MUSIC
STORY BY DR. JOSHUA SHERMAN
Lyle Lovett
GRAMMY ® Award winning musician, singer, and songwriter Lyle Lovett returns to Shelburne Museum on August 1 for a highly-anticipated performance with his Large Band
I first interviewed Lyle Lovett in early 2024, prior to his concert at The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington, MA. Over the last 18 months or so, he and I have become good friends.
When people ask me about him, I always comment,“ He is both interesting and interested.” It’ s a rare combination— not just in celebrities— but in all people.
Before he won the hearts of countless fans and listeners with his music, Lyle started out as a journalism major at Texas A & M University. His curious mind is obvious and apparent both onstage and offstage. The four-time GRAMMY ®-winning singer, songwriter, and guitarist is passionate about many things: his family, photography, horses, motorcycles, boots— the list goes on and on.
I recently visited with Lyle in Concord, NH, when he played The Capitol Center for The Arts. He invited his old pal, Burlington-based producer, performer, and writer, Jim Rooney, to the stage. It was a magical night of old friends playing great music together.
Lyle is no stranger to Vermont, having played countless concerts here since the 1980s. He first performed in the Green Mountain State at Stowe as Bonnie Raitt’ s opening act, and has performed at multiple Vermont venues in the years that followed, including The Flynn Center and Memorial Auditorium in Burlington, and Shelburne Museum. He will return to Shelburne on August 1, 2025, accompanied by his Large Band. Here are some excerpts from a recent conversation I shared with Lyle about his love for music, life, and Vermont:
Sherman: Lyle, I know you’ ve played Shelburne before.
Lovett: Last time we played there, it was beautiful. It was perfect weather with a beautiful sunset, and there were 3,500 people in that field there next to the museum. I’ m hoping for good weather this year, and I’ m looking forward to it. Over my years of touring, I’ ve learned just how important being outdoors is for people in that part of the country, because the seasons are so much more distinct. In Texas, we kind of have three quarters of a year of summer, and a quarter of a year of fall.
16 VERMONT MAGAZINE