations and of some of the finest recorded music of the late twentieth century.
Now, two decades after Elliott's death, Shooting Star seeks to encapsulate the many complexities of this shy, funny, engaging, enigmatic musician and his desperately troubled soul. With contributions from those closest to Elliott who have not previously spoken about their friend, this masterful biography places the singer-songwriter's vulnerabilities and decline within the broader context of all that he the sheer, stark beauty of the records he made and the resounding impact they went on to have across a whole spectrum of contemporary music.
This is the definitive account of Elliott Smith - a once-in-a-generation artist.
'Elliott was one of the best songwriters of our day and a formidable musician.' - Beck
'There's an undercurrent of real sadness in a lot of his music ... and that's just really the way he was.' - Steve Drozd, Flaming Lips
In 2003, Steven 'Elliott' Smith died from two stab wounds to the heart. To this day, the autopsy evidence remains inconclusive as to whether the wounds were self-inflicted or the result of homicide. Either way, this tragic end to Elliott's short-lived though prodigiously talented life became the dark denouement of a story riddled with depression, mental illness, addiction and chronic substance abuse.
Yet it is also a story of worldwide critical acclaim, of Oscar nominations and of some of the finest recorded music of the late twentieth century.
Now, two decades after Elliott's death, Shooting Star seeks to encapsulate the many complexities of this shy, funny, engaging, enigmatic musician and his desperately troubled soul. With contributions from those closest to Elliott who have not previously spoken about their friend, this masterful biography places the singer-songwriter's vulnerabilities and decline within the broader context of all that he the sheer, stark beauty of the records he made and the resounding impact they went on to have across a whole spectrum of contemporary music.
This is the definitive account of Elliott Smith - a once-in-a-generation artist.
- GenresMusic
336 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 3, 2023
9 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 13, 2023
Far from being ‘the definitive story’, this new Biography is strong on revealing to us the man he was, rather than the details of the life he lived. It is not especially rigorous. At times Rees misquotes the lyrics to songs. He is also given to dropping in sweeping opinion as though it‘s fact, like naming which three albums are his ‘masterpieces’, neglecting the first two - which I actually feel are faultless and give the most honest flavour of what his music represents and can do to its listener. There’s a concerning lack of appreciation for Smith’s songwriting with Heatmiser, going as far as to describe his contributions to Cop and Speeder as ‘writing to order’. I know what he’s trying to do; emphasise the gulf in quality between the first two Heatmiser records and Mic City Sons, but as far as I’m concerned many of these songs are as good as he wrote. His work on that album solidified how deftly he could tame and deploy the secondary dominant chord, a harmonic colour that would characterise so much of his work going forward.
But this is the third major Biography of Smith (there is a fourth coming, amazingly, quite soon), and I wondered what it would bring to the table. In truth, it is the more narrative, human counterpart to the studiously researched Torment Saint by William Todd Schultz. It reads, for the most part, very nicely, and gives us a comprehensive image of the absolute best and worst parts of Elliott. He feels, moreso than in the other two books I’ve read on him, like a real person. Rees clearly wasn’t left with a great many people close to him who had the energy left to interview. The result is that you get quite a lot from a smallish handful of friends, and although that basically amounts to a version of events, it is a version that is worth reading.
One more thing: this deals with the circumstances of his death better than any other book I’ve read about him. It lays out the facts we have, the only witness testimony we have, and gives us an overall sense of the general feeling of those who knew him toward the speculation and ambiguity. He also seems to adopt a viewpoint close to mine: I try my best not to think about it. Because either version of events - that he was murdered, or that Jennifer Chiba witnessed him kill himself and has had to live her life under scrutiny and with a great many people believing she killed him - is simply too horrible to reckon with. To some extent, losing him was an inevitability. We have the gift of his music.
But this is the third major Biography of Smith (there is a fourth coming, amazingly, quite soon), and I wondered what it would bring to the table. In truth, it is the more narrative, human counterpart to the studiously researched Torment Saint by William Todd Schultz. It reads, for the most part, very nicely, and gives us a comprehensive image of the absolute best and worst parts of Elliott. He feels, moreso than in the other two books I’ve read on him, like a real person. Rees clearly wasn’t left with a great many people close to him who had the energy left to interview. The result is that you get quite a lot from a smallish handful of friends, and although that basically amounts to a version of events, it is a version that is worth reading.
