A Deeper Blue: The Life and Music of Townes Van Zandt

North Texas Lives of Musicians Series

by Robert Earl Hardy

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 portrait of a complex man who embraced the darkness of demons and myth as well as the light of deep compassion and humanity, all "for the sake of the song."

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, The United States Of America, Art, Memoir, Biography Memoir

320 pages, Hardcover

First published March 6, 2008

Reviews

[Steve Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Townes Van Zandt is one of the best songwriters of all time. Snowin' On Raton and White Freightliner Blues are two of my favorite songs ever. I always knew Townes was an arsehole but not until I read this book did I know how complete a jerk and jackass he was. Here was a man who let heroin, whisky and vodka destroy his career, three marriages and his entire personal life. That said, the chapter on his treatment (shock therapy) at a Galveston psychiatric center while he was in college, made me cry and made me much more sympathetic to his situation and his life. It is an extremely depressing book but only because Townes' life was so depressing. Whether it was his fault for submitting to drugs and alcohol or the fault of people who took advantage of him (most notably his third wife Jeanene or his manager Howard Eggers) or, perhaps most likely, the fault of his bipolar syndrome, it it quite depressing.

Looking on the sunny side of life, here are at least 3 facts to provide hope for mankind:

1) Townes came from an extremely important and wealthy family of original settlers of Texas, politicians, lawyers and oil executives. His father was a lawyer and oilman. I always figured some of the demons in Townes' life was due to his father disowning or at least disapproving of his son becoming a counter culture folk musician. Actually his father was extremely kind, encouraging and supportive of him. As was his mother.

2) Townes' first wife Fran was a saint. She devoted several years of her life to trying to help Townes and only left him after he continued using heroin after the birth of their son.

3) Despite it all, Townes always had some sense of character and class. When one of his friends was badmouthing his third wife (who at least by the account of this book, was a pure demon) he told his friend "Never criticize Jeanene. She is the mother of my children."

Two interesting tidbits I learned from this book:
1) The lines in White Freightliner Blues--"Well, it's bad news from Houston/Half of my friends are dyin'/Well, it's bad news from Houston/Half of my friends are dyin'" were unfortunately true. Townes wrote the song after moving to Nashville from Houston and his old friends really were dying from drug abuse.

2) While I knew Doc Watson and Emmylou Harris had each recorded a version of Townes' "If I Needed You" I had not known they each omitted the line "Loop and Lil agree/She's a sight to see." Loop and Lil were two parakeets Townes regularly traveled with. The referencing to his two parakeets approving the woman he is with is key to a very charming aspect of Townes' nature and are easily the best lines of the excellent song.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this four stars because I am a big fan of Townes' music. I worked with him toward the end of his life and this somehow provides a bit of closure now that I know the circumstances. More time is spent on his final years which of course is not a true reflection of the man. He was very funny and witty. i wish that his true character during the 'good years' was better represented.

[Tamara Saviano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Townes was a pathetic mess and an amazing (if uneven) songwriter. This book is a sad and difficult read, especially in light of the pain his children and those closest to him endured. What also struck me is the people who took advantage of his illness and addictions.

[DJMikeG · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written, well researched biography of the Late, Great Townes Van Zandt. I've been a huge fan of Townes for years now, and even after reading many articles about him and watching "Be Here To Love Me" numerous times, there were still a lot of things I learned for the first time reading this book. I think, with a guy as brilliant and complex as Townes, you could learn new things about him forever. My only misgiving with this book are the descriptions of the songs, where the author really injects his own take on them and tries to present his opinions as facts. Sometimes the info on where the songs came from is concrete and illuminating, other times its his sole opinion. And, he misses some major points, when it comes to the song meanings as well. Example, Hardy describes "Loretta" as being about a barroom girl. Yeah, it is on the surface, but dig deeper and its Townes' love song to his muse. He doesn't mention that at all. That's really the only failing of the book, however. His look at Townes' life is balanced, credible and well done. The chapters detailing the last few years of his life are harrowing and incredibly sad, as well. Its a shame that Townes went out the way he did, that someone with so much talent could abuse themselves so intensely.
Highly recommended for fans of Townes or folk and country music in general.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reads like the info cards stationed next to museum exhibits and as such, should not be experienced by those seeking brilliant prose. However, Robert Earl Hardy, despite his writerly shortcomings, clearly loves Townes' music (how could you not?), and has compiled a lot of great research for A Deeper Blue. He tracked down a ton of interviews with folks close to the singer/songwriter, and while I wish he would have cleaned up some of his quotes a bit, their stories really flesh out the man's life. Fans will glean invaluable insight into Townes' personality and work ethic by hearing about it from those who knew him best. Non-fans don't care anyway, so y'all go ahead and read something else.

[Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

The greatest american songwriter of all time, all fucking time, I'll fight you on that one. Maybe I'm a tad bit biased though, Van Zandt was born and raised in my hometown Fort Worth, Texas and played with my step grandfather in the early 70s before he (my step grandfather not van zandt that is) went off the rails and murdered his 2nd wife with a sawed off shotgun while they were lying in bed together, and got away with it but I digress. Van Zandt also happens to be buried less than a mile from my elementary school in Dido, Texas. With my own personal history set aside, this book and the accompanying documentary released round the same time does a tremendous job of retelling the rambling shit show of Van Zandt's existence in all its sadness and beauty. Now go listen to his records dumbass.

[Finngm · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me. My pet hate with biographies is when the writer lists things without any passion. I'm all for objectivity but I want some feeling. If you want an ipso facto account of Townes' life then dig in. If you want to understand him then I suggest you watch Margaret Brown's Be Here To Love Me. A very honest and moving portrait of one of our most overlooked songwriters.

[Nd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was tempted to give A Deeper Blue . . . a higher rating. It's a pretty thorough biography, well-researched, well-documented, and including first-hand experiences by the author. This 'Life and Music of Townes Van Zandt" is a dark portrait of a brilliant, bi-polar, alcoholic artist. The amount of art that he managed to produce and the number of friends who tried to help him, and the number of people's lives he affected are amazing. Having been exposed to and liked his music in my early 20s, I found myself not willing to skip any of the narrative, but it was very hard to read.

I had heard Townes Van Zandt play here in what was virtually the only small bar & music venue here in our little southern college town in the early '70s. He was all of the things portrayed by Robert Earl Hardy: a fabulous, intelligent lyricist and musician whose performance and personality captivated the small, intimate audience. I do remember being included in a small group of people who, the day after his performance, visited a small house in the country where he was staying. It was a lovely afternoon; Townes was sitting on a swing outdoors. I was very young (20 or so), and I recall being disappointed that we were there for only brief amount of time for reasons that no one ever told me. After reading this book, I can only suspect what state Townes might have been in at the time, particularly knowing that my musician boyfriend at the time, while enjoying a party as much as anyone (and more than most), was opposed to intraveinous drug use. It's a tough life that Townes Van Zandt lived and remarkable that he lived as long and produced as much as he did.

[Matti Paasio · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There was a mixture of darkness, light and slapstick going on. Townes could make us feel his pain, laugh and feel hopeful all at the same time." - Jimmie Dale Gilmore

[Asa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This detailed biography into Texas' most iconic singer-songwriter explores Townes' complicated and heavy life.
It is clearly evident that Hardy has paid attention to both detail and sensitivity, showing genuine respect towards not only Townes but also the various people he interviewed as a part of this book. He does not attempt to provide an answer to a number of uncertainties and mysteries, declaring one as "right", but instead gives the evidence most compelling and suggesting a few ways the evidence can be understood.
One is also given a dive into Townes' personal life and the writing process that generated a number of his hit recordings. Likewise, one is perhaps given the best chance in getting inside Townes' head and emotions that are only shadows and shapes in his lyrics. Likewise, his life comes alive through the words and knowledge of the people who knew him. At least a part of him.
I personally find this novel an excellent companion, if not superior resource, to the film Be Here To Love Me, which also attempts to give a chronicle of Townes' life. The latter, in my opinion, may be a good introduction to brand new fans, but it is brief and seems to miss a lot of the depth and details seen in Hardy's biography.
As a fair warning: learning about your "heroes" can be a damaging and irreversible process. So, any new fans of Townes who really adore and idealize him will certainly see the scathing, horrible, and mean things that he did to his friends, family, and himself. However, if one can appreciate this complexity sincerely, I believe they can finish the book with a newfound love towards Townes' as a fellow human who struggled throughout his life and seek to give him some forgiveness, as many of those around him have done so.
I believe that this book is due for a new edition, with updated information that relates to the release of posthumous albums since the book's original publication.
In the end, this book is an excellent resource to learn more about the amazing singer-songwriter who hails from the West.

