Elvis Costello Gets Candid on Death and the “Indignity” That He Says Will “Accompany My Demise”

Having the heart of an artist and performer, Elvis Costello spent his career doing more than releasing numerous hit albums. He also starred in several film and television shows. And he even hosted his own television show Spectacle: Elvis Costello with. Landing in both the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the singer turned 70 years old back in August. Taking a moment to look over his rich career in the spotlight, the singer explained what his legacy might look like after his passing. 

Sitting down with Vanity Fair, Costello didn’t shy away from his legacy after death. While some shy away from the conversation, Costello appeared to welcome it. And he didn’t mix words when it came to his thoughts on the subject and how his early success could engulf his later work. “At different times I’ve wrestled with that [concept] a little bit. When my father died, he was the voice of a very famous lemonade commercial. The headlines actually said, ‘Secret lemonade drinker dies.’ As if he’d never done anything else in a 50-year career. I don’t doubt a similar indignity will accompany my demise.”

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Elvis Costello Talks Early Success With “Alison”

Although having more than a few memorable moments in his career, Costello seemed to point to his early success with hit songs like “Alison”. He continued, “Think about what year it was when I started writing the songs which I’m known for. Some of them come from 1975. Trace back 50 years from that and tell me what songs were still being played [in the mid-seventies]. If they’re enduring, they’re regarded as standards. So whether anybody else likes it or not, there are a few that I guess have joined that company. I don’t, self-consciously, regard them that way, but it is a historical fact.”

Not finished leaving his mark in the music industry, on November 1st, Costello’s newest box set, King of America & Other Realms, will hit shelves. It looked to include a remastered edition of his album King of America and also outtakes from live recordings. Costello released his latest album, The Boy Named If, back in 2022. 

(Photo by Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images)