One more thing: this deals with the circumstances of his death better than any other book I’ve read about him. It lays out the facts we have, the only witness testimony we have, and gives us an overall sense of the general feeling of those who knew him toward the speculation and ambiguity. He also seems to adopt a viewpoint close to mine: I try my best not to think about it. Because either version of events - that he was murdered, or that Jennifer Chiba witnessed him kill himself and has had to live her life under scrutiny and with a great many people believing she killed him - is simply too horrible to reckon with. To some extent, losing him was an inevitability. We have the gift of his music.
August 20, 2024
Read with next to no stops. Being an avid Elliott Smith nerd, a lot of the information I’m familiar with. Yet getting to read the story of his life (more or less) and a lot of its intricate details from those closest to him, is a wholly different experience to reading his Wikipedia. I can’t compare to the other bios, and although Rees‘ opinions and writing get a little tired here and there, it’s pretty solid and still heart breaking
September 6, 2023
For a first timer (wink), I’d be more likely to recommend Torment Saint: The Life of Elliott Smith as the definitive biography on Smith. It’s difficult to declare such without having more information regarding the abuse Smith suffered in his youth, which we are unlikely to ever discover given it was his truth.
Reading this latest account of Smith’s life brings to mind a couple of things that are easy to view with a mountain of hindsight. The music business of the 90s really exploded, but beyond the want and need for artists to produce work and tour and promote it relentlessly there was little concern or proactivity regarding the mental health of the young men and women seeking to find fame and fortune playing their creations. There are countless stories of addiction and suicide from the bands of the early 90s which brings up questions of how people were supported or not as they dealt with the sudden uprooting of the lives they knew.
There’s even the media reaction and stereotyping of Smith that is not something that would readily happen these days as he was cast as the mopey sad sack, who didn’t deserve to question the world around him as he ventured into producing major label LPs.
The second thing is from my minimal experience of contact with addiction and how people will be pushed away and for all that the help Smith so obviously required would have been pushed away anyway and his end was inevitable even if things had played out differently in his life. The book does well to balance out Smith and show off where he could be mean and blunt with people as well as showing why he was so revered as a musician and songwriter. From my own mental wellbeing I can see why he could be seen as two different people with major swings in ups and downs that could happen almost within the blink of an eye.
There are probably few other biographies that play out like a horror story than Smith’s and the inevitable recounting of his death and the questions that still surround are difficult to read about even after 20 years. I guess what makes him captivating to read about is the number of questions that surround his life when placed against the music he made and the references within it to the abuse, drug addiction and suicide, whether real or ideated.
One thing in Rees’ favour is that I think he is more favourable towards Figure 8 than Torment Saint was. I don’t know if it was a desire to have Elliott sing only confessionals, but the lyrics within the album are simply disregarding in the latter book even when there are some confessional things within the album. The other thing is that Rees compares Smith’s music with what was blowing up at the time and it exemplifies why Smith was and is revered as the musician and songwriter he is, but as much as he wanted the success to go along with what he was doing, he was simply a man out of time in that regard as he competed with the likes of Korn, Limp Bizkit, N’Sync and Britney Spears.
This is in no way a bad book, but the title is misleading in my opinion as it offers up a description that isn’t quite accurate for such a fan of Smith that this is the third account of his life I have read.
Reading this latest account of Smith’s life brings to mind a couple of things that are easy to view with a mountain of hindsight. The music business of the 90s really exploded, but beyond the want and need for artists to produce work and tour and promote it relentlessly there was little concern or proactivity regarding the mental health of the young men and women seeking to find fame and fortune playing their creations. There are countless stories of addiction and suicide from the bands of the early 90s which brings up questions of how people were supported or not as they dealt with the sudden uprooting of the lives they knew.
There’s even the media reaction and stereotyping of Smith that is not something that would readily happen these days as he was cast as the mopey sad sack, who didn’t deserve to question the world around him as he ventured into producing major label LPs.
The second thing is from my minimal experience of contact with addiction and how people will be pushed away and for all that the help Smith so obviously required would have been pushed away anyway and his end was inevitable even if things had played out differently in his life. The book does well to balance out Smith and show off where he could be mean and blunt with people as well as showing why he was so revered as a musician and songwriter. From my own mental wellbeing I can see why he could be seen as two different people with major swings in ups and downs that could happen almost within the blink of an eye.
There are probably few other biographies that play out like a horror story than Smith’s and the inevitable recounting of his death and the questions that still surround are difficult to read about even after 20 years. I guess what makes him captivating to read about is the number of questions that surround his life when placed against the music he made and the references within it to the abuse, drug addiction and suicide, whether real or ideated.
