July 11, 2025 • 13 mins
Before his Denver performance, singer-songwriter-actor Lyle Lovett called in to the KBCO Studios. Bret was joined by legendary Denver concert promoter Chuck Morris, who managed Lovett for years, to talk about Lyle's storied career.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
How have you been. I'm Brett Saunders. This week our
guest is Lyle love It. I said our guest because
I'm joined in the studio by legendary concert promoter Chuck Morris,
who just happens to be around for our talk with
Lyle love It. A genius singer, songwriter, bandleader, performer, also
the star of Blue Bloods, the television show.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Wow. Yeah, now that is that's a real over statement.
I was thrilled to get to be a guest on
the show though they had me three years in a row.
On episode three years in Row. You know, all my
scenes are with Donnie Wahlberg, and Donnie was just great
to work with. It was really fun.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Yeah, you saved that show.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Yeah that was me. Yeah, that's right, you know I did.
We did get to fire rounds in every show, and
it was it was like, you know, it was took
me back to being a kid and getting the play cowboys.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Wait a second, you were allowed to shoot but they
were blanks, right, I mean you were actually, of course, yeah,
firing live ammunition on the set.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Well yeah, no, no, that's true. They were blanks. But
it was really fun.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Well, your acting work is a lot of fun as well.
I mean working with Robert Altman all those years. The
player you were in, right, the player, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
You know that was that was one of the I
worked with Almand several times and I got to I
had parts in several of his films. But the experience
that I well, they were all memorable. But one of
his films, a film called Doctor t and the Women.
He asked the band and me to do all the
(01:38):
music for the film, so all every bit of music
for the whole film we played. And working with Altman
on the mud. Altman was such a music fan. Working
with him on the music was just a great experience.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
You le, I have a question when I when Bruce Hitting,
the head of your label, sent me your record before
it came out, and I loved it. I went nuts.
And I remember I flew down to Houston. I stayed
at your house. God, yeah, and you're still there.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Great grandfather's was in that property.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
My great great grandfather was our first family and over
to come there. He immigrated from Germany and eighteen forty
eight and and you know where we live now is
still part of his place. You know, it's been, it's
kind of been my life's work to hang on to
my grandfather's farm place. But but yeah, our house my
grand my grandpa built in nineteen eleven, and my mom
(02:35):
and all of her brothers and sisters were born right
there in the house. And now now to see my
children running around that house, it's you know.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
How all are the twins.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
You know, they're they're they're doing great. They turned eight
god and in June, and they are just you know,
they're running the show. They are they're wide open every
day and we are having a fun summer they were
having on the tour with me the first couple of
weeks of the tour. Oh wow, they'll come back later
in the in the summer. And so to have him
(03:08):
out here with me, it is just the best feeling.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
But I was scaring to say that. I remember hearing
your first record and then I went down and Bruce
Hitt and said, well, you're really a colectic You've done
stuff Chuck is talking about, and you'd be real good.
And I remember when I started playing the first record
for my friends, my hip friends, quote unquote, and they
would say, but he's too country for rock and too
(03:31):
rock for country, and I said, that's the point. He
has his own place, and that's to me, that's the
artists that have lasted for a long time, and you're
one of them.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Well, Chuck, you know you're being willing to work with
me in those days, was you know, it was huge,
huge for me. I remember flying to uh to Denver
to meet you for the for the first time. You
picked me up at the airport. You had you had
a sixties vintage Mercedes Dan and you picked me up
(04:02):
the airport and you took me straight to Red Rox
and the show that night was Bonnie Ray and John Fogerty.
But Bonnie was Bonnie was touring on her nine Lives
record and and that was that was the summer of
nineteen eighty six. She was turning a nine nine Lives record.
And that fall you got me. You put together for
(04:26):
me a tour to open for Bonnie.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Yeah, a bunch of days across.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Across the South, and it was, you know, that was
my that was my first time to kind of play
outside of Texas and do it do a tour, and
it was it was.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
And you did a bunch of dates with my boy, Leococky.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Leo and I are still friends. I know what a
wonderful human being in the world. Leo Kocky is he
you know his he's you know, it's just such such
an incredible, incredible thinker, and you know it all comes
out in his guitar. And but you know, having listening
(05:08):
to Leo plays guitar is when you get to know Leo.
