John Townes Van Zandt best known as Townes Van Zandt, was an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Texas CountryTexas country music is a rapidly growing sub-genre of American country music. Texas country is known for fusing traditionalist root sounds with the outspoken, care-free views of outlaw country...
-
folk musicFolk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singer-songwriterSinger-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, performer, and poet. Many of his songs, including "
If I Needed You"If I Needed You" is a single written by Townes Van Zandt, most famously performed by American country music artists Emmylou Harris and Don Williams. Released in September 1981, it was the first single from Harris' album Cimarron. The song reached #3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and...
," "To Live is to Fly," and "No Place to Fall" are considered standards of their genre.
While alive, Van Zandt was labeled as a cult musician; though he had a small and devoted fanbase, he never had a successful album or single, and even had difficulty keeping his recordings in print. In 1983, six years after
Emmylou HarrisEmmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
had first popularized it,
Willie NelsonWillie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
and
Merle HaggardMerle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
covered his song "
Pancho and Lefty"Pancho and Lefty" is a song written by country singer and songwriter Townes Van Zandt. Van Zandt first recorded it for his 1972 album, The Late Great Townes Van Zandt...
," scoring a number one hit on the
Billboard country musicThe Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
charts. Despite achievements like these, the bulk of his life was spent touring various
dive barA dive bar is a type of bar or pub. Dive bars generally have a relaxed and informal atmosphere—they are often referred to by local residents as "neighborhood bars," where people in the neighborhood gather to drink and socialize...
s, often living in cheap motel rooms, backwoods cabins, and on friends' couches. Van Zandt was notorious for his drug addictions,
alcoholismAlcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, and his tendency to tell
tall talesTall Tales may refer to:* Tall Tales , 2004* Tall Tales , by American band The Hot Club of Cowtown* "Tall Tales" , an episode of the television series Supernatural-See also:...
. When young, he was diagnosed with
bipolar disorderBipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
, and
insulin shock therapyInsulin shock therapy or insulin coma therapy was a form of psychiatric treatment in which patients were repeatedly injected with large doses of insulin in order to produce daily comas over several weeks...
erased much of his
long-term memoryLong-term memory is memory in which associations among items are stored, as part of the theory of a dual-store memory model. According to the theory, long term memory differs structurally and functionally from working memory or short-term memory, which ostensibly stores items for only around 20–30...
.
Van Zandt died on New Years Day 1997 from health problems stemming from years of substance abuse. The 2000s saw a resurgence of interest in Van Zandt. During the decade, two books, a
documentary filmBe Here To Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt is a 2004 documentary film directed by Margaret Brown which chronicles the often turbulent life of American singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt. The film includes interviews of Van Zandt's immediate family and contemporaries such as Willie Nelson,...
, and a number of magazine articles about the singer were created. Van Zandt's music has been covered by such notable and varied musicians as
Bob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
,,
Norah JonesNorah Jones is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actress.In 2002, she launched her solo music career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album Come Away With Me, which was certified a diamond album in 2002, selling over 20 million copies...
,
Lyle LovettLyle Pearce Lovett is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Active since 1980, he has recorded thirteen albums and released 21 singles to date, including his highest entry, the number 10 chart hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, "Cowboy Man"...
,
Steve EarleStephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
and
Cowboy JunkiesCowboy Junkies are a Canadian alternative country/blues/folk rock band. The group was formed in Toronto in 1985 by Margo Timmins , Michael Timmins , Peter Timmins and Alan Anton ....
Early life
Townes Van Zandt was born in
Fort WorthFort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
,
TexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, to a wealthy
oilPetroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
family. He was the third-great-grandson of
Isaac Van ZandtIsaac Van Zandt was a political leader in the Republic of Texas. Van Zandt County, Texas, was named in his honor....
, a prominent leader of the
Republic of TexasThe Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
and second great-grandson of Khleber M. Van Zandt, Confederate Major and one of the founders of Fort Worth. Van Zandt County in east Texas was named after his family in 1848. Townes' parents were Harris Williams Van Zandt (1913–1966) and Dorothy Townes (?-1983). He had two siblings, Bill and Donna. Harris was a
corporate lawyerA corporate lawyer is a lawyer who specializes in corporations law.As of 2004, there were 67,000 corporate lawyers in the United States, working on average for 50 hours per week, with a mean starting salary of USD64,000, rising to USD93,700 after 5 years and USD139,000 after 10–15 years.The...
, and his career required the family to move several times during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1952 the family transplanted from Fort Worth to
MidlandMidland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2010, the population of Midland was 111,147. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas...
, Texas, for six months before moving to
BillingsBillings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
,
MontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
.
Townes was given a guitar by his father for
ChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
in 1956, which he practiced while wandering the countryside. He would later tell an interviewer that,"watching
Elvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
's October 28, 1956, performance on
The Ed Sullivan ShowThe Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
was the starting point for me becoming a guitar player... I just thought that Elvis had all the money in the world, all the Cadillacs and all the girls, and all he did was play the guitar and sing. That made a big impression on me." In 1958 the family moved to
BoulderBoulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
,
ColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. Van Zandt would remember his time in Colorado fondly and would often visit it as an adult. He would also later refer to Colorado in the songs "My Proud Mountains" and "Colorado Girl."
During his youth, Townes was noted as a good student and active in team sports. In grade school, it was recognized that Van Zandt had a genius IQ and his parents began grooming him to become a lawyer or
senatorThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. Fearing that his family would move again, he willingly decided to attend
Shattuck SchoolShattuck-St Mary's School is a coeducational Episcopal Church-affiliated boarding school in Faribault, Minnesota, and is known for its Centers of Excellence hockey, soccer, music and figure skating programs.-National recognition:...
in
FaribaultAs of the census of 2000, there were 20,818 people, 7,472 households, and 4,946 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,644.8 people per square mile . There were 7,668 housing units at an average density of 605.8 per square mile...
,
MinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. He received a score of 1170 when he took the
SATThe SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
in January 1962. His family soon moved to
HoustonHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, Texas.
