Just a few months after the untimely death of Justin Townes Earle, medical examiners confirmed the cause to be due to a drug overdose. The singer/songwriter’s representatives broke the news through Earle’s socials. This is part of continuing the singer’s legacy of raising awareness about substance addiction.
In addition to the early-suspected cause like alcohol and cocaine, the autopsy reported traces of fentanyl-laced cocaine that caused the overdose. Despite his campaigns about the use of legal drugs that were being proliferated by pharmaceutical companies, Earle became one of the victims of a deadly dose of fentanyl.
Earle had the same struggle as his father, Steve Earle who had been hooked on alcohol and drugs throughout his life. Earle’s team warned everyone on the use of alcohol which they described as a psychoactive, neurotoxic addictive narcotic. Its effects might have no initial visual evidence on the user but in the long run, it will manifest.
Earle was discovered dead on August 23 by the local police after one of Earle’s friend got alarmed not hearing from the artists since August 20. When investigators got into the scene, it was clear that Earle’s death was not a cause of any foul play or struggle. This led to the theory that it was due to drug overdose.
Musical Journey
Justin Townes Earle’s musical journey started way before his first project in 2007. The younger Earle dropped out of school to pursue his passion for playing music. During the early stages of his career, Earle was seen on his dad’s touring band and several other groups like The Dukes and the Nashville bands: The swindlers, and The Distributors. “The Saint of Lost Causes” was Earle’s latest project which was released in 2019.
Four years after marrying his wife Jenn in 2013, Earle welcomed a new member of his family in 2017, Etta St. James. In honor of his son, Steve Earle was supposed to release an album on January 4, “J.T.” The album features his son’s compositions. January 4 also could have been Justin Townes Earle’s 39th birthday. All of the advances and royalties from the project will be donated to a trust for Etta.
Prior to his shocking death, Justin Townes Earle had a talk with fellow musician Chris Shiflett in 2017. He encouraged all those who have been addicted to alcohol and drugs to not be afraid to reach out for help and to not lose hope.
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Justin Townes Earle, Steve Earle