Townes Van Zandt, acclaimed country singer-songwriter and descendant of a Texas pioneer family, has died of an apparent heart attack at his home near Nashville. He was 52.
View Comments
The casual listener might not realize the depth of the loss of Van Zandt, but many Texas music fans considered him a genius, and word of his passing reverberated throughout the state's music community.Singers such as Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris and Nanci Griffith recorded Van Zandt's songs, which include "Pancho & Lefty" and "If I Needed You." Van Zandt also performed his own material, most notably "White Freight Liner Blues," "Flying Shoes" and "Maria."