Van Zandt was accepted into the
University of Colorado at BoulderThe University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
in 1962. In the spring of his sophomore year, his parents flew to Boulder to bring Townes back to Houston, apparently worried about his binge drinking and episodes of depression. They admitted him to the
University of Texas Medical BranchThe University of Texas Medical Branch is a component of the University of Texas System located in Galveston, Texas, United States, about 50 miles southeast of Downtown Houston...
in Galveston, where he was diagnosed with manic depression. He received three months of
insulin shock therapyInsulin shock therapy or insulin coma therapy was a form of psychiatric treatment in which patients were repeatedly injected with large doses of insulin in order to produce daily comas over several weeks...
, which erased much of his
long-term memoryLong-term memory is memory in which associations among items are stored, as part of the theory of a dual-store memory model. According to the theory, long term memory differs structurally and functionally from working memory or short-term memory, which ostensibly stores items for only around 20–30...
. Afterwards, his mother's "biggest regret in life was that she had allowed that treatment to occur." In 1965 he was accepted into the
University of HoustonThe University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
's
pre-lawIn the United States, pre-law refers to any course of study taken by an undergraduate in preparation for study at a law school.The American Bar Association requires law schools that it approves to require at least a bachelor's degree for North American students for admission...
program. He soon after attempted to join the
Air ForceAn air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...
, but was rejected due to a doctor's diagnosis that called him "an acute manic-depressive who has made minimal adjustments to life." He finally quit school for good around 1967, having been inspired by his singer-songwriter heroes to pursue a career in playing music.
Early musical career
In 1965 Van Zandt began playing regular shows at the Jester Lounge in Houston for $10 per night. There he met fellow musicians Lightning Hopkins,
Guy ClarkGuy Clark is an American Texas Country artist. In his career, he has released more than twenty albums, primarily on major labels. He has also written singles for other artists, including Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner and Rodney Crowell....
,
Jerry Jeff WalkerJerry Jeff Walker is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is probably most famous for writing the song "Mr. Bojangles.-Biography:...
, and
Doc WatsonArthel Lane "Doc" Watson is an American guitar player, songwriter and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues and gospel music. He has won seven Grammy awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Watson's flatpicking skills and knowledge of traditional American music are highly regarded...
. His repertoire consisted mostly of covers of songs written by Hopkins,
Bob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, and others, as well as original novelty songs like "Fraternity Blues." In 1966, right before his death, Harris Van Zandt had encouraged his son to stop playing covers and write his own songs. In 1968 Van Zandt met songwriter
Mickey NewburyMickey Newbury was an American songwriter, a critically acclaimed recording artist, and a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Biography:...
in a Houston coffee shop. Newbury persuaded Van Zandt to go to
NashvilleNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, where he was introduced by Newbury to the man who would become his longtime producer,
"Cowboy" Jack ClementJack Henderson Clement is an American singer, songwriter, and a record and film producer.Raised and educated in Memphis, Jack Clement was performing at an early age...
.
Among Van Zandt's major influences was
Texas bluesTexas blues is a subgenre of blues. It has had various style variations but typically has been played with more swing than other blues styles....
man
Lightnin' HopkinsSam John Hopkins better known as Lightnin’ Hopkins, was an American country blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional pianist, from Houston, Texas...
, whose songs were a constant part of his repertoire. He also cited early
Bob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
and Hank Williams as having had a major impact on his music. Van Zandt also cited such varied artists as
Guy ClarkGuy Clark is an American Texas Country artist. In his career, he has released more than twenty albums, primarily on major labels. He has also written singles for other artists, including Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner and Rodney Crowell....
,
Muddy WatersMcKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...
, Mozart,
The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
,
Blind Willie McTellBlind Willie McTell , was an influential Piedmont and ragtime blues singer and guitarist. He played with a fluid, syncopated fingerstyle guitar technique, common among many exponents of Piedmont blues, although, unlike his contemporaries, he used exclusively a twelve-string guitar...
, Tchaikovsky,
Richard DobsonRichard Dobson is an American singer/songwriter.He was born in Tyler, Texas. He spent time in the 1970s with Townes Van Zandt, Mickey White, Rex "Wrecks" Bell, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell and "Skinny" Dennis Sanchez....
, and
Jefferson AirplaneJefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
as influences.
For much of his career, Van Zandt maintained a flippant attitude towards the recording process, with songwriting being his primary concern. As a result, his regular producer Jack Clement would take creative license, turning some of Van Zandt's early albums into uneven and wildly over-produced affairs. 1968's
For the Sake of the Song features "
harpsichordA harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
s,
fluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
s,
martial drum beatsMartial industrial, also known as martial music, is a music genre originating in late 20th century Europe. It often borrows musically from classical music, neofolk, neoclassical, traditional European marches and from elements of industrial and dark ambient.-Origins:The genre name military pop was...
, and a whole host of backup singers that would make the most overproduced
Southern GospelSouthern Gospel music—at one time also known as "quartet music"—is music whose lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music...
album hang its head in disgrace." Clement has since expressed regret over some of his production choices.
1970s
The years between 1968 and 1973 would prove to be Van Zandt's most prolific era. He released five albums during the time period:
Our Mother the MountainOur Mother the Mountain is the second album by country singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt released in 1969. It is generally acknowledged as his first masterpiece and although it sold little upon release, it initially influenced fellow Texas country singer/songwriters Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale...
,
Townes Van ZandtTownes Van Zandt is the third release by country singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt, released in 1969. The cover photograph was taken by Sol Mednick.- Track listing :All tracks composed by Townes Van Zandt#"For the Sake of the Song"#"Columbine"...
,
Delta Momma BluesDelta Momma Blues is the fourth album by country singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt, released in 1971 .-Track listing:*All Songs Written By Townes Van Zandt, except where noted.#"FFV" Delta Momma Blues is the fourth album by country singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt, released in 1971 (see also...
