Lyle Lovett facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lyle Lovett
Lyle Lovett performing in 2005
Background information
Birth name	Lyle Pearce Lovett
Born	(1957-11-01) November 1, 1957 (age 67) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Origin	Klein, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Alternative country Americana rockabilly blues jazz swing
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar piano
Years active	1980–present
Labels	MCA Curb Lost Highway Verve
Associated acts	Randy Newman John Hiatt Joe Ely Guy Clark Los Super Seven Francine Reed

Lyle Pearce Lovett (born November 1, 1957) is an American country singer and actor. He has been making music since 1980. So far, he has released 14 albums and 25 songs. One of his most famous songs is "Cowboy Man." Lyle Lovett has won four Grammy Awards for his music. His newest album, 12th of June, came out in 2022.

Early Life and Education

Lyle Lovett was born in Houston, Texas. His family lived in a nearby town called Klein. His parents were William Pearce and Bernell Louise Lovett. Lyle grew up in the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. He went to Texas A&M University. In 1980, he earned degrees in both German and Journalism. In the early 1980s, Lovett often played his guitar and sang by himself in small bars near his college.

Music Career Highlights

Lyle Lovett started his music journey as a singer and songwriter. He became well-known in the Texas folk music scene in the early 1980s. He even performed at the Kerrville Folk Festival.

How Lyle Lovett Started with a Band

In 1983, Lovett was invited to play music in Luxembourg. There, he met a band called J. David Sloan and the Rogues. The band members, Ray Herndon and Matt Rollings, asked Lovett to sing some of his songs with them. This was the first time Lovett had ever sung with a band. It showed him how much better his songs could sound with other musicians.

The band offered Lovett free studio time to record his music. In 1984, he recorded 18 songs. A demo tape of four of these songs helped him get his first record deal. Ten of the songs he recorded with the Rogues became his first album. Many of the musicians from the Rogues, like Herndon and Rollings, later played in Lovett's own band. He also met Francine Reed, who sang with him for many years.

First Album and Unique Music Style

Lyle Lovett signed with MCA Records in 1986. He then released his first album, called Lyle Lovett. While he is known for country music, his songs often mix different styles. These include folk, swing, blues, jazz, and gospel music.

Lyle Lovett performing at MerleFest in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, April 2011

Grammy Awards and Other Achievements

Lyle Lovett has won four Grammy Awards. These awards celebrate excellence in music.

• In 1990, he won Best Male Country Vocal Performance for his album Lyle Lovett and His Large Band.
• In 1995, he won Best Pop Vocal Collaboration for "Funny How Time Slips Away" with Al Green. He also won Best Country Performance by a Duo/Group with Vocal for "Blues For Dixie" with Asleep at the Wheel.
• In 1997, he won Best Country Album for The Road to Ensenada.

In 1995, Lovett sang a duet with Randy Newman called "You've Got a Friend in Me" for the movie Toy Story. He plays Collings acoustic guitars.

In 2011, Lovett was named the Texas State Artist Musician. In 2019, he was added to the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame. His album 12th of June was released in 2022.

Acting Career

Lyle Lovett has also acted in many movies and TV shows. He worked with director Robert Altman on four films: The Player (1992), Short Cuts (1993), Prêt-à-Porter (1994), and Cookie's Fortune (1999). He also wrote the music for Altman's movie Dr. T & the Women (2000).

Some of his other movie roles include The New Guy (2002) and Angels Sing (2013), a Christmas movie where he acted with other musicians like Willie Nelson. On TV, he has appeared on shows like Mad About You, Castle, and The Bridge.

Personal Life

Lovett performing at the Oregon Zoo in Portland, July 2016

Lyle Lovett married actress Julia Roberts in 1993. They divorced in 1995, but they remained friends.

In 2003, Lovett became engaged to April Kimble. They got married in 2017. On June 12, 2017, they welcomed twins, a son and a daughter. Lovett named his 2022 album 12th of June after their birthday. One song on the album, "Her Loving Man," is about his wife. The family lives on a farm in East Texas that has been in Lovett's family since the 1850s.

In 2002, Lovett had an accident on his uncle's farm. A bull trapped him against a fence, and he broke his leg. He recovered fully after six months and was able to tour again in 2003.

In 2010, the University of Houston gave Lovett an honorary degree. His parents also went to the University of Houston. In 2015, Texas A&M University gave him a Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Lyle Lovett loves horses. He owns and competes with a special horse named Smart And Shiney in reining competitions. In 2012, he was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. In 2018, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Reining Horse Association.

Discography

• Lyle Lovett (1986)
• Pontiac (1987)
• Lyle Lovett and His Large Band (1989)
• Joshua Judges Ruth (1992)
• I Love Everybody (1994)
• The Road to Ensenada (1996)
• Step Inside This House (1998)
• My Baby Don't Tolerate (2003)
• It's Not Big It's Large (2007)
• Natural Forces (2009)
• Release Me (2012)
• 12th of June (2022)

Film and TV Appearances

Lyle Lovett has been a musician and an actor in many productions.

As a Musician (Selected)

• Still Alice (2014) — performed "If I Had A Boat"
• True Blood (TV series, 2009) — performed "I Will Rise Up"
• Walk Hard (2007) — performed "Walk Hard"
• The Interpreter (2005) — performed "If I Had a Boat"
• Dr. T & the Women (2000) — performed and composed music
• Toy Story (1995) — performed "You've Got a Friend in Me" with Randy Newman
• The Firm (1993) — performed "M-O-N-E-Y"

As an Actor (Selected)

Theatre Work

Lyle Lovett has also been involved in theatre.

As an Actor

• Much Ado About Nothing (The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles, 2010) – He played the role of Balthazar.

As a Composer

• Much Ado About Nothing (The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles, 2010) – He also wrote music for this play.

Awards and Honors

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are very important music awards. Lyle Lovett has won four Grammys from 17 nominations.

See also

In Spanish: Lyle Lovett para niños