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My biography of Justin Townes Earle is finally out today!

It’s long been a dream of mine to write a book, but I never could’ve dreamed I’d get to write about a subject as magnetic, thrilling, fascinating, exasperating, extraordinary, inspiring, heartbreaking and frankly larger than life than Justin. This book is based on several hundred interviews I conducted with those who knew and loved JTE. Typically, when I asked folks to share their memories, impressions and stories of Justin, they just started talking and couldn’t stop. All I did was listen.

One thing I’ve learned: Writing a book about another human being is a profound responsibility, especially when that person is no longer around to speak for themself. My only goal was to tell Justin’s story honestly, and with empathy, because it’s what he deserves.

2nd Photo credit: @mr_andy_washington

My biography of Justin Townes Earle is finally out today!

It’s long been a dream of mine to write a book, but I never could’ve dreamed I’d get to write about a subject as magnetic, thrilling, fascinating, exasperating, extraordinary, inspiring, heartbreaking and frankly larger than life than Justin. This book is based on several hundred interviews I conducted with those who knew and loved JTE. Typically, when I asked folks to share their memories, impressions and stories of Justin, they just started talking and couldn’t stop. All I did was listen.

One thing I’ve learned: Writing a book about another human being is a profound responsibility, especially when that person is no longer around to speak for themself. My only goal was to tell Justin’s story honestly, and with empathy, because it’s what he deserves.

2nd Photo credit: @mr_andy_washington

Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate JTE @oldtownschool. It was so special to talk with @robmillerwriting and @thehuntress13 and hear his music performed so beautifully by @sammybrue in a space so important to Justin’s career.

I celebrated the end of the Winter/Spring 2026 JTE World Book Tour by seeing the Cubs beat the Mets on a beautiful spring day at Wrigley. I think Justin would’ve loved that.

I’m so grateful to every single person who’s showed up to an event, introduced themselves, read the book, left a review, tolerated or even indulged my salesman showbiz era, or spread the word in any way about Justin, his music, or my book these past three months. Special thanks to custom merch king Rob Shutler for surprising me with the greatest tour T of all time.

Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate JTE @oldtownschool. It was so special to talk with @robmillerwriting and @thehuntress13 and hear his music performed so beautifully by @sammybrue in a space so important to Justin’s career.

I celebrated the end of the Winter/Spring 2026 JTE World Book Tour by seeing the Cubs beat the Mets on a beautiful spring day at Wrigley. I think Justin would’ve loved that.

I’m so grateful to every single person who’s showed up to an event, introduced themselves, read the book, left a review, tolerated or even indulged my salesman showbiz era, or spread the word in any way about Justin, his music, or my book these past three months. Special thanks to custom merch king Rob Shutler for surprising me with the greatest tour T of all time.

Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate JTE @oldtownschool. It was so special to talk with @robmillerwriting and @thehuntress13 and hear his music performed so beautifully by @sammybrue in a space so important to Justin’s career.

I celebrated the end of the Winter/Spring 2026 JTE World Book Tour by seeing the Cubs beat the Mets on a beautiful spring day at Wrigley. I think Justin would’ve loved that.

I’m so grateful to every single person who’s showed up to an event, introduced themselves, read the book, left a review, tolerated or even indulged my salesman showbiz era, or spread the word in any way about Justin, his music, or my book these past three months. Special thanks to custom merch king Rob Shutler for surprising me with the greatest tour T of all time.

Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate JTE @oldtownschool. It was so special to talk with @robmillerwriting and @thehuntress13 and hear his music performed so beautifully by @sammybrue in a space so important to Justin’s career.

I celebrated the end of the Winter/Spring 2026 JTE World Book Tour by seeing the Cubs beat the Mets on a beautiful spring day at Wrigley. I think Justin would’ve loved that.

I’m so grateful to every single person who’s showed up to an event, introduced themselves, read the book, left a review, tolerated or even indulged my salesman showbiz era, or spread the word in any way about Justin, his music, or my book these past three months. Special thanks to custom merch king Rob Shutler for surprising me with the greatest tour T of all time.

Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate JTE @oldtownschool. It was so special to talk with @robmillerwriting and @thehuntress13 and hear his music performed so beautifully by @sammybrue in a space so important to Justin’s career.

I celebrated the end of the Winter/Spring 2026 JTE World Book Tour by seeing the Cubs beat the Mets on a beautiful spring day at Wrigley. I think Justin would’ve loved that.

I’m so grateful to every single person who’s showed up to an event, introduced themselves, read the book, left a review, tolerated or even indulged my salesman showbiz era, or spread the word in any way about Justin, his music, or my book these past three months. Special thanks to custom merch king Rob Shutler for surprising me with the greatest tour T of all time.

Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate JTE @oldtownschool. It was so special to talk with @robmillerwriting and @thehuntress13 and hear his music performed so beautifully by @sammybrue in a space so important to Justin’s career.

I celebrated the end of the Winter/Spring 2026 JTE World Book Tour by seeing the Cubs beat the Mets on a beautiful spring day at Wrigley. I think Justin would’ve loved that.

I’m so grateful to every single person who’s showed up to an event, introduced themselves, read the book, left a review, tolerated or even indulged my salesman showbiz era, or spread the word in any way about Justin, his music, or my book these past three months. Special thanks to custom merch king Rob Shutler for surprising me with the greatest tour T of all time.

Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate JTE @oldtownschool. It was so special to talk with @robmillerwriting and @thehuntress13 and hear his music performed so beautifully by @sammybrue in a space so important to Justin’s career.

I celebrated the end of the Winter/Spring 2026 JTE World Book Tour by seeing the Cubs beat the Mets on a beautiful spring day at Wrigley. I think Justin would’ve loved that.

I’m so grateful to every single person who’s showed up to an event, introduced themselves, read the book, left a review, tolerated or even indulged my salesman showbiz era, or spread the word in any way about Justin, his music, or my book these past three months. Special thanks to custom merch king Rob Shutler for surprising me with the greatest tour T of all time.

Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate JTE @oldtownschool. It was so special to talk with @robmillerwriting and @thehuntress13 and hear his music performed so beautifully by @sammybrue in a space so important to Justin’s career.

I celebrated the end of the Winter/Spring 2026 JTE World Book Tour by seeing the Cubs beat the Mets on a beautiful spring day at Wrigley. I think Justin would’ve loved that.

I’m so grateful to every single person who’s showed up to an event, introduced themselves, read the book, left a review, tolerated or even indulged my salesman showbiz era, or spread the word in any way about Justin, his music, or my book these past three months. Special thanks to custom merch king Rob Shutler for surprising me with the greatest tour T of all time.

Talking with Jonathan Bernstein, Justin Townes Earle’s biographer, about JTE’s early stage persona, which came off as slightly campy in its nod to Vaudeville and the rhinestone flash of the Grand Ole Opry. Jonathan tells me Justin understood performing as “showbiz” in a way a lot of Americana artists don’t, or won’t, cop to. He also talks about the veneer that bit of razzle dazzle gave to Justin’s often difficult and dark songwriting and personal life.

Full conversation on Untethered Southerner. Link in bio.

#JustinTownesEarle #Americana #CountryMusic #UntetheredSoutherner

When I began brainstorming special places to hold celebrations for Justin Townes Earle, one of the first places I thought of was Chicago’s @oldtownschool. Even if Justin wasn’t one for sitting in class, this institution became Justin’s home away from home when he showed up in town with his dad as a teenager. It was the first time he had the chance to prove himself, as a guitarist and songwriter, to a community of artists and musicians who knew nothing about him.

On April 16th, I’ll be one small part of a special evening celebrating Justin at his old stomping grounds. @robmillerwriting, the co-founder of Bloodshot Records and the man who signed Justin to the label that released his most acclaimed work, will be joining me for a conversation about Chicago, Bloodshot and Justin.

Following our talk will be a performance by @sammybrue , a singer-songwriter Justin mentored whose new album ‘The Journals’ reimagines unreleased songs he found in Justin’s notebooks. Sammy will be joined by the very special guest @thehuntress13, an Old Town alum and former bandmate of Justin’s during his brief tenure in Chicago in 2000.

Link to tickets is below and also in bio:
https://ots.fm/JTE26

When I began brainstorming special places to hold celebrations for Justin Townes Earle, one of the first places I thought of was Chicago’s @oldtownschool. Even if Justin wasn’t one for sitting in class, this institution became Justin’s home away from home when he showed up in town with his dad as a teenager. It was the first time he had the chance to prove himself, as a guitarist and songwriter, to a community of artists and musicians who knew nothing about him.

On April 16th, I’ll be one small part of a special evening celebrating Justin at his old stomping grounds. @robmillerwriting, the co-founder of Bloodshot Records and the man who signed Justin to the label that released his most acclaimed work, will be joining me for a conversation about Chicago, Bloodshot and Justin.

Following our talk will be a performance by @sammybrue , a singer-songwriter Justin mentored whose new album ‘The Journals’ reimagines unreleased songs he found in Justin’s notebooks. Sammy will be joined by the very special guest @thehuntress13, an Old Town alum and former bandmate of Justin’s during his brief tenure in Chicago in 2000.

Link to tickets is below and also in bio:
https://ots.fm/JTE26

This Thursday (3/19) in Johnson City I’ll be speaking about Justin at @thedownhome, the legendary folk club where Justin first met the man who co-wrote some of his greatest songs.

