Elliott Smith ( August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003) was an American songwriter and musician. He rose to prominence when his song "Miss Misery", which he wrote for the movie Good Will Hunting, was nominated for an Oscar in the best original song category in 1998.
Elliott Smith was born Steven Paul Smith on August 6, 1969 in Omaha, Nebraska. His mother, Bunny Smith, was an elementary school teacher and his father, Gary Smith, was a University of Nebraska medical student at the time. His parents divorced about a year later, and Steven went to live near Dallas, Texas, with his mother and stepfather. Smith learned to play both the piano and guitar as a child and wrote his first song when he was 13. At 14, Smith moved from Texas to Portland, Oregon, to live with his father, Gary. During high school, Smith was part of the band Stranger Than Fiction (with Garrick Duckler, Jason Hornick, and Adam Koval). He graduated from Lincoln High School on June 3, 1987 as a National Merit finalist.
Around this time, he began calling himself "Elliott", since he thought "Steve" sounded too much like a jock name. No one is certain why he chose "Elliott." Some speculate it came from a street name in Portland, some say it was an idea of his girlfriend's at the time, and was the last name of her ex-boyfriend. Elliott is spelled with two "T"s, like the last name. Others, however, believe that his name may be related to the American Revolutionary folk singer of the 18th century, Gilbert Elliot.
Smith graduated from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, with a degree in philosophy and political science. After returning to Portland, Smith formed the band Heatmiser in 1991 with Neil Gust, Tony Lash, and Brandt Peterson (replaced by Sam Coomes, later of Quasi). Their sound has been compared to Fugazi and grunge music. The group disbanded in 1995, but not before signing a deal with major label Virgin Records to release their final record, Mic City Sons.
