View source for Townes Van Zandt

{{short description|American singer-songwriter (1944–1997)}}
{{Family name hatnote|[[Van Zandt#People|Van Zandt]]|Zandt|lang=Dutch}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name             = Townes Van Zandt
| image            = Towneshwhw.jpg
| caption          = Van Zandt in ''Heartworn Highways'' (1975)
| birth_name       = John Townes Van Zandt
| birth_date       = {{Birth date|1944|3|7}}
| birth_place      = [[Fort Worth, Texas]], U.S.
| death_date       = {{death date and age|1997|1|1|1944|3|7}}
| death_place      = [[Smyrna, Tennessee]], U.S.
| instrument       = {{hlist|Guitar|vocals}}
| genre            = {{hlist|[[Progressive country]]|[[contemporary folk]]|[[country blues]]|[[Outlaw Country]]}}
| occupation       = {{hlist|Singer-songwriter}}
| years_active     = 1965–1996
| label            = {{hlist|Poppy|[[Tomato Records|Tomato]]|[[Sugar Hill Records (bluegrass)|Sugar Hill]]|TVZ|[[Fat Possum Records|Fat Possum]]}}
| website          = {{URL|townesvanzandt.com}}
}}
'''John Townes Van Zandt'''<ref name="tvzfaq" /> (March 7, 1944 – January 1, 1997) was an American singer-songwriter.<ref name="onion">[https://www.avclub.com/be-here-to-love-me-a-film-about-townes-van-zandt-1798201286 "Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt: Review"]. Avclub.com. Accessed July 1, 2015.</ref> He wrote numerous songs, such as "[[Pancho and Lefty]]", "[[If I Needed You]]", "Snake Mountain Blues", "Our Mother the Mountain", "Waitin' Round to Die", and "To Live's to Fly". His musical style has often been described as melancholic and features rich, poetic lyrics. During his early years, Van Zandt was respected for his guitar playing and [[Fingerstyle guitar|fingerpicking]] ability.

Much of Van Zandt's life was spent touring bars, music clubs, colleges, folk venues, and festivals, often lodging in motel rooms or the homes of friends. He suffered from drug addiction and [[alcoholism]], and was diagnosed with [[bipolar disorder]]. When he was young, the now-discredited [[insulin shock therapy]] erased much of his [[long-term memory]].<ref name="townesvanzandt.com" />

In 1983, [[Willie Nelson]] and [[Merle Haggard]] covered and popularized Van Zandt's song "Pancho and Lefty", reaching number one on the [[Billboard charts|Billboard country music]] chart.<ref name="allmusic">[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p133926|pure_url=yes}} "Townes Van Zandt]: Biography". [[AllMusic.com]]. Accessed July 1, 2015.</ref> Van Zandt's influence has been cited by countless artists across multiple genres and his music has been recorded or performed by [[Bob Dylan]], [[Willie Nelson]], [[Lyle Lovett]], [[Alison Krauss]], [[Merle Haggard]], [[Norah Jones]], [[Emmylou Harris]], [[Counting Crows]], [[Steve Earle]], [[Whitey Morgan]], [[Rodney Crowell]], [[Robert Earl Keen]] Jr., [[Nanci Griffith]], [[Guy Clark]], [[Wade Bowen]], [[Gillian Welch]], [[The Be Good Tanyas]], [[Richard Buckner (musician)|Richard Buckner]], [[Pat Green]], [[Colter Wall]], [[Billy Strings]], [[Molly Tuttle]], [[Jason Isbell]], [[Calvin Russell (musician)|Calvin Russell]], [[Natalie Maines]], [[Jason Molina]], [[Michael Weston King]], [[Kevin Morby]], [[Stephen Duffy]], [[Doc Watson]], [[Cowboy Junkies]], [[Frank Turner]], [[Rowland S. Howard]], [[Tindersticks]], [[Cave In]], [[Amenra]], [[Charley Crockett]], [[Tyler Childers]], [[Lost Dog Street Band]], The Brothers Lazaroff and [[Marissa Nadler]].

Van Zandt died on New Year's Day 1997 from [[Heart arrhythmia|cardiac arrhythmia]] caused by health problems stemming from years of substance abuse. A revival of interest in Van Zandt blossomed in the 2000s. During the decade, two books, a documentary film (''[[Be Here to Love Me]]''), and numerous magazine articles were written about him.

== Biography ==
=== Early life ===
Born in [[Fort Worth, Texas]], into a wealthy family, Van Zandt was a great-great-great-grandson of [[Isaac Van Zandt]] (a prominent leader of the [[Republic of Texas]]) and a great-great-grandnephew of [[Khleber Miller Van Zandt]] (a major in the Confederate army and one of the founders of Fort Worth).<ref name="townesvanzandt.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.townesvanzandt.com/ta_unedited.html |title=Townes Van Zandt – A Far Cry From Dead |last=Manion|first=Jim |publisher=Totally Adult Review |date=July 16, 1999 |access-date=May 8, 2011  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717081153/http://www.townesvanzandt.com/ta_unedited.html |archive-date=July 17, 2011  }} (archived at TownesVanZandt.com)</ref>

Townes' parents were Harris Williams Van Zandt and Dorothy Townes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pnwpest.org/coopl/tvzfaq.html|title=Townes Van Zandt – Frequently Asked Questions|publisher=Pnwpest.org|access-date=May 8, 2011}}</ref> He had two siblings, Bill (1949–2009) and Donna (1941–2011). Harris was a [[corporate lawyer]] and his career required the family to move several times during the 1950s and 1960s.<ref name="deeperblue14-16">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|pp=14–16}}</ref> In 1952, the family relocated from Fort Worth to [[Midland, Texas]] for six months before moving to [[Billings, Montana]].{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}

At Christmas in 1956, Townes's father gave him a guitar, which he practiced while wandering the countryside.<ref>[https://www.billboard.com/bbcom/reviews/book_review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003716748 ''A Deeper Kind of Blue''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081223160052/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/reviews/book_review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003716748 |date=December 23, 2008 }} (review). Billboard charts.</ref> He later told an interviewer that "seeing [[Elvis Presley]] on the ''[[Ed Sullivan Show]]'' 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."<ref name="tvzfaq" /> In 1958, the family moved to [[Boulder, Colorado]]. Van Zandt remembered his time in Colorado fondly and often visited it as an adult. He later referred to Colorado in "My Proud Mountains", "Colorado Girl", and "Snowin' on Raton". Townes was a good student and active in team sports.<ref name="deeperblue17">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=17}}</ref> In grade school, he was found to have a high IQ, and his parents began grooming him to become a lawyer or senator.<ref name="tm">{{cite web|url=http://www.texasmonthly.com/1998-03-01/feature6.php|title=The Great, Late Townes Van Zandt|work=Texas Monthly|date=March 1, 1998|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828052107/http://texasmonthly.com/1998-03-01/feature6.php|archive-date=August 28, 2008}}</ref> Fearing that his family would move again, he willingly decided to attend the [[Shattuck-Saint Mary's|Shattuck School]] in Faribault, Minnesota.<ref name="deeperblue25">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=25}}</ref> He scored 1170 on the SAT in January 1962.<ref name="deeperblue27">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=27}}</ref> His family soon moved to Houston, Texas.