It's his conversation is just just as complicated and just
as beautiful as his get the pieces.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
We all know Leo is from Mars.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
He is he is so smart and so funny and
and uh and just the other day sent me a
nice text asking if we were okay, you're with the
flooding in the text country, and you know, he's just
he's been a different.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
The tragedy in Texas. I'm sure that you probably know
people who have been affected by this.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Well, we do know people, and it's just horrible. It's
it's just awful. We have We have friends, dear friends
whose granddaughter was swept away in one of the cabins
and didn't make it. He was eight years old. They're
two older sisters were rescued. But you know we are,
We're right there. Our hearts are with everybody, and it's
(06:08):
you know, it is It's just the worst thing imaginable,
and you know, we're We're there. There are several fundraisers music,
you know, fundraisers being planned now, and I'm gonna try
to do as many as I can't.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
I also wanted to mention that we do have something
hooked up on our website to help out the victims.
Everyone's been vetted. Go to kbco dot com, Lyle, but
I'm glad that you brought that up. You'll be here
on Sunday at Fiddler's Green. And Chuck was talking about
the beginning of your career with your record label when
he was your manager. What memories do you have a
(06:45):
plan in Colorado over the years, places like Red Rocks
and some of those places up in the mountains.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Oh gosh, you know, playing Thanks Chuck Morris. You know,
Chuck Chuck managed me from nineteen eighty six to nineteen
and ever since nineteen ninety I've worked with him as
a promoter and Chuck has been you know, I mean, Chuck, Chuck,
Chuck has had me. Chuck is the reason that I've
(07:11):
gotten to come to Colorado every year all of my career,
you know, playing playing in great Colorado cities like Boulder
and Fort Collins and getting to play up in the
mountains Chuck, you know, Chuck Chuck partnered with folks that
live up in Assmen and Steamboat Springs and getting to
(07:32):
go there every year. Cutting to Denver, playing the Red
Rocks Amphitheater, playing at Fiddler's Green. We've played at Fiddlers
a few years ago as well. But the music audience
that you all have thanks to KBCO. The people are
(07:52):
so supportive and people turn up and it's just the
greatest experience to be able to be in such a
beautiful part of the world, to be able to play
outside in the summertime, and and and look out and
see Colorado and see the people. You know, it is
you know, it just doesn't get any better than that.
(08:12):
And you know, KBC has been so supportive, I mean, Chuck,
Chuck Morris and you know taking me, Chuck took me
to kb CEO. You know, right away when I first
met Chuck and had had a invited every person in
the in the music media in Denver and Colorado to
(08:36):
come to a showcase thing I did at the Oxford
Hotel and and that was a you know, that was
a night that introduced me to to everybody in Colorado
and and I'm just grateful. I'm grateful we've worked with
with Chuck all these years, and extremely grateful for KBCO
(08:57):
support all these years.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
Now, after listening to that testimony, Lyle, I do want
to say, anyone who isn't at Fiddler's Green on Sunday
night for your show, there's something wrong with them. Would
you agree with that they have a problem.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
You know, We're gonna be there with the Blind Boys
Allow I love, and it's gonna be a It's gonna
be a fun show, and I'm excited. I'm hopeful to
see if they'll sit in with us and Joe so
but but I'm looking forward to seeing it, hearing them,
and looking forward to being a flipper screen.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
You know, we have a mutual friend. His name is
William Shatner, and Bill was in town last week for
a big sci fi expo. I was wondering, does William
ever give you advice about how to make records?
Speaker 2 (09:46):
You know, Well, he's quite the record producer himself, isn't he.
I mean the record he's made. One of the thrills
of my career was doing a duet with him on
his out seeking major talker. I sang the choruses and
and he did, he recited the versus and and uh,
(10:09):
it was just a thrill, you know, I got to know.
I got to know uh Shatner. I met him, met
him at a Shakespeare fund raiser in Los Angeles done
by Shakespeare cent in Los Angeles, and then we and
I kept running into him at horse events. You know,
he's quite a horseman and and competes in reigning events.
(10:31):
And he was nice enough to come to Oklahoma City
for for us a couple of times in the National
Rating Horse Association and and be a part of a
celebrity reigning exhibition and uh and to help you help
raise money for charities in Oklahoma, and and what what
a generous person he is and his enthusiasm, gosh, his
(10:55):
enthusiasm for everything he does is just uh inspiring. And
I've I've really you know, I was a Starter fan
as a kid, and getting to know him all these
years later has been a through.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
I think he's the best to Chuck. Do you have
any more questions?
Speaker 3 (11:10):
For one question which I think I know the answer,
But did you ever think you'd have a career this
long and successful when you first started.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
You know, Chuck, that that I had. That's a great question.
I had no idea. The word career seemed dangerous to
use even early on, but you know I did. The
thing that I did know is that I loved playing
and singing, I loved making up songs, and I just
hoped that it would all work out. And and you know,
(11:41):
all these years later, I'm still hoping it will work
out because with those eight year old twins, I need
my job. Oh my god. But it you know, it
being able to do something that you love to do
for a living. And you two are in the same position.
I know. You know, Chuck Morris loves loves what he does.
