Rodney Crowell

Rodney Crowell: An Icon Among Songwriters

Rodney Crowell is the songwriter's songwriter and an icon among giants. A native Texan, Crowell is a multi-Grammy Award-winning troubadour with fifteen number-one hits. Over the course of his career, Crowell has gracefully blended his own mainstream success as an artist with a prolific catalog of songs cut by the likes of Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Keith Urban, and more, making him a master among his peers.

Impact on Americana Music and Diverse Collaborations

With more than 40 years of American roots music under his belt, Crowell has also been cited as the architect of Americana music, extending his genre reach. Due in part to the distinctly universal, literary quality of his writing, he has penned beloved songs for artists as diverse as Bob Seger, Etta James, the Grateful Dead, John Denver, Jimmy Buffett, and countless others.

Honors and Recent Works

A member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Crowell is also the author of the acclaimed memoir "Chinaberry Sidewalks" and teamed up with New York Times best-selling author Mary Karr for "Kin: Songs by Mary Karr". Like Hank Williams, Townes Van Zandt, or Miss Lucinda, he writes and croons with a poet's economy and a well digger's deep heart. Crowell was honored with ASCAP's prestigious Founders Award in 2017. That same year, he released the album "Close Ties," which spawned another Grammy nomination for "It Ain't Over Yet" with Rosanne Cash and John Paul White in the category of Best Americana Song. 2019's "Texas" was a collection of Lone Star-centric collaborations with Ringo Starr, Willie Nelson, Ronnie Dunn, Steve Earle, and more. Crowell's most recent album release is the 2021 set, "Triage."

Legacy and Personal Life

Crowell came up in Nashville's songwriting heyday alongside Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, and Steve Earle and has continued that legacy of camaraderie and kinship with his peers well into the iconic era of his career. As many say, your favorite song was probably written by Rodney Crowell. Crowell has four daughters and lives with his wife and dog in Tennessee. He writes every day and loves tending to his garden.