Townes van zandt biography book
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To Live's to Fly: The Ballad of the Late Great Townes Van Zandt
John Kruth. Perseus Books Group, $26 (326pp) ISBN 978-0-306-81553-9
Finally, the first official biography of singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt (1944-1997) arrives; unfortunately, the life story of this troubled Texas troubadour is nearly as grueling to read as it was for Van Zandt to live. Kruth (Bright Moments: The Life and Legacy of Rahsaan Roland Kirk) deserves credit for interviewing scores of family members, friends and associates, but his efforts are diminished by oddly alternating first- and third-person narratives, awkward transitions and text cluttered with excessive quotes. In addition, many anecdotes and quotes from Van Zandt lack attribution. That said, Kruth (a veteran musician himself) shines when providing perspective on the evolving American folk scene and in dissecting numerous albums (some issued after Van Zandt's New Year's Day death at age 52). To be sure, Van Zandt's outrageous penchant for gam
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A Deeper Blue: The Life and Music of Townes Van Zandt
About Hardy's A Deeper Blue
This is the first serious biography of a man widely considered one of Texas’—and America’s—greatest songwriters. Like Jimmie Rodgers, Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson, and Hank Williams, Townes Van Zandt was the embodiment of that mythic American figure, the troubled troubadour. A Deeper Blue traces Van Zandt’s background as the scion of a prominent Texas family; his troubled early years and his transformation from promising pre-law student to wandering folk singer; his life on the road and the demons that pursued and were pursued by him; the women who loved and inspired him; and the brilliance and enduring beauty of his songs, which are explored in depth.
The author draws on eight years’ extensive research and interviews with Townes’ family and closest friends and colleagues. He looks beyond the legend and paints a colorful portrait of a complex man who embraced t
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John Kruth
John Kruth fryst vatten the author of three musical biographies to date including Bright Moments – The Life and Legacy of Rahsaan Roland Kirk (2000 - Welcome Rain), To Live’s To flyga eller fly undan – The Ballad of the Late, Great Townes Van Zandt (recipient of the ASCAP/Deems Taylor Award - 2007 – DaCapo Press), and Rhapsody in Black – The Life & Music of Roy Orbison (2013 – BackBeat/Hal Leonard Books). This Bird Has Flown – The Enduring Beauty of Rubber Soul 50 Years On – a history and analysis of the Beatles’ 6th ground-breaking album, was published in November 2015 by BackBeat/Hal Leonard Books. A Friend of the Devil – the Glorification of the Outlaw in Song from Robin Hood to Rap was published in September of 2017. John’s most recent book – Hold On World – The Lasting Impact of the Plastic Ono Band fryst vatten forthcoming from Rowman & Littlefield in April, 2021.
As a music reporter Kruth’s articles have appeared in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Please Kill Me, Wax Poetics, No Depres