According to Chartattack Magazine:

1. He was a sensitive singer-songwriter with real punk rock roots. Smith 
began his career in Heatmiser -- who came out of the gate in the 
early-'90s as a Fugazi-esque punk rock band. That band also featured Sam 
Coomes, who went on to form Quasi.

2. Smith was shuttled out of obscurity in 1997 when he did the music for 
the Matt Damon/Ben Affleck movie Good Will Hunting. Smith was personally 
chosen to do the music by director Gus Van Sant, who happened to be a 
big fan of the folk-punk singer.

3. Elliott Smith was emo before Dashboard Confessional even thought of 
entering a recording studio. His songs are sweetly tragic, although the 
singer himself always managed to maintain a sense of legitimate edginess 
that prevented him from becoming trite or syrupy. No one could sing 
about love and heroin addiction on the same album with the same level of 
conviction as Smith did.

4. Smith's appearance at the 1997 Oscars was probably the most 
delightful moment in the glitzy awards show's history. Clad in a white 
suit, a nervous and out-of-place Smith took to the Oscar stage to 
perform "Miss Misery," which was nominated from the Good Will Hunting 
soundtrack. Smith lost the Oscar to Celine Dion's Titanic ballad "My 
Heart Will Go On."

5. He knew how to turn a waltz into a pop song. Very nice.

6. Despite the darkness that often lurked in Smith's lyrics he was also 
able to make some gorgeously sunny music. His last proper album, 2000's 
Figure 8, was a Beach Boys-inspired work of pop brilliance, belying the 
somber lyrical content of many of the songs.

7. Although he was signed to DreamWorks, one of the fanciest major label 
imprints around, the label understood Smith's indie roots. Not ready to 
record the official follow-up to Figure 8, this year Smith was free to 
unleash smaller releases on independent labels. In August he released a 
single on Suicide Squeeze and he also had songs in the film Southlander: 
Diary Of A Desperate Musician, earlier this year.

8. He was truly a solo artist and a gifted arranger, often playing all 
the instruments on his albums.

9. Smith's real name was Steven Paul Smith, but he changed his name to 
Elliott while in middle school because he thought Steve sounded too 
jockish.

10. Most of all, Elliott Smith's music was really, really great. He'll 
be sorely missed.