Steve Earle (born Stephen Fain Earle on January 17, 1955 in San Antonio, Te… Read Full Bio ↴Steve Earle (born Stephen Fain Earle on January 17, 1955 in San Antonio, Texas) is a singer-songwriter best known for his country music and rock 'n roll tinged "alt-country." He is also a published writer, a keen political activist (particularly in protesting against the death penalty in the U.S., as in his song "Ellis Unit One" from the movie Dead Man Walking), and has written and directed a play. Earle also had small roles on the HBO television shows "The Wire" and "Treme". His sister Stacey Earle is also an acclaimed singer-songwriter, as is his most recent wife, Allison Moorer, whom he wed in 2005. His first son from an earlier marriage is the singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle, named for Earle's hero Townes Van Zandt.
Earle was born in Fort Monroe, Virginia, and grew up near San Antonio, Texas. His father, Jack Earle, was an air traffic controller. Although he was born in Virginia where his father was stationed, the family returned to Texas before Earle's second birthday. They moved several times but Earle grew up primarily in the San Antonio area.
Earle began learning the guitar at the age of 11 and placed in a talent contest at his school at age 13. He is reported to have run away from home at age 14 to follow his idol, singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt around Texas. Earle was "rebellious" as a youngster and dropped out of school at the age of 16. He moved to Houston with his 19-year-old uncle, who was also a musician, where he married and worked odd jobs. While in Houston Earle finally met Van Zandt, who became his hero and role model.
In 1975, at the age of 20, Earle moved to Nashville and began working as a songwriter. In these early days, he recorded with Guy Clark and Emmylou Harris. He finally scored a country hit in 1981, writing Johnny Lee's top ten cut "When You Fall in Love." Earle's early work as a performer tended towards the rockabilly sound, popular at the time. In 1986, his first proper album Guitar Town was a critical and commercial success. It sold over 300,000 copies and led some to herald him as a saviour of country music.
Earle long struggled with drug abuse. His addiction eventually caused a departure from performing and recording after he was dropped by MCA in 1991. Whilst in jail on drug and firearm charges, he kicked the habit and returned to music after his release in 1994.
Earle's "second, post-jail, musical career" has been more stylistically diverse than his early material, dipping in acoustic, bluegrass, and roots rock sounds. I Feel Alright and Transcendental Blues met with good reviews and decent sales. 2002's somewhat controversial Jerusalem was one of the first albums to directly address the September 11 attacks. It brought Earle's leftist views to media attention, especially the song "John Walker's Blues."
His latest album of original material I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive was released in 2011. Songfacts reports that one of the tracks, This City, got played on HBO’s New Orleans based show Treme several months before the album‘s release. Earle, who plays a recurring street musician, composed the song especially for the drama series.
Earle has also released a tribute album of material written by friend and mentor Townes Van Zandt, entitled Townes.
For more information and photographs of Steve Earle go to his official website, www.SteveEarle.com.
Earle was born in Fort Monroe, Virginia, and grew up near San Antonio, Texas. His father, Jack Earle, was an air traffic controller. Although he was born in Virginia where his father was stationed, the family returned to Texas before Earle's second birthday. They moved several times but Earle grew up primarily in the San Antonio area.
Earle began learning the guitar at the age of 11 and placed in a talent contest at his school at age 13. He is reported to have run away from home at age 14 to follow his idol, singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt around Texas. Earle was "rebellious" as a youngster and dropped out of school at the age of 16. He moved to Houston with his 19-year-old uncle, who was also a musician, where he married and worked odd jobs. While in Houston Earle finally met Van Zandt, who became his hero and role model.
In 1975, at the age of 20, Earle moved to Nashville and began working as a songwriter. In these early days, he recorded with Guy Clark and Emmylou Harris. He finally scored a country hit in 1981, writing Johnny Lee's top ten cut "When You Fall in Love." Earle's early work as a performer tended towards the rockabilly sound, popular at the time. In 1986, his first proper album Guitar Town was a critical and commercial success. It sold over 300,000 copies and led some to herald him as a saviour of country music.