In 1962, he enrolled at the [[University of Colorado Boulder]], wrote poetry,  and listened to records by [[Lightnin' Hopkins]] and [[Hank Williams]]. In the spring of his second year, his parents flew to Boulder to bring Townes back to Houston, worried about his binge drinking and episodes of depression.<ref name="tm" /> They admitted him to the [[University of Texas Medical Branch]] in Galveston, where he was diagnosed with [[Bipolar disorder|manic depression]]. He received three months of [[insulin shock therapy]], which erased much of his [[long-term memory]].<ref name="townesvanzandt.com" /><ref name="tm" /> Afterwards, his mother said that her "biggest regret in life was that she had allowed that treatment to occur".<ref name="JTVZ">{{YouTube|2t_X9WXvF5E|"J.T. Van Zandt"}} (video).</ref> In 1965, he was accepted into the [[University of Houston]]'s pre-law program. 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".<ref name="tm" /> After Townes's father died in January 1966 at age 52, he quit school and went on the road for the first time having been inspired by his singer-songwriter heroes to pursue a career in playing music.<ref name="tm"/>

=== Early musical career ===
In 1965, Van Zandt began playing regular shows at the Jester Lounge in Houston for $10 per night.<ref name="nrk">{{YouTube|ZRb4SIkOSWg|"Townes Van Zandt – interview in Oslo (NRK Lydverket)"}} (video).</ref> After the Jester closed, he began to regularly perform (and occasionally live) at [[Sand Mountain Coffee House]].<ref name="deeperblue14-16" /> In these Houston clubs, he met fellow musicians [[Lightnin' Hopkins]], [[Guy Clark]], [[Jerry Jeff Walker]], and [[Doc Watson]]. His repertoire consisted mostly of covers of songs written by Hopkins, [[Bob Dylan]], and others, as well as original novelty songs like "Fraternity Blues."<ref name="deeperblue60">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=60}}</ref> In 1966, Harris Van Zandt had encouraged his son to stop playing covers and write his own songs.<ref name="deeperblue212">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=212}}</ref>

At one point around 1968, Van Zandt was roommates with [[13th Floor Elevators]] singer [[Roky Erickson]]. Erickson suggested that he audition as the Elevators' new bassist, even though he was a guitarist who had never played bass before. When Tommy Hall found out he never played bass, he kicked him out of the audition.

In 1968, Van Zandt met songwriter [[Mickey Newbury]] in a Houston coffee shop. Newbury persuaded Van Zandt to go to Nashville, Tennessee, where he was introduced by Newbury to the man who became his longtime producer, [[Jack Clement|"Cowboy" Jack Clement]].

Van Zandt cited Lightnin' Hopkins, Bob Dylan, and Hank Williams and such varied artists as [[Muddy Waters]], [[The Rolling Stones]], [[Blind Willie McTell]], [[Tchaikovsky]], and [[Jefferson Airplane]] as having had a major impact on his music.<ref name="tvzfaq" />

=== 1970s ===
The years between 1968 and 1973 proved to be his most prolific era.<ref name="allmusic" /> Van Zandt released six albums during the time period: ''[[For the Sake of the Song (Townes Van Zandt album)|For the Sake of the Song]]'', ''[[Our Mother the Mountain]]'', ''[[Townes Van Zandt (album)|Townes Van Zandt]]'', ''[[Delta Momma Blues]]'', ''[[High, Low and In Between]]'', and ''[[The Late Great Townes Van Zandt]]''. Among the tracks written for these albums were "To Live Is to Fly", "[[Pancho and Lefty]]", and "[[If I Needed You]]". These songs eventually raised Van Zandt to near-legend status in American and European songwriting circles.<ref name="allmusic" />

In 1972, he 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. Eggers either could not or refused to pay for the studio sessions, so Clement erased the master tapes. However, before they were deleted, Eggers sneaked into the studio and recorded rough mixes of the songs on to a [[cassette tape]]. Tracks from the aborted ''Seven Come Eleven'' debacle later surfaced on ''The Nashville Sessions''.{{citation needed|date=July 2015}}

In 1975, Van Zandt was featured prominently in the documentary film ''[[Heartworn Highways]]'' with [[Guy Clark]], [[Steve Earle]], [[Steve Young (musician)|Steve Young]], [[Gamble Rogers]], [[Charlie Daniels]] and [[David Allan Coe]]. 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."<ref name="Heartworn Highways">[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405963 ''Heartworn Highways'' profile], imdb.com; accessed July 1, 2015.</ref> He was the only person in the film to play directly to the camera, and, according to Steve Earle, "stole that entire film."<ref>{{cite book |last=Saviano|first=Tamara|date=2016 |title=Without Getting Killed or Caught |publisher=College Station: Texas A&M University Press |page=155 |isbn=9781623494544 |access-date=}}</ref> His soon-to-be second wife Cindy and dog Geraldine (a large, "keenly intelligent" half-wolf, half-husky) are featured in the film.<ref name="dallasmusic">[https://www.dallasobserver.com/2002-10-24/music/the-way-of-the-gun "The Way of the Gun – Living up to his famous father is a tall order for J.T. Van Zandt"], dallasobserver.com, October 24, 2002.</ref>

In 1977, ''[[Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas]]'' 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blurt-online.com/reviews/view/504|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108123243/http://www.blurt-online.com/reviews/view/504/|archive-date=January 8, 2009|title=Townes Van Zandt: Live at the Old Quarter |date=October 20, 2008|publisher=BlurtOnline.com}}</ref> The album received positive reviews,<ref name="rsoq">{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/townesvanzandt/albums/album/126626/review/5945364/live_at_the_old_quarter_houston_texas|title=Townes Van Zandt – Live At The Old Quarter, Houston, Texas|website=RollingStone.com|access-date=July 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070319225150/https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/townesvanzandt/albums/album/126626/review/5945364/live_at_the_old_quarter_houston_texas|archive-date=March 19, 2007}}</ref> and is considered by many to be among the best albums that the songwriter ever released.<ref name="rsoq" /><ref name="pmftsots">{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/vanzandttownes-reissues|title=Townes Van Zandt: For the Sake of the Song|publisher=PopMatters.com|access-date=June 19, 2015}}</ref><ref name="deeperblue130">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=130}}</ref>

