Lyle Lovett is 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 as he combined 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 hits of the late ’80s. Drawing from alternative country and rock fans, Lyle Lovett quickly built up a following, which began to spill over into the mainstream with his second album, 1988’s Pontiac. Following Pontiac, his reputation as a songwriter and musician continued to grow. Lyle won the Grammy for Best Male Vocalist for the 1989 album Lyle Lovett and His Large Band and a second Grammy for his 1993 duet with Al Green, “Funny How Time Slips Away,” from the album Rhythm, Country and Blues. In 1994, Lyle’s fifth album I Love Everybody dropped. Instead of recording new material, Lyle used this release to clean out his song writing catalog. All the songs on the album were written between 1976 and 1985. In 1996, Lyle released Road To Ensenada, which received a Grammy for Best Country Album. Lyle continued to record and in 2012, he dropped Release Me. Lyle continues to tour all the world.
