Williams Hits The Highway

After spending much of last year on the road – including several weeks with Neil Young – countrified folk-rocker Lucinda Williams is ready for more. She’s announced a new North American run, set to begin February 20 at John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Sparks, Nev., and continuing around the country through mid-March.

Williams has been releasing material to critical acclaim since 1979, though a variety of factors kept her popularity from surging immediately. Record label difficulties as well as her famous perfectionism contributed to persistent gaps of several years between albums.

However, despite her infrequent offerings and sparse promotion, a rabid cult following developed and, by the 1990s, notable fans including Emmylou Harris and Tom Petty were scoring hits with covers of Williams’ tunes.

Since 1998’s Grammy-winning Car Wheels On A Gravel Road, Williams’ popularity has skyrocketed, and she’s become significantly more prolific – releasing Essence in 2001 and World Without Tears in 2003, both on Lost Highway Records.

Williams previewed World Without Tears at her South By Southwest performance last March, and the album hit the Top 20 when it was released the following month. Critics lauded the album as one of 2003’s best.