In the mid-1970s, Van Zandt split from his longtime manager, Kevin Eggers.<ref name="allmusic" /> He found a new manager, [[John Lomax III]] (grandson of the famed folk music historian [[John Lomax]]), who set up a fan club for Van Zandt.<ref name="utr">{{cite magazine|url=http://undertheradarmag.com/margaretbrown.html|title=Interview with Margaret Brown|magazine=[[Under the Radar (magazine)|Under The Radar]]|last=Tinkham|first=Chris|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060522035249/http://undertheradarmag.com/margaretbrown.html|archive-date=May 22, 2006|access-date=April 7, 2013}}</ref> 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 depression.<ref name="utr" /> In 1978, the singer fired Lomax and re-hired Eggers. He soon signed with Eggers' new label, [[Tomato Records]].<ref name="allmusic" /> The following year, he recorded ''[[Flyin' Shoes]]''; he did not release another album until 1987's ''[[At My Window (album)|At My Window]]''. Despite critical acclaim, he 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 shack with no heat, plumbing or telephone, occasionally appearing in town to play shows.<ref name="dallasmusic" />

=== 1980s–1990s ===
Several of Van Zandt's compositions were recorded by other artists, such as [[Emmylou Harris]] who, with [[Don Williams]], had a No. 3 country hit in 1981 with "[[If I Needed You]]," and [[Willie Nelson]] and [[Merle Haggard]], the pair taking "Pancho and Lefty" to No. 1 on the country charts in 1983. Van Zandt had a small cameo appearance 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 drug addiction and alcoholism. However, he continued writing songs, such as "Marie" and "The Hole".{{citation needed|date=July 2015}}

According to [[Susanna Clark]], Van Zandt turned down repeated invitations to write with Bob Dylan.<ref name="deeperblue203">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=203}}</ref> 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.<ref name="deeperblue203" /> The two first met during a chance encounter outside a costume shop in the [[South Congress]] district of Austin, on June 21, 1986.<ref name="deeperblue203" /> According to Johnny Guess, Dylan later arranged another meeting with the songwriter. The [[Drag (Austin, Texas)|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.<ref>''[[Be Here to Love Me]]'' DVD bonus feature: Johnny Guess interview.</ref> In May and June 1990, he opened for the [[Cowboy Junkies]] during a two-month-long tour of the United States and Canada, which exposed him to a younger generation of fans.<ref name="tvzfaq" /> As a result, he wrote the song "Cowboy Junkies Lament" for the group, with a verse about each member of the band.<ref name="deeperblue216" />

== Personal life ==
=== Relationships ===
Van Zandt married Fran Peterson 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 divorced on January 16, 1970.<ref name="tvzfaq">{{Cite web |title=Townes Van Zandt - Frequently Asked Questions |url=http://pnwpest.org/coopl/tvzfaq.html |access-date=2022-09-21 |website=Oregon IPM Center}}</ref> He began dating Cindy Morgan in 1974 and they married in 1978. Cindy was 15 years old to Van Zandt's 30 when they met, though she initially hid her age from him.<ref>{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|page=131}}</ref> Van Zandt and Cindy became estranged for much of the early 1980s, and were divorced on February 10, 1983, in [[Travis County, Texas]]. They had no children.<ref name="tvzfaq" />

Van Zandt's third marriage was to Jeanene Munsell. They met on December 9, 1980, at a memorial for [[John Lennon]]. When Townes' terminally-ill mother learned that he had impregnated Munsell, she told him, "You're going to do the right thing and honor that baby."<ref name="deeperblue190">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=190}}</ref> He divorced 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 divorced on May 2, 1994. However, the two remained close, and Jeanene was an executor of his estate.<ref name="tvzfaq" />

Around the time of their April 1993 separation,<ref name="deeperblue230" /> Jeanene coaxed the musician into signing over the publishing rights of his back catalog and recording royalties to her and their children.<ref name="deeperblue228">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=228}}</ref> Van Zandt's only source of income after making that change was money received from concert engagements<ref name="deeperblue229">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=229}}</ref> and, even then, Van Zandt frequently visited his ex-wife and gave her the money in his pockets.<ref name="deeperblue231">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=231}}</ref> Following their divorce in 1994, his only possessions were a 1989 [[GMC (automobile)|GMC Truck]] with [[camper shell]], a 1984 [[Honda Shadow]] motorcycle 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.<ref name="deeperblue232">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=232}}</ref>

At the time of his death, he had begun a long-distance relationship with a woman named Claudia Winterer from [[Darmstadt]], Germany.<ref name="deeperblue241">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=241}}</ref> The two met in November 1995 during a concert of his in [[Hanau]], Germany. Van Zandt told friends, he planned on marrying Winterer,<ref name="deeperblue266">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=266}}</ref> but the two never became engaged.

=== Addiction ===
Van Zandt was addicted to [[heroin]] and alcohol throughout his adult life. At times, he became drunk on stage and forgot 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.<ref name="chronicle">[https://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A94989 "Townes Without Pity: The Battle for Townes Van Zandt's legacy"], ''[[Austin Chronicle]]''; accessed July 1, 2015.</ref> At various points, his friends saw him shoot up not just heroin, but also cocaine, vodka, as well as a mixture of rum and Coke.<ref name="deeperblue127-128">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|pp=127–128}}</ref> 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.<ref name="dallasmusic" />

As a result of Van Zandt's constant drinking, Harold Eggers, Kevin's brother, was hired as his tour manager and 24-hour caretaker in 1976, a partnership that lasted for the rest of the singer's life. Although the musician was years older than he was, Eggers later said that Van Zandt was his "first child."<ref name="chronicle" /> His battles with addiction led him into rehab nearly a dozen times throughout the 1970s and 1980s.<ref name="deeperblue195">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=195}}</ref> Medical records from his recovery centers indicate that he believed his drinking had become a problem around 1973, and that by 1982 he was drinking at least a pint of vodka daily.<ref name="deeperblue195" /> Doctors' notes reported: "He admits to hearing voices, mostly musical voices", and "Affect is blunted and mood is sad. Judgment and insight is impaired."<ref name="deeperblue195" /> At various times, he was prescribed the [[antidepressant]] [[Zoloft]] and the [[mood stabilizer]] [[Lithium pharmacology|lithium]].<ref name="deeperblue230">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=230}}</ref><ref name="messages">Hedgepeth, William (May 1977). [https://pnwpest.org/coopl/Hedgepath.html "Townes Van Zandt – messages from the outside"]. ''Hittin' the Note''.</ref> The longest and final period of sobriety during his adult life was about a year in 1989 and 1990.<ref name="deeperblue216">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=216}}</ref>

