Lucinda Williams

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For the athlete, see Lucinda Williams (athlete).
Lucinda Williams
Williams playing guitar onstage
Williams at the Fillmore NYC, October 2009
Background information
Birth nameLucinda Gayle Williams
Born (1953-01-26) January 26, 1953 (age 68)
Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
InstrumentsGuitar
Years active1978–present
Labels
Associated acts
Websitelucindawilliams.com

Lucinda Gayle Williams[1] (born January 26, 1953)[2] is an American rock, folk and country music singer, songwriter and musician.

She recorded her first albums, Ramblin' (1978) and Happy Woman Blues (1980), in a traditional country and blues style and received very little public or radio attention. In 1988, she released her third album, Lucinda Williams, to critical raves.[3] This release featured "Passionate Kisses", a song later recorded by Mary Chapin Carpenter, which garnered Williams her first Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 1994. Known for working slowly, Williams' fourth album, Sweet Old World, appeared four years later in 1992, to further critical acclaim.

Williams' commercial breakthrough came in 1998 with Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, an album presenting a broader scope of songs that fused rock, blues, country and Americana into a distinctive style that remained consistent and commercial in sound. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, which includes the Grammy nominated track "Can't Let Go", became Williams' greatest commercial success to date. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA and earned Williams a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album, while being universally acclaimed by critics. Williams released the critically acclaimed Essence three years later, and the album also became a commercial success. One of the album's tracks, "Get Right with God", earned Williams the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 2002.

Williams has released a string of albums since that have earned her further critical acclaim and commercial success, including World Without Tears (2003), West (2007), and Good Souls Better Angels (2020). She has won three Grammy Awards, from 17 nominations, and received two Americana Awards, from 12 nominations. Additionally, Williams ranked No. 97 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women in Rock & Roll in 1998,[4] she was named "America's best songwriter" by Time magazine in 2002,[5] and was chosen by Rolling Stone as the 79th greatest songwriter of all time.[6]

Early life[]

Williams was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, the daughter of poet and literature professor Miller Williams and an amateur pianist, Lucille Fern Day. Her parents divorced in the mid-1960s. Williams's father gained custody of her and her younger brother, Robert Miller, and sister, Karyn Elizabeth. Like her father, she has spina bifida.[7] Her father worked as a visiting professor in Mexico and different parts of the United States, including Baton Rouge; New Orleans; Jackson, Mississippi; and Utah before settling at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Williams never graduated from high school but was accepted into the University of Arkansas.[8] Williams started writing when she was 6 years old. She showed an affinity for music at an early age, and was playing guitar at 12. Williams's first live performance was in Mexico City at 17, as part of a duo with her friend, a banjo player named Clark Jones.[9]

Career[]

Early years[]

By her early 20s, Williams was playing publicly in Austin and Houston, Texas, concentrating on a blend of folk, rock and country. She moved to Jackson, Mississippi, in 1978 to record her first album, for Smithsonian/Folkways Records. Titled Ramblin' on My Mind, it was a collection of country and blues covers. The album title was shortened to Ramblin' when it was reissued. She followed it up in 1980 with Happy Woman Blues, which consisted of her own material. Neither album received much public or radio attention.

In the 1980s, Williams moved to Los Angeles, California (before finally settling in Nashville, Tennessee), where, at times backed by a rock band and at others performing in acoustic settings, she developed a following and a critical reputation. While based in Los Angeles, she was briefly married to Long Ryders drummer Greg Sowders, whom she had met in a club. In 1988, Rough Trade Records released the critically acclaimed self-titled Lucinda Williams, which was produced by Gurf Morlix. The single "Changed the Locks", about a broken relationship, received radio play around the country and gained fans among music insiders, including Tom Petty, who would later cover the song.

In 1992, Williams released her fourth album, Sweet Old World, on the Chameleon label. Also produced by Morlix, is a melancholy album dealing with themes of suicide and death. Williams' biggest success during the early 1990s was as a songwriter. Mary Chapin Carpenter recorded a cover of "Passionate Kisses" (from Lucinda Williams) in 1992, and the song became a smash country hit for which Williams received the Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 1994. Carpenter also received a Grammy for her performance of the song. She duetted with Steve Earle on the song "You're Still Standin' There" from his album I Feel Alright. In 1991, the song "Lucinda Williams" appeared on Vic Chesnutt's album West of Rome.

Williams had garnered considerable critical acclaim, but her commercial success was moderate. Emmylou Harris said of Williams, "She is an example of the best of what country at least says it is, but, for some reason, she's completely out of the loop and I feel strongly that that's country music's loss." Harris recorded the title track from Williams's Sweet Old World for her career-redefining 1995 album, Wrecking Ball.

