Daniel Johnston
Daniel Johnston materialised in Austin sometime around 1985, and almost immediately began distributing cassettes of his raw and heartbreaking music. He was a relentless self-promoter — as much Barnum and Bailey as Beatles fan —possibly because he recognised his own considerable talent. One night, I ran into him at our favourite record store, and he said, “Take my picture — I’ll make my face look like the cartoon on the cover of my tape.” Daniel’s later troubles are well-documented. Years later, in New York, I saw him again, and he told me, "Pat, you're living in the darkness. Come into the light!"