Elliott (Steven Paul) Smith

"Elliott was a beautiful, gentle soul, generous beyond words and loved so much by all of us," read a statement from his family. "We wish to extend our gratitude to the many people who supported him and have been touched by his music. While Elliott will be deeply missed, his spirit will always be with us."

Born August 6, 1969 in Omaha, Nebraska, Smith grew up near Dallas and took an interest in music at age 9, and began writing and recording original compositions as a teenager. He moved to Portland in high school, where he played in a local band, before attending Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Returning to Portland, he formed the alternative-rock quartet Heatmiser with future Quasi member Sam Coomes. The band released three albums and disbanded after hitting its creative stride with 1996's Mic City Sons.

While still a member of Heatmiser, Smith retreated to his basement to focus on more intimate material in vast contrast to Heatmiser's heavier sound. Roman Candle, on which he played all the instruments, was recorded on a four-track and epitomized the lo-fi DIY aesthetic while showcasing Smith's talent to craft emotive song structures that emphasized the dark themes of his lyrics.

The promise of a great songwriter was furthered on Smith's self-titled album. While keeping with an overall melancholy vibe, he concentrated on beautifying the melodies. The songs floated like lullabies, though the lyrics could disrupt sleep for weeks.

Smith continued to play all the instruments on 1997's Either/Or, while focusing on the arrangements. Dramatic constructions combine with Smith's eerily potent stripped-down fare for the album that cemented his role in the indie-folk pantheon. At the time of the LP's release, Van Sant, a Portland resident, used Smith's music for the soundtrack to "Good Will Hunting." Smith performed "Miss Misery," which was nominated for Best Original Song, at the Academy Awards show in April 1998. The Oscar went to Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On," from "Titanic," though simply being nominated helped his subsequent LP, 1998's XO, become Smith's best-selling album.

XO and his final album, 2000's Figure 8, both released on major-label DreamWorks Records, were marked by lush textures and acoustic melodies inspired by the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson and latter-day Beatles, that brimmed with a sunny brilliance, but still retained Smith's keen commentaries and forlorn sentiments. He had been working on a follow-up album, From a Basement on the Hill, at the time of his death (see "Elliott Smith Flying Solo On Next LP, But It Won't Sound Like It").

The limited-edition 7-inch single "Pretty (Ugly Before)" was released in August on Seattle indie Suicide Squeeze Records, and the previously unreleased songs "Splittsville" and the instrumental "Snowbunny's Serenade" appear in the film "Southlander: Diary of a Desperate Musician," directed by Silverlake resident Steve Hanft, who's helmed videos for Beck. After limited theatrical showings, the movie was released on DVD October 7. Hanft was also responsible for the Smith documentary "Strange Parallels," released in 1998.

"Elliott Smith was an extraordinarily warm person and gifted musician," Hanft wrote in an e-mail. "He had a very keen sense of humor and a kind heart, but he was also a complete bad ass. ... One of my fondest memories is seeing Elliott hanging with his girl and some friends, sitting down at the piano smiling, and playing his own wild version of a Rachmaninoff piece, which he called 'Punkrachmaninoff.' He was a misunderstood genius, and each time he sat down with his acoustic guitar and played a song it was better than the last."