RIP WILLY DEVILLE

Just 58 years old, Willy DeVille passed away last night from pancreatic cancer.

The man was the man.

It's really not hard to understand what made him so great. He had this raw complexity and impeccable satire. Deeply romantic yet so masculine. One of the greatest singers and songwriters. And one of the most interesting New York musicians ever.

He was New York. Idiomatic and original. In fact, soooooo New York that he left and then came back, several times. To top it off he hates LA, which isn't necessarily a 'New York' thing, just generally a good thing.

"I hate L.A. It's the worst. I think they eat their children there. I never saw any kids."

His music is intuitively conceptual. Intriguing and genuine. Really progressive in nature, but stuck to his guns. Brilliant, genius, and an addict. He lived the blues. I mean, the guy cut his wife down from the rope she hung herself on. Essential blues shit.

So all this Keith Richards crap can suck a dick. Try listening to Willy, then Keith. You will hate yourslf.