Fort Worth Blues

The late, great Townes Van Zandt was born in Fort Worth in 1944. He died on January 1, 1997—44 years to the day after his hero, Hank Williams. It's been said he even predicted his own demise, telling friends he would die of a heart attack at age 52. Like many great artists, he never gained the fame he deserved in life, despite penning one of the finest catalogs in all of country and folk music and making lifelong fans of stars like Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris and Willie Nelson. In fact, it often seems that nearly every famous Texas songwriter has some sort of Townes story, something readily apparent in the list of interview subjects for Be Here to Love Me, the long-awaited Townes Van Zandt documentary, which features interviews with Steve Earle, Kinky Friedman and a host of others. This weekend, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell St., hosts five screenings of the film by Margaret Brown: 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Friday, 5 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday. Friday's 8 p.m. screening features an introduction by Van Zandt's son J.T., who will also play some of his father's songs. Call 817-738-9215 or visit themodern.org.
March 3-5