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Lyle Lovett
Lovett in a 2005 concert
Background information
Birth name	Lyle Pearce Lovett
Born	November 1, 1957 (1957-11-01) (age 52)
Origin	Klein, Texas, United States
Genres	Country, alternative country
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, record producer, actor
Years active	1980 - present
Labels	MCA/Curb Lost Highway/Curb
Associated acts	Randy Newman, John Hiatt, Joe Ely, Guy Clark
Website	Lyle Lovett.com

Lyle Pearce Lovett (born November 1, 1957)^[1] is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Active since 1980, he has recorded thirteen albums and released 21 singles to date, including his highest entry, the #10 chart hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, "Cowboy Man". Lovett has won four Grammy Awards, including Best Male Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Album. His most recent, It's Not Big It's Large was released in 2007, where it debuted and peaked at #2 on the Top Country Albums chart. A new studio album, Natural Forces, was released on October 20, 2009 by Lost Highway Records.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Early life 1.2 Career 1.3 Personal life 2 Discography 2.1 Studio albums 2.2 Live albums 2.3 Compilation albums 2.4 Singles 2.5 Guest singles 3 Filmography 3.1 Musician 3.2 Actor 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Lovett was born in the unincorporated area of Klein, Harris County (suburban Houston), Texas, the son of William and Bernell (née Klein) Lovett, a marketing executive and training specialist, respectively.^[2] He was raised as a Lutheran.^[3] Lovett attended Texas A&M University, where he studied German and journalism, and lived next door to Robert Earl Keen.

[edit] Career

Lovett's music career began as a songwriter, but he soon signed with MCA Records in 1986 and released his eponymous debut album. While typically associated with the country genre, Lovett's compositions often incorporate folk, swing, blues, jazz and gospel music as well as more traditional country & Western styling. He has won four Grammy Awards, including Best Country Album (1996 for The Road to Ensenada), Best Country Duo/Group with Vocal (1994 for "Blues For Dixie" with the Texas swing group Asleep at the Wheel), Best Pop Vocal Collaboration (1994 for "Funny How Time Slips Away" with Al Green) and Best Country Male Vocal (1989) for Lyle Lovett and His Large Band).

Lovett has acted in a number of films, including Robert Altman's films: The Player (1992), Short Cuts (1993), Prêt-à-Porter (1994), Cookie's Fortune (1999), and composed for Dr. T & the Women (2000). More recently, he has acted in The New Guy (2002) and Walk Hard: the Dewey Cox Story (2007). His television acting forays include Mad About You, Brothers & Sisters and Dharma & Greg.

Lovett was given an award called an "Esky" for Surest Thing in Esquire's 2006 Esky Music Awards in the April issue. The magazine said of Lovett: "The secret of Lyle Lovett's endurance comes down to the three C's: class, charisma and consistency... In the studio and on stage with his giant orchestra, he's spent two decades gracefully matching genuine songcraft with A-list musicianship".

Lovett primarily plays Collings acoustic guitars.^[4]

[edit] Personal life

Lovett's personal life was brought to the fore in 1993 when he married actress Julia Roberts. The couple had met on the set of The Player in 1992. After a three-week romance, they eloped and married in June 1993 in Marion, Indiana. The couple divorced less than two years later, in March 1995. The marriage breakup was said to be caused by their career demands causing the two to often be away from each other. They would, though, remain friends, and Roberts would even sing one of Townes Van Zandt's songs (recorded by Lovett on Step Inside This House) in her 1998 movie Stepmom. To discover more about the relationship, devoted fans have spent long hours poring over the lyrics of Lovett's 1996 album, The Road To Ensenada. Lovett has been dating April Kimble since 1999.^[5]. Lyle has three children, Robert, Sara and Teddy.

His small-town life was again brought to the public's attention on March 28, 2002 when Lovett was caught by a bull and rammed into a fence on his uncle's farm in Klein, Texas, before being pulled to safety. Lovett fully recovered after six months and began touring again in the summer of 2003.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions[6][7]					Certifications[8][9] (sales threshold)
		US Country	US	CAN Country	CAN	NZ
1986	Lyle Lovett Release date: 1986 Label: Curb Records	—	—	—	—	—
1988	Pontiac Release date: 1988 Label: Curb Records	12	117	—	—	—	US certification: Gold
1989	Lyle Lovett and His Large Band Release date: January 25, 1989 Label: Curb Records	10	62	—	—	45	US certification: Gold CAN certification: Gold
1992	Joshua Judges Ruth Release date: March 31, 1992 Label: Curb Records	—	57	—	49	23	US certification: Gold
1994	I Love Everybody Release date: September 27, 1994 Label: Curb Records	—	26	—	40	36	US certification: Gold
1996	The Road to Ensenada Release date: June 18, 1996 Label: Curb Records	4	24	—	—	—	US certification: Gold
1998	Step Inside This House Release date: September 22, 1998 Label: MCA Nashville	9	55	—	—	—	US certification: Gold
2003	My Baby Don't Tolerate Release date: 2003 Label: Lost Highway Records	7	63	*	—	—
2007	It's Not Big It's Large Release date: August 28, 2007 Label: Lost Highway Records	2	18	*	—	—
2009	Natural Forces Release date: October 20, 2009 Label: Curb/Lost Highway Records	8	29	23	—	—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

[edit] Live albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions
		US Country	US	CAN Country
1999	Live in Texas Release date: June 23, 1999 Label: MCA Nashville	7	94	14

[edit] Compilation albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions
		US Country	US
2001	Anthology, Vol. 1: Cowboy Man Release date: October 23, 2001 Label: MCA Nashville	26	195
2003	Smile Release date: February 25, 2003 Label: Curb/MCA Nashville	—	106
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

