View source for Lucinda Williams

{{Short description|American musician (born 1953)}}
{{about|the performer|her eponymous album|Lucinda Williams (album)|the athlete|Lucinda Williams (athlete)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name               = Lucinda Williams
| image              = Lucinda Williams & guitar.jpg
| alt                = Williams playing guitar onstage
| caption            = Williams performing in 2009
| background         = solo_singer
| birth_name         = Lucinda Gayl Williams
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1953|1|26}}
| birth_place        = [[Lake Charles, Louisiana]], U.S.
| genre              = {{hlist|[[Americana (music)|Americana]]|[[contemporary folk]]|[[alternative country]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/video-dept/steve-earle-and-lucinda-williams-on-art-and-empathy |title=Steve Earle and Lucinda Williams on Art and Empathy|last=Petrusich |first=Amanda |date=July 20, 2020 |work=New Yorker|access-date=2023-07-24 |quote=Steve Earle and Lucinda Williams—longtime friends and twin titans of so-called alternative-country}}</ref>|[[country rock]]}}
| occupations        = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter|musician}}
| instruments        = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar|}}
| years_active       = 1978–present
| label              = {{hlist|Highway 20|[[Lost Highway Records|Lost Highway]]|[[Mercury Records|Mercury]]|[[Chameleon Records|Chameleon]]|[[Rough Trade Records|Rough Trade]]|[[Folkways Records|Folkways]]}}
| website            = {{URL|lucindawilliams.com}}
}}

'''Lucinda Gayl Williams'''{{efn|Some sources spell her middle name as Gayle.}} (born January 26, 1953)<ref name=allmusicbio/> is an American singer-songwriter and a solo guitarist. She recorded her first two albums, ''[[Ramblin' on My Mind (Lucinda Williams album)|Ramblin' on My Mind]]'' (1979) and ''[[Happy Woman Blues]]'' (1980), in a traditional country and blues style that received critical praise but little public or radio attention. In 1988, she released her third album, [[Lucinda Williams (album)|''Lucinda Williams'']], to widespread critical acclaim.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=Spin |volume=8 |issue=9 |date=December 1992 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uZFqiGmZIPAC&pg=PT27 |title=Lucy in the Sky |page=26 |last=France |first=Kim |access-date=March 29, 2015 |archive-date=April 29, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160429055919/https://books.google.com/books?id=uZFqiGmZIPAC&pg=PT27 |url-status=live}}</ref> Regarded as "an Americana classic",<ref>{{cite news |last=Denselow |first=Robin |date=January 16, 2014 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jan/16/lucinda-williams-25th-anniversary-review |title=Lucinda Williams: Lucinda Williams 25th Anniversary Edition – review |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |access-date=March 29, 2015 |archive-date=December 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201228205047/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jan/16/lucinda-williams-25th-anniversary-review |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Hermes">{{cite magazine |last=Hermes |first=Will |author-link=Will Hermes |issue=1200 |date=January 16, 2014 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/lucinda-williams-20140114 |title=Lucinda Williams |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=March 29, 2015 |archive-date=December 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201228204955/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/lucinda-williams-108756/ |url-status=live}}</ref> the album also features "[[Passionate Kisses]]", a song later recorded by [[Mary Chapin Carpenter]] for her 1992 album ''[[Come On Come On]]'', which garnered Williams her first [[Grammy Award for Best Country Song]] in [[36th Annual Grammy Awards|1994]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C05E3DC133AF930A35750C0A962958260|title=The Grammy Winners|newspaper=New York Times|date=March 4, 1994|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110020902/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/03/arts/the-grammy-winners.html |archive-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref> Known for working slowly, Williams released her fourth album, ''[[Sweet Old World]]'', four years later in 1992. ''Sweet Old World'' was met with further critical acclaim and was voted the 11th best album of 1992 in ''[[The Village Voice]]''{{'}}s [[Pazz & Jop]], an annual poll of prominent music critics.<ref name=villagevoice>{{cite news |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres92.php |title=The 1992 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll |newspaper=The Village Voice |location=New York |date=March 2, 1993 |access-date=August 3, 2015 |archive-date=June 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606185713/http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres92.php |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Robert Christgau]], the poll's creator, ranked it 6th on his own year-end list,<ref name=robertchristgau1>{{cite news |last=Christgau |first=Robert |date=March 2, 1993 |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/deans92.php |title=Pazz & Jop 1992: Dean's List |newspaper=The Village Voice |location=New York |accessdate=August 3, 2015 |archive-date=May 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510220316/http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/deans92.php |url-status=live}}</ref> later writing that the album as well as ''Lucinda Williams'' were "gorgeous, flawless, brilliant".<ref name=robertchristgau2>{{cite news |last=Christgau |first=Robert |issue=June 12 |year=2001 |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/rock/lucinda-01.php |title=Encore From a Utopia |newspaper=The Village Voice |location=New York |accessdate=August 3, 2015 |archive-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128204026/http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/rock/lucinda-01.php |url-status=live}}</ref>

Williams' commercial breakthrough came in 1998 with ''[[Car Wheels on a Gravel Road]]'', an album presenting a broader scope of songs that fused rock, blues, country and [[Americana music|Americana]] into a distinctive style that remained consistent and commercial in sound. ''Car Wheels on a Gravel Road'', which includes the singles "[[Right in Time]]" and the [[Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance|Grammy nominated]] "[[Can't Let Go (Randy Weeks song)|Can't Let Go]]", became Williams' greatest commercial success to date. The album was certified [[Music recording certification#Certification thresholds|Gold]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] the following year, and earned her a [[Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album]], while being universally acclaimed by critics. Williams' next album, ''[[Essence (Lucinda Williams album)|Essence]]'', appeared in 2001 to further critical acclaim and commercial success, becoming her first Top 40 album on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], peaking at No. 28. Featuring a more downbeat musical tone, with spare, intimate arrangements, ''Essence'' earned Williams three Grammy nominations in [[44th Annual Grammy Awards|2002]]: Best Contemporary Folk Album, [[Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance|Best Female Pop Vocal Performance]] for the [[Essence (Lucinda Williams song)|title track]], and [[Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance|Best Female Rock Vocal Performance]] for the single "[[Get Right With God]]", which she won.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1845783.stm "Grammys 2002: The winners"] . [[BBC News]]. February 28, 2002.</ref>

One of the most celebrated singer-songwriters of her generation,<ref name=allmusicbio>{{cite web |last=Huey |first=Steve |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lucinda-williams-mn0000837215/biography |title=Artist Biography – Lucinda Williams |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=October 2, 2021 |archive-date=July 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200722120614/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lucinda-williams-mn0000837215/biography |url-status=live}}</ref> Williams has released a string of albums since that have earned her further critical acclaim and commercial success, including ''[[World Without Tears]]'' (2003), ''[[West (Lucinda Williams album)|West]]'' (2007), ''[[Little Honey]]'' (2008), ''[[Blessed (Lucinda Williams album)|Blessed]]'' (2011), ''[[Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone]]'' (2014), ''[[The Ghosts of Highway 20]]'' (2016), and ''[[Good Souls Better Angels]]'' (2020). Among her various accolades, she has won three [[Grammy Awards]] from 17 nominations,<ref name="grammy">{{cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/lucinda-williams/7914 |title=Artist: Lucinda Williams |publisher=[[The Recording Academy]] |access-date=April 27, 2020 |archive-date=October 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026174652/https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/lucinda-williams/7914 |url-status=live}}</ref> and has received two [[Americana Music Honors & Awards|Americana Awards]] (one competitive, one honorary) from 11 nominations.<ref>[https://americanamusic.org/awards Ceremony search] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200511154531/https://americanamusic.org/awards |date=May 11, 2020 }} americanamusic.org. Americana Music Association. Retrieved April 27, 2020.</ref> Williams ranked No. 97 on [[VH1]]'s [[The Greatest (VH1 TV series)|100 Greatest Women in Rock & Roll]] in 1999,<ref name=rockonthenet>{{cite web |url=http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/1999/vh1women.htm |title=VH1: 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll |publisher=Rock on the Net |access-date=July 9, 2017 |archive-date=October 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181007031845/http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/1999/vh1women.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> and was named "America's best songwriter" by ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine in 2002.<ref name=time>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/americasbest/pro.lwilliams.html|title=Essence' of the South|publisher=[[CNN]]/[[TIME]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211061602/http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/americasbest/pro.lwilliams.html|archive-date=December 11, 2008}}</ref> In 2015, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' ranked her the 79th [[Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time|greatest songwriter of all time]].<ref name=rswriter>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/interactive/lists-100-greatest-songwriters/#lucinda-williams|title=The 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time|magazine=Rolling Stone|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624095503/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-songwriters#lucinda-williams |archive-date=June 24, 2018}}</ref> In 2017, she received the [[Berklee College of Music]] Honorary Doctorate of Music Degree,<ref name=berklee/> and ranked No. 91 on ''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s 100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time.<ref name=rscounty/> In 2020, ''Car Wheels on a Gravel Road'' ranked No. 97 and ''Lucinda Williams'' ranked No. 426 on [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]].<ref name=rscar>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/lucinda-williams-car-wheels-on-a-gravel-road-4-1063135/ |title=The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time > Car Wheels on a Gravel Road |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=September 22, 2020 |access-date=April 11, 2021 |archive-date=April 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419010238/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/lucinda-williams-car-wheels-on-a-gravel-road-4-1063135 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=rslu>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/lucinda-williams-lucinda-williams-1062807/ |title=The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time > Lucinda Williams |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=September 22, 2020 |access-date=April 11, 2021 |archive-date=October 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005132339/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/lucinda-williams-lucinda-williams-1062807/ |url-status=live}}</ref> She was inducted into the [[Austin City Limits]] Hall of Fame in 2021.<ref name=austinhallfame/> That same year, "Passionate Kisses" ranked No. 437 on [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]].<ref name=rspk>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/lucinda-williams-passionate-kisses-1224900/ |title=The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time > Passionate Kisses |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=September 15, 2021 |access-date=July 3, 2022 |archive-date=July 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220724025835/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/lucinda-williams-passionate-kisses-1224900/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Early life==
Williams was born in [[Lake Charles, Louisiana]], the daughter of poet and literature professor [[Miller Williams]], and amateur pianist Lucille Fern Day. Her parents divorced in the mid-1960s. Williams' father gained custody of her and her younger brother, Robert Miller, and sister, Karyn Elizabeth. Like her father, Williams has [[spina bifida]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/magazine/01wwln-domains-t.html |title=Domains : Lucinda Williams : Country House |author=Lewine, Edward |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 26, 2009 |access-date=April 24, 2014 |archive-date=February 27, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227160518/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/magazine/01wwln-domains-t.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Her father worked as a visiting professor in Mexico and different parts of the United States, including [[Baton Rouge]]; [[New Orleans]]; [[Jackson, Mississippi]]; and [[Utah]] before settling at the [[University of Arkansas]] in [[Fayetteville, Arkansas|Fayetteville]]. Williams never graduated from high school but was accepted into the University of Arkansas.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Buford |first1=Bill |title=Delta Nights: A Singer's Love Affair with Loss |url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2000/06/05/delta-nights |access-date=July 22, 2014 |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |date=June 5, 2000 |archive-date=July 25, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140725192211/http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2000/06/05/delta-nights |url-status=live}}</ref> Williams started writing when she was 6 years old. She showed an affinity for music at an early age, and was playing guitar at 12. Her first live performance was in Mexico City at 17, as part of a duo with her friend, banjo player Clark Jones.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Bukowski|first=Elizabeth|url=http://archive.salon.com/people/bc/2000/01/11/lucinda/print.html|title=Lucinda Williams|date=January 11, 2000|magazine=[[Salon.com|Salon]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080709035759/http://archive.salon.com/people/bc/2000/01/11/lucinda/print.html|archive-date=July 9, 2008}}</ref>

