Artist

Blaze Foley

folk outlaw country americana singer-songwriter alt country

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The music of legendary Texas singer-songwriter, Blaze Foley, ranges from in-your-face funny to tender & soulful. Sadly, Blaze was shot & killed in 1989, at the age of 39, but his legacy as a folk hero & master songwriter continues to grow.

Blaze led a colorful and uncompromising life. Often unemployed and unhoused, Blaze would sleep on friends’ couches or beneath pool tables in Austin’s clubs. He was dearly loved by his friends for his quick wit & big heart, but he could be difficult, particularly when he drank. He was banned from many Austin venues, but the Austin Outhouse remained his surrogate home.

It was there, in February 1989, just days before he was shot that he performed nearly 50 of his songs during a fabled two-night recording session. Cassettes were sold to help pay for his funeral, but the music was largely unavailable until 12 tracks were released by Lost Art Records in 1999 as ‘Live at the Austin Outhouse.’ An additional 16 were released as 'Oval Room' in 2004. In 2023, Lost Art put out Blaze’s full two-night performance, the ‘Complete Outhouse Sessions.’

Interest in Blaze & his music has continued to grow. In 2008, Sybil Rosen wrote about their lives together in 'Living in the Woods in a Tree: Remembering Blaze Foley'. In 2018, Rosen's book became the basis of the feature film 'Blaze', directed by Ethan Hawke.

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