The Craftsman

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RODNEY CROWELL on his rhythmheavy guitar style and continuing evolution as a songwriter.

IN 2011, Texas-bred singer-songwriter Rodney Crowell published Chinaberry Sidewalks, a memoir about growing up as the only child in a volatile, dirt-poor family in a scrappy East Houston suburb. Over the preceding decade, Crowell had released a remarkable series of albums, including the autobiographical triad of The Houston Kid, Fate's Right Hand, and The Outsider. It was a stunningly soul-baring turn for the musician who made his mark as a member of Emmylou Harris's Hot Band in the 1970s and then established himself as a consistent spinner of Nashville gold (and platinum) in the 1980s and …