Lyle Lovett

Lyle Lovett grew up in Klein, Texas, where his father's country records and his mother's piano lessons gave him an early feel for music. He started playing guitar and singing while studying at Texas A&M University, which led to his self-titled debut album in 1986. That record and the ones that followed, like 1988's 'Pontiac' and 1992's 'Joshua Judges Ruth,' established him as a songwriter who didn't fit neatly into one genre.

His songs often mix country storytelling with jazz phrasing and folk intimacy. 'If I Had a Boat,' from his 1996 album 'The Road to Ensenada,' became one of his best-known pieces, but his catalog includes everything from the wry character study of 'Creeps Like Me' to the tender 'An Acceptable Level Of Ecstasy (The Wedding Song).' He writes about people and situations with a dry, observant wit.

Lovett has kept recording and touring steadily, putting out albums like 'My Baby Don't Tolerate' in 2003 and 'Release Me' in 2012. His live shows, documented on records like 1999's 'Live in Texas,' are where his large band and his conversational delivery really connect with an audience.