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This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

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This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things

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One of the nicest things on Sunset Blvd. is the Elliott Smith tribute wall. In October 21, 2003, dreary and brilliant singer songwriter Elliott Smith killed himself by stabbing himself in the heart.

Best known for the moody acoustic songs heard in Good Will Hunting, Smith had an Oscar nom in his back pocket in '97 and a contract with Dreamworks in '98.

Immediately after the reports of his death began to spread, fans in LA began writing little messages on the wall at Solutions electronics and repair on Sunset near Fountain where he once posed for an album cover. Those messages were later replaced by others and for nearly four years now it's always nice to see an ever-changing and solemn tribute to a talented musician.

Today, however, we spotted some very ugly graffiti that only made us wonder, why?

With all the things to rebel against in 2007, to pick on a memorial wall to a guy who killed himself is below low.

Every now and then we see someone tag this wall and later it's removed, but it really makes us wonder what idiot would waste his energy trying to ruin something so sweet.

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photo by Sonny I. LaVista for LAist

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