,
High, Low and in BetweenHigh, Low and in Between is an album by country singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt, released in 1972.-Track listing:#"Two Hands"#"You are Not Needed Now"#"Greensboro Woman"#"Highway Kind"#"Standin'"#"No Deal"#"To Live Is To Fly"...
, and
The Late Great Townes Van ZandtThe Late Great Townes Van Zandt is a 1972 studio album by Texas singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt. It was the second album that he recorded in 1972, and a follow-up to High, Low and In Between. The album includes the earliest recorded version of two of his best-known songs, "Pancho and Lefty" and...
. Among the tracks written for these albums were "For the Sake of the Song," "To Live is to Fly," Tecumseh Valley," and "Pancho and Lefty." These songs would eventually raise Van Zandt to near-legend status in American and European songwriting circles. In 1972 Van Zandt recorded tracks for an album with a working title of
Seven Come Eleven, which would remain unreleased for many years due to a dispute between his manager Kevin Eggers and producer Jack Clement. Eggers either could not or refused to pay for the studio sessions, so Clement erased the master tapes. However, before they were deleted, Eggers snuck in to the studio and recorded rough mixes of the songs on to a cassette tape. Tracks from the aborted
Seven Come Eleven debacle would later surface on
The Nashville Sessions.
In 1975 Van Zandt was featured prominently in the documentary film
Heartworn HighwaysHeartworn Highways is documentary film by James Szalapski whose vision captured some of the founders of the Outlaw Country movement in Texas and Tennessee in the last weeks of 1975 and the first weeks of 1976...
with
Guy ClarkGuy Clark is an American Texas Country artist. In his career, he has released more than twenty albums, primarily on major labels. He has also written singles for other artists, including Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner and Rodney Crowell....
,
Steve EarleStephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
, and David Allen Coe. His segment of the film was shot at his run-down trailer home in
AustinAustin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Texas, where Van Zandt is shown drinking straight whiskey during the middle of the day, shooting and playing with guns, and performing the songs "Waitin' Around to Die" and "Pancho & Lefty." His soon-to-be second wife Cindy and dog Geraldine (a large, "keenly intelligent" half-wolf, half-
huskyHusky is a general name for a type of dog originally used to pull sleds in northern regions, differentiated from other sled dog types by their fast hard pulling style...
) are also featured in the film.
In 1977
Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, TexasLive at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas is a double live album by Texas singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt. The recording captures Van Zandt in a series of July 1973 performances in an intimate venue early in his career. The Old Quarter was a small venue operated by Rex "Wrecks" Bell and Dale...
was released. The album showcased Van Zandt solo at a 1973 concert before a small audience, and less elaborately produced than many of his early records. The album received positive reviews, and is considered by many to be among the best albums that the songwriter ever released. Several points on the album showcased his dry sense of humor, a feature that also showed in some of his songwriting.
In the mid-1970s, Van Zandt split from his longtime manager, Kevin Eggers. He found a new manager, John Lomax III (grandson of the famed folk music historian
John LomaxJohn Avery Lomax was an American teacher, a pioneering musicologist and folklorist who did much for the preservation of American folk songs...
), who set up a
fan clubA fan club is a group that is dedicated to a well-known person, group, idea or sometimes even an inanimate object . Most fan clubs are run by fans who devote considerable time and resources to supporting them. There are also "official" fan clubs that are run by someone associated with the person...
for Van Zandt. Though the club was only advertised through small ads in the back of music magazines, Lomax immediately began to receive hundreds of impassioned letters from around the world written by people who felt touched by Van Zandt. Some of the letters described how his material often served as a crutch for those who were dealing with
depressionDepression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
. In the summer of 1978, the singer fired Lomax and re-hired Eggers. He soon after signed to Egger's new label,
Tomato RecordsTomato Records is an independent record label based in New York City. The label has released albums by influential artists such as Townes Van Zandt, Lightnin' Hopkins, Leadbelly, Chris Smither, Dave Brubeck, Nina Simone, Harry Partch and John Cage....
. The following year, he recorded
Flyin' ShoesFlyin' Shoes is an album released by folk/country singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt in 1978.- Track listing :#"Dollar Bill Blues"#"Rex's Blues"#"Pueblo Waltz"#"Brother Flower"#"Snake Song"#"Loretta"#"No Place to Fall"#"Flyin' Shoes"...
; he would not release another album until 1987's
At My WindowAt My Window is an album released by Folk/country singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt in 1987. This was Van Zandt's first studio album in the nine years that followed 1978's Flyin' Shoes, and his only studio album recorded in the 1980s. Although the songwriter had become less prolific over the...
.
Despite critical acclaim, Van Zandt remained a cult figure. He normally played small venues (often to crowds of fewer than fifty people) but began to move towards playing larger venues (and even made a handful of television appearances) during the 1990s. For much of the 1970s, he lived a reclusive life outside of Nashville in a tin-roofed, bare-boards
shackA shack is a type of small house, usually in a state of disrepair. The word may derive from the Nahuatl word xacalli or "adobe house" by way of Mexican Spanish xacal/jacal, which has the same meaning as "shack". It was a common usage among people of Mexican ancestry throughout the U.S...
with no heat, plumbing or telephone, occasionally appearing in town to play shows.
Steve EarleStephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
would later say that Van Zandt's primary concerns during this time period were planting
morning gloriesMorning glory is a common name for over 1,000 species of flowering plants in the family Convolvulaceae, whose current taxonomy and systematics is in flux...
, listening to
Paul HarveyPaul Harvey Aurandt , better known as Paul Harvey, was an American radio broadcaster for the ABC Radio Networks. He broadcast News and Comment on weekday mornings and mid-days, and at noon on Saturdays, as well as his famous The Rest of the Story segments. His listening audience was estimated, at...
's radio show, and watching the sitcom
Happy DaysHappy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
.
1980s - 1990s
Several of Van Zandt's compositions were recorded by other artists, such as
Emmylou HarrisEmmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
who, with
Don WilliamsDon Williams , is an American country singer, songwriter and a 2010 inductee to the Country Music Hall of Fame. He grew up in Portland, Texas, and graduated in 1958 from Gregory-Portland High School. After seven years with the folk-pop group Pozo-Seco Singers, he began his solo career in 1971,...
