Lucinda Williams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lucinda Williams
Williams performing in 2009
Background information
Birth name	Lucinda Gayl Williams
Born	(1953-01-26) January 26, 1953 (age 72) Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S.
Genres	Americana contemporary folk alternative country country rock
Occupations	Singer songwriter musician
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1978–present
Labels	Highway 20 Lost Highway Mercury Chameleon Rough Trade Folkways

Lucinda Gayl Williams (born January 26, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She is known for her unique blend of Americana, folk, country, and rock.

Her first two albums, Ramblin' on My Mind (1979) and Happy Woman Blues (1980), showed her traditional country and blues style. Critics praised these albums, but they were not widely known. In 1988, she released her third album, Lucinda Williams, which became very popular with critics. This album is now seen as a classic in Americana music. It included the song "Passionate Kisses", which later won Williams her first Grammy Award in 1994 for Best Country Song.

Williams was known for taking her time to create music. Four years later, in 1992, she released Sweet Old World. This album also received great reviews. Her biggest success came in 1998 with Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. This album mixed rock, blues, country, and Americana into her own special sound. It became her most successful album, selling enough copies to be certified Gold. It also earned her a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.

Williams has released many more albums since then, like Essence (2001) and World Without Tears (2003). She has won three Grammy Awards from 17 nominations and two Americana Awards. In 2002, Time magazine called her "America's best songwriter." In 2015, Rolling Stone magazine ranked her among the 100 greatest songwriters of all time. She was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame in 2021.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Lucinda Williams was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Her father, Miller Williams, was a poet and professor, and her mother, Lucille Fern Day, was a pianist. Her parents divorced in the mid-1960s. Lucinda and her younger siblings lived with their father.

Her father often moved for his work as a visiting professor. They lived in places like Mexico, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Jackson, Mississippi, and Utah. They later settled in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Lucinda did not finish high school, but she was accepted into the University of Arkansas.

Williams started writing when she was only 6 years old. She loved music from a young age and began playing guitar at 12. Her first public performance was in Mexico City when she was 17. She performed as a duo with her friend, Clark Jones, who played the banjo.

Music Career Highlights

Starting Out (1978–1987)

By her early 20s, Williams was performing in Austin and Houston, Texas. She played a mix of folk, rock, and country music. In 1978, she moved to Jackson, Mississippi, to record her first album for Folkways Records.

Her first album, Ramblin' on My Mind, came out in 1979. It was a collection of country and blues cover songs. Smithsonian Folkways described it as "the first recordings from an artist with a gift for interpreting original blues."

Her second album, Happy Woman Blues, was released the next year. This album featured her own songs. One song, "I Lost It," was re-recorded later for her 1998 album, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. In the 1980s, Williams moved to Los Angeles, California, and then to Nashville, Tennessee. She gained many fans and a good reputation, sometimes playing with a rock band and sometimes performing acoustic sets.

Rising to Fame (1988–1997)

In 1988, Williams released her third album, Lucinda Williams. This album was produced by Williams, Gurf Morlix, and Dusty Wakeman. Critics loved it, and it was voted one of the best albums of the year. Many people now see it as a very important album in the Americana music style.

The song "Changed the Locks" from this album was played on the radio. Famous musicians like Tom Petty became fans and even covered the song later. Another song, "Passionate Kisses", was recorded by Mary Chapin Carpenter in 1992. This version became a big hit and helped Williams win a Grammy Award for Best Country Song.

In 1992, Williams released her fourth album, Sweet Old World. This album also received a lot of praise from critics. Music critic Robert Christgau called it "gorgeous, flawless, brilliant." The song "Something About What Happens When We Talk" was later used in the 2014 movie Wild.

During this time, Williams was most successful as a songwriter for other artists. Emmylou Harris, a famous singer, said that Williams was "the best of what country at least says it is." Harris later recorded the title track from Sweet Old World for her own album. Williams also became known for taking a long time to record her albums. Six years passed before her next album was released.

Breakthrough Success (1998–1999)

Her long-awaited album, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, was released in 1998. This album was her big breakthrough into mainstream music. It received widespread praise from critics and won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album in 1999.

The album became Williams' first to appear on the Billboard 200 music chart, reaching No. 68. It stayed on the chart for over five months and was certified Gold within a year. Critics praised how Williams described rural life in the Southern United States. Rolling Stone magazine later called it an "alternative country masterpiece." In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked it No. 98 on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

The song "Can't Let Go" was also played a lot on the radio. It earned Williams a Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. Even Robert Plant (from Led Zeppelin) and Alison Krauss later covered this song. Another song, "Still I Long for Your Kiss," was featured in the 1998 movie The Horse Whisperer. Williams toured with famous artists like Bob Dylan and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers to support the album.

