JT Van Zandt Pays Tribute To His Father, Townes, In Moving Short Film

“Our fathers set the path for us. Whether we choose the same thing or depart from that, it’s the architecture of who we are.”

Those words of wisdom come from the eldest son of Townes Van Zandt, JT, a professional fly-fishing guide in central Texas who, on the eve of Father’s Day weekend, pays tribute to his dad in a short film that you can watch below.

“Being the eldest son of Townes Van Zandt is definitely a unique experience,” JT says in the mini-documentary, which was produced by YETI coolers and is part an ongoing series about fatherhood and the outdoors called My Old Man. “I learned my father’s songs as a way to stay close with him, to respect him.”

JT says his love of boats and the water came from his father, a man who never got to indulge those passions because he was so focused on writing songs.

Watch the YETI film below and a happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there in cyberspace.