Lucinda Williams is one of the most respected songwriters of the last 30 years. Her songs are written straight from the heart, and she's not afraid to ruffle a few feathers along the way.

She was writing songs by age six and playing guitar by age 12. She grew up in a household which makes it seem like she was built to write songs. Her father used to tell her that Hank Williams is as much of a poet as anyone.

By her early 20s Lucinda Williams was playing clubs in Texas and released her first batch of originals, just called Happy Woman Blues. She then moved to L.A. in the '80s and didn't release another album until her self-titled work in 1988. That contained a couple of songs later covered by other artists that sort of put her on the map. Her tune "Change the Locks" was covered by Tom Petty, and "Passionate Kisses" was a big hit for Mary Chapin Carpenter.

In 1998, Lucinda Williams dropped the big one: Car Wheels On a Gravel Road, which was universally acclaimed by critics and fans alike. The album defined what she's all about: a great storyteller, singing about life on the road, love, and heartbreak.