Eleanor Whitmore

Steve Earle is an American rock, country and folk singer-songwriter, record producer, author and actor. Earle began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982. His breakthrough album was the 1986 album Guitar Town. Since then Earle has released 15 other studio albums and received three Grammy awards. In this episode, we reveal the unique man behind the music.

Joined by his long-running five-piece band The Dukes, Earle hit the stage kicking off his Guy Clark tribute with the classic “Dublin Blues,” receiving exuberant cheers at the opening line “Wish I was in Austin.” Earle immediately went into “Texas 1947,” featuring the expert pedal steel work of Ricky Ray Jackson. After sharing a short story about how he met Guy Clark while hitchhiking around Texas, the band performed the ode to the Hill Country honky-tonkin’ queen “Rita Ballou,” featuring Eleanor Whitmore on violin. Following a tale about Clark’s loyalty to Texas BBQ over Tennessee style BBQ, Joe Ely joined Earle on stage to perform “Desperadoes Waiting For a Train” – two Texas music legends trading verses on one of the state’s most influential songs.

"Steve Earle & the Dukes and Duchesses" is what he calls his band by name. One Duchess is wife Allison Moorer. Her wonderfully roughened voice gave Earle's mix of country, folk, Americana and rock an additional, soulful touch. This 75-minute performance ranged from the latest album "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" to his beginnings 25 years ago with "Guitar Town" - including a few political stings in the direction of George W. Bush or oil spill cause BP, but also a declaration of love to his adopted home of New York.

Now the longest-running music series in American television history, ACL showcases popular music legends and innovators from every genre.