Biography
Steven Fromholz earned deep admiration as a songwriter from enthusiasts of progressive Texas country despite remaining largely unrecognized beyond a devoted niche following. He issued his own albums and made multiple appearances on Austin City Limits, yet his reputation rested primarily on the songs he supplied to other performers such as Willie Nelson, John Denver, Jerry Jeff Walker, Michael Martin Murphey, and Hoyt Axton. During the 1990s Lyle Lovett placed two of Fromholz’s most celebrated pieces, “Bears” and “Texas Trilogy,” on the covers project Step Inside This House. His highest official recognition arrived in 2007 when Texas named him state poet laureate.
Born in Temple, Texas, on June 8, 1945, Fromholz experienced frequent family relocations throughout his early years. While attending North Texas State University he encountered Michael Martin Murphey, and the pair established the Dallas County Jug Band; Fromholz subsequently joined the Michael Murphey Trio before leaving school. He served briefly in the Navy and, after his discharge in 1968, relocated to Colorado where he met singer-songwriter Dan McCrimmon. The two formed the Western folk duo Frummox and released the album Here to There on Probe, an ABC subsidiary. Although the record attracted little notice upon release, it later acquired legendary status in Texas and Colorado and remains a sought-after collector’s item on vinyl.
Frummox dissolved in 1971 amid diverging musical goals, after which Fromholz accepted an invitation to tour with Stephen Stills and his wide-ranging ensemble Manassas. Six months later he departed the road, returning home in declining health and weary of backstage rivalries and cocaine consumption. Another contact, former Monkee Michael Nesmith, had developed an interest in country-rock and was assembling talent for his forward-thinking Countryside imprint. Fromholz recorded the single “Sweet Janey” for the label and finished the album How Long Is the Road to Kentucky in 1973; two days before its intended release, however, Countryside lost its Elektra distribution deal, leaving the album unreleased. Discouraged by repeated setbacks, Fromholz left Colorado for Austin, Texas, in search of steady work within the emerging progressive country circuit.
He gained local attention through his clever and engaging stage presence, eventually securing a Capitol contract. The first album to appear, the wryly titled A Rumor in My Own Time, arrived in 1976 and featured contributions from John Sebastian, Doug Dillard, and members of Jerry Jeff Walker’s Lost Gonzo Band. The record most fully captured Fromholz’s style and yielded his sole notable success when Willie Nelson recorded the track “I’d Have to Be Crazy” for The Sound in Your Mind, the follow-up to Red Headed Stranger. With Fromholz adding backing vocals, the song rose close to the top of the country charts, marking the only genuine commercial achievement of his career. Capitol next dispatched him to Los Angeles for the smoother, more polished follow-up Frolicking in the Myth in 1977; that same year he appeared in the film Outlaw Blues, a portrayal of the Austin scene starring Peter Fonda and Susan St. James. Neither project boosted sales, and after Capitol released him Fromholz issued Jus’ Playin’ Along in 1978 on Willie Nelson’s Lone Star label.
Disillusioned with the industry, Fromholz launched his own Felicity Records imprint to retain creative control; its first release was Fromholz Live! in 1979. To support himself he worked as an entertainer on multi-day white-water rafting excursions in 1980 and subsequently trained as a guide. Occasional Felicity albums continued into the 1990s, including Frummox II in 1982, Love Songs in 1986, and Everybody’s Goin’ on the Road in 1991, the last recorded with the Almost Brothers. He also pursued acting, becoming a regular performer at Austin’s Live Oak Theatre; in 1992 the company staged his original play Bosque County, Texas, drawn from the three-song suite “Texas Trilogy” that originated during his Frummox period.
