Died On This Date (January 13, 2010) Larry Weir / Beloved St. Louis Disc Jockey

Larry Weir
1953 – January 13, 2010

Larry Weir was a longtime disc jockey on St. Louis’ KDHX radio station.  A community radio leader in the market, KDHX continues to introduce new and vital music to its listeners.  Weir joined the staff in 1985 and went on to become a driving force and mentor to the other staffers.  His weekly Songwriters Showcase program was a popular stop for some of Americana and Folk music’s brightest stars.  Over the course of his career, he hosted James McMurtry, Guy Clark, Peter Case, and Tom Russell, to name a few.  Larry Weir suffered a stroke on December 31, 2009 and died as a result of it on January 13, 2010.  He was 57 years old.



Died On This Date (January 1, 1997) Townes Van Zandt / Acclaimed Singer-Songwriter

Townes Van Zandt
March 7, 1944 – January 1, 1997

Although he’s not a household name, Townes Van Zandt has earned a place alongside Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Guy Clark if they ever build a Mount Rushmore of Texas singer-songwriters.  Call it folk; call it country; call it Americana;  call it what you will, but Van Zandt was one of the greatest.  Van Zandt was born into oil money in Fort Worth.  His family helped found Fort Worth and even had a county named after them in 1848.  By the time Van Zandt was in college, he had developed a drinking problem, and after failing to get into the Air Force due to what a doctor diagnosed as acute manic depression, he decided to give up school and concentrate on his song writing.  And thanks to that, we now have “If I Needed You,” “No Place To Fall,” and of course, “Pancho and Lefty,” the number one hit for Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard.  Despite all the accolades and money, he continued to live the life of a vagabond, playing dumpy bars and living in cheap motels or on friends’ couches.  He was also notorious for his exsessive consumption of drugs and alcohol.  He tried many times to beat it, but failed each time.  Van Zandt’s  final days are too heart-wrenching to rehash here.  He ultimately passed away at the age of 52 as a result of what the substance abuse did to his body.

Watch Townes bring a man to tears with a song.

What You Should Own

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Click to find at amazon.com

Died On This Date (December 31, 2000) Eddy Shaver / Gifted Alt-Country Guitarist

John “Eddy” Shaver
June 20, 1962 – December 31, 2000

Eddy Shaver was an electric guitarist, songwriter and son of legendary country-outlaw, Billy Joe Shaver with whom he performed as Shaver.  As a youngster, Shaver was given his first guitar and given lessons by Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers.  After growing into a fiery electric guitarist, Shaver played alongside such greats as Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Guy Clark, Kris Kristofferson, and of course, his father.  As a songwriter, Shaver is best known for “Live Forever,” a song co-written with his father that has been recorded by the likes of the Highwaymen and Patty Loveless.  In the mid ’90s, Eddy teamed up with his father, Billy Joe to form the rock-leaning alt-country band, Shaver.  Together they released a handful of critically praised albums, including the excellent Tramp on Your Street.  On December 31, 2000, Eddy Shaver was scheduled to perform a New Years Eve show with his father, but never made it there.  He was dead of a heroin overdose at the age of 38.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com

Tramp On Your Street - Billy Joe Shaver