Lucinda Williams’ powerfully poetic lyrics and rough-hewn but vulnerable vocals made her one of the key figures of alt-country and Americana. Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, in 1953 to a piano-playing mother and a poet father, Williams came by her gifts organically. After soaking up multiple strands of American roots music, she released her debut album in 1979, starting out with a stripped-down blend of folk and blues before adopting a stronger country influence. Williams broke through to a wider audience with her self-titled 1988 album, on which she added a dash of rock. Mary Chapin Carpenter’s 1992 hit cover of “Passionate Kisses” helped position Williams for a major-label deal; the eventual result, 1998’s Car Wheels On a Gravel Road, was her real breakout record. With its raw-boned roots rock and intensely personal tales, it became an Americana milestone and earned her an iconic status she burnished over several more albums. A 2020 stroke temporarily took her away from music, but the indomitable Lucinda came roaring back with 2023’s Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart.