Goodnight Captain Beefheart

[cavorting with nudists]

Yeah, me too.  As a Zappa worshipper at age 13 (in fairness to myself, it was Absolutely Free/We're Only In It for the Money Zappa, not "Jewish Princess"/"Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" Zappa), I took on the burden of forcing myself to dig Trout Mask.  And you know what, it was worth it.  Now I know that Beefheart has more cred mainly because Zappa sucked, but also because he was a true visionary genius.

[Austin From NC]

Yeah, me too.  As a Zappa worshipper at age 13 (in fairness to myself, it was Absolutely Free/We're Only In It for the Money Zappa, not "Jewish Princess"/"Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" Zappa), I took on the burden of forcing myself to dig Trout Mask.  And you know what, it was worth it.  Now I know that Beefheart has more cred mainly because Zappa sucked, but also because he was a true visionary genius.

 He was great up until about Over-nite Sensation or maybe 200 Motels. Absolutley Free is an awesome album.

[JonFromMaplewood]

Honey, I know what MS is; I've got it.  Hence my curiosity here:  this is one of my possible futures.

I don't know the details, except to say that he has been fighting it for a long, long time.

From beefheart.com:

"In the BBC documentary The Artist Formerly Known As Captain Beefheart John Peel stated that Don was suffering from 'a long term illness'. The 1994 poetry readings and Anton Corbijn film would also suggest that Don is unwell. This long term illness seems most likely to be Multiple Sclerosis, but this is merely speculation.

His gallery and any friends still in contact with him continue to deny that he is in anything other than top shape and say that the rumours of ill health are probably just exaggerated speculation caused by Don's reclusive nature. What little evidence there is for the rest of us to go on would suggest otherwise, however."