Williams also gained a reputation as a perfectionist and slow worker when it came to recording; six years would pass before her next album release, though she appeared as a guest on other artists' albums and contributed to several tribute compilations during this period.

Car Wheels on a Gravel Road[]

The long-awaited release, 1998's Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, was Williams' breakthrough into the mainstream and received a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. The album received wide critical notice and soon went gold. The single "Can't Let Go" also enjoyed considerable crossover radio play, and garnered Williams a Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Voval Performance. Another song from the album, "Still I Long for Your Kiss", was featured on the soundtrack album to the Robert Redford film The Horse Whisperer (1998). Williams toured with Bob Dylan, the Allman Brothers and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and on her own in support of the album. An expanded edition of the album, including three additional studio recordings and a second CD documenting a 1998 concert, was released in 2006.

In 1999, she appeared on Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons, duetting with David Crosby on the title track of the tribute album.

Williams followed up the success of Car Wheels on a Gravel Road with Essence (2001). This release features a less produced, more down-tuned approach both musically and lyrically, and moved Williams further from the country music establishment while winning fans in the alternative music world. She won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for the single "Get Right with God", an atypically up-tempo gospel-rock tune from the otherwise rather low-key release. The title track includes a contribution on a Hammond organ by alternative country musician Ryan Adams.

Her seventh album, World Without Tears, was released in 2003. A musically adventurous though lyrically downbeat album, this release found Williams experimenting with talking blues stylings and electric blues. It received critical acclaim and commercial success, becoming Williams' first Top 20 album on the Billboard charts, and earned her two Grammy nominations in 2004.

Further success[]

Williams performs at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, England in 2006

Williams was a guest vocalist on the song "Factory Girls" from Irish punk-folk band Flogging Molly's 2004 album, "Within a Mile of Home", and appeared on Elvis Costello's The Delivery Man. She sings with folk legend Ramblin' Jack Elliott on the track "Careless Darling" from his 2006 release "I Stand Alone."

In 2006, Williams recorded a version of the John Hartford classic "Gentle on My Mind", which played over the closing credits of the Will Ferrell film Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

In 2007, Williams released West, for which she wrote more than 27 songs. The album was released on February 13, 2007. It addresses her mother's death and a tumultuous relationship break-up. The lead single "Come On" earned Williams two Grammy nominations the following year, for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance and Best Rock Song. In the fall of 2007, Williams announced a series of shows in Los Angeles and New York. Playing five nights in each city, she performed her entire catalog on consecutive nights. These albums include the self-titled Lucinda Williams, Sweet Old World, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, Essence, and World Without Tears. Each night also featured a second set with special guest stars. Some of the many special guests included Steve Earle, Allison Moorer, Mike Campbell, Greg Dulli, E, Ann Wilson, Emmylou Harris, David Byrne, David Johansen, Yo la Tengo, John Doe, Chuck Prophet, Jim Lauderdale and Shelby Lynne. In addition, each night's album set was recorded and made available to the attendees that night. These live recordings are currently available on her website and at her shows.

The next album from Williams wrapped recording in March 2008. Titled Little Honey, it was released on October 14 of that year and later earned Williams another Grammy nomination, for Best Americana Album. It includes 13 songs—among them, "Real Love" and "Little Rock Star", the latter inspired by music celebrities in the press, like Pete Doherty and Amy Winehouse. "Little Honey" also includes a cover of AC/DC's "Long Way to the Top" and "Rarity", inspired by singer-songwriter Mia Doi Todd.[10]

In July 2008, though "Little Honey" had yet to be released, Paste magazine.com listened to an advance copy and rated the duet between Williams and Elvis Costello on the song "Jailhouse Tears" as the No. 5 all-time greatest country/rock duets. Her 2008 concert appearance at the Catalyst, Santa Cruz, contained an announcement by the city's mayor that September 6, 2008 would henceforth be Lucinda Williams Day[citation needed].

2010-2019[]

Williams released a cover of Shel Silverstein's "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" in June 2010 as part of the Twistable, Turnable Man tribute album.[11]

Williams at a Lincoln Center Out Of Doors concert in NYC, August 2016

On March 1, 2011, Williams released the album Blessed.[12]

In September 2012, she was featured in a campaign called "30 Songs / 30 Days" to support Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, a multi-platform media project inspired by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn's book.[13]

In 2012 and 2013 Williams went on U.S. tour accompanied only by guitarist Doug Pettibone.[14]

On September 30, 2014, Williams released her eleventh studio album, Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone, the first album on her Highway 20 Records label.[15]

In 2015, Williams provided backup vocals for the Don Henley song "Train in the Distance" on his album Cass County.[16]

On February 5, 2016, Williams released the album The Ghosts of Highway 20 and performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on February 17, 2016.

