Steve Earle: Was Townes Van Zandt Better Than Bob Dylan?
The Graduate Center, CUNY - The Graduate Center
Musician, author, actor, and political activist Steve Earle began his career as a protégé of legendary songwriters Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark. He became an esteemed songwriter in his own right as his songs were recorded by Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, the Pretenders, and Joan Baez, among others. Earle’s debut record, Guitar Town, was number one on the country charts and established the term “New Country” for its blend of rock and country. He won Grammy Awards for the albums The Revolution Starts…Now, Washington Square Serenade, and Townes. He has also worked as an actor, appearing in the HBO series The Wire and Treme. Earle’s debut novel, I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive, was published in 2011, along with an album of the same title.