==Career==
===1978–1987: Early career===
By her early 20s, Williams was playing publicly in [[Austin, Texas|Austin]] and [[Houston]], Texas, concentrating on a blend of [[Folk music|folk]], rock, and [[Country music|country]]. She moved to [[Jackson, Mississippi]], in 1978 to record her first album for [[Folkways Records]]. Released in 1979, and titled ''[[Ramblin' on My Mind (Lucinda Williams album)|Ramblin' on My Mind]]'', it was a collection of country and [[blues]] covers. [[Smithsonian Folkways]] provides a description: "The first recordings from an artist with a gift for interpreting original blues from [[Robert Johnson]] to [[Memphis Minnie]] to the [[Carter Family]]. Williams' unmistakable sound is powerfully direct and filled with melancholy and passion."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://folkways.si.edu/lucinda-williams/ramblin/american-folk-country/music/album/smithsonian |title=Ramblin' on My Mind – Lucinda Williams |website=[[Smithsonian Folkways]] |access-date=February 13, 2018 |archive-date=January 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180109205755/https://folkways.si.edu/lucinda-williams/ramblin/american-folk-country/music/album/smithsonian |url-status=live}}</ref> When the album was re-issued in 1991, the title was shortened to ''Ramblin'''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wolff |first=Kurt |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/ramblin-mw0000274511 |title=Ramblin' |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=August 10, 2005 |archive-date=June 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120610072313/http://www.allmusic.com/album/ramblin-mw0000274511 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Williams' second album, ''[[Happy Woman Blues]]'', appeared the following year, and consisted of her own material. ''[[Trouser Press]]'' felt the record was more "rock-oriented" than Williams' debut album, writing that she used timeworn ideas such as "smoke-stained bars, open roads and a heart that never learns" but reimagined them "in a way that is both contemporary and uncynical".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=lucinda_williams |title=Lucinda Williams |work=Trouser Press |access-date=September 3, 2015 |archive-date=October 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012194743/http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=lucinda_williams |url-status=live}}</ref> One album track, "I Lost It", was re-recorded 18 years later for Williams' fifth album ''[[Car Wheels on a Gravel Road]]'' (1998). In the 1980s, Williams moved to Los Angeles, California (before finally settling in [[Nashville, Tennessee]]), where, at times backed by a rock band and at others performing in acoustic settings, she developed a following and a critical reputation. While based in Los Angeles, she was briefly married to [[The Long Ryders|Long Ryders]] drummer [[Greg Sowders]], whom she had met in a club.<ref name=nytimes>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/14/magazine/lucinda-williams-is-in-pain.html |last=Frey |first=Darcy |title=Lucinda Williams is in pain |website=The New York Times |date=September 14, 1997 |access-date=May 26, 2020 |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603195229/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/14/magazine/lucinda-williams-is-in-pain.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

===1988–1997: ''Lucinda Williams'', ''Sweet Old World'', and critical acclaim===
In 1988, Williams released her third album, ''[[Lucinda Williams (album)|Lucinda Williams]]'', on [[Rough Trade Records]]. Produced by Williams, along with [[Gurf Morlix]], and [[Dusty Wakeman]], the album was met with widespread critical acclaim and was voted the 16th best album of the year in ''[[The Village Voice]]''{{'}}s annual [[Pazz & Jop]] critics poll.<ref>{{cite news |date=February 28, 1989 |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres88.php |title=The 1988 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll |newspaper=[[The Village Voice]] |location=New York |access-date=March 30, 2015 |archive-date=December 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224162931/http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres88.php |url-status=live}}</ref> It has since been viewed as a leading work in the development of the [[Americana (music)|Americana]] movement. In 2014, [[Robin Denselow]] called it "an Americana classic" in ''[[The Guardian]]'',<ref>{{cite news |last=Denselow |first=Robin |date=January 16, 2014 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jan/16/lucinda-williams-25th-anniversary-review |title=Lucinda Williams: Lucinda Williams 25th Anniversary Edition – review |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=March 29, 2015 |archive-date=December 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201228205047/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jan/16/lucinda-williams-25th-anniversary-review |url-status=live}}</ref> while Stephen M. Deusner wrote for [[CMT (U.S. TV channel)|CMT]] that it is "a roots-rock landmark, ground zero for today's burgeoning Americana movement".<ref>{{cite web |last=Deusner |first=Stephen M. |date=January 20, 2014 |url=http://www.cmtedge.com/2014/01/20/lucinda-williams-looks-back-at-her-breakthrough/ |title=Lucinda Williams Looks Back at Her Breakthrough |publisher=CMT |access-date=March 29, 2015 |archive-date=December 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201228204959/http://www.cmt.com/news/ |url-status=live}}</ref> A retrospective review from [[AllMusic]] stated "Every song packs an emotional punch line and rewards the listener each time with something new".<ref>{{cite web |last=Iyengar |first=Vik |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/lucinda-williams-mw0000202452 |title=Lucinda Williams – Lucinda Williams |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=August 10, 2005 |archive-date=December 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201228205011/https://www.allmusic.com/album/lucinda-williams-mw0000202452 |url-status=live}}</ref> The single "[[Changed the Locks]]", about a broken relationship, received radio play around the country and gained fans among music insiders, including [[Tom Petty]], who would later cover the song in 1996 on the [[Songs and Music from "She's the One"|soundtrack album]] to the [[Edward Burns]] film ''[[She's the One (1996 film)|She's The One]]''. ''Lucinda Williams'' also features "[[The Night's Too Long]]", later recorded by [[Patty Loveless]] in 1990 for her album ''[[On Down the Line (album)|On Down the Line]]'', and "[[Passionate Kisses]]", later recorded by [[Mary Chapin Carpenter]] for her album ''[[Come On Come On]]'' (1992). Adhering closely in tempo, feel, and instrumentation to Williams' original recording, "Passionate Kisses" became a major hit for Carpenter, enhancing her crossover appeal and earning her the [[Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance]] in [[36th Annual Grammy Awards|1994]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/mary-chapin-carpenter/8684 |title=Artist: Mary Chapin Carpenter |website=www.grammy.com |date=November 23, 2020 |publisher=Recording Academy |access-date=October 26, 2021 |archive-date=October 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026163108/https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/mary-chapin-carpenter/8684 |url-status=live}}</ref> while it earned Williams the [[Grammy Award for Best Country Song]].<ref name="grammy"/>

In 1991, the song "Lucinda Williams" appeared on [[Vic Chesnutt]]'s album ''West of Rome''.<ref name=vicwest>{{cite web |last=Carroll |first=Bryan |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/west-of-rome-mw0000617787 |title=West of Rome- Vic Chesnutt |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=August 10, 2005 |archive-date=August 28, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120828162104/http://www.allmusic.com/album/west-of-rome-mw0000617787 |url-status=live}}</ref> The following year, Williams released her fourth album, ''[[Sweet Old World]],'' on the [[Chameleon (label)|Chameleon]] label. Also produced alongside Morlix and Wakeman, ''Sweet Old World'' is a melancholy album dealing with themes of suicide and death. The album received mass critical acclaim, and was voted the 11th best album of 1992 in ''The Village Voice''{{'}}s Pazz & Jop poll.<ref name=villagevoice/> [[Robert Christgau]], the poll's creator, ranked it 6th on his own year-end list,<ref name=robertchristgau1/> later writing that the album was "gorgeous, flawless, brilliant [with] short-story details ('chess pieces,' 'dresses that zip up the side') packing a textural thrill akin to [[wikt:local color|local color]]".<ref name=robertchristgau2/> AllMusic's Steve Huey said it was just as good as her 1988 self-titled album, calling it "a gorgeous, elegiac record that not only consolidates but expands Williams' ample talents."<ref>{{cite web |last=Huey |first=Steve |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/sweet-old-world-mw0000082196 |title=Sweet Old World – Lucinda Williams |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=August 10, 2005 |archive-date=June 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120610063419/http://www.allmusic.com/album/sweet-old-world-mw0000082196 |url-status=live}}</ref> The track "[[Something About What Happens When We Talk]]" was later featured in the [[Cheryl Strayed]] biographical adventure film ''[[Wild (2014 film)|Wild]]'' (2014), starring [[Reese Witherspoon]] and [[Laura Dern]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Monger |first=Timothy |title=Wild [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/wild-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-mw0002759106 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=October 24, 2021 |archive-date=October 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025160612/https://www.allmusic.com/album/wild-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-mw0002759106 |url-status=live}}</ref>

