Over the past two years, veteran country songwriter Larry Jon Wilson experienced a career resurgence, getting signed to famed indie label Drag City and releasing his first album in almost 30 years (2008's Larry Jon Wilson). Drag City now has let us know that the 69-year-old Wilson died of a stroke Tuesday (June 22) in Roanoke, VA.
A one-time touring partner of Townes Van Zandt and Kris Kristofferson, the Nashville-based singer released four albums in the 1970s. Despite achieving critical success with his scraggly outlaw country sound, he never scored a hit, and dropped out of the music business after his 1979 album The Sojourner. His recent signing to Drag City helped to bring Wilson's music to a new audience in the final years of his life.
If you head over to the label's website, you can check out a touching tribute to Wilson. It's well worth the read, offering fond recollections like, "He'd often call the office just to talk, tell tales of his days with Townes Van Zandt, Mickey Newbury and Kris Kristofferson, and pontificate about how, while he doesn't like most rap, he'd become fond of Ice T."
Click on the embedded video below to listen to "Shoulders," which comes from his recent self-titled comeback album.
Thanks to The A.V. Club for the heads up.
A one-time touring partner of Townes Van Zandt and Kris Kristofferson, the Nashville-based singer released four albums in the 1970s. Despite achieving critical success with his scraggly outlaw country sound, he never scored a hit, and dropped out of the music business after his 1979 album The Sojourner. His recent signing to Drag City helped to bring Wilson's music to a new audience in the final years of his life.
If you head over to the label's website, you can check out a touching tribute to Wilson. It's well worth the read, offering fond recollections like, "He'd often call the office just to talk, tell tales of his days with Townes Van Zandt, Mickey Newbury and Kris Kristofferson, and pontificate about how, while he doesn't like most rap, he'd become fond of Ice T."
Click on the embedded video below to listen to "Shoulders," which comes from his recent self-titled comeback album.
Thanks to The A.V. Club for the heads up.
