So many peole think of Townes as a sad, addicted and troubled fugure, but what a brilliant, highly educated and soulful artist he was, the likes of which will rarely if-ever be seen again.

Great interview - The person doing the interview hardly ever interrupted Townes. Just let him talk. Perfect way to conduct an interview like this.

A treasure for the poor to find.

I had the good fortune to be introduced to Townes’ music at the age of 16 in 1971, by my high school boyfriend, later my husband. We followed his career for the next 26 years. I eventually became a magazine reporter for a national magazine and could get backstage access to his shows during the nineties. He was so down to earth and I felt an instant rapport. Over the years we attended any show he performed in Austin during college days and in Houston up until he died. His shows were unpredictable, sometimes he passed out on stage, other times he was witty and prolific. He was always witty as hell, had a sharp and quick sense of humor. I once attended a show in Houston that called itself Writers in the Round, in which Townes shared a small stage with three other well known song writers. One of the performers was David Broza, an Israeli folkie who apparently was too self-reverential for Townes. When it was Broza’s turn to perform, he gave an intro to his set by referring to a gig he had recently done at a Farm Aid event. Townes interrupted loudly and suddenly by asking, “Fire Maid?? What’s that? Like a Meter maid for fires??” Some of us in the audience burst into loud and long laughter, myself included. Visibly pissed, Broza glared at Townes, who then abruptly left the stage, saying, “See y’all!” I just learned today that when Townes died five years later, he left Broza a box of lyrics to unfinished songs, asking him to finish them. Clearly he regretted poking fun at a fellow artist. I met him backstage at Rockefeller’s in Houston two times after that, once when he was with his former wife Frances and son JT, the second shortly before he died. He was two different men, happy and healthy with family, a frail desperate man before the end

I was a songwriter in Nashville in the early 1980s and I remember seeing him several times hanging out at Springwater Bar. Happy I was in that environment at the time. One of the overlooked songwriters who is in the same line as Bob Dylan in my opinion. RIP Townes.

I played and lived with Townes for a number of years right to the end. I was headed to Memphis to play the Blind Willie Mctell song " Dying Crap Shooter Blues" with Townes on what turned out to be his last recording session. As I was getting in my car to go to Memphis I got a call saying that they were heading back to Nashville because Townes couldn't finish the session, later that night he died. I miss him every day.

Probably the best Townes interview I have heard. Thanks for posting it. Beautiful stuff.

It's a shame he didn't live long enough for a great biography/audio book . I could listen to him talking about his songs and his life all day.

Im very glad I found this interview. I could listen to him talk forever. So softspoken and he tells stories wonderfully.

Amazing I've listened to this a hundred times wish there were more of these

What a treasure this is! Its been many years since I've heard his speaking voice, and here he is so lucid and funny, and tells some great song stories. thank you for posting it.

Love his music. I live in the uk and you never hear much american country music on the radio. But i was watching some johnny cash videos here on youtube and somebody in the comments reccomended townes and ive been hooked ever since. The best songwriter i have ever heard

I was lucky enough to see Townes Van Zandt in 1996 at the Ashgrove West on the Santa Monica pier... a short lived homage to the original Ashgrove. I had no idea who Townes was but a musician friend told me to buy a ticket. Townes was obviously ill and not 100% but his performance was one of the most amazing and emotional things I have ever seen...

It’s incredible how a person can be such a lucid genius while sober, but the same personality only writes brilliant songs while drunk. Much respect

Townes was always so modest and giving.

I met Townes in May 1993, I think it was Mother's Day, he did a show at a tiny club, Nicholby's in CA. I got to set the stage lights. He was such a gentleman, rough on the outside, a diamond within. A wicked sharp sense of humor, intelligent, fast with jokes and stories, and just a blast to banter with. He was in a bit of rough shape that night, but he put on a great show, just him and his guitar, he captivated the crowd. He was so tall, didn't seem that tall until he stood up and was all legs. I feel blessed to have met him. He had a deep, deep soul. Vodka and Snapple. That was his drink that night. He left the best part of himself in the songs.

I got lucky and got to see Townes play right around then. He was lucid and brilliant and it was one beautiful evening. Bless his soul.

For someone who came to such a tragic end,he sounds totally charming and very articulate at this time what a sad sad loss.

