The Man with the Big Hat

The Man with the Big Hat (2026) is a documentary, music film directed by Austin Lee Sayre.

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.

Cast

Steven Fromholz

Self

Lyle Lovett

Self

Ray Benson

Self

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