, had a #3 country hit in 1981 with "
If I Needed You"If I Needed You" is a single written by Townes Van Zandt, most famously performed by American country music artists Emmylou Harris and Don Williams. Released in September 1981, it was the first single from Harris' album Cimarron. The song reached #3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and...
," and
Willie NelsonWillie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
and
Merle HaggardMerle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
, the pair taking "Pancho & Lefty" to number one on the country charts in 1983. Van Zandt had a small
cameo appearanceA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in the video for the song. In his later years he recorded less frequently, his voice and singing style altered in part because of his lifestyle and alcoholism. However, he continued writing songs, such as "Marie" and "The Hole."
According to Susanna Clark, Van Zandt turned down repeated invitations to write with Bob Dylan. Dylan was reportedly a "big fan" of Townes and claimed to have all of his records; Van Zandt admired Dylan's songs, but didn't care for his celebrity. The two first met during a chance encounter outside a costume shop in the
South CongressSouth Congress is a neighborhood located on South Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas, United States. It is also a nationally-known shopping and cultural district famous for its many eclectic small retailers, restaurants, music and art venues and, more recently, food trucks.South Congress begins at...
district of Austin, Texas, on June 21, 1986. According to Johnny Guess, Dylan later arranged another meeting with the songwriter. The Drag in Austin was shut down due to Dylan being in town; Van Zandt drove his
motorhomeA motorhome is a type of self-propelled recreational vehicle or RV which offers living accommodation combined with a vehicle engine. The term motorhome is most commonly used in the UK, US, and Canada.-Features:...
to the cordoned-off area, after which Dylan boarded the vehicle and requested to hear him play several songs.
In May and June 1990, he opened for The Cowboy Junkies during a two-month-long tour of the United States and
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, which exposed him to a younger generation of fans. As a result, he wrote the song "Cowboy Junkies Lament" for the group, with a verse about each respective member of the band.
Personal life
Van Zandt married Fran Petters on August 26, 1965; a son, John Townes "J.T." Van Zandt II, was born to them on April 11, 1969, in Houston. The couple were divorced on January 16, 1970. She would later remarry, changing her last name to Lohr.
He moved in with Cindy Morgan in late 1974, and the two married in Nashville in September 1978. They became estranged for much of the early 1980s, and were divorced on February 10, 1983, in
Travis County, TexasAs of 2009, the U.S. census estimates there were 1,026,158 people, 320,766 households, and 183,798 families residing in the county. The population density was 821 people per square mile . There were 335,881 housing units at an average density of 340 per square mile...
. They had no children together. She would later remarry, changing her last name to Lindgram.
Van Zandt's third and final marriage was to Jeanene Munsell (born February 21, 1957). They met on December 9, 1980 at a memorial for
John LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
. When the terminally-ill Dorothy Van Zandt learned that her son had impregnated Munsell, she told him, "You're going to do the right thing and honor that baby." He soon after divorced from his estranged second wife, and married Munsell on March 14, 1983; their first child, William Vincent, was born ten days later. Another child, Katie Belle, was born February 14, 1992. Van Zandt and Munsell were divorced on May 2, 1994. However, the two remained close until Townes' death, and Jeanene became an executor of the Estate of Townes Van Zandt.
Around the time of their April 1993 separation, Jeanene Van Zandt coaxed the musician into signing over the publishing rights of his entire back catalog and recording royalties to her and their children. Townes's only source of income after this point was money received from concert engagements, and even then Townes would frequently visit his ex-wife and "give her all the money in his pockets." Following their divorce in 1994, his only worldly possessions were listed as a 1989 GMC Truck with
camper shellA camper shell is a small housing or rigid canopy used as a pickup truck accessory. The housing is usually made of fiberglass or aluminum, and is mounted atop the pickup truck's rear bed. It usually covers the entire bed of the pickup truck, and is large enough to be used for camping purposes...
, a 1984
Honda Shadow MotorcycleThe Honda Shadow refers to a family of cruiser-type motorcycles made by Honda since 1983. The Shadow line features motorcycles with a liquid-cooled 52-degree V-twin ranging from 125cc to 1800cc engine displacement...
and a 1983 Starwind 22-foot boat named
Dorothy; he also retained sole ownership of his family inheritance of "ownership in oil lease and mineral rights."
At the time of his death, he had begun a long-distance relationship with a woman named Claudia Winterer from
DarmstadtDarmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The two met in November 1995 during a concert of his in
HanauHanau is a town in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km east of Frankfurt am Main. Its station is a major railway junction.- Geography :...
. Van Zandt told several friends that he planned on marrying Winterer, but the two never became formally engaged.
Addiction
Van Zandt struggled with
heroin addiction and alcoholism throughout his adult life. At times he would become drunk on stage and forget the lyrics to his songs. At one point, his heroin habit was so intense that he offered Kevin Eggers the publishing rights to all of the songs on each of his first four albums for $20. At various points, Van Zandt's friends saw him shoot up not just heroin, but also
cocaineCocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, vodka, as well as a mixture of rum and Coke. On at least one occasion, he shot up heroin in the presence of his son J.T., who was only eight years old at the time.
As a result of Van Zandt's constant drinking, Harold Eggers, Kevin's brother, was hired on as his tour manager and 24-hour caretaker in 1976, a partnership that would last for the rest of the singer's life. Although the musician was many years older than he was, Eggers would later say that Van Zandt was his "first child."
Van Zandt's battle with addiction led him to be admitted to rehab almost a dozen times throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Medical records from his time in recovery centers show that he believed his drinking had become a problem around 1973, and by 1982 he was drinking at least a
pintThe pint is a unit of volume or capacity that was once used across much of Europe with values varying from state to state from less than half a litre to over one litre. Within continental Europe, the pint was replaced with the metric system during the nineteenth century...
of
vodkaVodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
daily. Doctors notes reported: "He admits to hearing voices, mostly musical voices," and "Affect is blunted and mood is sad. Judgment and insight is impaired." At various points in his life, he was prescribed to take the
antidepressantAn antidepressant is a psychiatric medication used to alleviate mood disorders, such as major depression and dysthymia and anxiety disorders such as social anxiety disorder. According to Gelder, Mayou &*Geddes people with a depressive illness will experience a therapeutic effect to their mood;...