=== Death ===
[[File:Townes Van Zandt.jpg|thumb|Townes Van Zandt at ''Kult'', Niederstetten (1995)]]
Van Zandt continued writing and performing through the 1990s, though his output slowed noticeably. He had enjoyed some sobriety during the early 1990s, but actively abused alcohol during his final years. In 1994, he was admitted to the hospital to [[Alcohol detoxification|detox]], when a doctor told Jeanene Van Zandt that trying to detox Townes again could potentially kill him.<ref name="texasmusic">[[KUT-FM]]'s Texas Music Matters: [http://townesvanzandt.com/TexasMusicMattersTVZSpecial.mp3 Townes Van Zandt Special] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080911072142/http://townesvanzandt.com/TexasMusicMattersTVZSpecial.mp3 |date=September 11, 2008 }}, townesvanzandt.com; accessed July 1, 2015.</ref> He grew increasingly frail during the mid-1990s, with friends noting that he seemed to have "withered."<ref name="deeperblue247">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=247}}</ref>

In early 1996, he was contacted by [[Sonic Youth]]'s [[Steve Shelley]], who informed Van Zandt that he was interested in recording and releasing an album for him on the band's [[Ecstatic Peace]] label, funded by [[Geffen Records|Geffen]].<ref name="deeperblue245">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=245}}</ref> 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.<ref name="texasmusic" /><ref name="deeperblue255">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=255}}</ref> 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. 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 Christmas week on their couch, unable to get up even to use the bathroom.<ref name="deeperblue255" />

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. 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 consented to receive medical care, eight days had passed since the injury.<ref name="texasmusic" /> On December 31, X-rays revealed that Van Zandt had an impacted left [[Femur neck|femoral neck]] fracture in his hip, and several corrective surgeries were performed.<ref name="deeperblue260" /> Jeanene informed the surgeon that one of Townes's previous rehab doctors had told her detoxing could kill him.<ref name="texasmusic" /> The medical staff tried to explain to her that detoxing a "late-term alcoholic" at home would be ill-advised, and he would have a better chance at recovering under hospital supervision.<ref name="deeperblue260">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=260}}</ref> She did not heed the warnings, and checked Townes out of the hospital.<ref name="deeperblue261">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=261}}</ref> Understanding that he would most likely drink immediately after leaving the hospital, the physicians refused to prescribe him any [[painkiller]]s.<ref name="deeperblue262">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=262}}</ref>

By the time Van Zandt was checked out of the hospital early the next morning, he had begun to show signs of [[delirium tremens]].<ref name="texasmusic" /> Jeanene rushed him to her car, where she gave him a flask of vodka to ward off the withdrawal delirium. She later reported that after getting him back home to [[Smyrna, Tennessee]], and giving him alcohol, he became "lucid, in a real good mood, calling his friends on the phone."<ref name="texasmusic" /> Jim Calvin shared a marijuana joint with him,<ref name="deeperblue261" /> and he was also given about four [[Tylenol PM]] tablets.<ref name="deeperblue262" /> [[File:TVZ headstone.jpg|thumb|Townes Van Zandt's headstone in [[Dido, Texas]]]]

While Jeanene was on the phone with Susanna Clark, their son Will noticed that Townes had stopped breathing and "looked dead", and alerted his mother, who attempted to perform [[CPR]], "screaming his name between breaths".<ref name="texasmusic" /> 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]].<ref name="deeperblue264">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=264}}</ref> 

Two services were held for Van Zandt: one in Texas for family, and another in a large Nashville church, attended by friends, acquaintances, and fans.<ref name="tm" /> 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.<ref name="tm" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://pnwpest.org/coopl/tvzfaq.html#17|title=Townes Van Zandt – Frequently Asked Questions, No. 17|publisher=Pnwpest.org|access-date=May 8, 2011}}</ref>

== Legacy ==
=== Legal issues over his work ===
In the years immediately following Van Zandt's death, his former manager and label owner Kevin Eggers issued 14 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).<ref name=austinchronicle>[https://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/column?oid=oid%3A616101 "For The Sake of the Song"]. ''Austin Chronicle''; accessed July 1, 2015.</ref> Eggers 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."<ref name=austinchronicle />

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, Lyle Lovett, Merle Haggard, Cowboy Junkies, and other major music stars.<ref name=chronicle /> After Van Zandt's death his [[road manager]], Harold Eggers, released video and audio recordings from the songwriter's concerts.<ref name=austinchronicle /> An [[out-of-court settlement]] in 2006 granted the Van Zandts conditional control of Harold Eggers' mastered recordings with Eggers retaining a 50% ownership of seven albums and some royalties for the remaining recordings.<ref name=austinchronicle />

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. Bell was a close friend and bandmate, and the inspiration for the song "Rex's Blues". Bell was also part owner of the bar [[Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe|Old Quarter]] in Houston, where Van Zandt performed the songs that would comprise the album ''Live at the Old Quarter''.

=== In music ===
<!------- ATTENTION: PLEASE DO NOT ADD YOUR BAND, YOUR FRIEND'S BAND, YOURSELF OR YOUR FRIEND TO THIS SECTION. It is meant for culturally significant bands ONLY, that are reported about in published books and magazines, as per Wikipedia's standards, with legitimate and verifiable sources as references. Thousands of musicians have covered Van Zandt or written tribute songs for/about him. If you are culturally significant enough, someone who does not know you will add you or your band to this section. Any entry that does not meet this criteria will be quickly removed. Thanks. For more on Wikipedia's notability standards for music groups, see [[WP:MUSIC]] ------->

