On this day in 1997, singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt died in his Smyrna, Tennessee home at the age of 52. Van Zandt was among a group of elite Texas troubadours that included Guy Clark, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Mickey Newbury. During his all-too-short life, he penned some of the most memorable songs in the country music canon.
Van Zandt was born into a wealthy and influential family in Texas. The Van Zandt family has a county in the state named after them. However, he chose to live life on his terms, not falling in line with his family or benefitting from their money. This fierce independence carried over to his career. While he wrote hits like “If I Needed You,” “Waiting Around to Die,” and “Pancho and Lefty,” he never had a major chart hit. Most attribute this to the fact that he didn’t tailor himself, his performances, or his recordings to fit the mass consumption mold. He was who he was, take it or leave it.
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While he has been gone for more than 20 years, his deep catalog continues to inspire songwriters. Additionally, several artists and fans still hold him in high regard. Steve Earle once famously said, “Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world and I’ll stand on Bob Dylan’s coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that.”