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biography remarkably captures his heritage, his genius, his friends and family, as well as his legendary failings. I never really realized Townes was bipolar before he was addicted. He was such a great songwriter. I used to listen all the time him on WREK, then to the double-LP live record; but the context here is so good.
Townes passed through and played Atlanta before and during my time: any friends willing to share some memories of those days? I first saw the Flyin' Shoes LP, I think, blown up to giant-size on the wall of Peaches record store on Peachtree Street, late 1970s.
Highly Recommended.

[Garret Macko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am of the belief that Townes Van Zandt should be considered among the greatest songwriters to have ever lived. His songs weave narratives of hardship, longing, resilience, and the journey to find contentment, and they do so with the perfect balance of subtlety and sophistication, an act of artistry that has long captured my attention. As with many creatives who tread such ground, Van Zandt’s catalogue contains its fair share of melancholy and meditations on pain. Once you’ve listened to enough of his music, it becomes evident that these depictions have an authenticity to them that can only arrived at by lived experience, a type of affliction reminiscent of what I once heard someone characterize as “ontological trauma.”

A Deeper Blue chronicles the man behind the music. It captures the beauty and innocence of his creative spirit, the challenges he faced throughout his life, and his drive to synthesize it all into something that moved people. In Van Zandt we see the struggles with alcoholism and mental health found in other great artists like James Joyce, Dylan Thomas, and Elliot Smith, individuals who, much like Van Zandt, were unique in every way except that in which in their disease laid waste to their lives. We see in these men a numbness caused by the layers of scar tissue that enveloped their existences for decades, coloring their world in hopelessness and despair. But if we look hard enough and expand our focus, we see something else. Indeed, Townes Van Zandt’s story is more than that of a life mired in sadness and deterioration. As anyone who has ever loved someone whose life has been consumed by addiction and/or mental illness will tell you, there is much, much more to the story. On his finest days, as Hardy and his interviewees describe it, Van Zandt was chivalrous, kind, charitable, and possessed little to no pretension. Through the contrast of his virtues and longing for respite, told most heartbreakingly through accounts of long, tear-laden phone calls with his mother over his struggles, we come to know a man who wanted so desperately to be good, to be liberated from his affliction. But unfortunately, such freedom was not to be found. Van Zandt progressively slipped further and further into the throes of the disease that would ultimately claim his life. It’s tragic and incredibly sad to read about, but much like the tale of Ben Sanderson in Leaving Las Vegas, from the ashes, readers can find a peculiar sense of hope and a renewed appreciation for the beauty of human life.

4 stars because, as other reviewers have noted, the storytelling was good, not great.

[Jody Harralson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the most depressing books I have ever read. It would have been a two or three day read, but I had to step away from it often, it was so sad.

It’s about a man who, from a very early age, as a very the creative child of two of the more influential families of Texas, did everything short of a swift end to destroy himself.

In my opinion, the whole story is not being told in this book, and probably never will be, but something occurred that family members would not disclose when Townes was in High School that got him sent to the last place a creative soul should be sent to, a strict military boarding school. From that point on, despite his extreme ability, he seemed hell bent on self destruction.

He tried to do what his parents wanted him to do, and always spoke of them with love and respect, but, years later, the “solution” forced upon him for his self-destructive living was seemingly what caused the worsening mental illness for the rest of his life.

He was a poet. Known for genius, love, politeness, humor and kindness, also rage, apathy, blatant disregard for others, blame and infidelity, but above all gross self-destruction.

This story of Townes Van Zandt’s life is not particularly well-written, but mostly it is just devastatingly sad.

[T.G. Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I confess, prior to listening to this book I knew very little about Townes Van Zandt. Now that I’ve listened to “A Deeper Blue; The Life and Music of Townes Van Zandt” I know a lot more about him but I’m still not a fan. Don’t get me wrong: although this is not new material (“A Deeper Blue” was written in 2008 after years of research) it is an impeccably crafted account of the singer-songwritter’s life. But, to me, it depicts yet another wasted life of a gifted artist. I don’t much like Van Zandt’s songs and I certainly think he wasted his life with way too much alcohol and drugs but this book did a tremendous job of laying bare all the details of his life and letting the listener decide.

