‘Werewolves of London’ singer Zevon dies aged 56

WARREN ZEVON, the singer known for such hits as “Werewolves of London,” died on Sunday at his home in West Hollywood after a battle with cancer, his record company said yesterday.

Zevon, 56, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer a year ago and was only expected to live about three months, completed his last recording "The Wind" and lived to see it debut at number 16 on the Billboard album charts his best record launch in years.

Danny Goldberg, chief executive of Artemis Records in New York which released his latest records, said: "I was told by his son that he passed away yesterday ... in his apartment in West Hollywood, peacefully in his bed."

Goldberg said he spoke to Zevon last Thursday and the singer said he was "very happy about the response to the record". Zevon, known for his witty lyrics and artful arrangements, began his career in the late 1960s but his early recordings like 1969's "Wanted Dead or Alive" failed to yield much commercial success.

Among those that he played with before his seminal 1976 release "Warren Zevon" were the Everly Brothers. He also wrote songs for bands like The Turtles and singers like Linda Ronstadt. His 1976 release, which included such classics as "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead", was produced by Jackson Browne and established Zevon firmly as a performer in his own right.

It was his 1978 release "Excitable Boy" that brought Zevon his biggest hits and spotlighted his quirky sense of humour.

The title track of that album told the grisly tale of a prom date rapist accompanied by a cheerful melody. That album also included his biggest hit, "Werewolves of London", which told the story of werewolves drinking pina coladas at Trader Vic's a famous Los Angeles cocktail bar.

At times Zevon's career sputtered as he grappled with substance abuse of alcohol and heroin.