Van Zandt has been referred to as a [[cult musician]] and "a songwriter's songwriter."<ref name="theage.com.au">{{cite news|url=https://www.theage.com.au/news/music/the-songwriters-songwriter/2005/07/21/1121539089155.html|title=The songwriter |last=Roberts|first=Jo |newspaper=theage.com.au |date=July 22, 2005 |access-date=May 8, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20060203/ai_n16048367 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070630175145/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20060203/ai_n16048367  | archive-date=June 30, 2007 | title=Townes van Zandt: He lived for the sake of the song Oakland Tribune – Find Articles| date=June 30, 2007}}</ref> Musician [[Steve Earle]], who met him in 1978 and considered Van Zandt a mentor, 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."<ref name="theage.com.au" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metafilter.com/48367/Townes-van-Zandt|title=Townes van Zandt profile|publisher=MetaFilter|access-date=May 8, 2011}}{{Dubious|date=May 2011}}</ref> The quote was printed on a sticker featured on the packing of ''[[At My Window (album)|At My Window]]'', much to Van Zandt's displeasure.<ref name="deeperblue205">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=205}}</ref> In the years following, the quote was often cited by the press, much to Van Zandt and Earle's embarrassment;<ref name="nytearle">DeCurtis, Anthony (May 7, 2009). [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/10/arts/music/10decurtis.html "Freeing a Mentor From His Mythology"]. ''[[New York Times]]''; accessed July 1, 2015.</ref> in 2009, Earle told the ''New York Times'' "Did I ever believe that Townes was better than Bob Dylan? No."<ref name="nytearle" /> But he concluded at the end of the same article that, "As a songwriter, you won't find anybody better." Earle has championed the songwriter on a number of occasions: his eldest son, [[Justin Townes Earle]], also a musician, was named after Van Zandt. Steve Earle wrote the song "Fort Worth Blues" as a tribute to the singer in the late 1990s, and in 2009 released an album titled ''[[Townes (album)|Townes]]'', which featured all covers of Van Zandt songs.<ref name="nytearle" />

His Texas-grounded impact stretched farther than country. He has been cited as a source of inspiration by such notable artists as Bob Dylan,<ref name="deeperblue203" /> [[Neil Young]],<ref name="deeperblue197">{{harvnb|Hardy|2008|p=197}}</ref> Willie Nelson,<ref name="poet" /> Guthrie Thomas, [[John Prine]],<ref name="poet">[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r548931|pure_url=yes}} ''Poet: A Tribute to Townes Van Zandt''], [[AllMusic.com]]; accessed July 1, 2015.</ref> [[Lyle Lovett]],<ref name="lovett">[http://weeklywire.com/ww/09-14-98/austin_music_feature1.html "Lyle Lovett"], ''[[Austin Chronicle]]''; accessed July 1, 2015.</ref> [[Chelsea Wolfe]],<ref name="pitchfork">[https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/17180-unknown-rooms-a-collection-of-acoustic-songs/ "Unknown Rooms – A Collection of Acoustic Songs"] [[Pitchfork Media]].</ref> [[Scott Avett]] of [[The Avett Brothers]],<ref name="avett">{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130129124146/http://www.muzzleofbees.com/2009/07/01/scott-avett-plays-townes-van-zandt-greensboro-woman/ "Scott Avett plays Townes Van Zandt: Greensboro Woman"]}}, Muzzleofbees.com; accessed July 1, 2015.</ref> [[Emmylou Harris]],<ref name="poet" /> [[Nanci Griffith]],<ref name="poet" /> [[Cowboy Junkies]],<ref name="cmtbio">[https://web.archive.org/web/20040407001031/http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/vanzandt_townes/bio.jhtml "Townes Van Zandt – Biography"], CMT.com; accessed July 1, 2015.</ref> [[Vetiver (band)|Vetiver]],<ref name="vetiverallmusic">[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1335906|pure_url=yes}} ''Thing of the Past''], [[AllMusic.com]]; accessed July 1, 2015.</ref> [[Guy Clark]],<ref name="poet" /> [[Devendra Banhart]],<ref name="banhart">{{cite web|url=http://blurt-online.com/features/view/58|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207010511/http://blurt-online.com/features/view/58/|archive-date=February 7, 2009|title=Looting the Bins with Devendra Banhart |date=June 19, 2008|publisher=Blurt Online}}</ref> [[Norah Jones]],<ref name="norahhandsome">[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452830/combined "''Norah Jones & the Handsome Band: Live in 2004''"], imdb.com; accessed July 1, 2015.{{dubious|reason=IMDB is user edited|date=April 2013}}</ref> [[Robert Plant]] & [[Alison Krauss]],<ref name="plantkrauss">[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1207614|pure_url=yes}} "''Raising Sand'': Credits"], [[AllMusic.com]]; accessed July 1, 2015.</ref> [[The Be Good Tanyas]] and [[Jolie Holland]],<ref name="chinatown">[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r627399|pure_url=yes}} "''Chinatown''"], [[AllMusic.com]]; accessed July 1, 2015.</ref> [[Rowland S. Howard]], [[Michael Weston King]], [[Hayes Carll]], [[Josh Ritter]],<ref>{{cite web|first=Steven|last=Wilcock |url=http://www.triste.co.uk/jritter.htm|title=Josh Ritter interview – Triste Magazine|publisher=Triste.co.uk|access-date=May 8, 2011}}</ref> [[Jewel (singer)|Jewel]] (who named her son Kase Townes Murray),<ref>{{cite web|author=Ulrica Wihlborg |url=https://people.com/parents/jewel-ty-murray-welcome-son-kase/ |title=Jewel, Ty Murray Welcome Son Kase |website=[[People (magazine)|People]] |date=September 23, 2016|access-date=November 17, 2016}}</ref>  [[Gillian Welch]],<ref name="welsh">[https://www.amazon.com/dpB000077VP2 "Gillian Welch – The Revelator Collection"]. Amazon.com.</ref> [[Garth Brooks]],<ref name="garth">{{cite web|url=http://www.garthbrooks.com/dialup/index.cfm?id=2|title=Bio – The Early Years|publisher=Garthbrooks.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070212013219/http://www.garthbrooks.com/dialup/index.cfm?id=2|archive-date=February 12, 2007}}</ref> [[Simon Joyner]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hearnebraska.org/feature/simon-joyner-nebraska-and-his-songs-qa|title=Simon Joyner on Nebraska and His Songs|publisher=Hearnebraska.org|date=June 1, 2012|access-date=June 19, 2015}}</ref> [[Conor Oberst]] of [[Bright Eyes (band)|Bright Eyes]],<ref name="earleinterview">[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopfeatures/5430408/Steve-Earle-interview-for-the-album-Townes.html "Steve Earle interview for the album ''Townes''"]. ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''.</ref> [[Caleb Followill]] of [[Kings of Leon]],<ref>Goodman, Frank (May 2007). [https://www.puremusic.com/pdf/kol.pdf "A Conversation with Nathan Followill of Kings of Leon"] (PDF), Puremusic.com; accessed July 1, 2015.</ref> [[Marissa Nadler]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cummings |first=Bill |date=2011-10-26 |title=INTERVIEW: Marissa Nadler |url=https://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/2011/10/26/interview-marissa-nadler/ |access-date=2022-04-22 |website=God Is In The TV |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Laura Marling]], and [[Frank Turner]],<ref>{{Cite web|title = Townes Van Zandt: 'The Greatest Musician You've Never Heard Of' By Frank Turner|url = https://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/music/frank-turner-on-why-townes-van-zandt-is-the-most-important-musician-you-ve-probably-never-heard-of|access-date = September 1, 2015|date = August 28, 2015}}</ref> Folk musician [[Shakey Graves]] has credited his fast-paced, rhythmic style of finger picked guitar playing partially to Van Zandt's influence.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Reddit AMA: I am Alejandro Rose-Garcia AKA Shakey Graves, AMA|url = https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/15yrym/i_am_alejandro_rosegarcia_aka_shakey_graves_ama/c7r2m7u/f|access-date = May 11, 2017}}</ref>

