[32], Van Zandt married Fran Peterson on August 26, 1965; a son, John Townes "J.T." In 1971 the pair relocated to Nashville, Clark having secured a deal with the publisher Sunbury-Dunbar, and in January 1972 they were married, with Van Zandt as best man. (2007) "To Live’s to Fly : The Ballad of the Late, Great Townes Van Zandt". Influenced by the songs of Hank Williams, the guitar-playing of Lightnin' Hopkins and the lyrics of Bob Dylan, as well as by Elvis Presley's success, he moved to Houston in the early 1960's to try a career as a musician. [85] Since his death, Van Zandt's recordings have been licensed by his family for use in a number of films and television programs, including Stepmom, Ozark, Six Feet Under, In Bruges, Calvary, Crazy Heart, Leaves of Grass, Seven Psychopaths, Deadwood, Breaking Bad, True Detective and Hell or High Water (Dollar Bill Blues). "[56][58] The quote was printed on a sticker featured on the packing of At My Window, much to Van Zandt's displeasure. [2] The following year, he recorded Flyin' Shoes; he did not release another album until 1987's At My Window. 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. [50] Understanding that he would most likely drink immediately after leaving the hospital, the physicians refused to prescribe him any painkillers. [8] They admitted him to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, where he was diagnosed with manic depression. Earle was born in 1982, with his parents partially naming him after his father’s mentor, Townes van Zandt. townes van zandt death cause . [49] Jeanene informed the surgeon that one of Townes' previous rehab doctors had told her detoxing could kill him. Van Zandt married Fran Peterson on August 26, 1965; a son, John Townes "J.T." [45] He grew increasingly frail during the mid-1990s, with friends noting that he seemed to have "withered. They had no children. Another child, Katie Belle, was born February 14, 1992. He died forty-four years to the day after Hank Williams, one of his main songwriting influences.Kruth, J. Van Zandt and Munsell divorced on May 2, 1994. Van Zandt", "Townes Van Zandt: Live at the Old Quarter", "Townes Van Zandt – Live At The Old Quarter, Houston, Texas", "Townes Van Zandt: For the Sake of the Song", "Townes Without Pity: The Battle for Townes Van Zandt's legacy", "Townes Van Zandt – messages from the outside", "Townes Van Zandt – Frequently Asked Questions, No. [89] Georgia Christgau of the Village Voice called the documentary "sympathetic but frank. Birthplace: Fort Worth, TX. [9] In 1965, he was accepted into the University of Houston's pre-law program. The cause was apparently a heart attack, said Beverly Paul, a spokeswoman for Sugar Hill, the music label for which he recorded. Townes van Zandt Death John passed away on January 1, 1997 at the age of 52 in Mt. John's cause of death was health stemming from his years of drug abuse. This album was Tower Records Store magazine “PULSE” #1 Folk Album of the Year 1997. [2][4] Much of Van Zandt's life was spent touring various dive bars,[5] often living in cheap motel rooms and backwood cabins. [30] The two first met during a chance encounter outside a costume shop in the South Congress district of Austin, on June 21, 1986. "[90] Eddie Cockrell of Variety called the film "a dignified and wistful look at the unusual life, difficult career and lasting influence" of Van Zandt. The book has been described by Kirkus Reviews as a "poignant, clear and vivid portrait."[93]. He tried to join the Air Force during the Vietnam War but was rejected because of his psychiatric history. “Townes” was released in 2009, a dozen years after Van Zandt died; “Guy,” a homage to the songwriter Guy Clark, came out three years after Clark’s death in 2016. She later reported that after getting back to his home in Smyrna, Tennessee, and giving him alcohol, he became "lucid, in a real good mood, calling his friends on the phone. [26][27][28], In the mid-1970s, Van Zandt split from his longtime manager, Kevin Eggers. [32], Van Zandt continued writing and performing through the 1990s, though his output slowed noticeably as time went on. [24], Several of Van Zandt's compositions were recorded by other artists, such as Emmylou Harris who, with Don Williams, had a No. John Townes Van Zandt, born on March 7, 1944, was groomed to be an entirely different kind of Texas legend. [55], Van Zandt has been referred to as a cult musician and "a songwriter's songwriter. Van Zandt died young, suffering from health problems caused by his own drug usage. Middle-named for the late revered Texas troubadour Townes Van Zandt, his father’s mentor, Earle … [24], In 1977, Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas was released. [52], 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. [8] Some of his ashes were placed underneath a headstone in the Van Zandt family plot at the Dido Cemetery in Dido, Texas, near Fort Worth. Cause of death: Heart Failure. [54], On October 21, 2008, a number of Van Zandt's personal possessions were auctioned off at The Northside in Akron, Ohio at a benefit for Rex "Wrecks" Bell, a close friend and bandmate who was the inspiration for the song "Rex's Blues". Their first child, William Vincent, was born 10 days later. Born in Nashville, Earle was named after songwriter Townes Van Zandt. His segment of the film was shot at his run-down trailer home in Austin, 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 and Lefty. Born in Fort Worth Texas, he was a country western guitarist, singer and songwriter. The couple divorced on January 16, 1970. The older Earle also struggled with addiction. “Townes van Zandt … John Townes Van Zandt[1] (March 7, 1944 – January 1, 1997), better known as Townes Van Zandt, was an American singer-songwriter. His musical style has often been described as melancholy and features rich, poetic lyrics. ''I'd as soon be dead/All of this world be forgotten.''