March 7th,1944 a Great Texas Songwriter Was Born

Townes Van Zandt gave the world some awesome music like 'Pancho and Lefty', which turned out to be a huge hit for Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, 'If I Needed You', 'Tecumseh Valley' and so many more. Here are a few things you may not know about his life.

Townes Van Zandt is widely regarded for his poetic, often heroically sad songs.

Much of his life was spent touring various dive bars, often living in cheap motel rooms and backwoods cabins. Through much of the 1970s, he lived in a simple shack without electricity or a phone.

He suffered from a series of drug addictions, alcoholism, and the psychiatric diagnosis bipolar disorder. When he was young, the now discredited insulin shock therapy erased much of his long-term memory.

When we entered the 2000s there was a renewed interest in Van Zandt. During the decade, two books, a documentary film titled 'Be Here to Love Me', and a number of magazine articles about the singer were written.

It's been said that he was a reckless drunk and a hopeless idealist, but he was also one of the best Texas songwriters of our time. Just ask Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Nanci Griffith, and many others who knew and worked with him.

At the age of 52, Van Zandt died on New Years Day 1997 from cardiac arrhythmia caused by health problems stemming from years of substance abuse.

During his life, the Fort Worth native wrote many enduring songs. The one he is most remembered for is without a doubt 'Pancho and Lefty'. Check out the above video of Townes Van Zandt performing it.