

The Man with the Big Hat
An unsung pioneer of 1970s Texas Progressive Country, Steven Fromholz had a knack for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Revered by legends like Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett & John Denver, he remained commercially unknown. He sought redemption on the Rio Grande as a river guide until a debilitating stroke erased his musical memory, stripping Fromholz of his artistic identity. With an almost obsessive persistence bolstered by newly discovered archives as well as never-before-heard recordings, this intimate and impressionistic portrayal unveils the evolution of Fromholz, and reshapes the notion of success and artistic fortitude.
Director(s)
Austin Lee Sayre
Cast & crew

Lyle Lovett
Self

Steven Fromholz
Self

Willie Nelson
Archival Footage

Stephen Stills
Archival Footage
Robert Earl Keen
Archival Footage

Ray Benson
Self

Waylon Jennings
Archival Footage
Butch Hancock
Self

Terry Lickona
Self
Mike Williams
Self
Judie Gumm
Self
Dan McCrimmon
Self
Darcie Fromholz
Self
Janey Lake
Self
Larry Watkins
Self
Felicity Fromholz
Self
Bobby Bridger
Self
Larry Joe Taylor
Self
Austin Lee Sayre
Self
Michael Martin Murphey
Archival Footage

Joni Mitchell
Archival Footage
Ann Richards
Archival Footage












