L.A. Weekly: Asbestos Killed Warren Zevon — Now His Son Is Fighting to Ban It Once and for All
Posted on July 8, 2016
Jordan Zevon, Jordan Summers, Willow Zevon and Linda Reinstein
Sometimes advocacy can be a dry task, but last night was proof that it doesn’t have to be!
ADAO’s national spokesperson, Jordan Zevon, along with photographer George Gruel, hosted the amazing “Lawyers Guns and Photos,” event honored Grammy-winning musician and Jordan’s dad, Warren Zevon, while raising awareness and funds for asbestos-related diseases.
Warren received five posthumous Grammy nominations and won two Grammy awards, including Best Contemporary Folk Album for The Wind. He passed away in 2003 from mesothelioma, a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. His death moved his son Jordan Zevon to become the national spokesperson for ADAO, lending his voice to spreading awareness about the dangers of asbestos.
The evening was a smashing success—and an absolute blast to boot. Nearly 200 guests turned out for this walk down Warren Zevon memory lane. The unique event garnered the attention of local media; Jordan and George were interviewed on-air on LA’s KLOS radio station, and LA Weekly published a fantastic story on Warren’s career and battle with mesothelioma. The LA Weekly story has been socially shared more than 3,000 times, spreading awareness to new audiences. We even made the radio news all the way in San Francisco!
Partygoers enjoyed incredible live music performed by Jordan, as well as some of Warren’s old bandmates and friends. Photos from George Gruel’s book “Lawyers Guns and Photos” were on display, and George was there to sign books and share insight about the years of Warren’s life he captured with his camera.
Thanks to George for gracing us with his beautiful art, and to all the musicians for taking us straight back to the ’80s with their rockin’ jam session. ADAO also owes a huge debt of gratitude to Sam Milgrom and Ellice Ruiz for hosting this event at the beyond awesome Mr. Musichead Gallery and being so supportive of our cause, and to Jayne McKay for helping make sure the party went off without a hitch!
“With as many as 15,000 Americans dying from asbestos diseases each year, I am not alone, and my story is truly no different than any other family affected by the tragedy of asbestos,” Jordan Zevon said. “ADAO gives victims like me and countless others a united voice and unmatched strength to work toward a future without asbestos.”
Jordan has been unwavering in helping the fight against asbestos, and last night he offered up some rare and exclusive Warren Zevon memorabilia for a live auction that benefited ADAO. In a touching moment, Jordan even auctioned off handwritten sheet music of his dad’s. Those rare pages instantly stole the show, triggering the biggest bidding battle of the evening! I’m so grateful to Jordan for putting together such a successful auction that brought thousands of dollars for ADAO. Huge, huge thanks to all the auction winners and bidders–your participation and donations mean the world to a small nonprofit like us!
As we were planning for this event and promoting it on social media, the resounding response we were met with was: “Really? Asbestos killed Warren? I had no idea…” This is evidence of a truth we all know—outside of our community, asbestos and asbestos-related diseases are terribly misunderstood. Marrying art with our advocacy efforts allows us to reach outside of the asbestos community, and eradicate some of those misconceptions.
For Jordan, this is exactly what he hopes to come out of his dad’s legacy. “Asbestos diseases cannot currently be cured, but they can be prevented through education and awareness. I can think of no better way to pay tribute to my father.”
I couldn’t agree with that sentiment more, and I’m so, so proud of Jordan for doing this important work, and endlessly grateful for the time, energy, and love he dedicates to ADAO. Jordan, I know your dad would truly be proud of what you’re doing to change the world for the better.
Together, we can make our message sing!
Linda