November 1: Lyle Lovett was born in 1957 Happy Birthday

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Lyle Pearce Lovett (born November 1, 1957) 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 number 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. (- Wikipedia)

 

Somehow you can tell the difference when a song is written just to get on the radio and when what someone does is their whole life. That comes through in Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Willie Nelson. There is no separating their life from their music.

– Lyle Lovett

Lyle Lovett was one of the first country singer songwriters I allowed myself to like when I was a student (I was a tuff rock’n roller after all), he made a huge impact and I still follow him with great interest. Wonderful entertainer, actor and artist.

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.

Lyle Lovett – Simple Song:

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, The Bridge, Castle, and Dharma & Greg. The Bloodhound Gang’s song “The Bad Touch” does a reference to Lovett: “And you’ll Lovett just like Lyle”. 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”.

From Allmusic:

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Lyle Lovett was one of the most distinctive and original singer/songwriters to emerge during the ’80s. Though he was initially labeled as a country singer, the tag never quite fit him. Lovett had more in common with ’70s singer/songwriters like Guy Clark, Jesse Winchester, Randy Newman, and Townes Van Zandt, combining a talent for incisive, witty lyrical detail with an eclectic array of music, ranging from country and folk to big-band swing and traditional pop.Lovett’s literate, multi-layered songs stood out among the formulaic Nashville hit singles of the late ’80s as well as the new traditionalists who were beginning to take over country music. Drawing from alternative country and rock fans, Lovett quickly built up a cult following which began to spill over into the mainstream with his second album, 1988’s Pontiac.

Read more at allmusic.com

Pontiac is my favorite album of Lyle Lovett, enjoy!

Lyle Lovett -Pontiac (Spotify):

Lets include a sweet short set(NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert),
Set List
“Cowboy Man”
“If You Were To Wake Up”
“Good Intentions”

– Hallgeir