“Overlooked” is a series of belated obituaries in New York Times for people of note who were overlooked at the time of their passing. Their most recent “overlooked no more” subject is Judee Sill.
Judee Sill was a 70s singer-songwriter, the first artist signed to David Geffen’s Asylum Records. During her short-lived career in the early-to-mid 70s, Sill received little attention or airplay. While other singer-songwriters of the time sang about personal relationships and political protest, Sill’s ethereal music explored themes of rapture, redemption, spiritual love, occult themes, and the deeper meanings of it all.
Sill’s life was as troubled as her work was complex and under the radar. She was a juvenile delinquent, a junkie, and a prostitute for a time. Judee Sill died in 1979 of a drug overdose which was likely a suicide.
While she was not widely recognized during her lifetime, her music has had a significant impact on many modern artists and that influence only continues to grow. Liz Phair, Shawn Colvin, Greta Gerwig, XTC’s Andy Partridge, and Warren Zevon have all cited her as an inspiration.
Read the rest of the obit here.
[H/t Jenny Hart]
Image: YouTube