Part 10/12:
Eventually, they returned permanently to the United States in the early 1900s. Settling in Los Angeles by 1920, Shepard’s popularity waned as modernist ideas displaced the mystical romanticism he embodied.
The Tragic End and Enduring Legacy
In 1927, at age 78, Shepard’s health was deteriorating, but his spirit remained resilient. During a charitable event in Los Angeles, Shepard sat at the piano and played passionately. As he struck the final chord of his favorite piece, The Egyptian March, he collapsed and died from apparent heart failure—an artistic death fitting for a man whose life was a symphony of mysticism and creativity.