Singer/songwriter Warren Zevon is celebrating his 51st birthday today.

Perhaps best known for "Werewolves of London," the influence of Zevon's

literate songwriting and dark humor can be heard in the music of such

artists as R.E.M. and Counting Crows. Born in Chicago, Zevon's

Russian immigrant parents continually moved around Arizona and California

while he was growing up. Zevon taught himself to play guitar by the time he

reached high school and moved out on his own at age 16. In 1969, he

released Wanted -- Dead or Alive to little critical or audience notice

and soon resorted to writing commercial jingles for such companies as

Ernest and Julio Gallo and Chevrolet. He also began to work as the

bandleader for the Everly Brothers during the last days of their career

together and continued to work with the brothers individually after their

breakup. By the mid-'70s, Zevon was living quite happily in Spain, far

away from the music biz.

Everything changed in 1976 when Linda Ronstadt had a big hit with a cover of

Zevon's

"Hasten Down the

Wind." Zevon returned to the states at the urging of his friend Jackson

Browne and released a critically acclaimed self-titled album by the end of

the year. Ronstadt continued to have success with Zevon's songs, hitting

the charts again in 1978 with "Poor Poor Pitiful Me." 1978 also saw the

release of Zevon's Excitable Boy, which spawned his biggest hit,

"Werewolves of London," as well as such signature songs as "Roland the

Headless Thompson Gunner" and "Lawyers, Guns and Money." Unfortunately,

Zevon's life began to be ravaged by his alcoholism in the closing years of

the decade. The '80s saw Zevon bouncing back, and he continually released

solid albums to a devoted cult audience. In 1990, he recorded with the

members of R.E.M., sans Michael Stipe, under the name Hindu Love Gods.

Zevon continues to record and has done soundtrack work for television and

film. He can also be seen filling in for Paul Shaffer when the music director is on

vacation from "The Late Show with David Letterman."

Other birthdays: Aaron Neville (Neville Brothers), 57,

and Jools Holland (Squeeze), 43.