Continued Success (2000–2009)

Williams released Essence in 2001. This album had a simpler, more relaxed sound. It moved Williams further from traditional country music and gained her new fans in the alternative music world. The album was nominated for a Grammy, and Williams won the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for the song "Get Right With God".

Her seventh album, World Without Tears, came out in 2003. This album was musically adventurous and explored electric blues. It was a critical and commercial success, becoming her first album to reach the Top 20 on the Billboard 200 chart. AllMusic called it "the bravest, most emotionally wrenching record she's ever issued." This album earned Williams two more Grammy nominations.

Williams performing in 2006

In 2007, Williams released her eighth album, West. She wrote more than 27 songs for this album, which dealt with her mother's death and a difficult relationship breakup. The song "Come On" from this album earned her two Grammy nominations. In late 2007, Williams performed a special series of shows in Los Angeles and New York. She played her entire catalog of albums on consecutive nights, with special guest stars joining her.

Her ninth album, Little Honey, was released in 2008. It became her first Top 10 album on the Billboard 200 chart, reaching No. 9. Spin magazine called it "her finest record since Car Wheels on a Gravel Road." This album earned Williams a Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album.

Later Albums and Accolades (2010–Present)

On March 1, 2011, Williams released her 10th studio album, Blessed. This album was also a critical and commercial success, debuting at No. 15 on the Billboard 200. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Americana Album.

In 2014, Williams released her 11th studio album, Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone. This was the first album on her own record label, Highway 20 Records. It was highly praised by critics and debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard 200. It won the Americana Music Award for Album of the Year in 2015.

Williams performs in 2019

Her 12th album, The Ghosts of Highway 20, was released in 2016. AllMusic praised it, saying Williams was entering "one of the most fruitful periods of her recording career." In 2017, she received an Honorary Doctorate of Music Degree from Berklee College of Music. She also released This Sweet Old World, a re-recorded version of her 1992 album.

In 2018, she released Vanished Gardens, a collaborative album with jazz musician Charles Lloyd and the Marvels. Williams performed on five tracks. In 2019, she produced Jesse Malin's album Sunset Kids and co-wrote some songs.

On April 23, 2020, Williams released her album Good Souls Better Angels. This album received excellent reviews. The Irish Times gave it five out of five stars, praising its powerful lyrics. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Americana Album.

In October 2021, Williams was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame. In 2022, she received the Americana Music Association-UK International Lifetime Achievement Award and the BMI Troubadour Award, which celebrates songwriters who have made a lasting impact.

On June 30, 2023, Williams released her 15th studio album, Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart. She also announced a new album in her Lu's Jukebox series, where she covers the Beatles' songs from their Abbey Road album.

Her Band

From 1985 to 1996, Williams' band included guitarist Gurf Morlix. Since before 2012, her backing band has been called the Buick 6. Their name was inspired by Bob Dylan's song "From a Buick 6". The band members include Butch Norton on drums, Stuart Mathis on guitar, and David Sutton on bass.

Personal Life

In 1986, Williams married Long Ryders drummer Greg Sowders, but they divorced within two years. In September 2009, she married Tom Overby, who is also her manager. Her father performed the marriage ceremony on stage at a nightclub in Minneapolis.

In November 2020, Williams had a stroke at her home in Nashville. She recovered and was able to tour again in 2021. In 2023, Williams released her autobiography called Don't Tell Anyone the Secrets I Told You: A Memoir. The book shares details about her family life and her journey to build a successful music career.

Discography

Awards and Recognitions

Americana Music Honors and Awards

The Americana Music Honors & Awards celebrate great achievements in Americana music. Lucinda Williams has been nominated eleven times and has won two awards.

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are given each year for amazing achievements in music. Lucinda Williams has won three Grammy Awards from 17 nominations.

Other Honors

• 1999 – Ranked No. 97 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women in Rock & Roll.
• 2002 – Named "America's best songwriter" by Time.
• 2002 – Ranked No. 36 on CMT's 40 Greatest Women of Country Music.
• 2015 – Ranked No. 79 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.
• 2017 – Received an Honorary Doctorate of Music Degree from Berklee College of Music.
• 2017 – Ranked No. 91 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time.
• 2020 – Car Wheels on a Gravel Road ranked No. 97, and Lucinda Williams ranked No. 426, on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
• 2021 – Inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame.
• 2021 – "Passionate Kisses" ranked No. 437 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
• 2022 – Received the Americana Music Association-UK International Lifetime Achievement Award.
• 2022 – Received the BMI Troubadour Award.
• 2023 – Honored at the AMERICANAFEST Pre-Grammy Salute to Lucinda Williams.
• 2023 – Awarded Best Roots Rock / Americana Artist and Best Roots Rock / Americana Album (for Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart) in OffBeat's Best of the Beat Awards.

See also

In Spanish: Lucinda Williams para niños

• Music of Austin