That man is Scotty Melton, who will be joining me for the conversation about Justin and then playing a full set of his own music and songs he wrote with JTE many years ago.

It should be a really special evening, and it’ll take place the night after I talk about Justin in another room that meant a lot to him: @thegreyeagle in Asheville on 3/18. Info for both events in bio.

This Thursday (3/19) in Johnson City I’ll be speaking about Justin at @thedownhome, the legendary folk club where Justin first met the man who co-wrote some of his greatest songs.

That man is Scotty Melton, who will be joining me for the conversation about Justin and then playing a full set of his own music and songs he wrote with JTE many years ago.

It should be a really special evening, and it’ll take place the night after I talk about Justin in another room that meant a lot to him: @thegreyeagle in Asheville on 3/18. Info for both events in bio.

We’re excited to announce a special "opening" act for our upcoming @goldenfolk.avl event on Wed. March 18 at @thegreyeagle. At 6 p.m., Jonathan Bernstein, senior research editor at Rolling Stone and author of What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome: The Authorized Biography of Justin Townes Earle will read excerpts from his book and chat with local writer/musician Jay Moye about Earle’s life and career, with a focus on the acclaimed singer/songwriter's Asheville legacy. Malaprop’s will be on site selling copies of What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome. Golden Folk kicks off afterwards, at 7:15 as per usual, and there will be some throughlines and nods to Earle from various songwriters throughout the event. It's an honor to hold the event on the very same stage that Earle often shared his songs. See you there!

Late songwriter @justintownesearle reveled in his eccentricity. As his biographer @jonbern15 tells @rollingstone’s Nashville Now podcast, Earle had a peculiar habit when getting a haircut: He’d completely remove his shirt to expose his tattooed bare chest for all the shop to see, before taking a seat in the barber chair.

A new authorized biography of Justin Townes Earle, ‘What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome’ by author @jonbern15, traces his life in Nashville and explores key locations that influenced the late songwriter’s music. Among them is “Dragon Park,” where Earle supposedly carved his name into a deck to let everyone know he was there. Watch the full episode of @rollingstone’s Nashville Now on YouTube.

So excited to present Jonathan Bernstein at Siren Records next week alongside WXPN’s Dan Reed and songwriter Michael Patrick to celebrate Justin Townes Earle’s authorized biography, ‘What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome’…!

Free RSVP at https://lonesome.eventbrite.com :: Wednesday 2/11 at 7PM

Working as a fact-checker is great training for any writer. But especially so when one’s subject is a notorious teller of tall tales. This was the case for Jonathan Bernstein, who was tasked with writing a biography of the late Justin Townes Earle. Known for his soul-searching songs and keen delivery of them, Earle also lived his short life negotiating the shadow of his father Steve’s legend, as well as that of his middle namesake Townes Van Zandt.

In the new book What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome, written with the blessing of widow Jenn Marie Earle, Jonathan tracks the life of this talented musician — from rough and tumble beginnings in the notorious “Chicken Shack” in a Green Hills backyard, to acclaim in New York City and beyond, to unraveling sobriety and a tragic end. Along the way, he also paints a picture of Nashville and other up-and-coming contemporaries of Earle’s who helped shape the city, and Americana music, indelibly.

Listen to the full conversation with @demetria.kalodimos at nashvillebanner.com.

🎥 + 🎤@steveharuch

I hope anyone reading this book feels compelled to seek out the music it describes. In that spirit, here are four playlists to listen along to while reading WDYDWYL!
1.The Essential JTE Book Playlist
2.00’s Nashville
3.Songs About Justin
4.Songs Justin Loved (this one’s my favorite!)

Links to these playlists available on my website in bio, as well as plain text files of the playlists for those who prefer to listen on streaming services that don’t accept ICE recruitment ads or invest in AI defense contractors.

photo of Justin’s home office circa 2006 courtesy of @mollybea

I hope anyone reading this book feels compelled to seek out the music it describes. In that spirit, here are four playlists to listen along to while reading WDYDWYL!
1.The Essential JTE Book Playlist
2.00’s Nashville
3.Songs About Justin
4.Songs Justin Loved (this one’s my favorite!)

Links to these playlists available on my website in bio, as well as plain text files of the playlists for those who prefer to listen on streaming services that don’t accept ICE recruitment ads or invest in AI defense contractors.

photo of Justin’s home office circa 2006 courtesy of @mollybea

I hope anyone reading this book feels compelled to seek out the music it describes. In that spirit, here are four playlists to listen along to while reading WDYDWYL!
1.The Essential JTE Book Playlist
2.00’s Nashville
3.Songs About Justin
4.Songs Justin Loved (this one’s my favorite!)