One thing in Rees’ favour is that I think he is more favourable towards Figure 8 than Torment Saint was. I don’t know if it was a desire to have Elliott sing only confessionals, but the lyrics within the album are simply disregarding in the latter book even when there are some confessional things within the album. The other thing is that Rees compares Smith’s music with what was blowing up at the time and it exemplifies why Smith was and is revered as the musician and songwriter he is, but as much as he wanted the success to go along with what he was doing, he was simply a man out of time in that regard as he competed with the likes of Korn, Limp Bizkit, N’Sync and Britney Spears.
This is in no way a bad book, but the title is misleading in my opinion as it offers up a description that isn’t quite accurate for such a fan of Smith that this is the third account of his life I have read.
March 16, 2025
elliott smith is my hero and so many people’s hero
his music will continue to resonate with people and help them through struggles like his for years and that really is magical!
‘If you’re lucky to have affected people’s live like Elliott did, there’s still that energy people carry around with them and it spreads out in the world. That’s what immortality is, right?”
his music will continue to resonate with people and help them through struggles like his for years and that really is magical!
‘If you’re lucky to have affected people’s live like Elliott did, there’s still that energy people carry around with them and it spreads out in the world. That’s what immortality is, right?”
October 9, 2023
I liked it better than the other two Smith biographies that I’ve read - it was more readable and story-like I guess. Seemed relatively unbiased as well. But I just think it’s difficult to call anything “definitive.”
January 31, 2025
Really just saying hes a drug addict and alcoholic who also happens to be a musical genius and i dont feel great about that
August 23, 2023
I’ve always been surprised I never knew Elliott Smith. We were both in Portland for high school, then Western Massachusetts for college (him at Hampshire and me at Smith), then back in Portland. We had several friends in common as well. But it was not to be and in a way I’m grateful because it means I can listen to his music without even more crushing sadness.
This book’s sentences stumble along and the absence of some people close to Smith that didn’t contribute sometimes seems glaring, but the book seems to provide a comprehensive portrait.
This book’s sentences stumble along and the absence of some people close to Smith that didn’t contribute sometimes seems glaring, but the book seems to provide a comprehensive portrait.
October 24, 2023
I love Elliott Smith, but these biographies are becoming tedious and depressing and I feel like I need therapy myself after reading them.
I enjoyed the cowboy and wild west descriptions of Portland and how this vibe or essence was incorporated intentionally or not into Smith and his work, "arrow, come pick me out..." Rees is not a bad writer and I was engaged. I did feel that as much as Heatmiser was talked about they weren't given the respect they should have as a group and as a presence in Elliott's creative life, it felt more like they were just a stress and building block for Elliott which didnt seem fair and I know Smith later had regrets for communicating similar things in his past. Though of course, I prefer to know the truth, I've never heard so much about his problem with Tony Lash and it made me a little sad that I llook at Heatmiser photos a little differently now. I really liked hearing about Garrick Duckler more, those kinds of enduring/semi-enduring friendships are valuable and very worthy of exploration and time. Was happy to read all that. The way the end of his life is treated by authors is what stands out to me the most and as the decades roll out and more time passes and so do people who knew him, I think more will be revealed and I think this because there is something eerie and amiss here. As I've said before, I have not been someone looking for a murderer and maybe it's just that his death was so violent and seemingly so abrupt that it creates this atmosphere of mystery, distrust and suspicion, but it really feels like something is missing. The author does not make any claim one way or another and seems to waiver back and forth between absolute trust of Chiba and criticism of those like Alyson Camus -I believe he alluded if not outright said that she was causing a commotion for popularity - to openness to the possibility of foul play and it just feels kind of both meaningless and telling and makes this reader feel generally distrustful and uneasy. On this note I can't help but admire Valerie Deerin for being so seemingly inaccessible, she knows she's a key player and that she will talk someday is my thought, though I wonder with whom? Hell, she could write her own book that would sell big time. My take from Rees's treatment of Smith's death is that though I'm doubtful of the goodness and earnestness of Jennifer Chiba's character at and around the time of Smith's death, I appreciated the author's attempt to recognize the potential struggles Chiba went through alongside Smith, not to mention the pain a person would go through that suffered the loss of their lover to suicide after an ugly screaming argument (sorry, though leary of the level of Chiba's trustworthiness, I'm also leary of hearsay and am of the innocent-until- proven-guilty persuasion). Rees's treatment of Chiba was not a selling of her as the pure, honest, heartbroken, widow-type that Schultz seemed to push in Torment Saint, but it was fair, especially being that *nobody* else was there at the time of his death.
