Townes Van Zandt

…musical idols, Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt, country music “outlaws” of long standing. Earle’s debut album as a performer, Guitar Town (1986), won praise from critics and was a commercial success, with both its title track and “Goodbye’s All We Got Left” reaching the Top Ten on the country…

…of songwriters—including Billy Joe Shaver, Townes Van Zandt, and Kris Kristofferson—began crafting introspective songs that reflected the experiences of the counterculture, veering from classic country themes of jilted lovers and nostalgic rural life. Shel Silverstein, famous for his irreverent children’s poetry, wrote many songs that were recorded by outlaw musicians,…