If you’re a Townes Van Zandt fan you’ve no doubt already read this book and I would suggest a revisit by way of the audiobook. If you’ve never heard of Van Zandt “A Deeper Blue; The Life and Music of Townes Van Zandt” lays bare his life in all the bluest details.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[E.p. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What an interesting and unique life. Townes is definitely someone who merits the question, "what makes this person tick". It's hard to know whether to praise him as a rugged and fierce individualist or to pity him as someone broken who didn't know how to accept the interpersonal connection that he craved. Either way, his life wasn't one to wish on anyone you care about. Hardy did a great job of staying non-judgmental but also not worshipful of Van Zandt. The poetry and beauty of his songs are things that I've thought a lot about the last few years. Having the well written backstory and context definitely adds more layers of depth. It's interesting to consider how Van Zandt's life could have been different in modern times with modern views on physical health, mental health, substance use, and expectations on the treatment of women and your children. The 70's must have been a hellovatime.

[Kateri]

really straightforward writing, not much editorializing. instead that's left to quoting interviews from many people who knew and loved townes. unsurprising to probably anyone who has heard any of his music, he was a deeply troubled and flawed person, and this history doesn't shy away from that but doesn't condemn him either. i appreciate that grace. even a legend like townes was only human, and it's not all dark. so many of the accounts are of how personable, charming, and funny he was, and as evidenced by the thorough, numerous interviews clearly people who knew and loved townes are not in short supply. i cried a lot.
wasn't previously aware of the 'heartworn highways' documentary so i'm thankful this book mentioned it! very worth the watch, even if only for townes's relatively brief but incredibly impactful scenes. it's been a long time since i've seen 'be here to love me,' now i want to go rewatch that too.
thank you for the music, townes. <3

[Victoria Haugen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not know much about Townes Van Zandt before reading/listening to this book, and I learned a lot about a fascinating man, his struggles, his demons, his legacy and legend. It's not a rainbows and puppies kind of story, but it tells you a lot about a man who became legendary. From great struggles comes the most amazing art, and that's the story here. We can all learn a thing or two from this tale, and hopefully use that knowledge to better ourselves, how we see the world, and how the world sees us. Great writing and narration, very much enjoyed it :)
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Cobertizo · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Mi vida no será larga, creo que se me acabará antes que el trabajo. Me lo he montado asi. (...) Me emborrachaba todo el día con Bali-Hai, me encerraba en mi piso semanas enteras incomunicado escuchando a Litghthin' Hopkins. Empecé a tocar notas en lugar de rasgar la guitarra. Mis amigos sabían que moriría pronto"

[croonjucie · Rating 3 out of 5]

wish I could have given this a higher rating. unfortunately feels like Hardy's writing is devoid of passion or storytelling; analysis of lyrics is interesting, but very opinion based & overly literal.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent and engrossing biography of the troubled singer/songwriter. It seems like a fair portrayal to me, discussing but not dwelling on the tawdry aspects of the singer’s life. I particularly appreciated the intelligent discussion of the albums Townes released.

[Jim Navagh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A captivating biography of a charismatic tortured artist who self-medicated his bipolar disorder with whiskey and heroine and died young after a difficult life, having written some of the most tender and heartfelt songs I ever heard.

[Thomas Driver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great research and bio. Lacks some of the great storytelling bits that is a huge part of Townes character and legacy.

[Tony Eller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insight to the life of Townes!

[Cory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting reading this after the Guy Clark book... seeing topics both books discussed from different perspectives, as well as topics that were discussed in one but not the other. Good stuff.

[Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

A look at another troubled man a great songwriter and poet

[Hans Allhoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is every bit as sad and aggravating as you’d expect it to be. I think about the genius-madness conundrum in art, and sometimes it seems so inevitable, but then there’s John Prine......

[Francisco Guerrero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well researched. A must-read for any Townes fan.
A bittersweet story with some funny bits and a sad ending, just like Townes' songs.

[Christian Rettig · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really compelling and informative look into this troubadour's life.

[Andrew Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the music but what a rough road.

[Jen Kronberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow moving, too many name drops, boring facts. Wanted more personal narrative & stories.Very dry read.