Justin Townes Earle's Down Home remembrance

When Justin Townes Earle died in 2020 at the age of 38 of an overdose, his death sent waves of grief through the country-Americana music community. The son of Steve Earle, partially named after the Texas troubadour Townes Van Zandt, he had long struggled with mental illness and various addictions. Justin was very accustomed to spending time in East Tennessee and had made close friends here, none more than Scotty Melton, one of our region's finest songwriters. On Thursday, March 19 at the Down Home, Scotty will be playing some of his and Justin Townes Earle's most recognizable music, accompanied by Rolling Stone journalist Jonathan Bernstein, who has recently published the definitive biography of JTE, "What Do You Do When You're Lonesome." Bernstein has captured a life story rich with creativity and heartbreak, with exclusive interviews with family, including his widow, mother and aunt. He was granted full access to Earle's unreleased recordings and writings, and had the full authorization of the family. This is the true story, from start to finish. "Justin lived a remarkable life, and when I started talking to his loved ones for a story in Rolling Stone after his death, it became immediately clear to me that his life story was far more interesting, beautiful, heartbreaking, and complicated than any of his fans (myself included) realized," said Bernstein, in an interview for Tri-Cities Scene. "I thought he really deserved a proper book. Like so many of his fans, I'd always been drawn to Justin's vulnerability in his songwriting; a song like 'Mama's Eyes' told his whole life story in barely two minutes. And what I found after speaking to hundreds of people who knew Justin is that he was often putting far more of himself into his songwriting than anyone ever realized, which was part of his genius as a songwriter." Bernstein could not write his story without the help of Melton, who became a close confidant of Earle's through songwriting, life lessons and brotherhood. Melton tells me, "The last time I spent time with JT was about 6 months before he passed - though we actually talked to each other the night he passed. We were supposed to meet the next day, but that unfortunately never happened." Some weren't shocked at his passing, but everyone had hoped Justin could beat his demons, especially when he released the 2010 masterpiece Harlem River Blues, a career-making album of rambling folk blues set to Southern Gospel. He appeared on Letterman, was named one of the 25 "most stylish men in the world" by GQ, and was anointed by critics as the next coming of the authentic troubadour. By the time of his death, he'd recorded and released eight albums, creating a striking and original body of work. "My biography is a story of fathers and sons, addiction, redemption, forgiveness, abandonment, and perseverance," says Bernstein, "It's also the story of any individual who tries to live and exist and forget their own identity in the shadow of their famous parent. I truly hope and believe that you don't have to like or even know anything about Justin Townes Earle in order to take something from his larger-than-life story." Melton remembers his last meeting with Justin. "The last time I saw him was right as COVID was hitting, and as I walked up to him I didn't know whether it was gonna be a fist bump or whatever… and, just like always, JT gave me a great big hug and lifted me up off of the ground. I said something like 'aren't you afraid of catching COVID,' and he said, 'I'm an Earle! We don't die!' I did think the boy was invincible, and his passing is still a shock to me." That story and many others will be shared from the stage at the Down Home on Thursday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m. "I always enjoy talking with Jon," said Melton, "I feel like he was destined to write this book. So, there will be a great discussion, some great stories… and I will be playing a set afterwards. It will be a memorable show, as a lot of JT's history involves the Down Home." The Down Home is located at 300 West Main Street in downtown Johnson City. You can find more information and tickets at thedownhome.com.