Vale, Daniel.
A phenomenal songwriter, and an inspiring, troubled human being. He fought his demons all his life, and fought the best of good fights. He never gave up on humanity. He reminded me - every time I saw his image or heard him sing - just how vulnerable true beauty is.
If you don't know him, the best thing one can say about him is he loved music. Loved it. Mattered more to him than oxygen, really. He struggled to take care of himself. He needed a lot of help. Sometimes he got it, sometimes he didn't. But he never stopped writing songs, and recording them however he could.
There's an album you can get - it's title now more apt than it was at the time - called The Late Great Daniel Johnston. It's a tribute album, but also comes with the originals. His songs were so simple, but so pure, with an intuitive grasp of melody and musical principles. The range of artists covering his songs - Teenage Fanclub, Tom Waits, TV on the Radio - makes it clear how loved he was, and how good. (Tom Waits doesn't cover songs on a whim.)
There's a version of him doing The Beatles 'You've Got To Hide Your Love Away'.
The frailty of delivery and wavering quality (performing was always hard for him, though he loved it) makes it terribly poignant, but his phrasing is superb. Very few people can wring something deeper or new out of songs as ubiquitous as this.
Rest easy, Daniel. Lord knows, you've earned it. Yours was a uniquely beautiful soul.
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