Why has Townes been ignored by the mainstream music business?
The artistic reason: the intensity of his lyrics, often dealing in stark terms with depressing topics, are not commercial, although several of his romantic songs have sold many copies for other artists (e.g. Doc Watson, Emmylou Harris, Nanci Griffith, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, Don Gibson). The pragmatic business reason: a lack of exposure, his long-standing health problems and an average of only 1 new studio album every 7-8 years for two decades. He has been known to put on somewhat erratic shows at times as well.