During this period, Williams' biggest commercial successes remained as a songwriter. [[Emmylou Harris]] said of Williams, "She is an example of the best of what country at least says it is, but, for some reason, she's completely out of the loop and I feel strongly that that's country music's loss." Harris later recorded the title track from ''Sweet Old World'' for her career-redefining 1995 album, ''[[Wrecking Ball (Emmylou Harris album)|Wrecking Ball]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ankeny |first=Jason |title=''Wrecking Ball'' – Emmylou Harris |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/wrecking-ball-mw0000176103 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=May 11, 2020 |archive-date=May 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524141547/https://www.allmusic.com/album/wrecking-ball-mw0000176103 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 1996, Williams duetted with [[Steve Earle]] on the song "You're Still Standin' There" from his album ''[[I Feel Alright]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Deming |first=Mark |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/i-feel-alright-mw0000181122 |title=I Feel Alright – Steve Earle |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=August 10, 2005 |archive-date=October 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023083707/http://www.allmusic.com/album/i-feel-alright-mw0000181122 |url-status=live}}</ref> Williams also gained a reputation as a perfectionist and slow worker when it came to recording; six years would pass before her next album release, though she appeared as a guest on other artists' albums and contributed to several tribute compilations during this period.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lucinda-williams-mn0000837215/credits |title=Lucinda Williams – Credits |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=August 10, 2015 |archive-date=January 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220102181119/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lucinda-williams-mn0000837215/credits |url-status=live}}</ref>

===1998–1999: ''Car Wheels on a Gravel Road'' and commercial breakthrough===
Her long-awaited 1998 album ''[[Car Wheels on a Gravel Road]]'' was Williams' breakthrough into the mainstream. The album received widespread critical acclaim, topping the annual [[Pazz & Jop]] poll, and received a [[Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album]] in 1999. It became Williams' first album to chart on [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], peaking at No. 68, and remaining on the chart for over five months.<ref name=bill200>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/lucinda-williams/chart-history/tlp/ |title=Billboard 200 > Lucinda Williams |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=October 2, 2021 |archive-date=October 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006200121/https://www.billboard.com/music/Lucinda-Williams/chart-history/TLP |url-status=live}}</ref> The album also went [[Music recording certification#Certification thresholds|Gold]] within a year of release.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Lucinda+Williams&ti=#search_section |title=US Certifications > Lucinda Williams |publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]] |access-date=January 3, 2020 |archive-date=October 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211007145301/https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Lucinda+Williams&ti=#search_section |url-status=live}}</ref> Reviewing for ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' in July 1998, [[David Browne (journalist)|David Browne]] found Williams' hard-edged evocations of [[Southern United States|Southern]] rural life refreshing amid a music market overrun by timid, mass-produced female artists,<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Browne |first=David |authorlink=David Browne (journalist) |date=July 10, 1998 |url=https://ew.com/article/1998/07/06/car-wheels-gravel-road/ |title=Dandy Williams: Much delayed and breathlessly awaited, Lucinda's gritty new cycle of songs Wheels so good |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |issue=440 |location=New York |access-date=May 12, 2011 |page=74 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170322112721/https://ew.com/article/1998/07/06/car-wheels-gravel-road/ |archive-date=March 22, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> while ''[[The Village Voice]]'' critic Robert Christgau argued at the time that she proved herself to be the era's "most accomplished record-maker" by honing traditional [[popular music]] composition, understated vocal emotions, and realistic narratives colored by her native experiences and values.<ref>{{cite news |last=Christgau |first=Robert |issue= |year= |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv698-98.php |title=Consumer Guide |newspaper=The Village Voice |location=New York |access-date=August 3, 2015 |archive-date=November 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105194704/http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv698-98.php |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2003, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine called the record an [[alternative country]] masterpiece and ranked it No. 304 on its list of [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]], and ranked it No. 305 in 2012's revised list.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-156826/lucinda-williams-car-wheels-on-a-gravel-road-33088/ |year=2012 |title=500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=September 9, 2019 |archive-date=May 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510173631/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-156826/lucinda-williams-car-wheels-on-a-gravel-road-33088/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2020, ''Rolling Stone'' updated its Top 500 albums of all-time list, which reflected an updated and diverse judging pool, and the album rose to No. 98 on that list.<ref name=rscar/>

The single "[[Can't Let Go (Randy Weeks song)|Can't Let Go]]" also enjoyed considerable crossover radio play and garnered Grammy nomination for [[Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance|Best Female Rock Vocal Performance]] for Williams. It was later covered by [[Robert Plant]] (best known as lead vocalist of [[Led Zeppelin]]) and [[Alison Krauss]] as a duet, released in 2021.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/cant-let-go-mw0003574437 |title=Can't Let Go |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2021 |website=AllMusic |access-date=August 19, 2023}}</ref> Another song from the album, "Still I Long for Your Kiss", was featured on the soundtrack album of the 1998 [[Robert Redford]] film ''[[The Horse Whisperer (film)|The Horse Whisperer]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Owens |first=Thom |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-horse-whisperer-original-soundtrack-mw0000598515 |title=The Horse Whisperer [Original Soundtrack] |website=AllMusic |access-date=January 21, 2017 |archive-date=August 29, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160829152526/http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-horse-whisperer-original-soundtrack-mw0000598515 |url-status=live}}</ref> The track "Lake Charles" was later featured in the [[True Blood (season 1)#ep1|first episode]] of the [[HBO]] series ''[[True Blood]]'', and was included on the first season's soundtrack album.<ref>{{cite web |last=Phares |first=Heather |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/true-blood-music-from-the-hbo-original-series-mw0000820408 |title=True Blood [Music from the HBO Original Series] |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=October 6, 2021 |archive-date=October 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016162221/https://www.allmusic.com/album/true-blood-music-from-the-hbo-original-series-mw0000820408 |url-status=live}}</ref> On February 20, 1999, Williams performed the tracks "Can't Let Go" and "2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten" on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' (episode "[[Saturday Night Live (season 24)#ep460|Bill Murray/Lucinda Williams]]").<ref>{{cite web |author=Night Live |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0694753/?ref_=_51 |title=Bill Murray/Lucinda Williams |date=February 20, 1999 |publisher=[[IMDb]] |access-date=May 17, 2021 |archive-date=October 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027170318/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0694753/?ref_=_51 |url-status=live}}</ref> Williams toured with [[Bob Dylan]], the [[The Allman Brothers|Allman Brothers]] and [[Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers]], and on her own in support of the album. An expanded edition of the album, including three additional studio recordings and a second CD documenting a 1998 concert, was released in 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/4229902-Lucinda-Williams-Car-Wheels-On-A-Gravel-Road |title=Lucinda Williams – Car Wheels On A Gravel Road |work=[[Discogs]] |access-date=September 9, 2019 |archive-date=October 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211011033820/https://www.discogs.com/release/4229902-Lucinda-Williams-Car-Wheels-On-A-Gravel-Road |url-status=live}}</ref> In 1999, she appeared on ''[[Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons]]'', duetting with [[David Crosby]] on the title track.<ref>{{cite web |last=Morgenstein |first=Mark |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/return-of-the-grievous-angel-a-tribute-to-gram-parsons-mw0000238824 |title=Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=October 6, 2021 |archive-date=October 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006134953/https://www.allmusic.com/album/return-of-the-grievous-angel-a-tribute-to-gram-parsons-mw0000238824 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===2000–2003: ''Essence'' and ''World Without Tears''===
Williams followed up the success of ''Car Wheels on a Gravel Road'' with ''[[Essence (Lucinda Williams album)|Essence]]'', released on June 5, 2001. Featuring a less produced, more down-tuned approach both musically and lyrically, ''Essence'' moved Williams further from the country music establishment, while winning fans in the alternative music world. The album received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Album in [[44th Annual Grammy Awards|2002]], while Williams won the [[Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance]] for the single "[[Get Right With God]]", an atypically up-tempo gospel-rock tune from the otherwise rather low-key release. The [[Essence (Lucinda Williams song)|title track]] includes a contribution on tremolo guitar by [[alternative country]] musician [[Ryan Adams]], and earned Williams a nomination for the [[Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance]]. At the same ceremony, Williams was nominated for the [[Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance]] for her cover of "[[Cold, Cold Heart]]", from the all-star [[Hank Williams]] tribute album, ''Timeless: Hank Williams Tribute'' (2001).<ref>{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000014218|label=''Timeless: Hank Williams Tribute'' – Various Artists|access-date=7 July 2014}}</ref> On January 13, 2002, Williams performed with [[Elvis Costello]] on the inaugural episode of ''[[CMT Crossroads]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gray |first=Michael |url=http://www.elviscostello.info/articles/a-c/cmt.011206a.html |title=Costello, Williams Tape Crossroads Session for CMT |website=The Elvis Costello Home Page |access-date=October 10, 2021 |archive-date=October 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010171037/http://www.elviscostello.info/articles/a-c/cmt.011206a.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Later that year, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine christened Williams "America's best songwriter",<ref name=time/> and [[CMT (American TV channel)|CMT]] ranked her No. 36 on its list of the 40 Greatest Women of Country Music.<ref name=cmt40>{{Citation |url=http://www.cmt.com/shows/dyn/greatest_series/76608/episode_countdown.jhtml |title=CMT's 40 Greatest Women of Country Music |publisher=[[CMT (American TV channel)|Country Music Television]] |access-date=October 1, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090414142311/http://www.cmt.com/shows/dyn/greatest_series/76608/episode_countdown.jhtml |archive-date=April 14, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Her seventh album, ''[[World Without Tears]]'', was released on April 8, 2003. A musically adventurous though lyrically downbeat album, this release found Williams experimenting with talking blues stylings and electric blues. It received critical acclaim and was a commercial success, becoming Williams' first Top 20 album on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], peaking at No. 18.<ref name=bill200/> [[AllMusic]] called it "the bravest, most emotionally wrenching record she's ever issued".<ref>{{cite web |last=Jurek |first=Thom |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/world-without-tears-mw0000593807 |title=World Without Tears – Lucinda Williams |website=AllMusic |access-date=January 21, 2017 |archive-date=December 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226170050/http://www.allmusic.com/album/world-without-tears-mw0000593807 |url-status=live}}</ref> In his review for the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', [[Robert Hilburn]] deemed it "a rock 'n' roll workout", writing that its edgiest songs sounded "close to the raw, disoriented feel" of [[the Rolling Stones]]' 1972 album ''[[Exile on Main St.]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hilburn |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Hilburn |date=April 6, 2003 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-apr-06-ca-racka6-story.html |title=Williams is on an exploration for 'World Without Tears' |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=January 21, 2017 |archive-date=February 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202013304/http://articles.latimes.com/2003/apr/06/entertainment/ca-rackA6 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''World Without Tears'' earned Williams two Grammy nominations in [[46th Annual Grammy Awards|2004]]: Best Contemporary Folk Album, and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for the single "[[Righteously (song)|Righteously]]". The previous year, Williams was nominated for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her cover of [[Greg Brown (folk musician)|Greg Brown]]'s "Lately", from ''Going Driftless: An Artists' Tribute to Greg Brown''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Burger |first=Jeff |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0000223767 |title=Going Driftless: An Artist's Tribute to Greg Brown |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=July 16, 2022 |archive-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128180405/https://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0000223767 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===2004–2009: ''West'', ''Little Honey'', and continued success===
[[File:Lucinda Williams November 8 2006.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Williams performs at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, England in 2006]]