Earle long struggled with drug abuse. His addiction eventually caused a departure from performing and recording after he was dropped by MCA in 1991. Whilst in jail on drug and firearm charges, he kicked the habit and returned to music after his release in 1994.
Earle's "second, post-jail, musical career" has been more stylistically diverse than his early material, dipping in acoustic, bluegrass, and roots rock sounds. I Feel Alright and Transcendental Blues met with good reviews and decent sales. 2002's somewhat controversial Jerusalem was one of the first albums to directly address the September 11 attacks. It brought Earle's leftist views to media attention, especially the song "John Walker's Blues."
His latest album of original material I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive was released in 2011. Songfacts reports that one of the tracks, This City, got played on HBO’s New Orleans based show Treme several months before the album‘s release. Earle, who plays a recurring street musician, composed the song especially for the drama series.
Earle has also released a tribute album of material written by friend and mentor Townes Van Zandt, entitled Townes.
For more information and photographs of Steve Earle go to his official website, www.SteveEarle.com.
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The Warner Bros. Years
Steve Earle Lyrics
Angel Is the Devil Everybody call her angel She's no stranger to the devil I…
Ben McCulloch We signed up in San Antone, my brother Paul and…
Billy and Bonnie Billy was seventeen and mean as hell Bonnie said she was…
CCKMP Yeah cocaine cannot kill my pain Cocaine cannot kill my pain…
Christmas in Washington It's Christmastime in Washington The Democrats rehearsed Get…
Copperhead Road Well my name's John Lee Pettimore Same as my daddy and…
Ellis Unit One I was fresh out of the service It was back in…
Feel Alright I was born my papa's son A wanderin' eye and a…
Ft. Worth Blues In Ft. Worth all the neon's burnin' bright Pretty lights, re…
Goodbye I remember holdin' on to you, All them long and lonely…
Guitar Town Hey pretty baby are you ready for me Yeah it's your…
Hard-Core Troubadour Girl, don't bother in lockin' door He's out there hollering,…
Here I Am Here I am On my way Down another road I have paved With…
Hometown Blues I wish I'd never come back home It don't feel…
I Still Carry You Around Sweetheart last night I dreamed of you You loved me like…
I'm Looking Through You I'm looking through you, Where did you go? I thought I knew…
If You Fall I saw you lookin' at that girl like that Yeah I…
Mercenary Song Me and ol' Bill there we both come from Georgia…
More Than I Can Do I'm trying hard to let you go But it's more than…
N.Y.C. He was standing on the highway Somewhere way out in the…
Nothin' Without You I'm the keeper of your heart I keep the flame when…
Now she's gone She was her daddy's little darlin' Her mama's only child The…
Other Side of Town When I'm sad and blue And I'm feeling all alone There's a…
Poison Lovers I was almost outta here I nearly left this time I saw…
Poor Boy I was born on the other side of town Everybody over…
Rivers Of Babylon By the rivers of Babylon Where he sat down And there he…
Sometimes She Forgets If you see her out tonight And she tells you it's…
Somewhere Out There Somewhere out there in the world tonight Just out of my…
South Nashville Blues I went downtown, it was just to ease my pain I…
Taneytown I went down to Taneytown I went down to Taneytown To see…
Tecumseh Valley The name she gave was Caroline A daughter of a miner And…
Telephone Road My brother Jimmy, my other brother Jack Went off down to…
The Devil's Right Hand About the time that Daddy left to fight the big…
Tom Ames' Prayer Lyrics Everyone in Nacadoches knew Tom Ame's would come to some…
Unrepentant In the middle of the night In the middle of a…
Valentine's Day I come to you with empty hands I guess I just…
Walls of Time The wind is blowing 'cross the mountains And out on the…
When Will We Be Married When will we be married Molly When will we be wed When…
You Know the Rest Moses went up to the mountain To see what he could…
You're Still Standin' There I've spent my life following things I cannot see But just…