Steve Earle Announces Justin Townes Earle Tribute Album ‘J.T.’

Steve Earle will pay tribute to his son, the late Justin Townes Earle, with a new tribute album titled J.T. The album will see Earle and his band the Dukes performing 10 songs taken from across Justin’s back catalogue.

J.T. will be released digitally on Monday, 4th January 2021 – what would have been Justin’s 39th birthday. A physical edition will also arrive next March. Pre-orders are available now.

To coincide with the announcement, Earle has shared a cover of ‘Harlem River Blues’, the title track from Justin’s third album. Listen to that below.

“The record is called J.T. because Justin was never called anything else until he was nearly grown. Well, when he was little, I called him Cowboy,” commented Earle.

“For better or worse, right or wrong, I loved Justin Townes Earle more than anything else on this earth. That being said, I made this record, like every other record I’ve ever made… for me. It was the only way I knew to say goodbye.”

All artist advances and royalties for the album will go towards a trust for the late songwriter’s daughter, Etta St. James Earle.

Justin Townes Earle died in August of this year in his birthplace of Nashville, Tennessee, from a “probable drug overdose”.

The singer-songwriter began his career playing in Nashville bands the Distributors and the Swindlers along with his father’s touring band. He released a slew of acclaimed albums throughout his life, his most recent being 2019’s The Saint of Lost Causes.

Listen to ‘Harlem River Blues’ – and see the full tracklist – below.

Steve Earle – J.T. tracklist

1. I Don’t Care
2. Ain’t Glad I’m Leaving
3. Maria
4. Far Away In Another Town
5. They Killed John Henry
6. Turn Out My Lights
7. Lone Pine Hill
8. Champagne Corolla
9. The Saint Of Lost Causes
10. Harlem River Blues