Williams was a guest vocalist on the song "Factory Girls" from Irish punk-folk band [[Flogging Molly]]'s 2004 album "[[Within a Mile of Home]]",<ref>{{cite web |last=Kristel |first=Todd |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/within-a-mile-of-home-mw0000403685 |title=Within a Mile of Home – Flogging Molly |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=July 16, 2022 |archive-date=May 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517114834/https://www.allmusic.com/album/within-a-mile-of-home-mw0000403685 |url-status=live}}</ref> and appeared on [[Elvis Costello]]'s ''[[The Delivery Man (album)|The Delivery Man]]'' (2004).<ref>{{cite web |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-delivery-man-mw0000392666 |title=The Delivery Man – Elvis Costello & the Imposters |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=July 16, 2022 |archive-date=December 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202022254/https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-delivery-man-mw0000392666 |url-status=live}}</ref> She sang with folk legend [[Ramblin' Jack Elliott]] on the track "Careless Darling" from his 2006 album ''[[I Stand Alone (Ramblin' Jack Elliott album)|I Stand Alone]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Jurek |first=Thom |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/i-stand-alone-mw0000402017 |title=I Stand Alone – Ramblin' Jack Elliott |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=July 16, 2022 |archive-date=December 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203153217/https://www.allmusic.com/album/i-stand-alone-mw0000402017 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2006, she recorded a version of the [[John Hartford]] classic "[[Gentle on My Mind (song)|Gentle on My Mind]]", which played over the [[closing credits]] of the [[Will Ferrell]] film ''[[Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0415306/soundtrack/?ref_=tt_trv_snd |title=Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby- Soundtracks |publisher=[[IMDb]] |access-date=May 17, 2021 |archive-date=February 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210217033639/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0415306/soundtrack/?ref_=tt_trv_snd |url-status=live}}</ref>

On February 13, 2007, Williams released her eighth album, ''[[West (Lucinda Williams album)|West]]'', for which she wrote more than 27 songs. It addresses her mother's death and a tumultuous relationship break-up. The album's lead single, "[[Are You Alright?]]", was ranked No. 34 on ''Rolling Stone's''  list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007,<ref>No byline (December 11, 2007). [https://web.archive.org/web/20071215233717/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/17601363/the_100_best_songs_of_2007/9 "The 100 Best Songs of 2007"] ''Rolling Stone''. Retrieved December 21, 2007</ref> while the third single, "Come On", earned Williams two Grammy nominations: [[Grammy Award for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance|Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance]] and [[Grammy Award for Best Rock Song|Best Rock Song]]. In the fall of 2007, Williams announced a series of shows in Los Angeles and New York. Playing five nights in each city, she performed her entire catalog on consecutive nights. These albums include the self-titled ''Lucinda Williams'' (1988), ''Sweet Old World'' (1992), ''Car Wheels on a Gravel Road'' (1998), ''Essence'' (2001), and ''World Without Tears'' (2003). Each night also featured a second set with special guest stars, including [[Steve Earle]], [[Allison Moorer]], [[Mike Campbell (musician)|Mike Campbell]], [[Greg Dulli]], [[Mark Oliver Everett|E]], [[Ann Wilson]], [[Emmylou Harris]], [[David Byrne]], [[David Johansen]], [[Yo la Tengo]], [[John Doe (musician)|John Doe]], [[Chuck Prophet]], [[Jim Lauderdale]] and [[Shelby Lynne]]. Each night's album set was recorded and made available to the attendees that night. These live recordings are currently available on her website and at her shows.

Williams wrapped recording on her ninth album in March 2008. Titled ''[[Little Honey]]'', it was released on October 14 of that year and become her first Top 10 album on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], peaking at No. 9.<ref name=bill200/> ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' called it "her finest record since ''Car Wheels on a Gravel Road''," stating she "goes back to the roots-rock well and takes a long, satisfying swig",<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://spin.com/reviews/lucinda-williams-little-honey-lost-highway |title=Lucinda Williams, Little Honey |magazine=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |date=October 9, 2008 |access-date=October 3, 2021 |last=Wood |first=Mikael |archive-date=February 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202144356/https://www.spin.com/2008/10/lucinda-williams-little-honey-lost-highway/ |url-status=live}}</ref> while AllMusic called it "the most polished and studied record she's ever made".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/little-honey-mw0000788614 |title=Little Honey – Lucinda Williams |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=July 30, 2022 |last=Jurek |first=Thom |archive-date=October 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005232501/https://www.allmusic.com/album/little-honey-mw0000788614 |url-status=live}}</ref> It earned Williams a Grammy nomination for [[Grammy Award for Best Americana Album|Best Americana Album]] in [[52nd Annual Grammy Awards|2010]] (the first year to feature this category). The album includes 13 songs—among them, "[[Real Love (Lucinda Williams song)|Real Love]]" and "Little Rock Star", the latter inspired by music celebrities in the press, like [[Pete Doherty]] and [[Amy Winehouse]]. It also includes a cover of [[AC/DC]]'s "[[It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)]]", and "Rarity", inspired by singer-songwriter [[Mia Doi Todd]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gamboa|first=Glenn|url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/article/64377/with-honey-life-is-sweet-for-lucinda-williams/|title=With 'Honey,' life is sweet for Lucinda Williams|website=[[PopMatters]]|date=October 13, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081017101220/http://www.popmatters.com/pm/article/64377/with-honey-life-is-sweet-for-lucinda-williams |archive-date=October 17, 2008}}</ref>

In July 2008, though "Little Honey" was yet to be released, ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'' listened to an advance copy and ranked the duet between Williams and Elvis Costello on the song "Jailhouse Tears" as the No.&nbsp;5 all-time greatest country/rock duet.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Jackson|first=Josh|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/elvis-costello/elvis-costello-lucinda-williams-the-best-countryro/|title=Elvis Costello, Lucinda Williams & The Best Country/Rock Duets|date=July 29, 2008|magazine=Paste|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010180256/https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/elvis-costello/elvis-costello-lucinda-williams-the-best-countryro/ |archive-date=October 10, 2021}}</ref> Her 2008 concert appearance at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz contained an announcement by the city's mayor that September 6, 2008, would henceforth be Lucinda Williams Day.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://highwaytwentyrecords.com/topic/our-road-trip-to-santa-cruz/ |title=Our Road Trip to Santa Cruz |date=September 7, 2008 |via=Highway 20 Records |access-date=November 1, 2021 |archive-date=November 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211101212038/https://highwaytwentyrecords.com/topic/our-road-trip-to-santa-cruz/ |url-status=usurped}}</ref> In June 2008, she sang lead vocal  on [[M. Ward]]'s cover of "[[Oh Lonesome Me]]" for his "Hold Time" record (Merge Records).

===2010–2015: ''Blessed'' and ''Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone''===
Williams released a cover of Shel Silverstein's "[[The Ballad of Lucy Jordan]]" in June 2010, as part of the ''Twistable, Turnable Man'' tribute album.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.covermesongs.com/2010/06/lucinda-williams-covers-%e2%80%9cthe-ballad-of-lucy-jordan%e2%80%9d-cover-me-premiere.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100605014515/http://www.covermesongs.com/2010/06/lucinda-williams-covers-%E2%80%9Cthe-ballad-of-lucy-jordan%E2%80%9D-cover-me-premiere.html |url-status=dead |title=Lucinda Williams Covers "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" (Cover Me Premiere) |first=Ray |last=Padgett |date=June 1, 2010 |archive-date=June 5, 2010 |website=Cover Me}}</ref>
	
On March 1, 2011, Williams released her 10th studio album ''[[Blessed (Lucinda Williams album)|Blessed]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=OMN Best of 2011: Waterfront Blues Festival 2011: Lucinda Williams brings her 'Happy Woman' Blues to Portland |url=http://oregonmusicnews.com/2011/06/28/waterfront-blues-festival-2011-lucinda-williams-brings-her-happy-woman-blues-to-portland/ |publisher=Oregon Music News |access-date=June 17, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120805044740/http://oregonmusicnews.com/2011/06/28/waterfront-blues-festival-2011-lucinda-williams-brings-her-happy-woman-blues-to-portland/ |archive-date=August 5, 2012}}</ref> Another critical and commercial success; the album debuted at No. 15 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album in [[54th Annual Grammy Awards|2012]]. It was also nominated for the Americana Award for Album of the Year. The track "Kiss Like Your Kiss" originally appeared in the [[HBO]] series ''[[True Blood]]'',<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/elvis-costello-lucinda-williams-and-beck-contribute-lto-true-blood-65904/ |title=Elvis Costello, Lucinda Williams and Beck Contribute to 'True Blood' |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=May 25, 2010 |access-date=August 3, 2022 |archive-date=March 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306031941/https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/elvis-costello-lucinda-williams-and-beck-contribute-lto-true-blood-65904/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and was nominated for the [[Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media|Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media]] the [[53rd Annual Grammy Awards|previous year]]. [[AllMusic]] wrote "''Blessed'' is Williams' most focused recording since ''World Without Tears''; it stands with it and her 1988 self-titled Rough Trade as one of her finest recordings to date.<ref>{{cite web |last=Jurek |first=Thom |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/blessed-mw0002087237 |title=Blessed – Lucinda Williams |website=AllMusic |access-date=January 21, 2017 |archive-date=February 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206234118/http://www.allmusic.com/album/blessed-mw0002087237 |url-status=live}}</ref> The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' called it "one of the best albums she's ever released".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/02/album-review-lucinda-williams-blessed.html|title=Album review: Lucinda Williams' 'Blessed'|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=March 1, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010180256/https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/02/album-review-lucinda-williams-blessed.html |archive-date=October 10, 2021}}</ref>