Zoloft and the
mood stabilizerA mood stabilizer is a psychiatric medication used to treat mood disorders characterized by intense and sustained mood shifts, typically bipolar disorder.-Uses:...
lithiumLithium pharmacology refers to use of the lithium ion, Li+, as a drug. A number of chemical salts of lithium are used medically as a mood stabilizing drug, primarily in the treatment of bipolar disorder, where they have a role in the treatment of depression and particularly of mania, both acutely...
. His final and longest period of sobriety during his adult life was a period of about a year in 1989 and 1990.
Death
Van Zandt continued writing and performing through the 1990s, though his output slowed noticeably as time went on. He had enjoyed some sobriety during the early 1990s, but was actively abusing alcohol during the final years of his life. In 1994 he was admitted to the hospital to detox, during which time a doctor told Jeanene Van Zandt that trying to detox Townes again could potentially kill him. He grew increasingly frail during the mid-1990s, with some long-time friends noting that he seemed to have "withered."
In the spring of 1996, he was contacted by
Sonic YouthSonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
's
Steve ShelleySteven Jay Shelley is an American drummer, best known as the drummer of alternative rock band Sonic Youth.-Biography:...
, who informed Van Zandt that he was interested in recording and releasing an album for him on the band's
Ecstatic PeaceEcstatic Peace! is a record label based in Easthampton, Massachusetts, founded in 1981 by Sonic Youth member Thurston Moore. The premiere release was a split cassette featuring spoken word performances from Michael Gira of Swans and Lydia Lunch...
label, funded by
GeffenGeffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
. Van Zandt agreed, and sessions were scheduled to begin in Memphis during late December of that year.
On December 19 or 20, Van Zandt fell down the concrete stairs outside his home, badly injuring his hip. After lying outside for an hour, he dragged himself inside and called his ex-wife Jeanene, who sent their friends Royann and Jim Calvin to check on him. He told the couple that he had sustained the injury while getting out of bed, and refused medical treatment. They took him back to their home, and he spent the
ChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
week on their couch, unable to get up even to use the bathroom.
Determined to finish the album that he had scheduled to record with Shelley and Two Dollar Guitar, Van Zandt showed up to the Memphis studio being pushed in a
wheelchairA wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
by road manager Harold Eggers. Shelley canceled the sessions due to the songwriter's erratic behavior and drunkenness. Van Zandt finally agreed to hospitalization, but not before returning to Nashville. By the time he had consented to receive medical care, eight days passed since the injury. On December 31,
X-rayX-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
s revealed that Van Zandt had an impacted left
femoral neckThe femur neck or neck of the femur is a flattened pyramidal process of bone, connecting the femoral head with the femoral shaft, and forming with the latter a wide angle opening medialward.- Angle of inclination :...
fracture in his hip, and several corrective surgeries were performed. Jeanene informed the surgeon that one of Townes' previous rehab doctors had told her detoxing could kill him. The medical staff tried to explain to her that detoxing a "late-term alcoholic" at home would be ill-advised, but he would have a better chance at recovering under hospital supervision. She did not heed these warnings, and instead checked Townes out of the hospital
against medical adviceAgainst Medical Advice, or AMA, sometimes known as DAMA, Discharge Against Medical Advice, is a term used with a patient who checks himself out of a hospital against the advice of his doctor. While it may not be medically wise for the person to leave early, in most cases the wishes of the patient...
. Understanding that he would most likely drink immediately after leaving the hospital, the physicians refused to prescribe him any painkillers.
By the time Van Zandt was checked out of the hospital early the next morning, he had begun to show signs of
DTs- Technology :* DTS , a group of digital sound technologies owned by the company of the same name* Dispatcher training simulator, a computer system for training operators of electrical power grids...
. Jeanene rushed him to her car, where she gave him a
flaskA hip flask is a thin flask for holding a distilled beverage; its size and shape are suited to a trouser pocket.-Description: Hip flasks were traditionally made of pewter, silver, or even glass, though most modern flasks are made from stainless steel...
of
vodkaVodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
to ward off the
withdrawal deliriumDelirium tremens is an acute episode of delirium that is usually caused by withdrawal from alcohol, first described in 1813...
. She would later report that after getting back to his home in
SmyrnaSmyrna is a town in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. Smyrna's population was 25,569 people at the 2000 census. The Census estimate of the 2009 population is 39,142.-Geography:Smyrna is located at ....
,
TennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, and giving him alcohol, he was "lucid, in a real good mood, calling his friends on the phone." Jim Calvin shared a marijuana joint with him, and he was also given about four Tylenol PM tablets.
While Jeanene was on the phone with Susanna Clark, their son Will noticed that Townes had stopped breathing and "looked dead." He alerted his mother, who attempted to perform CPR, "screaming his name between breaths." Townes Van Zandt died in the early morning hours of January 1, 1997, at the age of 52. His official cause of death was "natural" cardiac arrhythmia. He died forty-four years to the day after Hank Williams, one of his main songwriting influences.
Two services were held for Van Zandt: one in Texas, mostly attended by family; and another in a large Nashville church, attended by friends, acquaintances, and fans. Some of his
ashesCremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
were placed underneath a
headstoneA headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. In most cases they have the deceased's name, date of birth, and date of death inscribed on them, along with a personal message, or prayer.- Use :...
in the Van Zandt family plot at the Dido Cemetery in Dido, Texas, outside of Fort Worth.
Legal issues over Van Zandt's work
In the years immediately following Van Zandt's death, his former manager and label owner Kevin Eggers issued fourteen albums of both new and previously unreleased material by the singer, all without consent of his estate (represented by Jeanene Van Zandt and his three children). Eggers also claimed a 50% interest in eighty of Van Zandt's songs. After nearly ten years of legal battles, the court sided with the estate, issuing "injunctive relief against Eggers, restraining him from reproducing or distributing any of Van Zandt's songs."