It's wonderful to hear him so healthy, coherent, and thoughtful. It's so astounding that he could just decide to sit down and write a song and those jewels would appear.. Even though I was strongly involved in the "folk" community, working in a club that presented a vast array of national level talent, sadly, being located in the Upper Midwest neither Towns nor my other favorite Guy Clark made it up to us. I did see them both at a huge Canadian Folk Festival, Guy alone one year and both another year. Although Townes performances in workshops and on stage were excellent, behind the scenes he was struggling. It broke my heart to witness it, even though I wasn't closely connected to the escalating crisis. Townes had a very difficult history, and was poorly served by the medical community in his early years. He defeated his demons for a time, as this interview clearly shows, then something would cause him to just not be able to cope any longer, and he made poor to worse choices that only aggravated his dilemma. Then somehow he would climb out, be productive and the cycle begin again. It's a mystery why some of the most talented people, with so much to say and to offer, carry such dark pits of despair. But we see it over and over. I guess it is that sensitivity that allows them to create songs and performances that reach out and grab us on such a visceral level. I wish it could have been otherwise for Townes though.

Love this!! Learned a lot more about the man that was Townes Van Zandt-thank you!! RIP Townes Van Zandt....

It's always a pleasure listening to Townes speak.👍😀

Townes at the Flora Bama around this time was a life changing experience for me. Thank you Martha for introducing me to him and his music.

This is the first Townes Van Zandt being interviewed, I heard a lot about this man from other people but I did not get around to checking out until very recently, To me Townes Van was a highly educated and deeply thoughtful man, a great storyteller, a poet also a very great singer/songwriting artists who will be listened to and referred to forevermore

what a storyteller

Thank you for this. It's excellent.

Great interview! Townes Van Zandt Amazing Songwriter where still today Many People sadly don't know! "Tecumseh Valley", "If I Needed You"" "To Live is to Fly" are Complete Gem! Thank-You Townes Van Zandt resting in Peace in Heaven!

Great, Great Interview And such a tragic loss for all of us to lose an amazing Talent and Down to Earth Human Being, Townes, way before his time.

It's sad to know that this man isn't known as much as he should be. Not for fame but for the pure talent.

Man, outstanding interview. Townes is such a gentle soul.

Pure gold!

He is and will be missed by anyone who ever heard his songs.

He wrote a beautiful song while he slept. Amazing.

Educated soft spoken gentle man - thanks for posting this

Beautiful. Folk genius and eloquence.

WOW I came across this guy by a cover of the Cowboy Junkies cover. What talent, so very sad and such a loss.

Golden words from a Texas legend.

I've been meaning to listen to this for a while, and I just happened to tune in this morning on what would've been Townes' 80th birthday. Strange.

Wonderful interview. Much appreciated.

......Brilliant interview,....Thank you...

This man speaks in earnest and a normal voice ... simply offering some insight to the interested listener .. not a series of 'Bonmots' weaved together to accomodate any myth . indeed a rare opportunity 🌹☮️

"Our Mother the Mountain" and the self titled "Townes Van Zandt" albums are really complete gems. I was listening to them a few days ago trying to decide which was better. The Townes Van Zandt album is probably my favorite because every song is great, and the random percussion instruments strewn throughout add a lot to the recordings. Both came out in 1969! Such a great year for Townes! I believe if the "Seven come Eleven" (Nashville sessions)album had been released in 1973 Townes career would have taken a different direction. Kevin Edgers not paying for the tapes, causing them to be held by the studio really hurt the momentum Townes had built. The songs on that album were recorded in the more traditional way Townes did things than the "Flying Shoes" album that eventually replaced it 5 years later. Of course Townes did very little to help his career either, other than write incredible songs.

This is an excellent interview, Townes is so lucid and articulate and really shares some cool insight.

Thank you for posting this fabulous interview.

It bothers me that musicians my age don’t even know who Townes is. It’s heartbreaking really, if I were as profound as he was, I’d love to bring his sort of approach to music again. Music is longing a brain like his to come back.

Townes Van Zandt was such a tapestry of Americana, but the Texan in him always came through. Such an intelligent, gentle soul. His music and natural humor has touched so many, and will continue to do so.

Genius.

