Steven Paul "
Elliott"
Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003) was an American
singer,
songwriter, and musician. Smith was born in
Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in
Texas, and lived for much of his life in
Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity. Smith's primary instrument was the guitar, though he was also proficient with piano,
clarinet, bass guitar, drums, and
harmonica. Smith had a distinctive vocal style, characterized by his "whispery, spiderweb-thin delivery", and used
multi-tracking to create vocal layers, textures, and
harmonies.