. [45][48] After lying outside for an hour, he dragged himself inside and called his ex-wife Jeanene, who sent friends Royann and Jim Calvin to check on him. 17", "Townes van Zandt: He lived for the sake of the song Oakland Tribune – Find Articles", "Unknown Rooms – A Collection of Acoustic Songs", "Scott Avett plays Townes Van Zandt: Greensboro Woman", "Josh Ritter interview – Triste Magazine", "Gillian Welch – The Revelator Collection", "A Conversation with Nathan Followill of Kings of Leon", "Townes Van Zandt: 'The Greatest Musician You've Never Heard Of' By Frank Turner", "Reddit AMA: I am Alejandro Rose-Garcia AKA Shakey Graves, AMA", "Townes Van Zandt's bequest finds new life at 'Dawn'", "STEVE VON TILL, SCOTT KELLY & WINO Confirm Townes Van Zandt Tribute; Album To See US Release Via Neurot in June", "ACL's New Season Launches with the Hall of Fame 2015 Special", "Gillian Welch-Townes Van Zandt induction into ACL Hall of Fame", "Townes Van Zandt TV & Film Sync Placements", "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)", "Townes Van Zandt: Be Here to Love Me (Full Film)", "Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt Movie Reviews", "Hard-Living Folk Icon in a Sympathetic but Frank Doc", "Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt", "A Deeper Blue: The Life and Music of Townes Van Zandt (9781574412475): Robert Earl Hardy: Books", "Townes Van Zandt's 'Sky Blue' Offers Insight Into A Mercurial Mind At His Prime", Townes Van Zandt: The Self-Destructive Hobo Saint, Travels with Townes Van Zandt by Steve Hawley July 2003, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Townes_Van_Zandt&oldid=996435964, Articles with dead external links from September 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with disputed statements from May 2011, Articles with disputed statements from April 2013, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2017, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2015, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2019, Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, "Second Lovers Song" / "Tecumseh Valley" (1969), "Come Tomorrow" / "Delta Mama Blues" (1971), "If I Needed You" / "Sunshine Boy" (1972), "Honky Tonkin'" / "Snow Don't Fall" (1972), "Fraulein" / "Don't Let the Sunshine Fool Ya" (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, "Riding the Range" / "Dirty Old Town" (1996), "Ain't Leavin' Your Love" (1999) – US CD single, "Snowin' on Raton" (2001) – US CD single; from, This page was last edited on 26 December 2020, at 16:26. [45] On December 31, X-rays revealed that Van Zandt had an impacted left femoral neck fracture in his hip, and several corrective surgeries were performed. No cause of death, including where or when he died, has been given. Van Zandt finally agreed to hospitalization, but not before returning to Nashville. [54] Eggers claimed a 50% interest in eighty of Van Zandt's songs. [81], In July 2012, Neurot Recordings released a three-way split album in tribute to Van Zandt, featuring Neurosis singer/guitarists Scott Kelly, Steve Von Till and doom/stoner metal legend Scott "Wino" Weinrich. Van Zandt County in West Texas was named for his forebears. But Mr. Van Zandt never achieved mainstream success himself, in part because of his proclivity for living out his songs of drinking, gambling, rambling and depression. On December 19 or 20, Van Zandt fell down the concrete stairs outside his home, badly injuring his hip. "When you start with my middle and last names," Earle told the Los Angeles Times in 2011, "how much worse can the expectations be? "[45] Jim Calvin shared a marijuana joint with him,[50] and he was also given about four Tylenol PM tablets. [7], Townes's parents were Harris Williams Van Zandt (1913–1966) and Dorothy Townes (1919–1983). “My mother hated Townes Van Zandt," he said in … He received three months of insulin shock therapy, which erased much of his long-term memory. He … [48], Determined to finish the album that he had scheduled to record with Shelley and Two Dollar Guitar, Van Zandt arrived at the Memphis studio being pushed in a wheelchair by road manager Harold Eggers. He had enjoyed some sobriety during the early 1990s, but was actively abusing alcohol during the final years of his life. They met on December 9, 1980 at a memorial for John Lennon. Eggers either could not or refused to pay for the studio sessions, so Clement erased the master tapes. [83] Gillian Welch inducted Van Zandt by telling stories about how he had come to her early gigs in Nashville and how he had bolstered her confidence in writing sad songs. [10][11] He had two