Longtime friend and photographer remembers singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle
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NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) — With the death of singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle, the condolences are coming in from everyone from Jason Isbell to Stephen King.
There’s one person who can tell Earle’s story like no other.
“It became a brotherhood and a partnership for many, many years because there was this trust,” said photographer Joshua Black Wilkins. “My approach to photography is to make honest photographs.”
A photographer is so often in search of a muse. Wilkins found his in Earle.
Part of that was a mutual respect for each other’s storytelling. Wilkins tells stories through his images. Earle told stories through music.
“He was always willing to write about his struggles, whether it’s addiction or romantic,” said Wilkins. “Anybody that heard his music knew him personally. He trusted me. We toured together. There was a trust from the very first time I photographed him. I always had a lot of respect for that.”
For 14 years, Earle and Wilkins had long talks in the Five Points area. An album cover shoot was taken at the Belcourt. Wilkins had a session with both Earle and his father, country rocker Steve Earle. One of his favorite pictures was a quiet moment of Justin at a little truck stop diner during a tour.
“Any time you spent with Justin was almost always memorable,” said Wilkins.
On Sunday, Wilkins learned Earle had died. The way he passed has not yet been released. Earle was a husband and father. He was 38 years old.
Wilkins has a little tattoo reading “J.T.E.” It’s for the man, the muse, whose story he told for 14 years.
“If I’d never photographed him in 2006, I would have never had the photography or music career I have in 2020,” said Wilkins. “Today I have nothing but very happy and appreciative memories.”
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