It was revealed through these proceedings that Van Zandt's annual income in the years before his death had climbed to over $100,000, thanks in large part to the royalties accrued from his songs being covered by Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Merle Haggard, Cowboy Junkies, and other major music stars.
After Van Zandt's death, Harold Eggers (Kevin's brother, Van Zandt's longtime
road managerIn music industry, a Road Manager is a person who works with small to mid-sized tours...
), whose job it was to make sure Townes' shows were recorded, released many video and audio recordings from hundreds of the songwriter's concerts he kept in his possession over a twenty-year period. At issue was whether Eggers or the estate should be in legal ownership of the tapes. An out-of-court settlement in 2006 "essentially granted the Van Zandts eventual control over all of Harold Eggers' mastered recordings (once certain undisclosed obligations were met), while Harold Eggers retained a 50% ownership interest in seven of the albums at issue and a royalty interest in the remaining recordings." However, both parties eventually found fault with the settlement and the issue was taken back to court.
On October 21, 2008, a number of Van Zandt's personal possessions were auctioned off at The Northside in
AkronAkron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
,
OhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, at a benefit for Wrecks Bell, Van Zandt's close friend and bandmate who was the inspiration for the song "Rex's Blues." Bell was half-owner of the nightclub in Houston where Townes recorded his album Live at the Old Quarter. He now owns the "new" Old Quarter in Galveston, which was uninsured and destroyed by
Hurricane IkeHurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954...
. The Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe reopened on December 11, 2008, after a series of benefit concerts held state-wide.
In music
Van Zandt has been referred to as a cult musician and "a songwriter's songwriter." Musician
Steve EarleStephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
, who met him in 1978 and considered Van Zandt a
mentorIn Greek mythology, Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who placed Mentor and Odysseus' foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus, and of Odysseus' palace, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War.When Athena visited Telemachus she...
, once called Van Zandt "the best songwriter in the whole world and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that." The quote was printed on a sticker featured on the packing of
At My WindowAt My Window is an album released by Folk/country singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt in 1987. This was Van Zandt's first studio album in the nine years that followed 1978's Flyin' Shoes, and his only studio album recorded in the 1980s. Although the songwriter had become less prolific over the...
, much to Van Zandt's displeasure. In the years following, the quote was often cited by the press, much to Van Zandt and Earle's embarrassment; in 2009, Earle told the New York Times
, "Did I ever believe that Townes was better than Bob Dylan? No." Earle has championed the songwriter on a number of occasions: his eldest son, Justin Townes EarleJustin Townes Earle , son of Steve Earle, stepson of Allison Moorer, and named for songwriter Townes Van Zandt is an AMA winning, Americana musician based in Nashville, Tennessee. Earle is signed to Bloodshot Records and has four released albums from 2007–2010...
, also a musician, is named after Van Zandt; Earle wrote the song "Fort Worth Blues" as a tribute to the singer in the late 1990s, and in 2009 released an album titled TownesTownes is a 2009 Steve Earle album on which he pays tribute to his friend and mentor, the late singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt by covering his songs. According to a New West Records press release, "The songs selected for Townes were the ones that meant the most to Earle and the ones he...
, which featured all covers of Van Zandt songs.
Influential in the sub-genre referred to as
outlaw countryOutlaw country is a subgenre of country music, most popular during the late 1960s and the 1970s , sometimes referred to as the outlaw movement or simply outlaw music...
, his Texas-grounded impact stretched farther than country. He has been cited as a source of inspiration by such notable artists as Bob Dylan,
Neil YoungNeil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, Willie Nelson,
John PrineJohn Prine is an American country/folk singer-songwriter. He has been active as a recording artist and live performer since the early 1970s.-Biography:...
,
Lyle LovettLyle Pearce Lovett is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Active since 1980, he has recorded thirteen albums and released 21 singles to date, including his highest entry, the number 10 chart hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, "Cowboy Man"...
,
Scott AvettScott Yancey Avett is one of the lead singers and founding members of the folk-rock band, The Avett Brothers. Avett primarily plays the banjo but also plays harmonica, drums, piano, acoustic guitar and electric guitar for the band based out of Concord, North Carolina...
of
The Avett BrothersThe Avett Brothers is a folk rock band from Mount Pleasant, North Carolina. The band is made up of two brothers, Scott Avett and Seth Avett, who play the banjo and guitar respectively, and Bob Crawford who plays the stand-up bass. Joe Kwon, cello, and Jacob Edwards, drums, are touring members of...
,
Emmylou HarrisEmmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
,
Nanci GriffithNanci Griffith, is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter from Austin, Texas.-Biography:...
,
Cowboy JunkiesCowboy Junkies are a Canadian alternative country/blues/folk rock band. The group was formed in Toronto in 1985 by Margo Timmins , Michael Timmins , Peter Timmins and Alan Anton ....
,
VetiverChrysopogon zizanioides, commonly known as vetiver , is a perennial grass of the Poaceae family, native to India. In western and northern India, it is popularly known as khus. Vetiver can grow up to 1.5 metres high and form clumps as wide. The stems are tall and the leaves are long, thin, and...
,
Guy ClarkGuy Clark is an American Texas Country artist. In his career, he has released more than twenty albums, primarily on major labels. He has also written singles for other artists, including Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner and Rodney Crowell....
,
Devendra BanhartDevendra Obi Banhart is a singer-songwriter and visual artist. Banhart was born in Houston, Texas and was raised by his mother in Venezuela, until he moved to California as a teenager. He began to study at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1998, but dropped out to perform music in Europe, San...
,
Norah JonesNorah Jones is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actress.In 2002, she launched her solo music career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album Come Away With Me, which was certified a diamond album in 2002, selling over 20 million copies...
,
Robert PlantRobert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
&
Alison KraussAlison Maria Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in...
