Lyle Lovett

Early life

Lovett was born in Houston, Texas, when his family lived in the nearby community of Klein. He is the son of William Pearce and Bernell Louise (née Klein) Lovett, a marketing executive and training specialist, respectively. He was raised in the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. Lovett attended Texas A&M University, where he received Bachelor of Arts degrees in both German and Journalism in 1980. It is a common misconception that he and Robert Earl Keen were roommates at A&M. They were not. However, they lived near each other in College Station, became good friends, and wrote "The Front Porch Song" together, which both went on to record. In the early 1980s, Lovett often played solo acoustic sets at the small bars just off the A&M campus.

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).

Lyle Lovett performing on the Watson Stage at MerleFest in 2011, Wilkes County, N.C. Photo by Forrest L. Smith, III

Lovett has acted in a number of films, including Robert Altman's films: The Player (1992), Short Cuts (1993), Prêt-à-Porter (1994),"Bastard Out Of Carolina" (1996), 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".

Lovett plays Collings acoustic guitars.

In 2010 Lovett appeared on an episode of Spectacle: Elvis Costello with... which also featured John Prine and Ray LaMontagne. He appeared on Castle in Season 3, Episode 9 in the role of a government agent.

In 2011, Lovett was named Texas State Artist Musician by the Texas Commission on the Arts.

Lovett contributed a cover of Buddy Holly's "Well... All Right" for the tribute album Listen to Me: Buddy Holly, released on September 6, 2011.

In 2013 Lovett appeared in Episode 2 of The Bridge, an FX series, as Flagman, a lawyer.

Lovett plays a humorous role in Angels Sing, a family Christmas movie released by Lionsgate. Lovett appears alongside fellow music celebrities Willie Nelson and Harry Connick, Jr., and actor/musicians Connie Britton, Kris Kristofferson, and others. In 1995, Lovett performed a duet with Randy Newman of You've Got a Friend in Me for Toy Story.

Personal life

Lovett performing at the Oregon Zoo, July 2016

Lovett married actress Julia Roberts after meeting her on the set of The Player. Following a three-week romance, they eloped and married in June 1993 in Marion, Indiana. In March 1995, they divorced after less than two years of marriage. People magazine reported that the breakup was caused by career demands. They remained friends afterwards.

Since late 1997, Lovett has been in a relationship with April Kimble. They became engaged in 2003.

On March 28, 2002 Lovett was trapped by a bull against a fence on his uncle's farm in Klein, Texas, before being pulled to safety. He fully recovered after six months from a badly broken leg, and began touring again in summer 2003.

Lovett was conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters by the University of Houston on May 15, 2010 at its general commencement ceremony. His mother was in the audience as her son was presented with an honorary doctorate from the same university from which she had received her bachelor's degree in 1960. His father was also a graduate of the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture of the University of Houston.

In 2015, Lovett received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Texas A&M University.

Lovett is also a horse enthusiast, and co-owns and competes in reining competitions with world class Quarter Horse, Smart and Shiney.

• 1995 Major League Baseball All-Star Game - song performer "The Star-Spangled Banner"

[Original air date: July 11, 1995]

• 2010 World Series - song performer "The Star-Spangled Banner"

Game 4 [Original air date: October 30, 2010]

Both of Lovett's National Anthem performances were at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Musician

• Still Alice (2014) - song performer "If I Had A Boat"; songwriter for Karen Elson's performance of same
• The Bridge (TV series; 2014)
• True Blood (TV series; episode "I Will Rise Up" - 2009) – song performer "I Will Rise Up"
• Walk Hard (2007) – song performer "Walk Hard"
• Deadwood (TV series; episode "Bullock Returns to the Camp" - 2005) – song performer "Old Friend" (1994)
• The Exonerated (TV movie; 2005) – song performer "Amazing Grace"
• The Interpreter (2005) – song performer "If I Had a Boat"
• 61* (TV movie; 2001) – 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)
• For Love of the Game (1999) – song performer "Summer Wind"
• 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.
• Beverly Hills, 90210 (TV series; episode "One Wedding and A Funeral" - 1995) – song performer "Nobody Knows Me"
• 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"

Actor

• Life in Pieces (TV series; episode "Facebook Fish Planner Backstage" - 2017) - Ned Gawler
• The Bridge (TV series; 10 episodes - 2013-2014) - Monte P. Flagman
• Angels Sing (2013) – Griffin
• Castle (TV series) (TV series; episode "Close Encounters of the Murderous Kind" - 2010) – Agent Westfield
• The Open Road (2008) – Peabody Bartender
• Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007) – Himself
• Brothers and Sisters (TV Series; episode "Something New" - 2007) – Himself
• The New Guy (2002) – Bear Harrison
• Three Days of Rain (2002) – Disc Jockey
• Dharma and Greg (TV series; episode "The Trouble With Troubadours" - 2000) – Himself
• Mad About You (TV series; episode "The Final Frontier" Part 1 - 1999) – Lenny
• Penn & Teller's Sin City Spectacular (TV series; episode #1.23 - 1999) - Himself
• 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 (TV movie; 1997) – Research Scientist
• Bastard Out of Carolina (1996) – Wade
• Mad About You (TV series; episode "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 (TV movie; 1983) – Singer at Beach

Actor

• Much Ado About Nothing (The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles, 2010) – Balthazar

Composer

• Much Ado About Nothing (The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles, 2010)

• Oermann, Robert K. (1998). "Lyle Lovett". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 307.
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