Police: ‘Probable’ Justin Townes Earle Died of Drug Overdose
Details into the death of Justin Townes Earle are beginning to emerge as fans continue to mourn the Nashville-born singer and songwriter, and son of alt-country legend Steve Earle. Justin Townes Earle’s unexpected passing was first publicly announced Sunday evening, August 23rd, via his social media channels, though no cause of death was given at that time. He was 38-years-old.
The Metro Nashville Police Department has now confirmed they found Justin Townes Earle at his apartment in the West End Park neighborhood of Nashville after receiving a request for a welfare check from a friend. When police arrived at the residence, they found no signs of struggle or foul play, and have preliminarily determined his cause of death to be a probable drug overdose. However the death is currently unclassified pending findings from the Medical Examiner’s Office.
“Just after 5:00 p.m. Sunday, our officers and the Nashville Fire Department responded to an apartment on Acklen Park Drive on a call for a welfare check for Justin Townes Earle,” Metro Nashville Police Department spokesperson Don Aaron tells Saving Country Music. “The friend called us after no one had heard from Justin since last Thursday (8-20). The fire department arrived first, and forced entry into the apartment where he was found deceased.”
“Our officers and a responding detective found no signs of a struggle or foul play,” Don Aaron continues. “Based on their observations at the scene, their preliminary investigation indicates that the death is likely related to a drug overdose. However autopsy results including toxicology results are pending. And for now the death is ‘unclassified,’ meaning the classification of the death could be homicide, suicide, accidental, natural. No classification has been assigned at present as we await the pending information from the Medical Examiners Office.”
Autopsy and toxicology reports can regularly take six weeks or longer to conclude due to the process undertaken to determine levels of toxicity in the blood when an individual passed away. At this point, it is unknown what specific day Justin Townes Earle died, though this could be determined through the autopsy process.
Well-respected as a songwriter and performer, Justin Townes Earle was one of the rising stars in the Americana scene after first releasing a well-received six-song EP called Yuma in 2007, which led to him being signed to Bloodshot Records out of Chicago. His album Harlem River Blues became a breakout, and the title track became the 2011 Americana Music Association’s Song of the Year. Earle later signed with Vagrant Records, and eventually New West Record who released his final two albums.
Justin Townes Earle was married in October of 2013 to Jenn Marie Maynard. The couple had a daughter in June of 2017 named Etta. A public memorial service is said to be in the works for 2021.
August 25, 2020 @ 6:48 pm
Just today on sirius outlaw country some of their between song banter was something like “do you ever have one of those days” and involved drinking and snorting a line. Just hit me wrong. Sad that it’s such a destructive thing and is almost expected with artists in certain genres.
August 26, 2020 @ 3:39 am
That’s right, when i was young i was into straight edge hc. I’m no more but that probably saved my life.
August 27, 2020 @ 12:25 pm
I once interviewed Better Than A Thousand for a local tv station. The Hare Krishnas had baked cookies which were all over the dressing room, but that nobody was eating. The supporting skinhead band was getting drunk in the other dressing room. That was funny.
On-topic: Dying alone, when so many people have enjoyed your music. It’s just sad.
August 26, 2020 @ 5:01 am
I finally got rid of Sirius 3 months ago. I really enjoyed it for the ability to listen to all kinds of music but the stupid commentary and the snippets they insert in-between songs as you describe finally got on my nerves too much. If their “music” channels just played music or maybe even simply stated a fact about the bad or the song before playing I would be ok with it. Or maybe even the option to listen to the channel without comments. If they would do something like that I would go back. Too much f-bombs to sound cool and other stupidity made me question why do I need to pay for this? So I stopped.
August 25, 2020 @ 8:14 pm
I wonder if he was found face up or face down. If he were found face up that would mean that he suffered the same fate Jimmy Hendrix and Keith Moon did (due to lying face up both men couldn’t expel their vomit out of their mouths which accelerated their deaths) a shame he died and a real shame if he went that way
August 25, 2020 @ 10:51 pm
*Jimi…And does it seriously matter how he and the rest of ‘em were found? Jeez, dude, get a hobby.
August 25, 2020 @ 11:04 pm
This sucks.
Thanks for the updates, Trigger. I haven’t been this torn up in a good long while. Like you said in your previous article pertaining to JT, he could very well be in a “better place.” That was very well said, and I’d personally like to believe that…For his sake as well as many others’.
August 26, 2020 @ 3:26 am
Reading that police report excerpt – that no one had heard from JTE in almost 4 days – and then recognizing that he’s a husband, father, and well known musician is heart breaking. Call up the people in your life who’re struggling. It can make a difference in people who battle depression and addiction
Great coverage of the situation, Trigger.
September 9, 2020 @ 3:52 pm
The police statement is bullshit. It had not been 4 days, and also was not an overdose. We have yet to get toxicology, as that takes a long time. Please don’t take their statement and run with it thinking that Justin wasn’t checked in on, or loved by his family, and his friends. It’s just not truth
August 26, 2020 @ 4:44 am
Any of you into metal – it was just released that Power Trip’s Riley Gale passed away Monday at 34. No cause released yet. This has been a devastating month for young artists.
August 26, 2020 @ 6:50 am
As someone who loves both country music and metal, losing both JTE and Riley Gale in the same week has been tough. Both young and in their own way great talents in their respective scenes. Just a bummer.
August 26, 2020 @ 5:23 am
Man, this is exactly the news I was hoping to not hear. JTE is one of my favorite artists and I was always rooting for him to stay clean, as I’m sure many others were as well. Granted, we don’t know if it was indeed drugs but I’m just going off of the available information
August 26, 2020 @ 9:21 am
Why was he living in an apartment by himself, and why was the only person to check on him a non-family member? Sounds like a sad situation.
August 26, 2020 @ 5:59 pm
He was living with his wife in Portland. Perhaps they had separated, but it might also be he kept a place in Nashville for when he had work to do there or was visiting his mom and other family.
August 26, 2020 @ 6:52 pm
That could be. I was unaware of his living situation.
August 28, 2020 @ 5:23 am
I saw him in September and he said “yeah she’s done with my shit” and wiggled his ringless finger. From what I gather they separated late 2018 beginning of 2019.
September 9, 2020 @ 3:53 pm
Don’t believe the bullshit.
August 26, 2020 @ 11:52 am
I have only heard a few of his songs (I liked what I heard, but this is seriously depressing. It kind of reminds me of Michael Bloomfield in a way, so much talent slipping away. Personally I am really thankful that I never got into hard drugs because my struggle with alcohol has been enough of a bitch. Hug your kids and tell your people you love them, this world can really weigh you down and if you aren’t careful you can end up sinking. RiP jte
August 26, 2020 @ 1:10 pm
I figured it would be something like this.
That doesn’t make it any less sad.
August 26, 2020 @ 4:50 pm
to some degree i blame this lockdown shit. it is hard as an addict being isolated, as that is where minutes can feel like years. and zoom meetings are not like in person. some half assed screen does not compare to face to face contact with a real person who gets it. i didnt know him or his music very well but am sad that this happened. every person is a loss, and the space this leaves in the lives of the people left behind who loved him will never be truly filled. i am sorry this is how his story closed.
August 27, 2020 @ 3:16 pm
It is a tough story to read but I am reminded by what a local sports writer wrote about Len Bias after he died. Don’t call it a tragedy. He knew what he was doing when he snorted the cocaine. A tragedy is a drink driver wiping out a family or a child with cancer but a drug addict picked their fate. Same thing with JTE. He knew all about drugs but he still decided to dance with the devil.
Hopefully, he will serve as a warning story. A cautionary tale that the drugged out artist is not glamorous.
August 27, 2020 @ 6:24 pm
Shame on you Trigger for posting this speculative, sensationalist bullshit. He had a mom.
August 27, 2020 @ 7:45 pm
I appreciate your concern.
25+ articles were posted on this subject by various media outlets before this one. None of them included the important point that Justin Townes Earle’s death remains unclassified. There is nothing sensational about this article.
August 27, 2020 @ 7:19 pm
Just heartbreaking. I remember when we first discovered him and would hype the shit out if him. Tragic loss. What a talent and feiendly, kind man.
August 27, 2020 @ 8:57 pm
I have NEVER cried over a song, but “Won’t Be The Last Time” is making me very misty. Wow, this guy was good.
August 28, 2020 @ 9:13 pm
That does not surprise me, though Stacey (Steve’s sister) posted some fairly happy looking photos of them together earlier this month. It is consistent with things I have heard about him being erratic. His sobriety was always pretty fragile.