Townes Van Zandt

John Townes Van Zandt was an American singer-songwriter. His musical style has often been described as melancholy and features rich, poetic lyrics. During his early years, Van Zandt was respected for his guitar playing and fingerpicking ability. The latter is is a difficult to master way of playing the guitar without the use of a plectrum. Much of Van Zandt's life was spent touring various dive bars, often living in cheap motel rooms and backwood cabins. For much of the 1970s, he lived in a simple shack without electricity or a telephone.