Last month, beloved singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle was taken from the world suddenly when he passed away at the young age of 38. The news was shocking and unexpected, causing a wave of grief to settle over the Americana music community. Now that a few weeks have passed, his father, Steve Earle, has announced he will honor his son’s life by recording a covers album of Justin Townes Earle originals.
In a press release, it was revealed that Steve Earle & The Dukes already have a plan in the works to cover songs written by Justin Townes Earle. While no specific songs have been mentioned just yet, the band did state that 100% of the artist advances and royalties will go to a trust for Justin’s daughter, Etta St. James Earle.
The as-yet-unnamed album will be recorded in a studio next month. If all goes according to plan, then Steve Earle & The Dukes will release the record sometime in January of next year, roughly around the time of Justin’s 39th birthday.
Editors’ Picks
As the son of a country legend, Justin was practically born to play music. He kicked off his own solo career in 2007 and went on to release eight albums in total, including 2012’s Nothing’s Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now, 2014’s Single Mothers, 2015’s Absent Fathers, and 2019’s The Saint of Lost Causes, which proved to be the final album of his career. Shortly after the new of his passing spread, Nashville police concluded that he died from a “probable drug overdose.”
