"I'm saddened to hear that we have lost Justin Townes Earle and at such a young age," Billy Bragg wrote on Twitter. "I worked with him last year and found him to be a brilliant songwriter and generous soul. My thoughts go out to his family and friends."
Frank Turner recalled that he and Earle "played a handful of shows together over the years. He was a week younger than me but always felt like an older soul. A kind guy and a wonderful songwriter."
The Hold Steady's Craig Finn wrote that it was "Always a pleasure playing shows with JTE and running into him over the years. Loved his songs." Margo Price, meanwhile, wrote that Earle "was always kind...and he's gone too soon," while Jason Isbell shared that Earle had purchased the suit he got married in.
Find tributes to Earle below.
3) every time I heard the story of why he has fake teeth...the pocket, the punch....old school tall tale storytelling at it's best
— Samantha Crain (@sjcrain) August 24, 2020
4) singing "Maybe Baby" by Buddy Holly with him in the green room in Lubbock back in 2013
— Samantha Crain (@sjcrain) August 24, 2020
5) every time I'd open for him, every set...he'd be right there at stage door afterwards with a big grin and say "I don't know why I bring you out with me, you make me look so bad". It's the best kind of generation x compliment.
— Samantha Crain (@sjcrain) August 24, 2020
6) he had a joke about an elephant tusk and it is very dirty, I won't repeat it
— Samantha Crain (@sjcrain) August 24, 2020
7) One time, at SXSW, we were so poor I didn't even have a spare set of guitar strings, we played right before JT, I had a string break on the last song of the set, I was bumming backstage about it, he just said "hey sis, don't fret" & gave me a hug and $40 and a pack of strings
— Samantha Crain (@sjcrain) August 24, 2020
8) I'd never seen him happier than when he told me he was getting married...like a giddy schoolboy...it was so sweet
— Samantha Crain (@sjcrain) August 24, 2020