Is it worth a read? Sure, If you love Elliott Smith, why not? Will it enlighten you to things you haven't read already- not really.
I enjoyed the cowboy and wild west descriptions of Portland and how this vibe or essence was incorporated intentionally or not into Smith and his work, "arrow, come pick me out..." Rees is not a bad writer and I was engaged. I did feel that as much as Heatmiser was talked about they weren't given the respect they should have as a group and as a presence in Elliott's creative life, it felt more like they were just a stress and building block for Elliott which didnt seem fair and I know Smith later had regrets for communicating similar things in his past. Though of course, I prefer to know the truth, I've never heard so much about his problem with Tony Lash and it made me a little sad that I llook at Heatmiser photos a little differently now. I really liked hearing about Garrick Duckler more, those kinds of enduring/semi-enduring friendships are valuable and very worthy of exploration and time. Was happy to read all that. The way the end of his life is treated by authors is what stands out to me the most and as the decades roll out and more time passes and so do people who knew him, I think more will be revealed and I think this because there is something eerie and amiss here. As I've said before, I have not been someone looking for a murderer and maybe it's just that his death was so violent and seemingly so abrupt that it creates this atmosphere of mystery, distrust and suspicion, but it really feels like something is missing. The author does not make any claim one way or another and seems to waiver back and forth between absolute trust of Chiba and criticism of those like Alyson Camus -I believe he alluded if not outright said that she was causing a commotion for popularity - to openness to the possibility of foul play and it just feels kind of both meaningless and telling and makes this reader feel generally distrustful and uneasy. On this note I can't help but admire Valerie Deerin for being so seemingly inaccessible, she knows she's a key player and that she will talk someday is my thought, though I wonder with whom? Hell, she could write her own book that would sell big time. My take from Rees's treatment of Smith's death is that though I'm doubtful of the goodness and earnestness of Jennifer Chiba's character at and around the time of Smith's death, I appreciated the author's attempt to recognize the potential struggles Chiba went through alongside Smith, not to mention the pain a person would go through that suffered the loss of their lover to suicide after an ugly screaming argument (sorry, though leary of the level of Chiba's trustworthiness, I'm also leary of hearsay and am of the innocent-until- proven-guilty persuasion). Rees's treatment of Chiba was not a selling of her as the pure, honest, heartbroken, widow-type that Schultz seemed to push in Torment Saint, but it was fair, especially being that *nobody* else was there at the time of his death.
Is it worth a read? Sure, If you love Elliott Smith, why not? Will it enlighten you to things you haven't read already- not really.
August 14, 2024
Er zijn in het leven enorm veel getalenteerde muzikanten. Maar een groot deel van die muzikanten die getormenteerd zijn door het leven hebben meestal zo diep gezeten dat zij de donkerste en meest intense gevoelens bij zichzelf naar boven kunnen halen. Het levert muziek op die mensen weet te raken en te ontroeren, maar het zorgt er ook voor dat ze steeds geconfronteerd worden met de demonen uit hun eigen verleden.
Een van die mensen die deze demonen niet kon overwinnen is Elliott Smith. Een enorm getalenteerde songwriter die vooral na zijn dood (waar nog heel wat mysterie rond hangt) nog bekender werd. Zijn verhaal werd al verschillende keren gedocumenteerd en neergeschreven maar ik had het nog nooit gelezen in een boek. Toen ik dan zag dat Paul Rees een nieuwe biografie had geschreven, besloot ik het te kopen en te gaan lezen. Het goed geschreven boek zet enkel de verkeerde tagline ‘The Definitive Story of Elliott Smith’ op zijn kaft. Want het verhaal van Elliott Smith en de manier waarop hij is gestorven zal nooit een definitief verhaal zijn, omdat er nog zo een zweem van mysterie rondhangt.
Wat Paul Rees ons voorschotelt is een mooie biografie waarin vooral naar voren komt hoe getalenteerd Elliott Smith wel niet was, hoe leuk hij in de omgang kon zijn. Maar ook hoe hij beschadigd is geraakt door het misbruik van zijn stiefvader en welke gevolgen dat allemaal niet had. Een erg leuk boek waardoor je de genialiteit van Elliott Smith nog meer kan waarderen. Het is niet voor niets dat Needle In The Hay een van mijn all-time favorieten is.