[edit] Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions[7][10]						Album
		US Country	US Main	CAN Country	CAN	CAN AC	NL
1986	"Farther Down the Line"	21	—	—	—	—	—	Lyle Lovett
	"Cowboy Man"	10	—	23	—	—	—
1987	"God Will"	18	—	23	—	—	—
	"Why I Don't Know"	15	—	24	—	—	—
	"Give Back My Heart"	13	—	18	—	—	—	Pontiac
1988	"She's No Lady"	17	—	8	—	—	48
	"I Loved You Yesterday"	24	—	40	—	—	—
	"Simple Song"	—	—	—	—	—	74
	"If I Had a Boat"	66	—	76	—	—	—
	"I Married Her Because She Looks Like You"	45	—	—	—	—	—	Lyle Lovett & His Large Band
1989	"Stand by Your Man"	82	—	—	—	—	—
	"Nobody Knows Me"	84	—	—	—	—	—
	"If I Were the Man You Wanted"	49	—	50	—	—	—	Non-album song
1991	"You Can't Resist It"	—	—	—	77	33	—
1992	"You've Been So Good Up to Now"	—	33	—	—	—	—	Joshua Judges Ruth
1996	"Don't Touch My Hat"	68	—	—	—	—	—	The Road to Ensenada
1997	"Private Conversation"	72	—	—	—	—	—
2000	"San Antonio Girl"	—	—	—	—	—	—	Anthology Volume 1
2003	"My Baby Don't Tolerate"	—	—	*	—	—	—	My Baby Don't Tolerate
2004	"In My Own Mind"	—	—	*	—	—	—
2007	"South Texas Girl"	—	—	—	—	—	—	It's Not Big It's Large
2008	"No Big Deal"	—	—	—	—	—	—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart * denotes unknown peak positions

[edit] Guest singles

Year	Single	Artist	Chart Positions	Album
			CAN AC
1996	"You've Got a Friend in Me"	Randy Newman	40	Toy Story (soundtrack)

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Musician

• True Blood Ep. 22 (2009) - Song Performer "I Will Rise Up"
• Walk Hard (2007) - Song Performer "Walk Hard"
• The Exonerated (2005 TV movie) - Song Performer "Amazing Grace"
• The Interpreter (2005) - Song Performer "If I Had a Boat"
• 61* (2001 TV movie) - Song Performer "Nobody Knows Me"
• All Over the Guy (2001) - Song Performer and composer "She Makes Me Feel Good" and "The Blues Walk"
• Dr. T & the Women (2000) - Song performer and composer and also used a recording of "You've Been So Good Up to Now" (1992), "She's Already Made Up Her Mind" (1992), "Ain't It Something" (1994)
• Stuart Little (1999) - Song Performer "Walking Tall"
• Mumford (1999) - Song Performer "Ballad of the Snow Leopard and The Tanqueray Cowboy", "Till It Shines"
• Clay Pigeons (1998) - Song Performer "Teach Me About Love"
• Hope Floats (1998) - Song Performer "Smile"
• The Apostle (1997) - Song Performer "(I'm a) Soldier in the Army of the Lord"
• Toy Story (1995) - Song Performer "You've Got a Friend in Me" with Randy Newman as the lead vocals.
• Quiz Show (1994) - Song Performer "Moritat" by Kurt Weill
• With Honors (1994) - Song Performer "Blue Skies"
• Major League II (1994) - Song Performer and composer "All My Love Is Gone"
• The Firm (1993) - Song Performer "M-O-N-E-Y"
• Leap of Faith (1992) - Song Performer "Pass Me Not"
• The Crying Game (1992) - Song Performer "Stand By Your Man"
• Major League (1989) - Song Performer "Cryin' Shame"
• Always (1989) - Song Performer "Cowboy Man"

[edit] Actor

• The Open Road (2008) - TBA
• Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007) - Himself
• Brothers and Sisters (TV Series) (2007) - Something New - Himself
• The New Guy (2002) - Bear Harrison
• Three Days of Rain (2002) - Disc Jockey
• Dharma and Greg (TV series) - The Trouble With Troubadours (2000) - Himself
• Mad About You (TV series) - The Final Frontier (1999) - Lenny
• Penn & Teller's Sin City Spectacular (TV series) - Episode #1.23 (1999)
• Cookie's Fortune (1999) - Manny Hood
• The Opposite of Sex (1998) - Sheriff Carl Tippett
• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) - Road Person
• Breast Men (1997) - Research Scientist
• Bastard Out of Carolina (1996) - Wade
• Mad About You (TV series) - Mad About You: Part 1 (1995) - Lenny
• Mad About You (TV series) - Mad About You: Part 2 (1995) - Lenny
• Prêt-à-Porter (1994) - Clint Lammeraux
• Short Cuts (1993) - Andy Bitkower
• The Player (1992) - Detective DeLongpre
• Bill: On His Own (1983 TV movie) - Singer at Beach

[edit] References

• Oermann, Robert K. (1998). "Lyle Lovett". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 307.
• Pullen, Doug (2008-08-01). "Through fame, fortune and marriage to Julia Roberts, Texan Lyle Lovett has stayed true to his roots". El Paso Times. http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_10059730?source=most_viewed. Retrieved 2008-08-01. 

[edit] External links

• Official Lyle Lovett Website
• Lyle Lovett at the Internet Movie Database
• The Thinking Man's Cowboy, by Matt Dellinger, New Yorker, February 23, 2004.
• Homeboy, by Alec Wilkinson, New Yorker, February 1, 2004.
• Lovett charges ahead with his career - USA Today, May 10, 2002.
• Official Lyle Lovett Lost Highway Artist Page

Awards
First None recognized before	AMA Americana Trailblazer Award 2007	Succeeded by Nanci Griffith