Sufjan Stevens has dedicated his just-released new album, Javelin, to his late life partner, Evans Richardson.
“This album is dedicated to the light of my life, my beloved partner and best friend, Evans Richardson, who passed away in April,” the singer-songwriter wrote on Instagram. “He was an absolute gem of a person, full of life, love, laughter, curiosity, integrity, and joy. He was one of those rare and beautiful ones you find only once in a lifetime — precious, impeccable, and absolutely exceptional in every way.”
In his statement, he stressed the importance of putting in the hard work of taking care of loved ones, “especially the beautiful ones.” If you happen to find that kind of love, hold it close, hold it tight, savor it, tend to it, and give it everything you’ve got, especially in times of trouble,” he wrote. “Be kind, be strong, be patient, be forgiving, be vigorous, be wise, and be yourself. Live every day as if it is your last, with fullness and grace, with reverence and love, with gratitude and joy.” Stevens, who has always been open about his Christian faith, also quoted Psalm 118:24: “This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
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Last month, Stevens revealed that he has been relearning how to walk after being diagnosed with the autoimmune disorder Guillian-Barre Syndrome. “Luckily there’s treatment for this — [doctors] administer immuno-hemoglobin infusions for five days and pray that the disease doesn’t spread to the lungs, heart and brain,” he wrote on Instagram. “Very scary, but it worked. I spent about two weeks in Med/Surg, stuck in a bed, while my doctors did all the things to keep me alive and stabilize my condition. I owe them my life.”
Javelin, out today, features an appearance by the National’s Bryce Dessner and a cover of Neil Young’s “There’s a World.”