In May 2017, Williams was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music during the 2017 Commencement Concert.[17] In June, Rolling Stone named Williams one of the 100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time.[18] Later that year, she re-recorded and expanded her 1992 Sweet Old World album, this time titled This Sweet Old World.[19]

On June 29, 2018, Blue Note Records released Vanished Gardens by Charles Lloyd & the Marvels which features Lucinda on five tracks.[20] Marvels members Bill Frisell and Greg Leisz have previously worked with Williams,[21] including on Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.

In 2019, Williams co-produced New York singer/songwriter Jesse Malin's LP Sunset Kids and co-wrote three tracks on the album. She also performs on three tracks of Sunset Kids.[22]

Recent work[]

On February 4, 2020, Williams announced her new album Good Souls Better Angels will be released on April 23. In the same Rolling Stone article, Williams released the first single from the album, "Man Without a Soul", which strongly alludes to President Donald Trump.[23] At the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, Good Souls Better Angels received a nomination for Best Americana Album[24] and songwriters Williams and Tom Overby received a nomination in the Best American Roots Song category for "Man Without a Soul".[25]

On March 19, 2020 Williams released a song she wrote for the Netflix movie Lost Girls, titled "Lost Girl".[26] Later that year, Williams began "Lu's Jukebox", a six-episode series of themed live performances.[27]

Personal life[]

During the 1980s, Williams was briefly married to Long Ryders drummer Greg Sowders. In September 2009 she married Tom Overby, an executive from Best Buy's music department, who is also her manager. The marriage ceremony was performed on stage at First Avenue by her father.[28]

On November 17, 2020, Williams suffered a stroke in her home in Nashville.[29] Doctors discovered a blood clot, and she was discharged five weeks later. Though at the time she needed to walk with a cane and still could not play guitar, she subsequently recovered in time for her summer 2021 tour with Jason Isbell.[30]

Discography[]

Main article: Lucinda Williams discography

Awards and nominations[]

Americana Music Honors & Awards[]

The Americana Awards are presented annually by the Americana Music Association and celebrate outstanding achievement in Americana music. Williams is one of the most nominated artists in the history of the awards show with 12, including 2 wins.[31]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2003 — Artist of the Year Nominated
"Righteously" Song of the Year Nominated
2007 West Album of the Year Nominated
— Artist of the Year Nominated
"Are You Alright?" Song of the Year Nominated
2011 Blessed Album of the Year Nominated
— Lifetime Achievement Award (songwriting) Honored
2015 Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone Album of the Year Won
— Artist of the Year Nominated
"East Side of Town" Song of the Year Nominated
2016 The Ghosts of Highway 20 Album of the Year Nominated
— Artist of the Year Nominated

Grammy Awards[]

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the record industry. Williams has received three awards in three separate categories (country, folk and rock) from 17 nominations that span five genres (pop, rock, country, folk and Americana).[32]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1993 "Passionate Kisses" (songwriter)[33][34] Best Country Song Won
1999 "Can't Let Go" Best Female Rock Vocal Performance Nominated
Car Wheels on a Gravel Road[2] Best Contemporary Folk Album Won
2002 "Cold, Cold Heart" Best Female Country Vocal Performance Nominated
"Essence" Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Nominated
"Get Right with God"[35] Best Female Rock Vocal Performance Won
Essence Best Contemporary Folk Album Nominated
2003 "Lately" (from Going Driftless – An Artists' Tribute to Greg Brown) Best Female Country Vocal Performance Nominated
2004 "Righteously" Best Female Rock Vocal Performance Nominated
World Without Tears Best Contemporary Folk Album Nominated
2008 "Come On" Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance Nominated
Best Rock Song Nominated
2010 Little Honey Best Americana Album Nominated
2011 "Kiss Like Your Kiss" (from True Blood) Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media Nominated
2012 Blessed Best Americana Album Nominated
2021 "Man Without A Soul" Best American Roots Song Nominated
Good Souls Better Angels Best Americana Album Nominated

In popular culture[]

The American folk/rock band Augustana references the musician in the song "Meet You There", on their studio album Can't Love, Can't Hurt. The lyrics state, "Just put on Lucinda, Baby, and dance with me."[36]

She is also referenced by the character Kathleen "Kat" Hall played by Mireille Enos in the film If I Stay.