In July 2011, Williams' performance of her song "Crescent City" at the [[New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival]] was included in HBO's ''[[Treme (TV series)|Treme]]'' series 2 finale, episode 11; the characters comment that it was "amazing she wrote this before the storm", referring to [[Hurricane Katrina]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Treme – Do Whatcha Wanna |url=https://www.hbo.com/treme/season-02/21-do-whatcha-wanna/synopsis |access-date=2022-03-21 |website=HBO |language=en}}</ref> In September 2012, Williams was featured in a campaign called "30 Songs / 30 Days" to support ''[[Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide]]'', a multi-platform media project inspired by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn's book.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.halftheskymovement.org/blog/entry/30-songs-30-days-for-half-the-sky1 |title=30 Songs / 30 Days for Half the Sky &#124; Half The Sky |publisher=Halftheskymovement.org |date=August 30, 2012 |access-date=September 17, 2012 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014103757/http://www.halftheskymovement.org/blog/entry/30-songs-30-days-for-half-the-sky1 |archive-date=October 14, 2012}}</ref> In 2012 and 2013, Williams toured the U.S. accompanied only by guitarist [[Doug Pettibone]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.relix.com/reviews/shows/2012/08/20/lucinda-williams-and-doug-pettibone-at-the-birchmere-music-hall |title=Lucinda Williams and Doug Pettibone at The Birchmere Music Hall |website=Relix|date=August 20, 2012 |access-date=May 24, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120828214600/http://www.relix.com/reviews/shows/2012/08/20/lucinda-williams-and-doug-pettibone-at-the-birchmere-music-hall |archive-date=August 28, 2012}}</ref>

On September 30, 2014, Williams released her 11th studio album, ''[[Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone]]'', and performed the track "Protection" on ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show/video/lucinda-williams-protection/2815908|title=Music guest Lucinda Williams performs "Protection" for The Tonight Show audience|website=NBC News|date=September 30, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016190828/https://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show/video/lucinda-williams-protection/2815908 |archive-date=October 16, 2021}}</ref> The first album on her Highway 20 Records label,<ref>Deming, Mark. [http://www.allmusic.com/album/down-where-the-spirit-meets-the-bone-mw0002705032 "Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone: Overview"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006054619/http://www.allmusic.com/album/down-where-the-spirit-meets-the-bone-mw0002705032 |date=October 6, 2014 }} ''AllMusic'' (Accessed October 5, 2014).</ref> ''Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone'' was met with critical acclaim, and debuted at No. 13 on the ''Billboard'' 200.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lucinda Williams Revels In Creative Freedom: 'I'm An Optimist' |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6281674/lucinda-williams-revels-in-creative-freedom-im-an-optimist |publisher=Associated Press via Billboard |date=October 14, 2014 |access-date=October 20, 2014 |archive-date=May 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503220440/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6281674/lucinda-williams-revels-in-creative-freedom-im-an-optimist |url-status=live}}</ref> It won the [[Americana Music Honors & Awards|Americana Music Award]] for Album of the Year in 2015, while the track "East Side of Town" was nominated for Song of the Year. That same year, she provided backup vocals for the [[Don Henley]] song "Train in the Distance" on his album ''[[Cass County (album)|Cass County]].''<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-1poC9IGSc&list=PLFoEwxPErEva_Nmto0TFbydjqHrZBIQe8&index=14 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/N-1poC9IGSc |archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live |title=Don Henley – Train in the Distance (Audio) |date=September 11, 2015 |publisher=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===2015–2019: ''The Ghosts of Highway 20'', ''This Sweet Old World'', and ''Vanished Gardens''===
[[File:Lucinda Williams - Fitzgerald Theater St. Paul (46887986094).jpg|thumb|250px|Williams performs at Fitzgerald Theater, St. Paul, MN in 2019]]

On February 5, 2016, Williams released her 12th studio album, ''[[The Ghosts of Highway 20]]'',<ref>Deming, Mark. [https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-ghosts-of-highway-20-mw0002901047 "The Ghosts of Highway 20: Overview"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010180250/https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-ghosts-of-highway-20-mw0002901047 |date=October 10, 2021 }} ''AllMusic'' (Accessed October 10, 2021).</ref> and performed the track "Dust" on ''[[The Late Show with Stephen Colbert]]'' on February 17, 2016.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Betts|first=Stephen L.|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/see-lucinda-williams-gloomy-dust-on-colbert-70572/|title=See Lucinda Williams' Gloomy 'Dust' on 'Colbert'|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=February 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010180250/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/see-lucinda-williams-gloomy-dust-on-colbert-70572/ |archive-date=October 10, 2021}}</ref> AllMusic wrote "after releasing one of the best and boldest albums of her career with ''Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone'', Williams goes from strength to strength with ''The Ghosts of Highway 20'', and it seems like a welcome surprise that she's moving into one of the most fruitful periods of her recording career as she approaches her fourth decade as a musician".<ref>{{cite web |last=Deming |first=Mark |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-ghosts-of-highway-20-mw0002901047 |title=The Ghosts of Highway 20 – Lucinda Williams |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=July 16, 2022 |archive-date=February 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160207013415/http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-ghosts-of-highway-20-mw0002901047 |url-status=live}}</ref> The album debuted at No. 36 on the ''Billboard'' 200,<ref name=bill200/> and was nominated for the Americana Music Award for Album of the Year.

On May 13, 2017, Williams was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music Degree from [[Berklee College of Music]] during the 2017 Commencement Concert.<ref name=berklee>{{cite web |url=http://theboot.com/lucinda-williams-honorary-doctorate-berklee-college-of-music/ |title=Lucinda Williams Receives Honorary Doctorate From Berklee |website=The Boot |date=May 18, 2017 |access-date=January 12, 2018 |archive-date=December 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206024432/http://theboot.com/lucinda-williams-honorary-doctorate-berklee-college-of-music/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In June, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' named Williams one of the 100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time.<ref name=rscounty>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-country-artists-of-all-time-195775/lucinda-williams-16-196608/ |title=100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time |date=June 15, 2017 |access-date=June 16, 2017 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |author=David Brown |author2=John Dolan |display-authors=etal |archive-date=January 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103054954/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-country-artists-of-all-time-195775/lucinda-williams-16-196608/ |url-status=live}}</ref> On September 29, 2017, she released ''[[This Sweet Old World]]'', a re-recorded and expanded version of her 1992 album, ''Sweet Old World''.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Fran C. Anderson |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/country/news/hear-lucinda-williams-re-recorded-take-of-six-blocks-away-w498062 |title=Hear Lucinda Williams' Re-Recorded Take of 'Six Blocks Away' |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=August 16, 2017 |access-date=April 26, 2020 |archive-date=January 27, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180127143241/https://www.rollingstone.com/country/news/hear-lucinda-williams-re-recorded-take-of-six-blocks-away-w498062 |url-status=live}}</ref> Writing for ''[[Exclaim!]]'', Mark Dunn gave the album seven out of 10, agreeing that Williams' voice has changed dramatically in the ensuing 25&nbsp;years but noting that she uses it as an instrument masterfully, pairing it with stripped-down country arrangements, compared to the more pop feel of the 1992 release.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/lucinda_williams-this_sweet_old_world |title=Lucinda Williams ''This Sweet Old World'' |date=October 2, 2017 |access-date=January 1, 2020 |last=Dunn |first=Mark |work=Exclaim! |archive-date=January 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101124142/https://exclaim.ca/music/article/lucinda_williams-this_sweet_old_world |url-status=live}}</ref> George de Stefano of [[PopMatters]] gave the release nine stars out of ten, calling it a "surprising and bold move" and writes that both the re-recordings and the new tracks are "gems".<ref>{{cite magazine |author=George de Stefano |url=https://www.popmatters.com/lucinda-williams-this-sweet-old-world-2495376627.html |title=Lucinda Williams: This Sweet Old World |magazine=PopMatters |date=October 13, 2017 |access-date=January 1, 2021 |archive-date=July 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718051558/https://www.popmatters.com/lucinda-williams-this-sweet-old-world-2495376627.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

On June 29, 2018, [[Blue Note Records]] released ''[[Vanished Gardens]]'', a collaborative album by [[Charles Lloyd (jazz musician)|Charles Lloyd]] & the Marvels and Williams, who performed on five tracks, including "Dust" from ''The Ghosts of Highway 20'', "Ventura" from ''World Without Tears'', and "Unsuffer Me" from ''West''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bluenote.com/news/charles-lloyd-the-marvels-lucinda-williams |title=Press release |date=May 16, 2018 |website=Bluenote.com |access-date=October 13, 2019 |archive-date=September 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190916131620/http://www.bluenote.com/news/charles-lloyd-the-marvels-lucinda-williams |url-status=live}}</ref> Marvels members [[Bill Frisell]] and [[Greg Leisz]] had previously worked with Williams,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/06/21/621334258/first-listen-charles-lloyd-the-marvels-lucinda-williams-vanished-gardens |title=Charles Lloyd & Lucinda Williams Open Windows To Each Other's Souls |website=Npr.org |date=June 21, 2018 |access-date=October 13, 2019 |archive-date=December 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213202526/https://www.npr.org/2018/06/21/621334258/first-listen-charles-lloyd-the-marvels-lucinda-williams-vanished-gardens |url-status=live}}</ref> including on her 1998 album ''Car Wheels on a Gravel Road''. The album was met with critical acclaim; AllMusic wrote "the pairing of this band with Williams sounds natural, effortless, and holistic",<ref>{{cite web |last=Jurek |first=Thom |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/vanished-gardens-mw0003178342 |title=Vanished Gardens – Charles Lloyd & the Marvels |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=July 24, 2022 |archive-date=January 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220102144536/https://www.allmusic.com/album/vanished-gardens-mw0003178342 |url-status=live}}</ref> while ''Rolling Stone'' called it a "savvy stylistic blend".<ref>{{cite web |last=Jurek |first=Thom |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/review-charles-lloyd-and-lucinda-williams-fuse-jazz-and-roots-on-vanished-gardens-666138/ |title=Review: Charles Lloyd and Lucinda Williams Fuse Jazz and Roots on 'Vanished Gardens' |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=June 27, 2018 |access-date=July 24, 2022 |archive-date=June 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622092216/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/review-charles-lloyd-and-lucinda-williams-fuse-jazz-and-roots-on-vanished-gardens-666138/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2019, Williams produced New York City singer-songwriter [[Jesse Malin]]'s eighth studio album ''[[Sunset Kids]]'', which was met with widespread critical acclaim.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sunset Kids by Jesse Malin |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/sunset-kids/jesse-malin |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=October 5, 2019 }}</ref> She co-wrote three tracks on the album, and performed on three tracks.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Hudak |first1=Joseph |title=Jesse Malin and Lucinda Williams Celebrate Hard-Fought Survival on 'Sunset Kids' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/jesse-malin-sunset-kids-review-lucinda-williams-878565/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=September 4, 2019 |access-date=October 5, 2019 |archive-date=October 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191003220614/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/jesse-malin-sunset-kids-review-lucinda-williams-878565/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