siblings, Bill (1949–2009) and Donna (1941–2011). When Van Zandt died, he left a shoe box full of unreleased poems and lyrics with a request that Broza set them to music. [78] Folk musician Shakey Graves has credited his fast-paced, rhythmic style of finger picked guitar playing partially to Van Zandt's influence. Soon after, he attempted to join the Air Force, but was rejected because of a doctor's diagnosis that labelled him "an acute manic-depressive who has made minimal adjustments to life". That made a big impression on me. Overdose Cited as Likely Cause of Death for Justin Townes Earle By Chris Willman. [citation needed] The 2012 documentary film Low & Clear, which revolves around Van Zandt's son JT fly fishing for steelhead in British Columbia with his old fishing buddy Xenie, features Van Zandt's songs "Dollar Bill Blues" and "My Proud Mountains". [1] He began dating Cindy Morgan in 1974. For much of the 1970s, he lived in a simple shack without electricity or a telephone. Hearts have been changed through history when the Word of God is absorbed and put into practice in the lives people when their hearts were open to God! "Townes Van Zandt – interview in Oslo (NRK Lydverket)", Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Texas Rain: The Texas Hill Country Recordings, Sunshine Boy: The Unheard Studio Sessions & Demos 1971–1972, Waiting Around to Die" / "Talking Karate Blues, "Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt: Review", "Two Years After Death, Van Zandt May Have His Definitive Album", "Music Reviews, Features, Essays, News, Columns, Blogs, MP3s and Videos", "Grave site of Dorothy Townes Van Zandt, Harris County, Texas", "Townes Van Zandt – Frequently Asked Questions", "The Way of the Gun – Living up to his famous father is a tall order for J.T. In 1983, six years after Emmylou Harris had first popularized it, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard covered his song "Pancho and Lefty", reaching number one on the Billboard country music chart. [82], On June 18, 2015, Van Zandt was inducted into the second year's ceremony of the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, along with Asleep at the Wheel, Loretta Lynn, Guy Clark and Flaco Jimenez. [2][3] He wrote numerous songs, such as "Pancho and Lefty", "For the Sake of the Song", "Tecumseh Valley", "Rex's Blues", and "To Live Is to Fly", that are widely considered masterpieces of American songwriting. [45] Townes Van Zandt died in the early morning hours of January 1, 1997 at the age of 52. It was very well received, earning a 94% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Bruise the size of a quarter in the temple. Death and legacy. Location of death: Smyrna, TN. At Christmas in 1956, Townes's father gave him a guitar, which he practiced while wandering the countryside. [1], The years between 1968 and 1973 proved to be Van Zandt's most prolific era. Earle is survived by his wife and daughter. He has been cited as a source of inspiration by such notable artists as Bob Dylan,[30] Neil Young,[61] Willie Nelson,[62] Guthrie Thomas, John Prine,[62] Lyle Lovett,[63] Chelsea Wolfe,[64] Scott Avett of The Avett Brothers,[65] Emmylou Harris,[62] Nanci Griffith,[62] Cowboy Junkies,[66] Vetiver,[67] Guy Clark,[62] Devendra Banhart,[68] Norah Jones,[69] Robert Plant & Alison Krauss,[70] The Be Good Tanyas and Jolie Holland,[71] Rowland S. Howard, Michael Weston King, Hayes Carll, Josh Ritter,[72] Gillian Welch,[73] Garth Brooks,[74] Simon Joyner,[75] Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes,[76] Caleb Followill of Kings of Leon,[77] Laura Marling, Frank Turner. [41] After Van Zandt's death his road manager, Harold Eggers, released video and audio recordings from the songwriter's concerts. The Drag in Austin was shut down due to Dylan being in town; Van Zandt drove his motorhome to the cordoned-off area, after which Dylan boarded the vehicle and requested to hear him play several songs. Van Zandt was addicted to heroin and alcohol throughout his adult life. Steve Earle named his son for Townes Van Zandt, the talented songwriter. Justin Townes Earle Photo: Joshua Black Wilkins. He had assembled a group of well-known musicians including Willie Nelson and Freddy Fender to record new versions of his songs. ... Earle was named in part after the legendary singer Townes Van Zandt, who was a … [30] 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. [51], By the time Van Zandt was checked out of the hospital early the next morning, he had begun to show signs of delirium tremens. Van Zandt remembered his time in Colorado fondly and often visited it as an adult. [2], In 1972, Van Zandt recorded tracks for an album with a working title of Seven Come Eleven, which remained unreleased for many years due to a dispute between his manager Kevin Eggers and producer Jack Clement. He was 52. "[1] In 1958 the family moved to Boulder, Colorado. Van Zandt II, was born to them on April 11, 1969, in Houston. In the spring of his second year, his parents flew to Boulder to bring Townes back to Houston, apparently worried about his binge drinking and episodes of depression. 3 country hit in 1981 with "If I Needed You," and Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, the pair taking "Pancho and Lefty" to No.