While the subject of the previous post is a new Houstonian, the subject of this Tennessean.com article is one of my favorite native Houstonians, the humble and multi-talented, Lyle Lovett.
Lovett performed and received the “Trailblazer Award” at the Americana Music Awards and Honors in Nashville last night. He also turned 50. As the article notes, Lovett’s marvelous talent has generated a remarkably consistent musical product throughout his 21 year recording career:

A back-to-back listen to his self-titled debut album and to new album It’s Not Big It’s Large offers evidence that Lovett has broadened but not changed his sound or style during his career. His songs have always been layered, intelligent and emotionally precise, written in moments of inspiration and whittled to marrow. Back then, they called his stuff “country.” Now it’s “Americana.” Go figure.

A marvelous songwriter, Lovett passes along arguably his most important songwriting quality:

“I don’t feel like [songwriting is] harder as you go along,” he said. “I’ve always felt like it’s hard. I’m always blocked as a writer, always. And every time I write something I’m happy with, I have this feeling like, ‘That could be the last one.’ “