another story tangentially related to Johnny Cash…<P>SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) â?? Howie Epstein, a former bass player for Tom <BR>Petty and the Heartbreakers, died of what authorities suspect was a <BR>drug overdose. He was 47. <BR>Investigators were told Epstein had been using heroin, said Maj. <BR>Ron Madrid of the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department. Epstein was <BR>driven to St. Vincent Hospital by his girlfriend, who described him <BR>as "under distress." He died Sunday. <BR>Epstein was taking antibiotics for an illness, and he had recently <BR>suffered from flu, stomach problems and an abscess on his leg, <BR>friends said. <BR>"Apparently he passed out in the bathroom, and (his girlfriend) <BR>drove him to the hospital," Madrid said. <BR>Epstein has been a respected musician and producer for more than <BR>20 years. In addition to his work with Petty, he played on some of <BR>Bob Dylan's albums in the 1980s and produced a Grammy-award winning <BR>album for folk singer-songwriter John Prine called The Lost Years. <BR>He was singer Carlene Carter's longtime boyfriend, producing two <BR>of her albums, one of which was nominated for a Grammy. <BR>"I'm devastated," said Carter, the stepdaughter of country singer <BR>Johnny Cash and daughter of June Carter Cash. "I loved him very much. <BR>My kids thought of Howie as their father. <BR>"We had a good life together for 15 years. We've been apart since <BR>May last year, and all I know is I'm going to miss him very much." <BR>Epstein teamed up with Petty in 1982 and also worked with Roy <BR>Orbison, Del Shannon, John Hiatt, Stevie Nicks and Eric Anderson. <BR>"We are deeply saddened at the news of Howie's passing. It's <BR>difficult to put into words how much we loved him and will miss him. <BR>The world has lost a great talent and a kind and gentle soul," <BR>according to a statement on Petty's Web site. <BR>Epstein and Carter were arrested in June 2001 in Albuquerque with <BR>2.9 grams of black-tar heroin and drug paraphernalia in a vehicle <BR>that had been reported stolen. <BR>Epstein was not charged in that case. Carter pleaded no contest to <BR>a charge of heroin possession and was sentenced to 18 months <BR>probation. <BR>Several months before the plea, she was released into the custody <BR>of her daughter, Tiffany Lowe, in Nashville and has lived there <BR>since. <BR>Epstein, who was born in Milwaukee, Wis., is survived by a <BR>daughter, Jamie Leffler, 15, in Los Angeles and two brothers in <BR>Milwaukee. <BR>
Howie Epstein, RIP
After years and years of fighting his heroin addiction, I knew this would be the headline one day……sad….talented producer and musician…..
I'm not saying that Howie isn't responsible for his own downfall, but it appears that a lot of people are pointing at this Carter chick as the one who got him on heroin and sped his rapid descent.
Perhaps Carlene Carter is the family member that Johnny Cash was referring to in an interview I read as having big drug problems.<P>Might explain why she hasn't put out an album in seven years. She was actually a pretty big name in country for a couple of years back in the early 90's.<P>She was previously married to Nick Lowe, and had a kid by him when she was 16.