Born in Fort Worth, Texas, he traveled in his youth around Texas and Colorado. He was the third-great-grandson of Isaac Van Zandt, a prominent leader of the Republic of Texas. Influential in the sub-genre referred to as Alternative Country, his Texas-grounded impact stretched farther than country. One of his major influences was Texas blues man Lightnin' Hopkins, whose songs were a constant part of his repertoire. Van Zandt was master of the small, intimate show, where he would weave song and story into an unforgettable evening. Though they never wrote songs together and only occasionally played concerts together, Van Zandt's best friend was fellow Texas songwriting legend Guy Clark. Generally shy and reserved, Van Zandt struggled with alcoholism throughout his adult life. At times he would become drunk on stage and forget the lyrics to his songs. Some critics believe his alcoholism inhibited his performances, whereas others believe it made his lyrical expression more genuine. His performances featured a dry humor — an integral part of his songwriting. Early in his career, he wrote many light-hearted and humorous songs. Later, Van Zandt harnessed his talent for dark and bittersweet love songs and ballads such as 'For the Sake of the Song' and 'Tecumseh Valley'. For the most part he performed for small but appreciative audiences in Texas bars. Tomato Records released a 2-disc live album from the Old Quarter in Houston, Texas that captured him in such a performance. It includes his most popular and definitive songs such as 'Lungs', 'For the Sake of the Song', 'Tecumseh Valley', 'To Live Is To Fly', 'If I Needed You', and his most famous (thanks to numerous covers, most notably by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard), 'Pancho and Lefty'. He continued writing and performing at his own pace through the 1990s until his untimely death on New Years Day of 1997 from a heart attack induced by a blood clot following hip surgery. Van Zandt is remembered as a great songwriter who left a legacy of great songs and inspired musicians. Steve Earle paid his own homage to Van Zandt, describing him as the greatest songwriter Texas has produced and writing "Fort Worth Blues" as a memorial to the night of his death. A live version of Van Zandt's cover of The Rolling Stones' "Dead Flowers" was used during the final scene of the Cohen Brothers' 1998 film, The Big Lebowski. The song was also included on the movie's soundtrack.