In 1995 Fromholz recorded The Old Fart in the Mirror for Jerry Jeff Walker’s Tried & True label. Three years later he rejoined Frummox partner McCrimmon at the Kerrville Folk Festival, and Lyle Lovett included “Bears” from A Rumor in My Own Time along with the complete “Texas Trilogy” on the double album Step Inside This House. Felicity issued two further collections in 2001: A Guest in Your Heart and Live at Anderson Fair, the latter captured at the historic Houston folk venue. Beyond acting and guiding rafting trips, Fromholz continued performing across Texas and the Southwest until his death from a hunting accident in early 2014.
Born in Temple, Texas, on June 8, 1945, Fromholz experienced frequent family relocations throughout his early years. While attending North Texas State University he encountered Michael Martin Murphey, and the pair established the Dallas County Jug Band; Fromholz subsequently joined the Michael Murphey Trio before leaving school. He served briefly in the Navy and, after his discharge in 1968, relocated to Colorado where he met singer-songwriter Dan McCrimmon. The two formed the Western folk duo Frummox and released the album Here to There on Probe, an ABC subsidiary. Although the record attracted little notice upon release, it later acquired legendary status in Texas and Colorado and remains a sought-after collector’s item on vinyl.
Frummox dissolved in 1971 amid diverging musical goals, after which Fromholz accepted an invitation to tour with Stephen Stills and his wide-ranging ensemble Manassas. Six months later he departed the road, returning home in declining health and weary of backstage rivalries and cocaine consumption. Another contact, former Monkee Michael Nesmith, had developed an interest in country-rock and was assembling talent for his forward-thinking Countryside imprint. Fromholz recorded the single “Sweet Janey” for the label and finished the album How Long Is the Road to Kentucky in 1973; two days before its intended release, however, Countryside lost its Elektra distribution deal, leaving the album unreleased. Discouraged by repeated setbacks, Fromholz left Colorado for Austin, Texas, in search of steady work within the emerging progressive country circuit.
He gained local attention through his clever and engaging stage presence, eventually securing a Capitol contract. The first album to appear, the wryly titled A Rumor in My Own Time, arrived in 1976 and featured contributions from John Sebastian, Doug Dillard, and members of Jerry Jeff Walker’s Lost Gonzo Band. The record most fully captured Fromholz’s style and yielded his sole notable success when Willie Nelson recorded the track “I’d Have to Be Crazy” for The Sound in Your Mind, the follow-up to Red Headed Stranger. With Fromholz adding backing vocals, the song rose close to the top of the country charts, marking the only genuine commercial achievement of his career. Capitol next dispatched him to Los Angeles for the smoother, more polished follow-up Frolicking in the Myth in 1977; that same year he appeared in the film Outlaw Blues, a portrayal of the Austin scene starring Peter Fonda and Susan St. James. Neither project boosted sales, and after Capitol released him Fromholz issued Jus’ Playin’ Along in 1978 on Willie Nelson’s Lone Star label.
Disillusioned with the industry, Fromholz launched his own Felicity Records imprint to retain creative control; its first release was Fromholz Live! in 1979. To support himself he worked as an entertainer on multi-day white-water rafting excursions in 1980 and subsequently trained as a guide. Occasional Felicity albums continued into the 1990s, including Frummox II in 1982, Love Songs in 1986, and Everybody’s Goin’ on the Road in 1991, the last recorded with the Almost Brothers. He also pursued acting, becoming a regular performer at Austin’s Live Oak Theatre; in 1992 the company staged his original play Bosque County, Texas, drawn from the three-song suite “Texas Trilogy” that originated during his Frummox period.
In 1995 Fromholz recorded The Old Fart in the Mirror for Jerry Jeff Walker’s Tried & True label. Three years later he rejoined Frummox partner McCrimmon at the Kerrville Folk Festival, and Lyle Lovett included “Bears” from A Rumor in My Own Time along with the complete “Texas Trilogy” on the double album Step Inside This House. Felicity issued two further collections in 2001: A Guest in Your Heart and Live at Anderson Fair, the latter captured at the historic Houston folk venue. Beyond acting and guiding rafting trips, Fromholz continued performing across Texas and the Southwest until his death from a hunting accident in early 2014.