Lucinda Williams’ set to show new side, highlight ‘Blessed’

Singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams is bringing a taste of folk and country to Bloomington. She is set to perform to a sold-out crowd Friday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.

“Williams sets out to offer fans a guided tour of life’s dark clouds while honing in on the silver lining,” according to a press release for the upcoming performance.

Williams’ set list will highlight her latest album, “Blessed,” set to be released March 1. This will mark the 11th studio album for the artist.

“I feel like this album as a whole is positive but not my so-called ‘happy’ album,” Williams said. “My personal life isn’t the only focus — there are a lot of songs about a lot of different things.”

Before Bloomington fans of Lucinda attend Friday’s show, here are some things you may not know about her.

Williams is the eldest of three children and is the daughter of award-winning poet Miller Williams.

Though she never learned to read music, Williams began writing songs at age 12 on a borrowed guitar.

In 2002, Williams was named America’s best songwriter by Time magazine.

Williams recorded a version of Glen Campbell’s “Gentle on My Mind” to be played during the credits of the Will Farrell film “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.”

During a show in Minneapolis on Sept. 18, 2009, Williams married her manager and then-fiance Tom Overby in front of her fans onstage before the encore.

Williams once said in an interview that she writes all of her songs at her kitchen table.

For a time in 2010, Williams’ website featured a link to a petition to grant amnesty to death row inmate David Lee Powell. Powell was tried two times and was given the death penalty for murdering a Texas police officer in 1978. Williams argued that it was cruel and unusual punishment to serve a life sentence and then be executed.

Williams is a frequent collaborator with Elvis Costello. Their track “Jailhouse Tears” was named the fifth best rock/country duet of all time by www.pastemagazine.com in 2008.

After a recent concert in Catalyst, Santa Cruz, the city’s mayor announced that Sept. 6 would be a city-wide holiday titled “Lucinda Williams Day.”

Williams has been nominated for a total of eight Grammys, including Best Female Rock, Country and Pop Vocal Performance. She has won three.