LYLE LOVETT A singer, composer and actor, Lyle Lovett has broadened the definition of American music in a career that spans 14 albums. Coupled with his gift for storytelling, the Texas-based musician fuses elements of country, swing, jazz, folk, gospel and blues in a convention-defying manner that breaks down barriers. Lovett has appeared in 13 feature films, and on stage and television. Among his many accolades, besides the four Grammy Awards, he was given the Americana Music Association’s inaugural Trailblazer Award, and was recently named the Texas State Musician. Garden & Gun recently called Lovett “one of America’s most beloved singer/songwriters,” and he was featured in the coveted “What I’ve Learned” column in the February 2012 issue of Esquire. Lovett has been touring in support of Release Me since its release in February. The album was #1 for several weeks on the Americana charts. Produced by Nathaniel Kunkel and Lovett, Release Me represents the end of an era as it was his last record for Curb/Universal Music Group after being on the label for his entire career. Release Me is quintessential Lyle, mixing a smart collection of originals and songs written by some of his favorite songwriters that show not only the breadth of this Texas legend’s deep talents, but also the diversity of his influences, making him one of the most infectious and fascinating musicians in popular music. Since his self-titled debut in 1986, Lyle Lovett has evolved into one of music’s most vibrant and iconic performers. His oeuvre, rich and eclectic, is one of the most beloved of any living artist working today.

JOHN HIATT Over thirty-five years after the release of his debut album, John Hiatt remains one of America’s most respected and influential singer-songwriters. As the Los Angeles Times once wrote, “(Hiatt) writes the funniest sad songs – and the saddest funny songs – of just about anybody alive.” John Hiatt’s songs have been covered by artists as diverse as Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt (“Thing Called Love”), Buddy Guy, Emmylou Harris, Ronnie Milsap, Iggy Pop, the Neville Brothers, Rosanne Cash (the #1 country hit, “The Way We Make A Broken Heart”), the Jeff Healey Band (“Angel Eyes”), Willie Nelson, Steve Earle, Linda Ronstadt, and even the cartoon bear band of Disney’s 2002 film, The Country Bears. He earned a Grammy nomination for his album Crossing Muddy Waters, and B.B. King and Eric Clapton shared a Grammy for their album Riding With The King, the title track from which was a Hiatt composition. In 2007, John Hiatt was honored with his own star on Nashville’s Walk of Fame and his legacy was even further cemented with a pair of accolades in the fall of 2008: the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting in September, and his October induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. With seven solo albums already under his belt, Hiatt’s A&M debut, Bring The Family (1987), was his breakthrough. His rootsy, rock-country-blues fusion – performed with guitarist Ry Cooder, bassist Nick Lowe, and drummer Jim Keltner – was Hiatt’s first charted effort, and he was subsequently named Best Male Vocalist in Rolling Stone’s annual Critics Poll. Bonnie Raitt would later cover the album’s “Thing Called Love” on her multiplatinum smash, Nick Of Time, and fan favorites “Memphis In The Meantime” and “Have A Little Faith In Me” have been covered by artists from Joe Cocker and Delbert McClinton to Jewel. In the last few years Hiatt has released Same Old Man, The Open Road, Dirty Jeans & Mudslide Hymns and most recently Mystic Pinball all to critical acclaim as All Music Guide declares “And for a guy who has cranked out four studio albums in five years, Hiatt is having a great run as a songwriter…”