Bonnie Raitt & Lyle Lovett Announce North American Summer Tour; Raitt Performs on ``The Tonight Show With Jay Leno'' 6/21.

Entertainment Editors

HOLLYWOOD--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--June 19, 2002

"Silver Lining," Her Latest Release, Certified Gold By R.I.A.A.

"They say it's hard to keep it going, when you're together for so long. They say combustion's for the youngsters, we should be glad we get along," sings Bonnie Raitt in "Gnawin' On It," a sly, salacious blues number she co-wrote with Roy Rogers for her 16th album, "Silver Lining." "But they don't know nothin' 'bout it," she counters with the confidence of a woman who knows some things do get better with age, "The way you love me it's a shame. 'Cause there ain't nobody better blowin' embers to a flame." At a time when America's obsession with youth has given way to a fascination with the home life of a middle-aged headbanger, is it any surprise that the sexiest tour of the summer may be the one pairing 52-year-old Raitt with 44-year-old Lyle Lovett?

With three decades of recording and touring under her belt, nine-time Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Bonnie Raitt is clearly in her prime. "Silver Lining," produced by Raitt, Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake, has been hailed as one of the best albums of her career and has just been certified Gold by the R.I.A.A. for sales of more than 500,000 copies. On her spring tour, she breezed through New York, playing her latest hit single, "I Can't Help You Now," on "Late Show with David Letterman," "The Today Show" and "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" and blowing away a sold-out crowd at the Beacon Theatre. In its review of the show, the New York Times observed: "At Bonnie Raitt's age, 52, a movie actress might be offered roles as a mom, a professor or a kooky neighbor. But as a singer and songwriter, Ms. Raitt does her own casting, and she has better ideas. Her songs keep her at center stage as a lover and a friend, unabashedly sexy and smart."

Critics across the country have concurred. "Raitt was like a cat loosed from a cage, a hip-shaking vision of swagger and confidence," said the Washington Post. "As she and her band worked their way through a bounty of new songs, she seemed somehow rejuvenated by the material, her voice as strong as ever. Even her trademark flaming mane seemed redder." The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said she was "still the coolest white chick in America. Of course, she did it her way, with her bellybutton covered and the focus on her music."

This summer marks the second time Raitt and Lovett have toured together. Raitt took Lovett on his first national tour in 1986, shortly after the release of his debut album.

"We're thrilled to be going back out on the road with Lyle and his band," says Bonnie. "Out under the stars with such great songs and slinky grooves ... what better way to spend a summer night?"

Like Raitt, Lovett has fashioned his own unique interpretation of American roots music, coupling keen observations on life and love with a sly sense of humor. With his trademark genre-busting blend of country, big-band swing, jazz, gospel and folk, Lovett is a perennial critics' favorite who has sold over 4 million records and scored two Grammy awards while forging a second successful career as a film actor. (He made his acting debut in 1992 in Robert Altman's "The Player" and has since appeared in "Short Cuts," "Ready to Wear," "Cookie's Fortune," "Bastard Out of Carolina," "The Opposite of Sex" and, most recently, "The New Guy.") Lovett's most recent album was last year's "Anthology Vol. 1 Cowboy Man" (Curb/MCA Nashville), a retrospective of his early recording career.

Raitt and Lovett wrap up individual tours this month before kicking off their joint amphitheatre tour in Birmingham, Alabama on July 26th. In the meantime, Raitt will perform on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" on June 21st.

             BONNIE RAITT/LYLE LOVETT NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

7/26        Birmingham, AL            Oak Mt. Amphitheatre
7/27        Charlotte, NC             Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
7/28        Raleigh, NC               Alltel Pavilion
7/30        Atlanta, GA               Chastain
8/2         Virginia Beach, VA        Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
8/3         Columbia, MD              Merriwether Post Pavilion
8/4         Saratoga Springs, NY      Saratoga PAC
8/6         Uncasville, CT            Mohegan Sun Arena
8/7 & 8     Boston, MA                Fleet Pavilion
8/10        Holmdel, NJ               PNC Bank Arts Center
8/11        Wantagh, NY               Jones Beach
8/13        Camden, NJ                Tweeter Waterfront Amphitheatre
              (Philadelphia)
8/14        Canadagiua, NY            Finger Lakes PAC
8/15        Cuyahoga Falls, OH        Blossom Music Center
              (Cleveland)
8/17        Cincinnati, OH            Riverbend Music Center
8/20        Noblesville, IN           Verizon Wireless Music Center
              (Indianapolis)
8/21        Interlochen, MI           Interlochen Center PAC
8/22        Clarkston, MI (Detroit)   DTE Energy Music Theatre
8/26        Duluth, MN                DECC Arena
8/27        St. Paul, MN              Minnesota State Fair
8/30        Maryland Heights, MO      UMB Bank Pavilion
              (St. Louis)
8/31 & 9/1  Highland Park, IL         Ravinia Festival
              (Chicago)
9/3         Spring, TX (Houston)      Cynthia Woods Pavilion
9/4 & 5     Austin, TX                Backyard
9/7         Denver, CO                Red Rock
9/9         Albuquerque, NM           Journal Pavilion
9/12        Eugene, OR                Cuthbert Amphitheatre
9/13        George, WA                The Gorge
9/14        St. Helens, OR            Columbia Meadows
              (Portland)
9/16        Concord, CA               Concord (Chronicle) Amphitheatre
9/17        Mountain View, CA         Shoreline Amphitheatre
9/18        Santa Barbara, CA         Santa Barbara County Bowl
9/21        San Diego, CA             SDSU Open Air Theatre
9/22        Los Angeles, CA           Greek Theatre

Note: All dates subject to change -- additional dates to be confirmed.