(12:02):
And and uh and even now, Chuck, even in your retirement,
you're not retiring, that's right, No kidding with you. Still
you still work with a g and you're and you're
teaching college. I mean you're you're a college professor, and
you're sharing your experience and your wisdom with young people
who are interested in the in in learning more about
(12:24):
the music business. And I just think it's a wonderful.
It's just wonderful knowing you and being you know, just
being in your in your orbit and being able to
feel the energy that you live your life with has
been an inspiration to me.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
All these shows Lean We we can't wait to see
you Sunday night Fiddler is Green with the Blind Boys
of Alabama. You're loved here in Colorado, and you were
earlier talking about our support for you. Thank you always
for your friendly attitude and your support towards us as well.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Thank you so much, and I'll see you Sunday.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
I appreciate your helping us get the word out and
I look forward to seeing you guys.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Thanks, love you, thank you, see you, Bud Bye, Thank
you for listening. There will be in next time. I'll
see you. Then It's the Brett Sonders Podcast
How have you been. I'm Brett Saunders. This week our
guest is Lyle love It. I said our guest because
I'm joined in the studio by legendary concert promoter Chuck Morris,
who just happens to be around for our talk with
Lyle love It. A genius singer, songwriter, bandleader, performer, also
the star of Blue Bloods, the television show.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Wow. Yeah, now that is that's a real over statement.
I was thrilled to get to be a guest on
the show though they had me three years in a row.
On episode three years in Row. You know, all my
scenes are with Donnie Wahlberg, and Donnie was just great
to work with. It was really fun.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Yeah, you saved that show.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Yeah that was me. Yeah, that's right, you know I did.
We did get to fire rounds in every show, and
it was it was like, you know, it was took
me back to being a kid and getting the play cowboys.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Wait a second, you were allowed to shoot but they
were blanks, right, I mean you were actually, of course, yeah,
firing live ammunition on the set.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Well yeah, no, no, that's true. They were blanks. But
it was really fun.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Well, your acting work is a lot of fun as well.
I mean working with Robert Altman all those years. The
player you were in, right, the player, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
You know that was that was one of the I
worked with Almand several times and I got to I
had parts in several of his films. But the experience
that I well, they were all memorable. But one of
his films, a film called Doctor t and the Women.
He asked the band and me to do all the
(01:38):
music for the film, so all every bit of music
for the whole film we played. And working with Altman
on the mud. Altman was such a music fan. Working
with him on the music was just a great experience.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
You le, I have a question when I when Bruce Hitting,
the head of your label, sent me your record before
it came out, and I loved it. I went nuts.
And I remember I flew down to Houston. I stayed
at your house. God, yeah, and you're still there.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Great grandfather's was in that property.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
My great great grandfather was our first family and over
to come there. He immigrated from Germany and eighteen forty
eight and and you know where we live now is
still part of his place. You know, it's been, it's
kind of been my life's work to hang on to
my grandfather's farm place. But but yeah, our house my
grand my grandpa built in nineteen eleven, and my mom
(02:35):
and all of her brothers and sisters were born right
there in the house. And now now to see my
children running around that house, it's you know.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
How all are the twins.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
You know, they're they're they're doing great. They turned eight
god and in June, and they are just you know,
they're running the show. They are they're wide open every
day and we are having a fun summer they were
having on the tour with me the first couple of
weeks of the tour. Oh wow, they'll come back later
in the in the summer. And so to have him
(03:08):
out here with me, it is just the best feeling.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
But I was scaring to say that. I remember hearing
your first record and then I went down and Bruce
Hitt and said, well, you're really a colectic You've done
stuff Chuck is talking about, and you'd be real good.
And I remember when I started playing the first record
for my friends, my hip friends, quote unquote, and they
would say, but he's too country for rock and too
(03:31):
rock for country, and I said, that's the point. He
has his own place, and that's to me, that's the
artists that have lasted for a long time, and you're
one of them.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Well, Chuck, you know you're being willing to work with
me in those days, was you know, it was huge,
huge for me. I remember flying to uh to Denver
to meet you for the for the first time. You
picked me up at the airport. You had you had
a sixties vintage Mercedes Dan and you picked me up
(04:02):
the airport and you took me straight to Red Rox
and the show that night was Bonnie Ray and John Fogerty.
But Bonnie was Bonnie was touring on her nine Lives
record and and that was that was the summer of
nineteen eighty six. She was turning a nine nine Lives record.
And that fall you got me. You put together for
(04:26):
me a tour to open for Bonnie.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Yeah, a bunch of days across.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Across the South, and it was, you know, that was
my that was my first time to kind of play
outside of Texas and do it do a tour, and
it was it was.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
And you did a bunch of dates with my boy, Leococky.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Leo and I are still friends. I know what a
wonderful human being in the world. Leo Kocky is he
you know his he's you know, it's just such such
an incredible, incredible thinker, and you know it all comes
out in his guitar. And but you know, having listening
(05:08):
to Leo plays guitar is when you get to know Leo.