,
The Be Good TanyasThe Be Good Tanyas are a Canadian traditional music group, whose influences included folk, country, and bluegrass. The style of music they performed can be referred to as alt-country or Americana.-Career:...
,
Josh RitterJosh Ritter is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and author who performs and records with The Royal City Band. Ritter is known for his distinctive Americana style and narrative lyrics. In 2006 he was named one of the "100 Greatest Living Songwriters" by Paste magazine.- Early life :Josh...
,
Gillian WelchGillian Welch is an American singer-songwriter. She performs with her musical partner, guitarist David Rawlings. Their sparse and dark musical style, which combines elements of Appalachian music, Bluegrass, and Americana, is described by The New Yorker as "at once innovative and obliquely...
,
Garth BrooksTroyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
,
Conor OberstConor Mullen Oberst is an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes. He has also played in several other bands, including Desaparecidos, Norman Bailer , Commander Venus, Park Ave., Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, and Monsters of Folk.-Musical career:Oberst began...
of Bright Eyes, and Caleb Followill of
Kings of LeonKings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...
.
In film and television
Van Zandt's Roadsongs
album version of The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
' "Dead Flowers" was used during the final scene of the Coen BrothersJoel David Coen and Ethan Jesse Coen known together professionally as the Coen brothers, are American filmmakers...
' 1998 film, The Big LebowskiThe Big Lebowski is a 1998 comedy film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Jeff Bridges stars as Jeff Lebowski, an unemployed Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler, who is referred to as "The Dude". After a case of mistaken identity, The Dude is introduced to a millionaire also named...
. The song was also included on the movie's soundtrack.
Since his death, Van Zandt's recordings have been licensed by his family for use in a number of films and television programs, including StepmomStepmom is a 1998 comedy-drama film directed by Chris Columbus and starring Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, and Ed Harris.The film was a commercial success, but a moderate critical success.-Plot:...
, Six Feet Under
, In BrugesIn Bruges is a 2008 black comedy crime film written and directed by Martin McDonagh. The film stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as two hitmen in hiding, with Ralph Fiennes as their gangster boss. The film takes place—and was filmed—within the Belgian city of Bruges. In Bruges was...
, Crazy HeartCrazy Heart is a 2009 American musical-drama film, written and directed by Scott Cooper and based on the 1987 novel of the same name by Thomas Cobb. Jeff Bridges plays a down-and-out country music singer-songwriter who tries to turn his life around after beginning a relationship with a young...
, Leaves of GrassLeaves of Grass is an American black comedy/drama film written and directed by Tim Blake Nelson. It stars Edward Norton, Richard Dreyfuss, Susan Sarandon, Melanie Lynskey and Keri Russell. The film, released on September 17, 2010, is in limited release by Millennium Pictures...
, and DeadwoodDeadwood is an American Western drama television series created, produced and largely written by David Milch. The series aired on the premium cable network HBO from March 21, 2004, to August 27, 2006, spanning three 12-episode seasons. The show is set in the 1870s in Deadwood, South Dakota, before...
.
In the film Country Strong
, the Austin Statesman describes the character of Beau Hutton as the next "Townes Van Zandt."
Films and books about Van Zandt
In 2006, the film Be Here To Love Me
, chronicling the artist's life and musical career, was released in the United States. It was very well received, earning a 93% fresh rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. Georgia Christgau of the Village Voice
called the documentary "sympathetic but frank." Eddie Cockrell of Variety
called the film "a dignified and wistful look at the unusual life, difficult career and lasting influence" of Van Zandt.
A biography, titled To Live's To Fly: The Ballad of the Late, Great Townes Van Zandt
by John KruthJohn Kruth is a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist best known for his highly energetic “Banshee Mandolin” style of playing. He is also proficient on guitar, banjo, harmonica and various flutes. Kruth is also a music journalist and author....
, was released in 2007. It received mixed reviews, with Publishers WeeklyPublishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
lamenting that Kruth's "efforts are diminished by oddly alternating
firstFirst-person point of view is a narrative mode where a story is narrated by one character at a time, speaking for and about themselves. First-person narrative may be singular, plural or multiple as well as being an authoritative, reliable or deceptive "voice" and represents point of view in the...
- and third-person narratives, awkward transitions and text cluttered with excessive quotes... more insight into why - rather than countless tales of how - would have made this bio a more worthwhile read."
In April 2008, the University of North Texas Press published Robert Earl Hardy's biography on the songwriter, titled A Deeper Blue: The Life and Music of Townes Van Zandt
. The book featured the fruits of over eight years of research, including interviews with Mickey Newbury, Jack Clement, Guy and Susanna Clark, Mickey White, Rex Bell, Dan Rowland, Richard Dobson, John Lomax III, Van Zandt's brother and sister, cousins, and all three of his ex-wives, and many others. It has been described by Kirkus ReviewsKirkus Reviews is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus . Kirkus serves the book and literary trade sector, including libraries, publishers, literary and film agents, film and TV producers and booksellers. Kirkus Reviews is published on the first and 15th of each month...
as a "poignant, clear and vivid portrait."
Studio albums
For the Sake of the SongFor the Sake of the Song: First Album is the first album by country singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt released in 1968.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Townes Van Zandt#"For the Sake of the Song"#"Tecumseh Valley"#"Many a Fine Lady"...
- 1968
Our Mother the MountainOur Mother the Mountain is the second album by country singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt released in 1969. It is generally acknowledged as his first masterpiece and although it sold little upon release, it initially influenced fellow Texas country singer/songwriters Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale...
- 1969
Townes Van ZandtTownes Van Zandt is the third release by country singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt, released in 1969. The cover photograph was taken by Sol Mednick.- Track listing :All tracks composed by Townes Van Zandt#"For the Sake of the Song"#"Columbine"...
- 1969
Delta Momma BluesDelta Momma Blues is the fourth album by country singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt, released in 1971 .-Track listing:*All Songs Written By Townes Van Zandt, except where noted.#"FFV" Delta Momma Blues is the fourth album by country singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt, released in 1971 (see also...
