Timeline

This article contains a time line of events related to Warren Zevon.

1940s

• January 24, 1947: Warren Zevon was born to William "Stumpy" Zevon and Beverly Cope Simmons in Chicago, Illinois.
• ??: The Zevon family moved from Chicago, Illinois to Los Angles, California.

1950s

• ??: The Zevon family moved from Chicago, Illinois to Los Angles, California.
• 1956: Warren's father dropped by with his Christmas gift; a piano he had won in a poker game. His mother was furious, and his father responded by tossing a carving knife at her; she took off out the door, and the piano stayed. Warren took to the piano immediately.

1960s

• 1960: Warren was an occasional visitor to the home of Igor Stravinsky where he, alongside Robert Craft, briefly studied modern classical music.
• 1963: Shortly after his parent's divorced Warren quit high school and moved to New York to become a folk singer.
• 1964: Warren and Violet Santangelo (now known in musical theater as Laura Kenyon) formed lyme & cybelle
• 1966: lyme & cybelle released three singles on the White Label. "Follow Me" became a minor hit (#65 in 1966).
• Warren left lyme & cybelle, replaced by Wayne Erwin.
• 1969: Warren released his first studio album Wanted Dead or Alive. The track "She Quit Me" was used in the film Midnight Cowboy as "He Quit Me".
• August 7, 1969: Jordan Zevon was born to Warren and Marilyn Livingston Dillow.

1970s

• Disappointing sales of Wanted Dead or Alive prompted Warren to abandon music production and work as a live performer, during such a job in Spain he and former mercenary David Lindell formed a close friendship and together wrote "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner".
• 1976: Warren returned to the music production business with the album Warren Zevon, produced by his friend and fellow singer/songwriter Jackson Browne.
• 1978: Zevon created his bestselling album ever, Excitable Boy. This album included the top 40 hit "Werewolves of London" (at 21).

1980s

• February 15, 1980: Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School was released.
• December 26, 1980: Stand in the Fire, Warren's first live album, was released.
• 1982: The Envoy was released, disappointing sales caused Zevon to enter a time of addiction and misery and he stopped creating albums.
• 1984: Warren Zevon and three quarters of R.E.M. formed Hindu Love Gods.
• Zevon's friends and family mount an intervention about his drink and drug habits, and after a rehab and a hard fight he becomes clean and sober.
• 1986: A Quiet Normal Life: The Best of Warren Zevon was released, marking the beginning of Zevon's return to grace.
• August 29, 1987: Sentimental Hygiene was released, marking Zevon's long awaited second return to record creation.
• 1987: Hindu Love Gods's later self titled album was recorded.
• October 1989: Transverse City was released, disappointing sales cause Zevon's production company to let him go.

1990s

• 1990: Hindu Love Gods finally releases its album of the same name, with a modestly popular cover of "Raspberry Beret".
• 1990: Despite some success with their self titled album, Hindu Love Gods disbands.
• October 15, 1991: Mr. Bad Example was released, funded by a new production company.
• 1993: Learning to Flinch was released.
• May 23, 1995: Mutineer was released, Zevon enters into a another period of non-album making.
• 1996: I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (An Anthology) was released, it was Zevon's most extensive compilation album ever released.
• 1999: Warren Zevon guest stars during a piece on the comedy Suddenly Susan performing self-parody.

2000s

• January 25, 2000: Life'll Kill Ya is released, some consider this his second comeback.
• May 7, 2002: My Ride's Here is released.
• 2002: Genius: The Best of Warren Zevon is released.
• October 30, 2002: Zevon was featured on The Late Show with David Letterman as the only guest for the entire hour. Zevon performed several songs and spoke at length about his illness. He noted, "I may have made a tactical error in not going to a physician for 20 years". It was during this broadcast that Zevon first offered his oft-quoted insight on facing death: "Enjoy every sandwich".
• VH1 released the documentary Warren Zevon: Keep Me In Your Heart
• October 2003: The Wind was released, just two weeks before Warren's death.
• September 7, 2003: Warren Zevon died of terminal mesothelioma, aged 56, at his home in Los Angeles, California.
• 2003: The First Sessions was released.
• 2006: "Splendid Isolation" was covered on Pete Yorn's album Nightcrawler.
• October 19, 2004: the tribute album Enjoy Every Sandwich: Songs of Warren Zevon was released.
• 2005: Jordan Zevon's self titled extended play album was released.
• July 8, 2005: Hurry Home Early: the Songs of Warren Zevon, the second Zevon tribute album, was released.
• 2006: Paul Muldoon's "Sillyhow Stride" poem was released.
• 2006: Reconsider Me: The Love Songs was released.
• Ariel Zevon's Local Agricultural Community Exchange organization was founded.
• 2007: Preludes: Rare and Unreleased Recordings was released.
• May 2007: Crystal Zevon's biography I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon was released.
• 2008: Kid Rock heavily samples "Werewolves of London", using it as the main tune of his 2008 song "All Summer Long" from the CD Rock N Roll Jesus. The song also samples Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" (which has a similar chord progression). This has caused some controversy as many don't see it as a homage but plagiarism - although Zevon is credited.
• April 15, 2008: Jordan Zevon's Insides Out, his first full length album, was released.
• November 28, 2008: the Warren Zevon Wiki was founded.

2010s

• June 28, 2010: Ariel Zevon announces that Farm Fresh Café and Farm Fresh Market of Local Agricultural Community Exchange will be closed due to various issues. She did however clearly state that the non-profit segment will continue its education and activists work towards family farming.
• January 27, 2018: Ariel Zevon releases her first full album The Detangler.