In 1994, Israeli singer [[David Broza]] performed with Van Zandt during a Writers in the Round concert in Houston. When Van Zandt died, he left a shoe box full of unreleased poems and lyrics with a request that Broza set them to music. The resulting album was ''Night Dawn: The Unpublished Poetry of Townes Van Zandt''.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-broza-idUSTRE61B5LV20100212 "Townes Van Zandt's bequest finds new life at 'Dawn'"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018001705/http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/02/12/us-broza-idUSTRE61B5LV20100212 |date=October 18, 2015 }}, Reuters.com, February 2, 2012.</ref>

In 2012, Van Zandt was inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://texasheritagesongwriters.com/bios/townes_van_zandt.php|title=2012 Honoree Townes Van Zandt|publisher=Texas Heritage Writers|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328171306/http://www.texasheritagesongwriters.com/bios/townes_van_zandt.php|archive-date=March 28, 2012|access-date=April 8, 2013}}</ref>

In July 2012, Neurot Recordings released a three-way split album in tribute to Van Zandt, featuring [[Neurosis (band)|Neurosis]] singer/guitarists [[Scott Kelly (musician)|Scott Kelly]], [[Steve Von Till]] and doom/stoner metal legend [[Scott Weinrich|Scott "Wino" Weinrich]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.earsplitcompound.com/site/2012/04/13/steve-von-till-scott-kelly-album-to-see-us-release-via-neurot-in-june|title=STEVE VON TILL, SCOTT KELLY & WINO Confirm Townes Van Zandt Tribute; Album To See US Release Via Neurot in June|publisher=Earsplitcompound.com|date=April 13, 2012|access-date=September 17, 2012}}</ref> Two years later another similar album was released featuring [[John Dyer Baizley|John Baizley]], [[Mike Scheidt]] and Nate Hall, frontmen of the bands [[Baroness (band)|Baroness]], [[Yob (band)|YOB]] and [[U.S. Christmas]] respectively.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://neurotrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/songs-of-townes-van-zandt-vol-ii|title=Songs of Townes Van Zandt, vol. II, by John Baizley / Nate Hall / Mike Scheidt|website=Neurotrecordings.bandcamp.com|access-date=October 17, 2021}}</ref>

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]].<ref>[https://acltv.com/2015/10/02/acls-new-season-launches-with-the-hall-of-fame-2015-special/ "ACL's New Season Launches with the Hall of Fame 2015 Special"], ACLTV.com.</ref> [[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.<ref>[https://vimeo.com/139004083 "Gillian Welch-Townes Van Zandt induction into ACL Hall of Fame"], Vimeo.com, September 11, 2015.</ref>

In an interview with ''[[The Guardian]]'' in 2016, Van Zandt was cited as being an influence to the American [[avant-garde metal]] group [[Neurosis (band)|Neurosis]].<ref name="Deller1">{{cite web |last1=Deller |first1=Alex |title=Neurosis: 'Crass were the mother of all bands' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2016/nov/03/neurosis-crass-bands-anarcho-punk-steve-von-till |website=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=27 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129004419/https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2016/nov/03/neurosis-crass-bands-anarcho-punk-steve-von-till |archive-date=29 November 2022 |location=[[Kings Place, London]] |language=British English |date=3 November 2016}}</ref>

In 2016, [[Paal Flaata]] released an album of only Van Zandt songs, ''Come Tomorrow – Songs of Townes Van Zandt''. A single with the track "Come Tomorrow", where Paal Flaata sings with his daughter Maia Flaata, was released the same year.

=== In film and television ===
Van Zandt's ''[[Roadsongs (Townes van Zandt album)|Roadsongs]]'' album version of [[The Rolling Stones]]' "[[Dead Flowers (Rolling Stones song)|Dead Flowers]]" was used during the final scene of the [[Coen Brothers]]' 1998 film ''[[The Big Lebowski]]''. The song was included on the movie's soundtrack.<ref>[http://www.laweekly.com/music/the-definitive-guide-to-the-music-of-the-big-lebowski-4168132 "The Definitive Guide to the Music of ''The Big Lebowski''"] LAWeekly.com, March 7, 2013.</ref> 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 (1998 film)|Stepmom]]'', ''[[Ozark (TV series)|Ozark]]'', ''[[Six Feet Under (TV series)|Six Feet Under]]'', ''[[In Bruges]]'', ''[[Calvary (2014 film)|Calvary]]'', ''[[Crazy Heart]]'', ''[[Leaves of Grass (film)|Leaves of Grass]]'', ''[[Seven Psychopaths]]'', ''[[Deadwood (TV series)|Deadwood]]'', ''[[Breaking Bad]]'', ''[[Billions (TV series)|Billions]]'', ''[[Patriot (TV series)|Patriot]]'', ''[[True Detective]]'', ''[[Euphoria (American TV series)|Euphoria (American TV Series)]]'', and ''[[Hell or High Water (2016 film)|Hell or High Water]]'' (Dollar Bill Blues).<ref>{{cite web |title=Townes Van Zandt TV & Film Sync Placements |url=https://www.tunefind.com/artist/townes-van-zandt |website=Tunefind |access-date=November 6, 2019}}</ref> His "''Buckskin Stallion Blues''" was featured in the 2017 American film ''[[Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri]]'' both as his original recording and a cover by [[Amy Annelle]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5027774/ |website=IMDb |date=December 2017 |access-date=November 6, 2019}}</ref>

In the film ''[[Country Strong]]'', the ''[[Austin Statesman]]'' describes the character of Beau Hutton as "the next Townes Van Zandt".{{citation needed|date=November 2019}} 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.<ref>{{cite AV media |people= Hughen, Tyler and Kahlil Hudson |date=2012 |title=Low & Clear: a feature documentary |language=English |url=https://worldcat.org/en/title/825074186 |access-date=2023-10-03 |publisher=Finback Films }}</ref>