- 1971
High, Low and in BetweenHigh, Low and in Between is an album by country singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt, released in 1972.-Track listing:#"Two Hands"#"You are Not Needed Now"#"Greensboro Woman"#"Highway Kind"#"Standin'"#"No Deal"#"To Live Is To Fly"...
- 1972
The Late Great Townes Van ZandtThe Late Great Townes Van Zandt is a 1972 studio album by Texas singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt. It was the second album that he recorded in 1972, and a follow-up to High, Low and In Between. The album includes the earliest recorded version of two of his best-known songs, "Pancho and Lefty" and...
- 1972
Flyin' ShoesFlyin' Shoes is an album released by folk/country singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt in 1978.- Track listing :#"Dollar Bill Blues"#"Rex's Blues"#"Pueblo Waltz"#"Brother Flower"#"Snake Song"#"Loretta"#"No Place to Fall"#"Flyin' Shoes"...
- 1978
At My WindowAt My Window is an album released by Folk/country singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt in 1987. This was Van Zandt's first studio album in the nine years that followed 1978's Flyin' Shoes, and his only studio album recorded in the 1980s. Although the songwriter had become less prolific over the...
- 1987
The Nashville Sessions
- 1993 (recordings from the aborted Seven Come Eleven
album, recorded 1972)
No Deeper BlueNo Deeper Blue is a 1994 studio album by Texas country/folk singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt.This was Van Zandt's first studio album of original songs in seven years following, At My Window and the last to be widely released before his death on New Year's Day 1997...
- 1994
Riding The Range( only two songs: Riding The Range and Dirty Old Town )
- 1996
A Far Cry From Dead
- 1999 (later-life studio guitar and vocal recordings posthumously overdubbed)
Texas Rain: The Texas Hill Country Recordings
- 2001
In the Beginning
- 2003 (studio demo recordings from 1966)
Singles
Waiting Around to Die/Talking Karate Blues
- 1968
Second Lovers Song/Tecumseh Valley
- 1969
Come Tomorrow/Delta Mama Blues
- 1971
If I Needed You/Sunshine Boy
- 1972
Honky Tonkin'/Snow Dont Fall
- 1972
Fraulein/Don't Let the Sunshine Fool Ya
- 1972
Greensboro Woman/Standin - 1972
Pancho and Lefty/Heavenly Houseboat Blues - 1972
Pancho and Lefty/If I Needed You - 1973
Who Do You Love/Dollar Bill Blues - 1978
When She Don't Need Me/No Place to Fall - 1978
Dead Flowers/Fraulein/Racing in the Street - 1993 (German CD single)
Ain't Leavin' Your Love - 1999 (US CD single)
Riding the Range/Dirty Old Town - 1996
Snowin On Raton - 2001 (US CD single) -from Texas Rain
Highwaykind - 2002 (CD single)
Live albums
- Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas
Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas is a double live album by Texas singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt. The recording captures Van Zandt in a series of July 1973 performances in an intimate venue early in his career. The Old Quarter was a small venue operated by Rex "Wrecks" Bell and Dale...
- 1977 (recorded July 1973)
- Live and Obscure
Live and Obscure is a live album released by folk/country singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt in 1987. It was recorded at 12th and Porter in Nashville, Tennessee on April 19, 1985.- Track listing :All songs written by Townes Van Zandt...
- 1989 (recorded in 1985)
- Rain on a Conga Drum: Live in Berlin - 1991 (recorded October 1990)
- Roadsongs - 1993
- Rear View Mirror - 1993 (recorded live Oklahoma, 1979)
- Abnormal - 1996 (reissued in 1998 with 3 tracks replaced)
- The Highway Kind - 1997
- Documentary - 1997
- Last Rights - 1997 (alternative version of Documentary)
- In Pain - 1999 (recorded live, 1994/1996)
- Together at the Bluebird Café
Together at the Bluebird Café is a live recording of an "in-the-round" concert by three critically acclaimed Texan singer-songwriters, Steve Earle, Townes Van Zandt, and Guy Clark. Each of the three songwriters alternate between solo performances...
w/ Guy ClarkGuy Clark is an American Texas Country artist. In his career, he has released more than twenty albums, primarily on major labels. He has also written singles for other artists, including Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner and Rodney Crowell....
and Steve EarleStephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
- 2001 (recorded September 1995)
- Live at McCabe's
Live at McCabe's is a live album released by Folk/country singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt in 1995. It was recorded at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, California and is a limited edition...
- 2001 (recorded February 1995)
- A Gentle Evening with Townes Van Zandt - 2002 (recorded November 1969)
- Absolutely Nothing - 2002 (recorded 1991-1996)
- Acoustic Blue - 2003 (recorded 1994/1996)
- Live at the Jester Lounge, Houston, Texas, 1966 - 2004
- Rear View Mirror, Volume 2 - 2004 (recorded 1978/79)
- Live at Union Chapel, London, England - 2005 (recorded April 1994)
- Houston 1988: A Private Concert - 2005
Videos
- Heartworn Highways
Heartworn Highways is documentary film by James Szalapski whose vision captured some of the founders of the Outlaw Country movement in Texas and Tennessee in the last weeks of 1975 and the first weeks of 1976...
- 1981
- Be Here to Love Me
Be Here To Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt is a 2004 documentary film directed by Margaret Brown which chronicles the often turbulent life of American singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt. The film includes interviews of Van Zandt's immediate family and contemporaries such as Willie Nelson,...
- 2004
- Houston 1988: A Private Concert - 2004
- Townes Live In Amsterdam - 2008 (recorded 11/12/91)
Compilations
- Last Rights: The Life & Times of Townes Van Zandt - 1997
- Master - 1997
- Anthology: 1968-1979 - 1998
- The Best of Townes Van Zandt - 1999
- Drama Falls Like Teardrops - 2001
- The Very Best of Townes Van Zandt: The Texan Troubadour - 2002
- Singer Songwriter - 2002
- Texas Troubadour - 2002
- Legend - 2003
- Buckskin Stallion - 2006
External links