[1] A member of the 1980s indie band the Dancing Hoods, Linkous moved with the group from his native Virginia to New York City and later Los Angeles in hopes of achieving mainstream success.

By 1988, the band had failed to land a major record label deal, and it disbanded, with Linkous returning to Virginia, where he began writing songs under various monikers.

[6] Many members of his family were coal miners by trade,[7][8] and Linkous chose a career in music in part to avoid working in mines.

[10] Shortly after graduating from high school in the early 1980s, Linkous moved to New York City, where he co-founded the band Dancing Hoods.

Formed in late 1989 as The Johnson Family, it soon became Salt Chunk Mary—both names being characters in Jack Black's memoir You Can't Win.

One of the tracks he wrote during this period with David Lowery, "Sick of Goodbyes", was recorded by Cracker and appeared on its 1993 album Kerosene Hat.

While in Virginia, he performed concerts under the monikers The Johnson Family (with members of Richmond punk legends Honor Role) and Salt Chunk Mary.

In 1996, while supporting Radiohead on the first Sparklehorse tour, Linkous overdosed on alcohol, Valium, antidepressants, and possibly other substances in his London hotel room.

[3] 1998 saw the release of Good Morning Spider; one of the album's songs, "St. Mary", dealt with Linkous's accident in London and subsequent rehabilitation.

[6] In 2001, Sparklehorse released It's a Wonderful Life, which featured contributions from Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, John Parish, Nina Persson, Vic Chesnutt, and Dave Fridmann.

In 2003, Sparklehorse's song "Sea of Teeth" was featured on the soundtrack for All the Real Girls, a film starring Zooey Deschanel and directed by David Gordon Green.

[6] In the late 2000s, Linkous recorded the album Dark Night of the Soul with the producer Danger Mouse, the director David Lynch, and ten other musicians.

In 2004, Linkous curated and produced The Late Great Daniel Johnston: Discovered Covered, a tribute album featuring acts such as Beck, Death Cab for Cutie, Vic Chesnutt, Tom Waits and Bright Eyes, and a collaboration between Sparklehorse and The Flaming Lips on the track "Go."

[16][17] Linkous battled depression for many years and was greatly shaken by the December 2009 suicide of his close friend Vic Chesnutt.

"[16] Linkous quietly retrieved his ITM Arms rifle from an upstairs room, then told his two friends that he was going for a walk and left through a back door.

"[20] A number of notable musicians and people in the music world made statements mourning the loss of Linkous, including Patti Smith,[21][22] Radiohead's Colin Greenwood,[22][23] Silversun Pickups' Brian Aubert,[24] Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla,[25] Steven Drozd and Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips,[26] Steve Albini,[22][27] Gemma Hayes,[28] and the Jesus Lizard's David Wm.