The unmistakable voice of Larry Monroe. Every Saturday he made Austin Radio worth listening to for many years. I miss him and Paul Ray from KUT Radio.

oh, Townes…miss you , those songs , stories, your were so sweet.

Thank you so much AGENTARMS. Indeed pure gold.

A pure talent. No, a pure person, better. The talent -in spades- wouldn't be what it is without the purity of intent and character.

Oh boy ..what a wonderful man.

That was Kick Ass ! Thank You !

thank you.

Such a treasure this interview XD

Love you Townes thanx

What a humble,talented man!

John Townes Van Zandt[1] (March 7, 1944 - January 1, 1997), .

After learning my first Townes song and playing it for a local dj he shared some more Townes songs with me which I learned in rthe middle of the night I would wake up with a song just playing in my head so many times I would force myself to get up and just c write them now. This all happene d after a concert at Lake Selmac Oregon after showing up after the show and a Banjo man asked me if I knew any Townes to whi c h I said I know a few we played al l night but after this I woke up so many nights with songs playing in my head I wrote many of them down.

How the hell did this wonderful interview get preserved? Thank you from Idaho!

Knowing how much he devolved into alcoholism at the end of his life it’s surprising to hear how lucid and clear he is here. Idk what I expected but not this. Sad he went out the way he did but he left behind a hell of a legacy.

9:53 to roughly 13:00 when he's explaining the creation of "If I Needed You" is pretty much everything you need to know about Townes Van Zandt.

Thank you ✌️

Thanks.

The man could slay you just listening to him talk. When he sang, universe opened. Dead Flowers makes Stones seem like wannabees

Pure Genius so Talented and one of My Songwriter Heroes

RIP TOWNES xxxooo

So good.

Jerry Jeff, yay! Townes made you famous and you were humble enough to acknowledge it.

Lovely recording.RIP Townes.

Big country blues man.

Townes was an angel soul with a bad drinking and drug problem.

man towns could of been talking about me,,thanks so for putting this up

Amazing interview. I first heard Townes in 1973 in the Austin area at a small festival. I was able to be introduced to him. He was pretty messed up drinking alcohol and I don't know what else but his talent was evident. I've been a major fan ever since. Thanks for sharing this.

Great Artist Thanks 😊

How fitting is it that his biggest influence was Lightin Hopkins, thats just way too cool!

Proving once again that there is no situation that the cops can't make worse.

Man, how does this only have 3,000 views.

Greatest musician ever

give'em hell townes ol pal of mine

need a transcript of this interview so badly. so many amazing tvz quotes. cried at the end.

Love his music

Blaze and Townes. I always thought Townes was the one who needed help and Blaze was the helper. Of course that was much later than the Alabama Hotel incident. Townes came to Blazes funeral. Big of him. I had never seen Townes so fit. Lyse Mooretold me Townes had been in an intensive 12 step program.

He had his entire childhood erased by insulin-shock therapy. A discredited practice. This probably helped be a songwriter, but didn't help him understand anything about life and made him depend on alcohol.

thank you richly..

I will forever hear the original dream version of "If I Needed You" with "lowed like a cow". I love this story.

Good stuff.

When an interview sounds like a Hunter S Thompson novel

He was very lucid on this day

❤️

My mother had multiple books of family history lines and told me Townes was my second cousin.

So sad at the end. I thought townes died at 58 not 52. He wrote so many beautiful songs

outstanding

Wish i new this in 93, what I know now......

A Texas treasure.....

After all these years 🙏

The good die young.the best die too young.

💜

For years I wanted to ask Mark Lanegan, who was like a son of Townes's artistically, if he'd do an album of covers of Townes. Now he's gone too. Theoretically, they might have met. When Mark first became big with the Screaming Trees, Townes was still alive. He even toured with early 90s act the Cowboy Junkies. Too bad they never met. One of those missed opportunities. God they were both so great.

Great interview where, as others have said, he was simply allowed to tell his story. Very interested to hear of his early writing involvement with Jerry Jeff Walker and his involvement with Guy and Suzanna Clark. Just a tragedy that the medical profession could not control his life shortening demons. What a treasure and what a loss.

It’s pretty bad when Townes had to keep somebody “under control.” re Blaze. 😹🤠