=== Films and book ===
In 2004, the film ''[[Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt|Be Here to Love Me]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/be_here_to_love_me|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913111215/http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/be_here_to_love_me|url-status=usurped|archive-date=September 13, 2012|title=Townes Van Zandt: Be Here to Love Me (Full Film)|publisher=Snagfilms.com|date=November 24, 2010|access-date=May 8, 2011}}</ref> chronicling the artist's life and musical career, was released in the United States. It was very well received, earning a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/be_here_to_love_me|title=Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt Movie Reviews|website=Rotten Tomatoes|date=September 13, 2004 |access-date=May 8, 2011}}</ref> Georgia Christgau of the ''Village Voice'' called the documentary "sympathetic but frank."<ref>{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Georgia|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2005-11-22/film/hard-living-folk-icon-in-a-sympathetic-but-frank-doc|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208055258/http://www.villagevoice.com/2005-11-22/film/hard-living-folk-icon-in-a-sympathetic-but-frank-doc/|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 8, 2008|title=Hard-Living Folk Icon in a Sympathetic but Frank Doc|newspaper=Village Voice|date=November 22, 2005|access-date=May 8, 2011}}</ref> Eddie Cockrell of ''Variety'' called the film "a dignified and wistful look at the unusual life, difficult career and lasting influence" of Van Zandt.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Cockrell|first=Eddie|url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117925098.html?categoryid=31&cs=1|title=Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt|magazine=Variety.com|date=September 29, 2004|access-date=May 8, 2011}}</ref>

A biography, titled ''To Live's to Fly: The Ballad of the Late, Great Townes Van Zandt''<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kruth |first1=John |title=To live's to fly: the ballad of the late, great Townes Van Zandt |date=2008 |publisher=Da Capo |location=New York |url=https://worldcat.org/en/title/191752653 |access-date=3 October 2023}}</ref> by [[John Kruth]], was released in 2007. It received mixed reviews, with ''[[Publishers Weekly]]'' lamenting that Kruth's "efforts are diminished by oddly alternating [[first-person narrative|first]]- and [[third-person narrative]]s, 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."<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0306816040|title=To Live's to Fly: The Ballad of the Late, Great Townes Van Zandt|first=John |last=Kruth|isbn=978-0-306-81604-8|access-date=May 8, 2011|date=March 4, 2008|publisher=Hachette Books }}</ref>

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'',<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hardy |first1=Robert Earl |title=A deeper blue: the life and music of Townes Van Zandt |date=2008 |publisher=University of North Texas Press |location=Denton, TX |url=https://worldcat.org/en/title/646833169 |access-date=3 October 2023 |ref=none}}</ref> which took more than 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, his three ex-wives, and many others. The book has been described by ''[[Kirkus Reviews]]'' as a "poignant, clear and vivid portrait."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/1574412477|title=A Deeper Blue: The Life and Music of Townes Van Zandt (9781574412475): Robert Earl Hardy: Books|access-date=May 8, 2011|website=Amazon.com}}</ref>

''I'll Be Here in the Morning: The Songwriting Legacy of Townes Van Zandt'' by Brian T. Atkinson was released on New Year's Day 2012 by Texas A&M University Press, coinciding with the 15th anniversary of Van Zandt's death. The book contains interviews with longtime Van Zandt friends Guy Clark, Billy Joe Shaver, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Kris Kristofferson, Tom Russell and Peter Rowan as well as younger disciples such as Scott Avett (the Avett Brothers), Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Kasey Chambers, Josh Ritter, and Grace Potter.

Van Zandt was portrayed by [[Charlie Sexton]] in the 2018 film ''[[Blaze (2018 film)|Blaze]]'', a biographical drama about the life of [[Blaze Foley]].

More books and movies about Townes Van Zandt were released, e.g. Harold Eggers' ''My Years with Townes Van Zandt'' and Mickey White's ''Another Mickey. Ruminations of a Texas Guitar Slinger'' (books<ref>{{Cite web|date=August 8, 2021|title=Townes Van Zandt: Book Recommendations|url=https://townes.org/book/|access-date=September 13, 2021|website=A Haven for Songs}}</ref>) or ''Without Getting Killed or Caught'' (movie,<ref>{{Cite web|date=September 2, 2021|title=The Townes Van Zandt Movie Guide|url=https://townes.org/the-townes-van-zandt-movie-guide/|access-date=September 13, 2021|website=A Haven for Songs}}</ref> director: Tamara Saviano).

Townes Van Zandt features prominently in ''I'll Be Here in the Morning'' author Brian T. Atkinson's subsequent books ''Looks Like Rain: The Songwriting Legacy of Mickey Newbury'' (Texas A&M University Press, 2021) and ''Love at the Five and Dime: The Songwriting Legacy of Nanci Griffith'' (TAMU Press, 2024).

== Discography ==
=== Studio albums ===
* ''[[For the Sake of the Song (Townes Van Zandt album)|For the Sake of the Song]]'' (1968)
* ''[[Our Mother the Mountain]]'' (1969)
* ''[[Townes Van Zandt (album)|Townes Van Zandt]]'' (1969)
* ''[[Delta Momma Blues]]'' (1971)
* ''[[High, Low and In Between]]'' (1971)
* ''[[The Late Great Townes Van Zandt]]'' (1972)
* ''[[Flyin' Shoes]]'' (1978)
* ''[[At My Window (album)|At My Window]]'' (1987)
* ''[[The Nashville Sessions (Townes Van Zandt album)|The Nashville Sessions]]'' (1993)
* ''[[No Deeper Blue]]'' (1994)

=== Posthumous albums ===
* ''[[A Far Cry From Dead]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Texas Rain: The Texas Hill Country Recordings]]'' (2001)
* ''[[In the Beginning (Townes Van Zandt album)|In the Beginning]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Sunshine Boy: The Unheard Studio Sessions & Demos 1971–1972]]'' (2013)
* ''[[Sky Blue (Townes Van Zandt album)|Sky Blue]]'' (2019)<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/02/28/696718029/first-listen-townes-van-zandt-sky-blue|title=Townes Van Zandt's 'Sky Blue' Offers Insight Into A Mercurial Mind At His Prime|newspaper=NPR|date=February 28, 2019|language=en|access-date=March 13, 2019|last1=Allen|first1=Jim}}</ref>
* ''Somebody Had to Write It'' (2020)

=== Singles ===
* "[[Waiting 'Round to Die|Waiting Around to Die" / "Talking Karate Blues]]" (1968)
* "Second Lovers Song" / "Tecumseh Valley" (1969)
* "Come Tomorrow" / "Delta Mama Blues" (1971)
* "Greensboro Woman" / "Standin'" (1972)
* "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 ''Texas Rain: The Texas Hill Country Recordings''
* "Highway Kind" (2002) – CD single