Links to these playlists available on my website in bio, as well as plain text files of the playlists for those who prefer to listen on streaming services that don’t accept ICE recruitment ads or invest in AI defense contractors.

photo of Justin’s home office circa 2006 courtesy of @mollybea

I hope anyone reading this book feels compelled to seek out the music it describes. In that spirit, here are four playlists to listen along to while reading WDYDWYL!
1.The Essential JTE Book Playlist
2.00’s Nashville
3.Songs About Justin
4.Songs Justin Loved (this one’s my favorite!)

Links to these playlists available on my website in bio, as well as plain text files of the playlists for those who prefer to listen on streaming services that don’t accept ICE recruitment ads or invest in AI defense contractors.

photo of Justin’s home office circa 2006 courtesy of @mollybea

I hope anyone reading this book feels compelled to seek out the music it describes. In that spirit, here are four playlists to listen along to while reading WDYDWYL!
1.The Essential JTE Book Playlist
2.00’s Nashville
3.Songs About Justin
4.Songs Justin Loved (this one’s my favorite!)

Links to these playlists available on my website in bio, as well as plain text files of the playlists for those who prefer to listen on streaming services that don’t accept ICE recruitment ads or invest in AI defense contractors.

photo of Justin’s home office circa 2006 courtesy of @mollybea

The complex and exceedingly creative life of Justin Townes Earle, who died at 38 in 2020, is the focus of a new book by author and Rolling Stone senior research editor @jonbern15. ‘What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome: The Authorized Biography of Justin Townes Earle’ charts the Nashville songwriter’s journey to near-stardom, in all its highs and lows, and dissects the idea of what Earle himself called “the myth”: the idea that one must suffer for one’s art. (Photo credits: Courtesy Da Capo Press; Doug Seymour; Courtesy of October Crifasi; Nathan Doyle; Courtesy of Matt Svobodny; Doug Seymour)

The complex and exceedingly creative life of Justin Townes Earle, who died at 38 in 2020, is the focus of a new book by author and Rolling Stone senior research editor @jonbern15. ‘What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome: The Authorized Biography of Justin Townes Earle’ charts the Nashville songwriter’s journey to near-stardom, in all its highs and lows, and dissects the idea of what Earle himself called “the myth”: the idea that one must suffer for one’s art. (Photo credits: Courtesy Da Capo Press; Doug Seymour; Courtesy of October Crifasi; Nathan Doyle; Courtesy of Matt Svobodny; Doug Seymour)

The complex and exceedingly creative life of Justin Townes Earle, who died at 38 in 2020, is the focus of a new book by author and Rolling Stone senior research editor @jonbern15. ‘What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome: The Authorized Biography of Justin Townes Earle’ charts the Nashville songwriter’s journey to near-stardom, in all its highs and lows, and dissects the idea of what Earle himself called “the myth”: the idea that one must suffer for one’s art. (Photo credits: Courtesy Da Capo Press; Doug Seymour; Courtesy of October Crifasi; Nathan Doyle; Courtesy of Matt Svobodny; Doug Seymour)

The complex and exceedingly creative life of Justin Townes Earle, who died at 38 in 2020, is the focus of a new book by author and Rolling Stone senior research editor @jonbern15. ‘What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome: The Authorized Biography of Justin Townes Earle’ charts the Nashville songwriter’s journey to near-stardom, in all its highs and lows, and dissects the idea of what Earle himself called “the myth”: the idea that one must suffer for one’s art. (Photo credits: Courtesy Da Capo Press; Doug Seymour; Courtesy of October Crifasi; Nathan Doyle; Courtesy of Matt Svobodny; Doug Seymour)

The complex and exceedingly creative life of Justin Townes Earle, who died at 38 in 2020, is the focus of a new book by author and Rolling Stone senior research editor @jonbern15. ‘What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome: The Authorized Biography of Justin Townes Earle’ charts the Nashville songwriter’s journey to near-stardom, in all its highs and lows, and dissects the idea of what Earle himself called “the myth”: the idea that one must suffer for one’s art. (Photo credits: Courtesy Da Capo Press; Doug Seymour; Courtesy of October Crifasi; Nathan Doyle; Courtesy of Matt Svobodny; Doug Seymour)

The complex and exceedingly creative life of Justin Townes Earle, who died at 38 in 2020, is the focus of a new book by author and Rolling Stone senior research editor @jonbern15. ‘What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome: The Authorized Biography of Justin Townes Earle’ charts the Nashville songwriter’s journey to near-stardom, in all its highs and lows, and dissects the idea of what Earle himself called “the myth”: the idea that one must suffer for one’s art. (Photo credits: Courtesy Da Capo Press; Doug Seymour; Courtesy of October Crifasi; Nathan Doyle; Courtesy of Matt Svobodny; Doug Seymour)