Skinny
Texas singer/songwriter known for his
deadpan lyrics ("The
Samuel Beckett of
country music"), bizarre hair, craggy face, and his unique blend of
folk,
jazz,
blues,
western swing, and
gospel in his music (but that's not why
Esquire named him "a complete handbook for gentlemen" in their 1994 cover story on "How to Be a Man." That title he got for getting married to
Julia Roberts).
Although following in the country and western footsteps of his idols like
Guy Clark and
Willie Nelson, Lovett also pushes the musical envelope, by drifting between one genre and the next. In addition to the Texas swing, big band sound, and gospel noted before, you're likely to hear the
bossa nova or
Cajun music in his songs as you are
bluegrass or the folkie sound of an acoustic guitar.