===2020–2021: ''Good Souls Better Angels'' and ''Lu's Jukebox''===
On February 4, 2020, Williams announced her album ''[[Good Souls Better Angels]]'' would be released on April 23. In the same ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' article, Williams released the first single from the album, "Man Without a Soul", which strongly alluded to then-President [[Donald Trump]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/lucinda-williams-new-album-trump-song-947347/ |title=Lucinda Williams Previews New Album With Scathing 'Man Without a Soul' |last=Hudak |first=Joseph |date=February 4, 2020 |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=February 6, 2020 |archive-date=February 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205134302/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/lucinda-williams-new-album-trump-song-947347/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Jon Breen of ''[[The Irish Times]]'' gave the release five out of five stars, writing that it "punch[es] with a dark, almost biblical vengeance but also, importantly, balance vitriol with solace, hellfire with a hand in need" and praising its timely lyrics.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nailen |first=Dan |work=[[Inlander (newspaper)|Inlander]] |url=https://www.inlander.com/spokane/from-hayley-williams-to-lucinda-williams-here-are-some-of-the-new-albums-were-enjoying-right-now/Content?oid=19635393 |title=From Hayley Williams to Lucinda Williams, Here Are Some of the New Albums We're Enjoying Right Now |date=May 21, 2020 |access-date=May 21, 2020 |archive-date=May 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530085334/https://www.inlander.com/spokane/from-hayley-williams-to-lucinda-williams-here-are-some-of-the-new-albums-were-enjoying-right-now/Content?oid=19635393 |url-status=live}}</ref> In ''[[American Songwriter]]'', Hal Horowitz gave the release 4.5 out of five stars, writing that it is arguably her most intense album, ending his review: "By the end of the hour, you'll be wiped out. This is a devastatingly in your face, take no prisoners presentation from Williams and her band that will leave most serious listeners shattered and perhaps shaking. Few albums connect with this much pure emotional fury, let alone those from artists well into their 60s."<ref>{{cite web |last=Horowitz |first=Hal |title=Lucinda Williams Searing Set Delivered with Chilling Intensity |url=https://americansongwriter.com/lucinda-williams-good-souls-better-angels-album-review/ |website=American Songwriter |date=April 20, 2020 |access-date=April 22, 2020 |archive-date=April 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420181205/https://americansongwriter.com/lucinda-williams-good-souls-better-angels-album-review/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

At the [[63rd Annual Grammy Awards]], ''Good Souls Better Angels'' received a nomination for [[Grammy Award for Best Americana Album|Best Americana Album]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/awards/winners-nominees/273 |title=Grammy Awards Winners & Nominees for Best Americana Album |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2021 |website=grammy.com |publisher=Recording Academy |access-date=March 15, 2021 |archive-date=April 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410220542/https://www.grammy.com/grammys/awards/winners-nominees/273 |url-status=live}}</ref> and songwriters Williams and Tom Overby received a nomination in the [[Grammy Award for Best American Roots Song|Best American Roots Song]] category for "Man Without a Soul".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/awards/winners-nominees/297 |title=Grammy Awards Winners & Nominees for Best American Roots Song |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2021 |website=grammy.com |publisher=Recording Academy |access-date=March 15, 2021 |archive-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124035847/https://www.grammy.com/grammys/awards/winners-nominees/297 |url-status=live}}</ref> The album also made several critics' best-of-the-year lists, including ''Rolling Stone'', which placed it at No. 47,<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Best Albums of 2020 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-2020-1096814/lucinda-williams-good-souls-better-angels-2-1097303/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=October 9, 2021 |date=December 4, 2020 |archive-date=October 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211009210422/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-2020-1096814/lucinda-williams-good-souls-better-angels-2-1097303/ |url-status=live}}</ref> while ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'' ranked it No. 38 on their list.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mojo's Top 75 Albums of 2020 |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/mojos-top-75-albums-of-2020/#:~:text=MOJO%E2%80%99s%20Top%2075%20Albums%20of%202020%201%20Bob,Flaming%20Lips%20%E2%80%94%20American%20Head%20More%20items...%20 |website=Brooklyn Vegan |access-date=October 9, 2021 |date=November 17, 2020 |archive-date=November 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117220902/https://www.brooklynvegan.com/mojos-top-75-albums-of-2020/#:~:text=MOJO%E2%80%99s%20Top%2075%20Albums%20of%202020%201%20Bob,Flaming%20Lips%20%E2%80%94%20American%20Head%20More%20items...%20 |url-status=live}}</ref> In their alphabetical list, ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' named it one of the 35 Best Rock Albums of 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=The 35 Best Rock Albums of 2020 |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/best-rock-albums-2020/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=March 1, 2021 |date=December 15, 2020 |archive-date=February 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210222145342/https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/best-rock-albums-2020/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

On March 19, 2020, Williams released a song she wrote for the [[Netflix]] movie ''[[Lost Girls (film)|Lost Girls]]'', titled "Lost Girl".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/lucinda-williams-shares-song-from-new-netflix-movie-lost-girls-listen/ |title=Lucinda Williams Shares Song From New Netflix Movie Lost Girls |website=Pitchfork |date=March 19, 2020 |access-date=March 19, 2020 |archive-date=March 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319191618/https://pitchfork.com/news/lucinda-williams-shares-song-from-new-netflix-movie-lost-girls-listen/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Later that year, Williams began "Lu's Jukebox", a six-episode series of themed live performances.<ref>{{Cite web |title='Lu's Jukebox' a series of themed live performances |url=https://www.totalntertainment.com/music/lus-jukebox-a-series-of-themed-live-performances/ |access-date=August 8, 2021 |website=www.totalntertainment.com |date=October 10, 2020 |archive-date=August 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210808225757/https://www.totalntertainment.com/music/lus-jukebox-a-series-of-themed-live-performances/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Williams was inducted into the [[Austin City Limits]] Hall of Fame in October 2021. [[Jason Isbell]], who inducted Williams, credited her with creating a map for other singer-songwriters to follow; "A lot of my songs wouldn't exist if I hadn't spent so much time trying to rip her off", he stated in his speech. Isbell also performed Williams' "I Envy the Wind" from her 2002 album ''Essence''.<ref name="austinhallfame">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/lucinda-williams-margo-price-austin-city-limits-1280308/|title=Lucinda Williams and Margo Price Tear Through ‘Changed the Locks’ on ‘Austin City Limits’|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=January 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220106182506/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/lucinda-williams-margo-price-austin-city-limits-1280308/|archive-date=January 6, 2022}}</ref> Williams also performed at the ceremony, she sang "Crescent City" with [[Rosanne Cash]] and "Changed the Locks" with [[Margo Price]].<ref name=austinhallfame/> Later that year, she appeared on the [[Robert Plant]] and [[Alison Krauss]] album ''[[Raise the Roof (album)|Raise the Roof]]'' as a backing vocalist.<ref name="AMcredits">{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/raise-the-roof-mw0003575140/credits |title=Raise the Roof: Credits |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2021 |website=AllMusic |access-date=January 26, 2023}}</ref>

===2022–present: Honorary accolades, ''Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart'', and ''World's Gone Wrong''===
[[File:Lucinda Williams - 53774749637.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Williams performing in April 2023]]
On November 17, 2021, it was announced that Williams would receive the Americana Music Association-UK International Lifetime Achievement Award in January 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lucinda Williams To Receive AMA-UK International Lifetime Achievement Award |url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/lucinda-williams-ama-uk-lifetime-achievement/ |access-date=August 17, 2022 |website=www.udiscovermusic.com |date=November 17, 2021 |archive-date=November 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120195849/https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/lucinda-williams-ama-uk-lifetime-achievement/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The ceremony was held on January 27, 2022.<ref name=uklifetime>{{Cite web |title=UK Americana Awards 2022 |url=https://theamauk.org/UK-Americana-Awards-2022 |access-date=August 17, 2022 |website=theamauk.org |archive-date=February 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220206152347/https://theamauk.org/UK-Americana-Awards-2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> On September 12, 2022, Williams was the recipient of the [[Broadcast Music, Inc.|BMI]] Troubadour Award.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Willman |first1=Chris |title=Lucinda Williams Feted at BMI Troubadour Award Dinner by Jason Isbell, Angel Olsen, More |url=https://variety.com/2022/music/news/lucinda-williams-bmi-troubadour-award-nashville-jason-isbell-angel-olsen-1235371587/ |access-date=March 29, 2023 |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=September 14, 2022}}</ref> The award celebrates songwriters who have made a lasting impact on their community and who "craft for the sake of the song, setting the pace for generations of songwriters who will follow." Past recipients include [[John Hiatt]], [[John Prine]], and [[Robert Earl Keen]].<ref name=bmiaward>{{Cite web |title=Lucinda Williams To Be 2022 Recipient Of BMI Troubadour Award |url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/lucinda-williams-bmi-troubadour-award-2022/ |access-date=August 17, 2022 |website=www.udiscovermusic.com |date=August 16, 2022 |archive-date=August 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816194258/https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/lucinda-williams-bmi-troubadour-award-2022/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

On February 4, 2023, Williams was honored with the AMERICANAFEST Pre-Grammy Salute to Lucinda Williams, which was held at the [[Troubadour (West Hollywood, California)|Troubadour]] and live-streamed on Mandolin.com.<ref name=AMERICANAFEST>{{Cite web |title=Lucinda Williams Gets Tribute Fit for an Americana Queen From Mumford & Sons, Dwight Yoakam, Allison Russell and a Cast of Roots Luminaries |url=https://variety.com/2023/music/news/lucinda-williams-tribute-americana-troubadour-salute-1235516384/ |access-date=February 12, 2023 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=February 7, 2023 |archive-date=February 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230212211204/https://variety.com/2023/music/news/lucinda-williams-tribute-americana-troubadour-salute-1235516384/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

On April 4, 2023, Williams announced that her 15th studio album, ''[[Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart]]'', would be released on June 30, 2023. The lead single "New York Comeback" was released simultaneously with the album announcement.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rettig |first1=James |title=Lucinda Williams Announces New Album, Shares "New York Comeback" Feat. Bruce Springsteen & Patti Scialfa |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2219153/lucinda-williams-new-york-comeback-feat-bruce-springsteen-patti-scialfa/music/ |website=Stereogum |access-date=4 April 2023 |language=en |date=4 April 2023}}</ref>

