Justin Townes Earle, the son of country music legend Steve Earle and a respected and beloved musician in his own right, has died at 38 years old. The cause of death has not yet been shared publicly.
The news was confirmed in a post on Earle’s Facebook page, which reads, “It is with tremendous sadness that we inform you of the passing of our son, husband, father and friend Justin. So many of you have relied on his music and lyrics over the years and we hope that his music will continue to guide you on your journeys. You will be missed dearly Justin.” The post then quotes Earle’s lyrics from “Looking For A Place To Land,” which appears on his 2015 album Absent Fathers: “I’ve crossed oceans / Fought freezing rain and blowing sand / I’ve crossed lines and roads and wondering rivers / Just looking for a place to land.”
Earle’s debut album was 2007’s Yuma, and he went on to find success from there. Between 2009 and 2017, he released a number of albums that approached the top of Billboard‘s indie, rock, and folk charts. That includes No. 3 peaks on the Folk Albums chart for 2010’s Harlem River Blues and 2014’s Single Mothers, as well as another No. 3 summit on the Independent Albums chart for 2017’s Kids In The Street. The final album Earle released during his lifetime (and eighth overall) was 2019’s The Saint Of Lost Causes.
In a 2019 interview, Earle reflected on his shortcomings and strengths, saying, “I’ve been committed to music since I was 15 years old. I’m a good father. I taught my daughter to cuss when the Cubs lose — she’s an Earle, so she’ll be fine. I’m a good father, but I’m a sh*tty husband. I’m built for the road; I don’t know what the hell to do at home. But you know what? I never said I’d be good at any of that. Nobody can ever ask me to stop doing what I do. If you want to do what I do — like Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark — you’re committed to it. Everybody else around you has to understand that.”
Revisit our 2017 interview with Earle here.
