John Townes Van Zandt was an American singer and songwriter who specialized in folk and country music. He was not a well-known artist during his lifetime; he had a small following of people who related to his singing and songwriting. He began by singing in bars and nightclubs throughout Houston, and after his talent was recognized, he began releasing albums. However, his musical career was sporadic due to his heroin and alcohol addictions, as well as his random check-ins and check-outs from rehabilitation centers. Emmylou Harris introduced Zandt’s work to a wider audience in the late 1980s, and Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard covered his song ‘Pancho and Lefty,’ which peaked at number one on the Billboard country music charts. This earned him enormous fame at one point in his life, but he was more interested in planting morning glories, listening to Paul Harvey’s radio show, and watching the sitcom ‘Happy Days’ in a house in Nashville that lacked heating, plumbing, and a telephone. Zandt died in a horrific accident at the age of 52 as a result of his drug and alcohol addiction.
Childhood & Adolescence
Townes Van Zandt was born Harris Williams Van Zandt and Dorothy Townes in Fort Worth, Texas on March 7, 1944. He was born into a prosperous oil family, and his father was a corporate lawyer.
Zandt had to move frequently as a child with his family due to the nature of his father’s job. The entire family relocated to Midland, Texas, and then to Billings, Montana.
Zandt received his first guitar for Christmas in 1956 and was heavily influenced by singer Elvis Presley during this time period. The following year, the family was forced to relocate to Boulder, Colorado.
He attended the Shattuck School in Faribault, Minnesota, and was an intelligent student, which led his parents to wish for him to become a lawyer and senator. Later, he enrolled at the University of Colorado.
Zandt began experiencing bouts of depression and binge drinking shortly after enrolling at Colorado University. He was admitted to the University of Texas Medical Branch after being diagnosed with manic depression.
Zandt attempted to enter the University of Houston’s pre-law program and later aspired to join the Air Force after receiving insulin shock therapy and conclusively losing his long-term memory. However, he was rejected due to his depressive symptoms.
Career of Townes
When all doors closed on Zandt, he still had his music, which is why he began playing guitar for about $ 10 per show at Houston’s Jester Lounge. He used to cover songs by Hopkins, Dylan, and others.
Zandt met songwriter Mickey Newbury in 1968, while still performing at the Jester Lounge. Newbury convinced Zandt to travel to Nashville and meet with a man who would later become his longtime producer, “Cowboy” Jack Clement.
Zandt’s most creative period occurred between 1968 and 1973. He released a number of albums, including ‘Our Mother the Mountain (1969), ‘Townes Van Zandt (1969), ‘Delta Momma Blues (1971), ‘High, Low, and In Between (1972), and ‘The Late Great Townes Van Zandt (1972).
In 1973, Zandt appeared in a documentary titled ‘Heartworn Highways’ alongside other artists such as Charlie Daniels, Steve Young, and others. He was portrayed in the film drinking, shooting a gun, and playing music in his run-down trailer home in Austin, Texas.
In 1977, an album titled ‘Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas’ was released that included Zandt’s solo from a 1973 concert. It was a huge success at the time and is still regarded as his best work.
In 1978, he hired a new manager, John Lomax III, who initiated the formation of a small fan club for Zandt. Individuals from every country wrote to him. In the same year, he rehired his former manager and released ‘Flyin’ Shoes’.
Zandt released his first studio album in nine years, ‘At My Window’, in 1987. Although he was no longer as prolific, this album transformed his image once more as the quality of his songs received critical acclaim.
In 1990, Zandt opened for the band ‘The Cowboy Junkies’ on their two-month-long tour of the United States and Canada. This is how Zandt first came to the attention of a younger generation of fans.
Significant Works of Toiwnes
Between 1968 and 1973, Zandt released his most innovative work: ‘Our Mother the Mountain,’ ‘Townes Van Zandt,’ ‘Delta Momma Blues,’ ‘High, Low, and in Between,’ and ‘The Late Great Townes Van Zandt.’ It elevated him to a position of prominence in both America and Europe.
Personal History and Legacies
Zandt was married to Fran Petters from 1965 to 1970 and the couple had a son together.
A few years later, he began a live-in relationship with Cindy Morgan, married her in 1978, and divorced her a few years later.
In 1983, he married for the third time to Jeanene Munsell, whom he had impregnated. They were parents to two children: William Vincent and Katie Bell. While the couple divorced after a decade, they maintained a close relationship until Zandt’s death.
Zandt was a lifelong heroin and alcohol addict; he used to shoot cocaine, vodka, and a rum-coke mixture. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he visited rehab numerous times.
In 1996, Zandt sustained injuries after falling down the stairs and was hospitalized for eight days. He died of cardiac arrhythmia on January 1, 1997.
Estimated Net Worth
Musical performer, singer-songwriter, and arranger. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, on March 7, 1944. Townes Van Zandt’s net worth has been estimated to be$ 10millions.
Trivia
Zandt was in a long-distance relationship with Claudia Winterer of Germany at the time of his death. They met during one of his Hanau concerts, and he intended to marry her.
‘Be Here To Love Me,’ a documentary about his life and career, was released in 2006.
John Kruth published a biography of Zandt in 2007 titled ‘To Live Is To Fly: The Ballad of the Late, Great Townes Van Zandt’.
By 1982, his alcoholism had progressed to the point where he was consuming at least a pint of vodka daily and had developed delusory symptoms, mood disorders, and impaired judgment and insight.