"People Who Died"

Granted this is sort of old news, but I think it's still note worthy.

In mid-September Jim Carroll died of a heart attack at the age of 59. For those who don't know, Jim Carroll was the author of 'The Basketball Diaries' (which he began writing at age 12 - based on his life) and the musician behind the quasi-hit song 'People Who Died'.

Jim Carroll was apparently one of those people who was good at everything he did. A basketball standout, successful musician and an acclaimed writer, his only failure seemed to be kicking his drug habit – which he eventually succeeded at.

I want to say that Jim Carroll’s life should serve as a cautionary tale against drugs and wasted talent, but the truth is his heroin addiction and his later success were undeniably linked. (Disclaimer: He only found success after he sobered up). Instead, Jim Carroll should stand as a reminder that if you have a passion (in his case writing), you should never give up, no matter where life takes you.

http://filmdrunk.uproxx.com/2009/09/aw-crap-jim-carroll-1950-2009

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Carroll