It was announced on October 7, 2024, that the seventh volume in ''Lu's Jukebox'' series, ''Lucinda Williams sings the Beatles from Abbey Road'', would be released on December 6, 2024. Recorded in the same London studio where [[the Beatles]] recorded their 1969 album ''[[Abbey Road]]'', the announcement was accompanied by the release of the single "[[While My Guitar Gently Weeps]]".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lucinda Williams Announces Beatles Cover Album |last=Rapp |first=Allison |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/lucinda-williams-beatles-abbey-road-cover-album/ |access-date=December 3, 2024 |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |date=October 7, 2024}}</ref> A reviewer in ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine said that in covering the Beatles' music on this album, Williams was one of few who successfully [honored] "the source material, making it uniquely [her] own, and creating something worth hearing".<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Hudak |first=Joseph |date=December 9, 2024 |title=Lucinda Williams puts her stamp on Beatles classics |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/lucinda-williams-sings-the-beatles-from-abbey-road-review-1235197176/ |url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20241209221931/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/lucinda-williams-sings-the-beatles-from-abbey-road-review-1235197176/|archive-date=9 December 2024|magazine= Rolling Stone|location= |publisher= |access-date=December 11, 2024}}</ref>

On October 30, 2025, Williams announced her 16th studio album, ''[[World's Gone Wrong]]'', which is scheduled for release on January 23, 2026.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kelly |first1=Tyler Damara |title=Norah Jones, Mavis Staples and Brittney Spencer feature on Lucinda Williams' new album, World's Gone Wrong |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/norah-jones-mavis-staples-and-brittney-spencer-feature-on-lucinda-williams-new-album-worlds-gone-wrong |website=The Line of Best Fit |access-date=3 November 2025 |date=30 October 2025}}</ref>

== Artistry ==
According to Steve Huey of [[AllMusic]]: "The daughter of a well-respected poet, Williams brought a [[literacy]] and sense of detail to her music that was unpretentious but powerfully evocative and emotional. [...] As a vocalist, Williams used the rough edges of her instrument to her advantage, allowing the grit to heighten the [[Authenticity in art|authenticity]] of her performance. Early in her career, critics compared Williams to [[Bob Dylan]] and [[Townes Van Zandt]], praise that flew in the face of her originality; if she was clearly informed by the [[blues]] and the giants of the [[Singer-songwriter|singer/songwriter]] community, her execution put her in a class of her own that was beholden to blues, [[Folk music|folk]], [[Country music|country]], and [[Rock music|rock]] without swearing full allegiance to any of them."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lucinda Williams Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio &... |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lucinda-williams-mn0000837215 |access-date=2025-06-10 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}</ref>

==Backing bands==
From 1985 to 1996, Williams' band included guitarist [[Gurf Morlix]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=25 years later, Lucinda Williams and Gurf Morlix look back at breakthrough record |last=Blackstock |first=Peter |url=https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2014/01/13/25-years-later-lucinda-williams-and-gurf-morlix-look-back-at-breakthrough-record/10157234007/ |access-date=September 23, 2022 |website=Austin American-Statesman |date=January 12, 2014 |archive-date=September 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923234940/https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2014/01/13/25-years-later-lucinda-williams-and-gurf-morlix-look-back-at-breakthrough-record/10157234007/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

From before 2012 into 2022, Williams has called her backing band the Buick 6, whose name was inspired by [[Bob Dylan]]'s song "[[From a Buick 6]]". Since 2012, Buick 6 has been [[Jonathan Norton|Butch Norton]], drums, who joined Williams in 2007; [[Stuart Mathis]], guitar; and David Sutton, bass.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |title=Lucinda Williams' Buick is in town, and it's hot |last=Dickinson |first=Chrissie |date=December 20, 2016 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-buick-6-ott-1223-20161219-story.html |access-date=2022-08-07}}</ref> Buick 6 has occasionally performed and recorded separately from Williams.<ref>{{cite web |website=butchdrums.com |publisher=Butch Norton |title=Butch Norton: Biography |date=2022 |url=http://butchdrums.com/biography/ |access-date=2022-08-07}}</ref> For Williams' 2022 tours, Jim Oblon joined on guitar and keyboards.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lucinda Williams Announces Summer Tour Dates |url=https://jambandnews.net/2022/05/24/lucinda-williams-announce-summer-tour-dates/ |access-date=September 23, 2022 |website=www.jambandnews.com |date=May 24, 2022 |archive-date=September 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923234324/https://jambandnews.net/2022/05/24/lucinda-williams-announce-summer-tour-dates/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Personal life==
In 1986, Williams married [[The Long Ryders|Long Ryders]] drummer [[Greg Sowders]], but the couple divorced within eighteen months.<ref name=nytimes/> In September 2009 she married Tom Overby, an executive from [[Best Buy]]'s music department, who is also her manager. The marriage ceremony was performed on stage at the [[Minneapolis]] nightclub [[First Avenue (nightclub)|First Avenue]] by her father.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Lucinda Williams Bio |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/lucinda-williams/biography |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110920072223/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/lucinda-williams/biography |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 20, 2011 |access-date=April 8, 2018 |magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref>

On November 17, 2020, Williams had a stroke in her home in Nashville.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Hudak |first=Joseph |date=May 3, 2021 |title=Lucinda Williams Had a Stroke Last Year. She's Ready to Sing Again |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/lucinda-williams-stroke-1164015/ |access-date=July 20, 2021 |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-date=2021-07-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720175858/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/lucinda-williams-stroke-1164015/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Doctors discovered a blood clot, and she was discharged five weeks later. Though at the time she needed to walk with a cane and could not play guitar, she subsequently recovered enough for her summer 2021 tour with Jason Isbell.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tour |url=https://www.lucindawilliams.com/tour |access-date=July 20, 2021 |website=Lucinda Williams |archive-date=July 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720175900/https://www.lucindawilliams.com/tour |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2023, Williams released her autobiography titled ''Don't Tell Anyone the Secrets I Told You: A Memoir''. The book details her traumatic childhood, her relationships with her father and mother, and her struggle to forge a sustainable career in the music industry.<ref name="Betts">{{cite magazine |last=Betts |first=Stephen L. |date=April 24, 2023 |title=Lucinda Williams Bit Ryan Adams and Other Big Reveals in Her New Memoir |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/lucinda-williams-book-dont-tell-anybody-the-secrets-i-told-you-review-1234722664/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=May 5, 2024}}</ref><ref name="secrets">{{cite book |last=Williams |first=Lucinda |date=2023 |title=Don't Tell Anyone the Secrets I Told You: A Memoir |url= |location=New York |publisher=Crown |edition=1st |isbn=9780593136492 |oclc=1350093959}}</ref>

==Discography==
{{Main|Lucinda Williams discography}}
{{div col}}
* ''[[Ramblin' on My Mind (Lucinda Williams album)|Ramblin' on My Mind]]'' (1979)
* ''[[Happy Woman Blues]]'' (1980)
* ''[[Lucinda Williams (album)|Lucinda Williams]]'' (1988)
* ''[[Sweet Old World]]'' (1992)
* ''[[Car Wheels on a Gravel Road]]'' (1998)
* ''[[Essence (Lucinda Williams album)|Essence]]'' (2001)
* ''[[World Without Tears]]'' (2003)
* ''[[West (Lucinda Williams album)|West]]'' (2007)
* ''[[Little Honey]]'' (2008)
* ''[[Blessed (Lucinda Williams album)|Blessed]]'' (2011)
* ''[[Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone]]'' (2014)
* ''[[The Ghosts of Highway 20]]'' (2016)
* ''[[This Sweet Old World]]'' (2017)
* ''[[Vanished Gardens]]'' (with [[Charles Lloyd (jazz musician)|Charles Lloyd]] and the Marvels) (2018)
* ''[[Good Souls Better Angels]]'' (2020)
* ''[[Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart]]'' (2023)
* ''[[World's Gone Wrong]]'' (2026)
{{end div col}}

==Awards and legacy==
===Americana Music Honors and Awards===
The [[Americana Music Honors & Awards]] are presented annually by the [[Americana Music Association]] and celebrate outstanding achievement in [[Americana (music)|Americana]] music.<ref>[https://americanamusic.org/about About Us] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019081758/https://americanamusic.org/about |date=October 19, 2021 }} americanamusic.org. Americana Music Association. Retrieved November 6, 2021.</ref> Established in 2002, Williams is one of the most nominated artists in the awards history, with eleven. She has received two awards (one competitive, one honorary).

{| class="wikitable
|-
! colspan="5" align="center"| [[Americana Music Honors & Awards|Americana Awards]]
|-
! scope="col" style="width:1em;"| Year
! scope="col" style="width:20em;"| Nominated work
! scope="col" style="width:20em;"| Category
! scope="col" style="width:5em;"| Result
! scope="col" style="width:1em;"| Ref.
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"|2003
| align="left"| Herself
| align="left"| Artist of the Year
| {{nom}}
| rowspan="2" align="center"|<ref>[https://americanamusic.org/awards/2003 Americana Awards – 2003] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016174039/https://americanamusic.org/awards/2003 |date=October 16, 2021 }} americanamusic.org. Americana Music Association. Retrieved April 27, 2020.</ref>
|-
| align="left"| "[[Righteously (song)|Righteously]]"
| align="left"| Song of the Year
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="3" align="center"|2007
| align="left"| ''[[West (Lucinda Williams album)|West]]''
| align="left"| Album of the Year
| {{nom}}
| rowspan="3" align="center"|<ref>[https://americanamusic.org/awards/2007 Americana Awards – 2007] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016174100/https://americanamusic.org/awards/2007 |date=October 16, 2021 }} americanamusic.org. Americana Music Association. Retrieved April 27, 2020.</ref>
|-
| align="left"| Herself
| align="left"| Artist of the Year
| {{nom}}
|-
| align="left"| "[[Are You Alright?]]"
| align="left"| Song of the Year
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"|2011
| align="left"| ''[[Blessed (Lucinda Williams album)|Blessed]]''
| align="left"| Album of the Year
| {{nom}}
| rowspan="2" align="center"|<ref>[https://americanamusic.org/awards/2011 Americana Awards – 2011] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016174111/https://americanamusic.org/awards/2011 |date=October 16, 2021 }} americanamusic.org. Americana Music Association. Retrieved April 27, 2020.</ref>
|-
| align="left"| Herself
| align="left"| Lifetime Achievement Award (songwriting)
| {{included|Honored}}
|-
| rowspan="3" align="center"|2015
| align="left"| ''[[Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone]]''
| align="left"| Album of the Year
| {{won}}
| rowspan="3" align="center"|<ref>[https://americanamusic.org/awards/2015 Americana Awards – 2015] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016174039/https://americanamusic.org/awards/2015 |date=October 16, 2021 }} americanamusic.org. Americana Music Association. Retrieved April 27, 2020.</ref>
|-
| align="left"| Herself
| align="left"| Artist of the Year
| {{nom}}
|-
| align="left"| "East Side of Town"
| align="left"| Song of the Year
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="3" align="center"|2016
| align="left"| ''[[The Ghosts of Highway 20]]''
| align="left"| Album of the Year
| {{nom}}
| rowspan="3" align="center"|<ref>[https://americanamusic.org/awards/2016 Americana Awards – 2016] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016174049/https://americanamusic.org/awards/2016 |date=October 16, 2021 }} americanamusic.org. Americana Music Association. Retrieved April 27, 2020.</ref>
|-
| align="left"| Herself
| align="left"| Artist of the Year
| {{nom}}
|-
|}

===Grammy Awards===
The [[Grammy Award]]s are awarded annually by [[National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences|The Recording Academy]] of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry. Often considered the highest music honour, the awards were established in 1958.<ref>{{cite book |last=O'Neill |first=Thomas |title=The Grammys: The Ultimate Unofficial Guide to Music's Highest Honor |publisher=Perigee Trade |year=1999}}</ref> Williams has received three awards in three separate categories ([[Country music|country]], [[Contemporary folk music|folk]] and rock), from 17 nominations that span five genres (country, folk, pop, rock, and [[Americana (music)|Americana]]).

