Townes Van Zandt

See all 55 pictures

Play Radio

Listen to Townes Van Zandt Radio, featuring artists like Guy Clark, Blaze Foley, Steve Earle, John Prine and more…

Search on Spotify
Yes, it scrobbles! Learn more

4,421,187 plays (273,151 listeners)
In your library (0 plays)

Shop now at Amazon | Send Townes Van Zandt Ringtones to Cell

Download
Amazon
Send Ringtones to Cell
Tonefuse Search

Add to my Library

Fort Worth TX, United States (1944 – 1997)

Townes Van Zandt (John Townes Van Zandt, born at Fort Worth, Texas, March 7, 1944 and died at Smyrna, Tennessee, January 1, 1997). He was a country and folk singer and poet.

While alive, Van Zandt was labelled 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. Many of his songs, including “If I Needed You,” “To Live Is To Fly,” and “No Place to Fall” are considered standards of their genre. AllMusic has called him “one of the greatest country and folk artists of his generation.”

In 1983, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard covered his song “Pancho and Lefty”, scoring a number one hit on the Billboard country music charts. Despite achievements like these, the bulk of Van Zandt’s life was spent performing in dive bars, often living in cheap motel rooms, backwoods cabins and on friends’ couches. Van Zandt was notorious for his drug addictions, alcoholism and his tendency to tell tall tales.

Van Zandt died on New Year’s 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 film 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 Dylan, Norah Jones, and The Meat Puppets.

Early life
Townes Van Zandt was born in Fort Worth, Texas to an oil-wealthy family.

Similar Artists

Top Albums

Rear View Mirror
Townes Van Zandt
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $8.99
- 7digital $9.99
- iTunes $9.99
- Buy Album
- Amazon $12.53
- eBay Search
Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $8.99
- 7digital $9.99
- iTunes $9.90
- Buy Album
- Amazon $13.22
- eBay Search
Our Mother the Mountain
Townes Van Zandt
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $8.99
- 7digital $9.99
- iTunes $9.99
- Buy Album
- Amazon $10.00
- eBay Search
High, Low And In Between
Townes Van Zandt
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $9.49
- 7digital $11.99
- iTunes $11.99
- Buy Album
- Amazon $12.44
- eBay Search

Top Tracks

1	If I Needed You	574
2	For The Sake Of The Song	542
3	Lungs	401
4	Tecumseh Valley	372
5	Waitin' Around To Die	347
6	To Live Is To Fly	319
7	Dead Flowers	308
8	Our Mother the Mountain	297
9	I'll Be Here in the Morning	287
10	Colorado Girl	279
11	Pancho And Lefty	261
12	Rex's Blues	242
13	No Place To Fall	241
14	Waiting Around to Die	240
15	Kathleen	229

Buy all tracks at Amazon MP3

Shoutbox

Leave a comment. Log in to Last.fm or sign up (it’s free).

Nochek

P.S. you'll love this radio http://www.folkradio.co.uk/

Monday evening
Nochek

uzzz. lOve.

Monday afternoon
semionato

people should listen more to "come tomorrow". i think it became my favorite townes song.

Sunday evening
cloudyshoes

The best. Period.

Sunday morning
Pentangla

♡

17 days ago
VK1990

Lungs

last month
JenaSunshine

It would be magical if I could ever love a man like I love Townes.

last month
Smirnon

and thanks Townes, your music always brings me some much needed calm. i'm happy being alone, even lonely, when listening to your music

last month
Smirnon

i wonder if there were any women in Townes' life who were able not to fall in love with him

last month
semionato

COME TOMORROW. COME 2012.

December 2011
Debaser987

A man who lived the songs he sang. There are few musicians you can say that about. Such honest, heartfelt, and beautiful writing.

December 2011
r_m

That's a killer quartet right there.

December 2011
Jack_Deadman

Best songwriter ever, and I listen metal, rock, irish, classical, alternative, blues, jazz... Townes, Cohen, Cave, Waits, ...

December 2011
Caligula138

Thank You Townes...

November 2011
Jack_Deadman

Best country musician of all time

November 2011
tuffentiny

<3

November 2011
bloodmaw

most sincere country musician of all time

October 2011
9Nails

This man's whole life was one long country song, filled with disappointment and struggles, but what magic he wove out of all that. He's justly celebrated by other musicians and fans alike; just wish he'd gotten that acclaim in his own lifetime. [2]

October 2011
indietrash

http://www.lastfm.com/group/sad

October 2011
diasdegalvan

My favorite songwriter of all time.

September 2011