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Timeline:
1955: The Beginning
Stephen Fain Earle is born in Fort Monroe, Virginia, the son of Barbara and Jack, an air traffic controller. He grows up in Schertz, Texas, near San Antonio.
1968: Guitar Contest
After receiving his first guitar only two years previously, Steve finishes third in a local contest. He also starts experimenting with drugs, the beginning of a 26-year addiction.
1969: Moves to Houston
At age fourteen, Steve leaves home to live with an uncle in Houston. He meets Townes Van Zandt, the man who would become his mentor and role model.
1974: Moves to Nashville
At age nineteen, Steve moves to Nashville and takes on odd jobs to pay the bills. He also plays in various bands while writing his own music.
1975: First Professional Recording
Steve gets his first break, playing bass and singing background vocals on Guy Clark's album, Old No. 1.
Elvis Presley arranges to record Steve's song, Mustang Wine but fails to show up for the session.
He also appears as an extra in the Robert Altman film, Nashville.
1982: First Top 10 Hit
Johnny Lee records a Steve Earle/John Scott Sherrill song called When You Fall in Love and it reaches the Top 10 in the US. Carl Perkins records Mustang Wine.
1986: "Guitar Town" Released
Debut album. Title track becomes a Top 10 single in the summer and Goodbye's All We've Got Left reaches the Top 10 early the next year. Steve receives two Grammy nominations for this album: Best Country Male Vocalist and Best Country Song (Guitar Town).
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1987: Arrest in Dallas
After a New Year's Eve concert in Dallas, Steve is arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer. He spends the night in jail and is fined.
1987: "Exit 0" Released
I Ain't Ever Satisfied receives some airplay on rock radio and Steve gets two more Grammy nominations: Best Country Male Vocalist and Best Country Song (Nowhere Road).
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1987: "Early Tracks" Released
Following the success of Guitar Town, Epic releases this collection of older singles.
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1988: Steve on Playgirl's List
Playgirl magazine names Steve as one of the "10 Sexiest Country Singers".
1988: "Copperhead Road" Released
Copperhead Road is the only commercial single released in the US and it is targeted to rock radio exclusively. Three commercial singles are released in the UK: Copperhead Road, Back to the Wall, and Johnny Come Lately.
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1990: "Guitar Town" on Rolling Stone's List
Rolling Stone magazine names Guitar Town as one of the "Greatest 100 Albums of the 80s".
1990: "The Hard Way" Released
Justice in Ontario becomes a minor hit in certain parts of Canada. The song compares the trial of bikers Gary Comeau and Rick Sauvé to a case of vigilante justice from the 1800s.
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1991: Canada Day Speech
Steve performs four songs and makes a speech on the lawn of Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada as part of his campaign to have bikers Comeau and Sauvé released from jail.
Shortly after this, he virtually disappears for four years as his drug problem escalates out of control. He later refers to this time period as his "vacation in the ghetto".
1991: "Shut Up and Die Like An Aviator" Released
This live album is the last one released by MCA. The record label decides not to renew the contract as Steve's drug problem becomes more severe.
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1994: Arrest and Jail
In July, Steve is arrested in Texas for possession of heroin. He pleads guilty and, while out on bond awaiting sentencing, he is arrested for possession again. He flees to Georgia but eventually turns himself in and is sentenced to one year in jail.
Steve spends part of his sentence in prison until his lawyer convinces the judge to send him to rehab. After thirty-three days in a treatment center, he is declared clean and sober and is paroled on November 11th.
1995: "Train A Comin'" Released
After his release from jail, Steve records his very first album while sober. This collection of acoustic compositions and covers receives a Grammy nomination for Contemporary Folk Album.
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1996: "I Feel Alright" Released
First release on Steve's own label, E-Squared.
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1996: "Ellis Unit One"
The anti-death penalty song, Ellis Unit One, appears on the soundtrack for the movie, Dead Man Walking. Steve doesn't include it on one of his own albums until 2002's Sidetracks.
1997: "El Corazon" Released
Another Grammy nomination in the Contemporary Folk category. The album is dedicated to Townes Van Zandt.
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1998: Attends an Execution
Steve attends the execution of Jonathan Nobles at Huntsville prison in Texas, at the request of Nobles. He says afterwards that he had witnessed a "murder".
1999: "The Mountain" Released
Steve records The Mountain with the Del McCoury Band and receives a Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album. Several songs from this album are included on the soundtrack for You Can Count on Me.
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2000: "Transcendental Blues" Released
Steve receives his eighth Grammy nomination (Contemporary Folk Album) and three singles are released to US radio: Transcendental Blues, I Can Wait, and Everyone's in Love With You. Galway Girl is released commercially in the UK.
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2001: "Doghouse Roses" Published
Steve's collection of eleven short stories is published.
2002: "Sidetracks" Released
Some Dreams is included on the soundtrack for the movie, The Rookie.
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