Een van die mensen die deze demonen niet kon overwinnen is Elliott Smith. Een enorm getalenteerde songwriter die vooral na zijn dood (waar nog heel wat mysterie rond hangt) nog bekender werd. Zijn verhaal werd al verschillende keren gedocumenteerd en neergeschreven maar ik had het nog nooit gelezen in een boek. Toen ik dan zag dat Paul Rees een nieuwe biografie had geschreven, besloot ik het te kopen en te gaan lezen. Het goed geschreven boek zet enkel de verkeerde tagline ‘The Definitive Story of Elliott Smith’ op zijn kaft. Want het verhaal van Elliott Smith en de manier waarop hij is gestorven zal nooit een definitief verhaal zijn, omdat er nog zo een zweem van mysterie rondhangt.
Wat Paul Rees ons voorschotelt is een mooie biografie waarin vooral naar voren komt hoe getalenteerd Elliott Smith wel niet was, hoe leuk hij in de omgang kon zijn. Maar ook hoe hij beschadigd is geraakt door het misbruik van zijn stiefvader en welke gevolgen dat allemaal niet had. Een erg leuk boek waardoor je de genialiteit van Elliott Smith nog meer kan waarderen. Het is niet voor niets dat Needle In The Hay een van mijn all-time favorieten is.
September 25, 2025
very engagingly written, intensely readable. I think it stands strongest as painting an emotive but complex portrait of Smith as a person, leaning heavily on first and second hand accounts to build up a pretty comprehensive image of Smith as not just a genius artist but also the deeply complicated person he was, not shying away from the more negative, darker aspects of his personality and personal life which is important. Rees is most consistently a passive voice, who writes in a way that is very engaging but generally stays back and let's the quotes and accounts from the people who knew Smith do the talking. I think when Rees brings his voice forward to share his opinions is where the book falters, I get the impression he isn't particularly bothered about the actual process of Smith making and recording his music, and I kind of wish more attention was given to the specifics of his career. also, along with a couple of strange assertions about the quality of certain Smith songs or albums and a couple of songs/lyrics being incorrectly transcribed, the book ends with an inexplicable assertion from Rees that Smith recorded 3 masterpieces, either/or, figure 8 and basement. fair enough but such a strange thing to state as a fact at the end of this book. additionally, ending with a quote from Phoebe Bridgers that basically reasserts the myth of Smith as a archetypal sad singer boy felt rather out of place. still, really enjoyed this
July 11, 2025
GOAT THE GOAT THE GOAT GREATEST TO EVER DO ANYTHING. on a serious note his music has changed my life in the last two years and i fear without it i would have been a worse person. no one can reach into my soul and sing about things in a way that connects so much to me. please listen to any of his music. also this book is pretty good as well i guess covers lots of ground in terms of his life and remains unbiased towards so of the more controversial elements of his life. RIP ELLIOTT SMITH I ADORE YOU MY GOAT
October 1, 2025
2.5/5 stars rounded up. it was okay! the most interesting parts are when it talks about how obsessive elliot's recording sessions and processes were. how much he loved his equipment and his desire to further expand his sound. i would read again just for those sections. for the most part tho it's just disjointed bits and pieces of his life from people who didn't know him that well, spliced with statements from mental health doctors completely unrelated to elliott. i dont think a biography of his life really does him justice but an attempt was made
March 29, 2025
A sympathetic portait of a great artist. For a "definitive story" it, perhaps justifiably, leaves the enduring mysteries of his life very un-definitively told.
Given the emphasis on photographs of him, it's a shame this edition didn't reproduce any of them.
Given the emphasis on photographs of him, it's a shame this edition didn't reproduce any of them.
March 11, 2024
Very readable account of the life of Elliott Smith. Goes into grim detail, particularly on his final years
May 1, 2024
I've read a few Elliott Smith biographies, for such an interesting subject it's amazing how many have been a let down. This is by far the best of the bunch and a must read for any fans of his work.
June 17, 2024
A must read if you’re a fan. Sometimes difficult to read but a very sad story told in an often joyous and celebratory way.
Read
September 11, 2024reading this has made every elliott song 1000000x more heartbreaking
September 16, 2024
3.5 rounded up. i wouldn't call it definitive, but it was good. elliott forever XO
October 13, 2024
I expected this to be quite a depressing read so no surprises there. Clearly Elliott Smith struggled with his demons for pretty much all of his life and the book covers it all in some detail. I wasn't fully aware of the circumstances of his death so learned something new from reading this. An interesting read if you are a fan of his music but it all got a bit too much at times if I'm honest.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews