Texas singer-songwriter Steven Fromholz died after a hunting accident this weekend near Eldorado, Texas. He was 68.
The Schleicher County Sheriff's Office told the Associated Press Fromholz was shot when a rifle discharged as it fell to the ground while being transferred from one vehicle to another.
Steven Fromholz was well-known in the Austin music scene and among fans of 1970s outlaw country. He was named a Texas Poet Laureate in 2007.
Fromholz is most famous for his series of songs called the “Texas Trilogy.” Lyle Lovett later recorded the tunes.
In fact, Austin–American Statesman music writer Peter Blackstock says many famous artists were influenced by Fromholz’s work – and often had more commercial success with it.
“Even if he never really had the big breakthrough as an artist on his own and never sold a ton of records, those people didn’t forget him and they made a point to make future generations aware of him," Blackstock says.
Blackstock says Fromholz was not just an obscure name in line notes.
“I think he may have been the first Austin musician I ever saw play live," Blackstock says. "When I was in grade school, I went to a Longhorns basketball game at the Erwin Center and Fromholz performed at halftime. So he did have a certain name and presence in this town, people just knew him and understood and appreciated him as the important songwriter he was.”