{| class="wikitable
|-
! colspan="5" align="center"| [[Grammy Awards]]
|-
! scope="col" style="width:1em;"| Year
! scope="col" style="width:25em;"| Nominated work
! scope="col" style="width:33em;"| Category
! scope="col" style="width:5em;"| Result
! scope="col" style="width:1em;"| Ref.
|-
| align="center"|[[36th Annual Grammy Awards|1994]]
| align="left"| "[[Passionate Kisses]]" {{small|(songwriter)}}
| align="left"| [[Grammy Award for Best Country Song|Best Country Song]]
| {{won}}
| rowspan="17" align="center"|<ref name="grammy"/>
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"|[[41st Annual Grammy Awards|1999]]
| align="left"| "[[Can't Let Go (Randy Weeks song)|Can't Let Go]]"
| align="left"| [[Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance|Best Female Rock Vocal Performance]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| align="left"| ''[[Car Wheels on a Gravel Road]]''
| align="left"| [[Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album|Best Contemporary Folk Album]]
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="4" align="center"|[[44th Annual Grammy Awards|2002]]
| align="left"| "[[Cold, Cold Heart]]" {{small|(from ''Timeless: Hank Williams Tribute'')}}
| align="left"| [[Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance|Best Female Country Vocal Performance]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| align="left"| "[[Essence (Lucinda Williams song)|Essence]]"
| align="left"| [[Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance|Best Female Pop Vocal Performance]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| align="left"| "[[Get Right With God]]"
| align="left"| Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
| {{won}}
|-
| align="left"| ''[[Essence (Lucinda Williams album)|Essence]]''
| align="left"| Best Contemporary Folk Album
| {{nom}}
|-
| align="center"|[[45th Annual Grammy Awards|2003]]
| align="left"| "Lately" {{small|(from ''Going Driftless: An Artists' Tribute to Greg Brown'')}}
| align="left"| Best Female Country Vocal Performance
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"|[[46th Annual Grammy Awards|2004]]
| align="left"| "[[Righteously (song)|Righteously]]"
| align="left"| Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
| {{nom}}
|-
| align="left"| ''[[World Without Tears]]''
| align="left"| Best Contemporary Folk Album
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"|[[50th Annual Grammy Awards|2008]]
| rowspan="2" align="left"| "Come On"
| align="left"| [[Grammy Award for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance|Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| align="left"| [[Grammy Award for Best Rock Song|Best Rock Song]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| align="center"|[[52nd Annual Grammy Awards|2010]]
| align="left"| ''[[Little Honey]]''
| align="left"| [[Grammy Award for Best Americana Album|Best Americana Album]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| align="center"|[[53rd Annual Grammy Awards|2011]]
| align="left"| "Kiss Like Your Kiss" {{small|(from ''[[True Blood]]'')}}
| align="left"| [[Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media|Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| align="center"|[[54th Annual Grammy Awards|2012]]
| align="left"| ''[[Blessed (Lucinda Williams album)|Blessed]]''
| align="left"| Best Americana Album
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"|[[63rd Annual Grammy Awards|2021]]
| align="left"| "Man Without A Soul"
| align="left"| [[Grammy Award for Best American Roots Song|Best American Roots Song]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| align="left"| ''[[Good Souls Better Angels]]''
| align="left"| Best Americana Album
| {{nom}}
|-
|}

=== Other honors and recognitions ===
* 1999&nbsp;– Ranked No. 97 on [[VH1]]'s [[The Greatest (VH1 TV series)|100 Greatest Women in Rock & Roll]].<ref name=rockonthenet/>
* 2002&nbsp;– Named "America's best songwriter" by ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''.<ref name=time/>
* 2002&nbsp;– Ranked No. 36 on [[CMT (American TV channel)|CMT]]'s 40 Greatest Women of Country Music.<ref name=cmt40/>
* 2015&nbsp;– Ranked No. 79 on [[Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time|''Rolling Stone's'' 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time]].<ref name=rswriter/>
* 2017&nbsp;– Received the [[Berklee College of Music]] Honorary Doctorate of Music Degree.<ref name=berklee/>
* 2017&nbsp;– Ranked No. 91 on [[Rolling Stone|''Rolling Stone's'']] 100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time.<ref name=rscounty/>
* 2020&nbsp;– ''Car Wheels on a Gravel Road'' ranked No. 97, and ''Lucinda Williams'' ranked No. 426, on [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|''Rolling Stone's'' 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]].<ref name=rscar/><ref name=rslu/>
* 2021&nbsp;– Inducted into the [[Austin City Limits]] Hall of Fame.<ref name=austinhallfame/>
* 2021&nbsp;– "Passionate Kisses" ranked No. 437 on [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|''Rolling Stone's'' 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]].<ref name=rspk/>
* 2022&nbsp;– Received the Americana Music Association-UK International Lifetime Achievement Award.<ref name=uklifetime/>
* 2022&nbsp;– Received the [[Broadcast Music, Inc.|BMI]] Troubadour Award.<ref name=bmiaward/>
* 2023&nbsp;– Honored with the AMERICANAFEST Pre-Grammy Salute to Lucinda Williams.<ref name=AMERICANAFEST/>
* 2023&nbsp;– Awarded Best Roots Rock / Americana Artist, and Best Roots Rock / Americana Album (for ''Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart'') in [[OffBeat (music magazine)|''OffBeat'']]'s Best of the Beat Awards.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-09-08 |title=Best of the Beat Award Winners: Complete List |url=https://www.offbeat.com/best-of-the-beat-award-winners-complete-list/,%20https://www.offbeat.com/best-of-the-beat-award-winners-complete-list/ |access-date=2024-02-29 |website=[[OffBeat (music magazine)|OffBeat Magazine]] |language=en-US}}</ref>
*2024&nbsp;– Ranked No. 8 on ''[[American Songwriter]]'s'' list of the 10 Greatest Female Songwriters of All Time.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://americansongwriter.com/the-10-greatest-female-songwriters-of-all-time-period/ |title=The 10 Greatest Female Songwriters of All Time, Period |magazine=[[American Songwriter]] |access-date=2024-04-16}}</ref>
*2024&nbsp;– Elected as a member of the [[Texas Institute of Letters]].<ref name=TIL>{{cite news|url=https://texasinstituteofletters.org/twelve-new-members-elected-to-til/|date=March 3, 2024|title=Twelve New Members Elected to TIL|work=Texas Institute of Letters}}</ref>

===In popular culture===
* 1991&nbsp;– "Lucinda Williams" is the title of a song on the [[Vic Chesnutt]] album ''West of Rome''.<ref name=vicwest/>
* 2008&nbsp;– The American folk/rock band [[Augustana (band)|Augustana]] references the musician in the song "Meet You There", on their album ''[[Can't Love, Can't Hurt]]''. The lyrics state "Just put on Lucinda, Baby, and dance with me."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metrolyrics.com/meet-you-there-lyrics-augustana.html |last1=Layus |first1=Dan |last2=Flynn |first2=Mike |title=Meet You There Lyrics |website=Metro Lyrics |publisher=CBS Interactive |access-date=June 14, 2023 |archive-date=December 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220145546/http://www.metrolyrics.com/meet-you-there-lyrics-augustana.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* 2014&nbsp;– Williams is referenced by the character Kathleen "Kat" Hall, played by [[Mireille Enos]], in the film ''[[If I Stay (film)|If I Stay]]''.

==See also==
* [[Music of Austin]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{sister project links|d=Q256813|c=Category:Lucinda Williams|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|wikt=no|s=no|species=no}}
* {{official website}}
* {{AllMusic|id=lucinda-williams-mn0000837215|title=Lucinda Williams}}
* {{IMDb name|id=0931200|name=Lucinda Williams}}
* {{MusicBrainz artist|id=21685b15-3074-446e-aa1d-ff7157014f53|name=Lucinda Williams}}

{{Lucinda Williams|state=expanded}}
{{Grammy Award for Best Country Song}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Lucinda}}
[[Category:Lucinda Williams| ]]
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Musicians from Lake Charles, Louisiana]]
[[Category:Writers from Lake Charles, Louisiana]]
[[Category:American acoustic guitarists]]
[[Category:American country guitarists]]
[[Category:American country singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:American alternative country singers]]
[[Category:American women country singers]]
[[Category:American folk singers]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[Category:Lost Highway Records artists]]
[[Category:American feminist musicians]]
[[Category:Americana musicians]]
[[Category:People with spina bifida]]
[[Category:American musicians with disabilities]]
[[Category:Singer-songwriters from Louisiana]]
[[Category:Musicians from Austin, Texas]]
[[Category:Musicians from Houston]]
[[Category:Mercury Records artists]]
[[Category:Guitarists from Louisiana]]
[[Category:20th-century American women writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American women singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American women guitarists]]
[[Category:20th-century American guitarists]]
[[Category:Country musicians from Louisiana]]
[[Category:21st-century American women writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American women guitarists]]
[[Category:21st-century American guitarists]]
[[Category:20th-century American women singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:21st-century American singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:Singer-songwriters from Texas]]