Incredibly sad news to hear this on the news this morning. Poet, musician, social commentator, and writer all rolled into one enigmatic person. Always went to the Jazz Cafe when he came over to play - remembering one time when he came on late, speech slurred..not quite getting started... faces all round in worry... but then.. the first few bars of The Bottle kicked in and boy it seemed the years of drug abuse just fell away in seconds and played out of his skin the whole night. The type of artist that will never ever be seen again. Had the very great pleasure of meeting him several times, and once when dicussing his several works of fictionn which earned me a hug and a hand shake from the great man. RIP Gil.