"Lucinda Williams" is the title of a song on the album West of Rome by Vic Chesnutt.

See also[]

  • Music of Austin

References[]

  1. ^ "BMI | Repertoire Search". repertoire.bmi.com.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Lucinda Williams biography. AllMusic. Retrieved on October 7, 2008.
  3. ^ France, Kim (December 1992). "Lucy in the Sky". Spin. New York. 8 (9): 26. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  4. ^ "VH1: 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll". Rock On The Net. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  5. ^ "'Essence' of the South" Archived 2008-12-11 at the Wayback Machine. CNN/TIME. Retrieved on October 7, 2008.
  6. ^ "The 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved on December 19, 2019.
  7. ^ Lewine, Edward. "Domains : Lucinda Williams : Country House". The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
  8. ^ Buford, Bill (5 June 2000). "Delta Nights: A Singer's Love Affair with Loss". New Yorker. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  9. ^ Bukowski, Elizabeth. "Lucinda Williams" Archived 2008-07-09 at the Wayback Machine Salon. Retrieved on January 11, 2000.
  10. ^ Gamboa, Glenn. "With 'Honey,' life is sweet for Lucinda Williams". PopMatters. October 13, 2008.
  11. ^ Padgett, Ray (June 1, 2010). "Lucinda Williams Covers "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" (Cover Me Premiere)". Cover Me. Archived from the original on June 5, 2010.
  12. ^ "OMN Best of 2011: Waterfront Blues Festival 2011: Lucinda Williams brings her 'Happy Woman' Blues to Portland". Oregon Music News. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  13. ^ "30 Songs / 30 Days for Half the Sky | Half The Sky". Halftheskymovement.org. 2012-08-30. Archived from the original on 2012-10-14. Retrieved 2012-09-17.
  14. ^ "Lucinda Williams and Doug Pettibone at The Birchmere Music Hall". 2012-08-20. Archived from the original on 2012-08-28. Retrieved 2013-05-24.
  15. ^ Deming, Mark. "Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone: Overview" AllMusic (Accessed October 5, 2014).
  16. ^ Don Henley – Train in the Distance (Audio). YouTube. 11 September 2015.
  17. ^ "Lucinda Williams Receives Honorary Doctorate From Berklee". The Boot. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  18. ^ David Brown; John Dolan; et al. (15 June 2017). "100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  19. ^ Fran C. Anderson (2017-08-16). "Hear Lucinda Williams' Re-Recorded Take of 'Six Blocks Away'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-04-26.
  20. ^ "Press release". Bluenote.com. May 16, 2018. Retrieved 2019-10-13.
  21. ^ "Charles Lloyd & Lucinda Williams Open Windows To Each Other's Souls". Npr.org. 2018-06-21. Retrieved 2019-10-13.
  22. ^ Hudak, Joseph (4 September 2019). "Jesse Malin and Lucinda Williams Celebrate Hard-Fought Survival on 'Sunset Kids'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  23. ^ Hudak, Joseph (2020-02-04). "Lucinda Williams Previews New Album With Scathing 'Man Without a Soul'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
  24. ^ "Grammy Awards Winners & Nominees for Best Americana Album". grammy.com. Recording Academy. 2021. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  25. ^ "Grammy Awards Winners & Nominees for Best American Roots Song". grammy.com. Recording Academy. 2021. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  26. ^ "Lucinda Williams Shares Song From New Netflix Movie Lost Girls". Pitchfork. 19 March 2020. Retrieved 2020-03-19.
  27. ^ "'Lu's Jukebox' a series of themed live performances". www.totalntertainment.com. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  28. ^ "Lucinda Williams Bio". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 20, 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  29. ^ Hudak, Joseph (2021-05-03). "Lucinda Williams Had a Stroke Last Year. She's Ready to Sing Again". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2021-07-20.
  30. ^ "Tour". Lucinda Williams. Retrieved 2021-07-20.
  31. ^ Awards | AmericanaMusic.org (https://americanamusic.org/awards)
  32. ^ "Artist: Lucinda Williams". www.grammy.com. Recording Academy. 2021. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  33. ^ "Lucinda Williams chooses acclaim over fame any day". CNN. February 4, 1999.
  34. ^ "The Grammy Winners". The New York Times. March 3, 1994.
  35. ^ "Grammys 2002: The winners". BBC News. February 28, 2002.
  36. ^ Layus, Dan. "Lyrics". Metro Lyrics. Sony. Retrieved 7 December 2016.

External links[]

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