=== Live albums ===
* ''[[Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas]]'' (1977) – recorded July 1973
* ''[[Live and Obscure]]'' (1987) – recorded 1985
* ''Down Home & Abroad'' (2018) – recorded 1985/1993
* ''Rain on a Conga Drum: Live in Berlin'' (1991) – recorded October 1990
* ''Rear View Mirror'' (1993) – recorded in Oklahoma, 1978
* ''[[Roadsongs (Townes van Zandt album)|Roadsongs]]'' (1993) – all cover songs, recorded late 1970s & early 1980s
* ''Abnormal'' (1996) – reissued in 1998 with 3 tracks replaced
* ''The Highway Kind'' (1997)
* ''[[Larry Monroe (radio personality)#Other professional work|Documentary]]'' (1997)
* ''Last Rights'' (1997) – alternate version of ''Documentary''
* ''[[Together at the Bluebird Café]]'' (2001) – with [[Guy Clark]] and [[Steve Earle]]; recorded September 1995
* ''In Pain'' (1999) – recorded 1994/1996
* ''[[Live at McCabe's (Townes Van Zandt album)|Live at McCabe's]]'' (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 1977–80; album credits erroneously state 1976–79
* ''Live at Union Chapel, London, England'' (2005) – recorded April 1994
* ''Houston 1988: A Private Concert'' (2005)

=== Videos ===
* ''[[Heartworn Highways]]'' (1981)
* ''[[Be Here to Love Me]]'' (2004)
* ''[[Houston 1988: A Private Concert]]'' (2004)
* ''Townes Live in Amsterdam'' (2008) – recorded November 2, 1991

=== Compilations ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! scope="col"| Title
! scope="col"| Album details
|-
! scope="row"| ''Last Rights: The Life & Times of Townes Van Zandt''
|
* Release date: June 10, 1997
* Label: Gregor Records
|-
! scope="row"| ''Masters''
|
* Release date: November 30, 1997
* Label: [[Eagle Rock Records]]
|-
! scope="row"| ''Anthology: 1968–1979''
|
* Release date: August 25, 1998
* Label: [[Charly Records]]
|-
! scope="row"| ''The Best of Townes Van Zandt''
|
* Release date: July 1, 1999
* Label: Charly Records
|-
! scope="row"| ''Drama Falls Like Teardrops''
|
* Release date: January 1, 2002
* Label: Snapper Records
|-
! scope="row"| ''The Very Best of Townes Van Zandt: The Texan Troubadour''
|
* Release date: June 25, 2002
* Label: [[Metro Records]]
|-
! scope="row"| ''Singer Songwriter''
|
* Release date: October 1, 2002
* Label: MI Plus
|-
! scope="row"| ''Texas Troubadour''
|
* Release date: November 5, 2002
* Label: Snapper Records
|-
! scope="row"| ''The Great Tomato Singer/Songwriter Collection''
|
* Release date: February 25, 2003
* Label: Tomato Music
|-
! scope="row"| ''Legend''
|
* Release date: October 14, 2003
* Label: Snapper Records
|-
! scope="row"| ''Buckskin Stallion''
|
* Release date: May 23, 2006
* Label: ATOM Records
|-
! scope="row"| ''Sunshine Boy: The Unheard Studio Sessions & Demos''
|
* Release date: February 5, 2013
* Label: [[Omnivore Recordings]]
|-
|}

== See also ==
*[[List of people with bipolar disorder]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

;Bibliography
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Kruth|first=John|date=2007|title=To Live's to Fly: The Ballad of the Late, Great Townes Van Zandt|publisher=Da Capo Press|isbn=978-0-306-81553-9|url=https://archive.org/details/tolivestoflyball00krut}}
* {{cite book|last=Hardy|first=Robert Earl|date=2008|title=A Deeper Blue: The Life and Music of Townes Van Zandt|series=North Texas Lives of Musician Series|publisher=University of North Texas Press|isbn=978-1-57441-247-5|url=https://archive.org/details/deeperbluelifemu00hard}}
* {{cite book|last=Atkinson |first=Brian T. |date=2012 |title=I'll Be Here in the Morning: The Songwriting Legacy of Townes Van Zandt |publisher=Texas A&M University Press |isbn=978-1-60344-527-6 }}
* {{cite book|last=Eggers|first=Harold F. |date=2018 |title=My Years with Townes Van Zandt: Music, Genius, and Rage |publisher=Backbeat |isbn=978-1-61713-708-2 }}
* {{cite book|last=Lomax|first=John III|date=1998|chapter=Townes Van Zandt|title=The Encyclopedia of Country Music|url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofco00coun|url-access=registration|editor-first=Paul|editor-last=Kingsbury|location=New York|publisher=Oxford University Press|page=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofco00coun/page/562 562]|isbn=978-0-19-511671-7}}
<!-- chronological (all books, then all chapters or sections) -->
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
*{{Official website}}
* [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p133926|pure_url=yes}} Townes Van Zandt] at [[AllMusic]]
* {{IMDb name|id=1376929|name=Townes Van Zandt}}
* [https://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-117665738.html Townes Van Zandt: The Self-Destructive Hobo Saint] by John Kruth, originally appeared in ''[[Sing Out!]]'' V48#2
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080220210553/http://www.furious.com/Perfect/townes2.html Travels with Townes Van Zandt by Steve Hawley July 2003]
* {{Find a Grave|9618}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-ach|aw}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Mickey Newbury]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Americana Music Association|AMA presidents Award]]|years=2007}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Jerry Garcia]]}}
{{S-end}}

{{Townes Van Zandt}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Zandt, Townes}}
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:1997 deaths]]
[[Category:American country singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:American male singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:American country guitarists]]
[[Category:American male guitarists]]
[[Category:American alternative country singers]]
[[Category:American folk singers]]
[[Category:Singers from Austin, Texas]]
[[Category:Singer-songwriters from Texas]]
[[Category:Musicians from Fort Worth, Texas]]
[[Category:Writers from Austin, Texas]]
[[Category:American people of Dutch descent]]
[[Category:Singers from Houston]]
[[Category:People with bipolar disorder]]
[[Category:Alcohol-related deaths in Tennessee]]
[[Category:20th-century American singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:Fat Possum Records artists]]
[[Category:20th-century American guitarists]]
[[Category:Guitarists from Texas]]
[[Category:American acoustic guitarists]]
[[Category:People from Smyrna, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Country musicians from Texas]]
[[Category:Country musicians from Tennessee]]
[[Category:20th-century American male singers]]
[[Category:Loose Music artists]]
[[Category:Sugar Hill Records artists]]
[[Category:Varèse Sarabande Records artists]]
[[Category:Singer-songwriters from Tennessee]]