It's his conversation is just just as complicated and just
as beautiful as his get the pieces.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
We all know Leo is from Mars.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
He is he is so smart and so funny and
and uh and just the other day sent me a
nice text asking if we were okay, you're with the
flooding in the text country, and you know, he's just
he's been a different.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
The tragedy in Texas. I'm sure that you probably know
people who have been affected by this.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Well, we do know people, and it's just horrible. It's
it's just awful. We have We have friends, dear friends
whose granddaughter was swept away in one of the cabins
and didn't make it. He was eight years old. They're
two older sisters were rescued. But you know we are,
We're right there. Our hearts are with everybody, and it's
(06:08):
you know, it is It's just the worst thing imaginable,
and you know, we're We're there. There are several fundraisers music,
you know, fundraisers being planned now, and I'm gonna try
to do as many as I can't.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
I also wanted to mention that we do have something
hooked up on our website to help out the victims.
Everyone's been vetted. Go to kbco dot com, Lyle, but
I'm glad that you brought that up. You'll be here
on Sunday at Fiddler's Green. And Chuck was talking about
the beginning of your career with your record label when
he was your manager. What memories do you have a
(06:45):
plan in Colorado over the years, places like Red Rocks
and some of those places up in the mountains.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Oh gosh, you know, playing Thanks Chuck Morris. You know,
Chuck Chuck managed me from nineteen eighty six to nineteen
and ever since nineteen ninety I've worked with him as
a promoter and Chuck has been you know, I mean, Chuck, Chuck,
Chuck has had me. Chuck is the reason that I've
(07:11):
gotten to come to Colorado every year all of my career,
you know, playing playing in great Colorado cities like Boulder
and Fort Collins and getting to play up in the
mountains Chuck, you know, Chuck Chuck partnered with folks that
live up in Assmen and Steamboat Springs and getting to
(07:32):
go there every year. Cutting to Denver, playing the Red
Rocks Amphitheater, playing at Fiddler's Green. We've played at Fiddlers
a few years ago as well. But the music audience
that you all have thanks to KBCO. The people are
(07:52):
so supportive and people turn up and it's just the
greatest experience to be able to be in such a
beautiful part of the world, to be able to play
outside in the summertime, and and and look out and
see Colorado and see the people. You know, it is
you know, it just doesn't get any better than that.
(08:12):
And you know, KBC has been so supportive, I mean, Chuck,
Chuck Morris and you know taking me, Chuck took me
to kb CEO. You know, right away when I first
met Chuck and had had a invited every person in
the in the music media in Denver and Colorado to
(08:36):
come to a showcase thing I did at the Oxford
Hotel and and that was a you know, that was
a night that introduced me to to everybody in Colorado
and and I'm just grateful. I'm grateful we've worked with
with Chuck all these years, and extremely grateful for KBCO
(08:57):
support all these years.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
Now, after listening to that testimony, Lyle, I do want
to say, anyone who isn't at Fiddler's Green on Sunday
night for your show, there's something wrong with them. Would
you agree with that they have a problem.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
You know, We're gonna be there with the Blind Boys
Allow I love, and it's gonna be a It's gonna
be a fun show, and I'm excited. I'm hopeful to
see if they'll sit in with us and Joe so
but but I'm looking forward to seeing it, hearing them,
and looking forward to being a flipper screen.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
You know, we have a mutual friend. His name is
William Shatner, and Bill was in town last week for
a big sci fi expo. I was wondering, does William
ever give you advice about how to make records?
Speaker 2 (09:46):
You know, Well, he's quite the record producer himself, isn't he.
I mean the record he's made. One of the thrills
of my career was doing a duet with him on
his out seeking major talker. I sang the choruses and
and he did, he recited the versus and and uh,
(10:09):
it was just a thrill, you know, I got to know.
I got to know uh Shatner. I met him, met
him at a Shakespeare fund raiser in Los Angeles done
by Shakespeare cent in Los Angeles, and then we and
I kept running into him at horse events. You know,
he's quite a horseman and and competes in reigning events.
(10:31):
And he was nice enough to come to Oklahoma City
for for us a couple of times in the National
Rating Horse Association and and be a part of a
celebrity reigning exhibition and uh and to help you help
raise money for charities in Oklahoma, and and what what
a generous person he is and his enthusiasm, gosh, his
(10:55):
enthusiasm for everything he does is just uh inspiring. And
I've I've really you know, I was a Starter fan
as a kid, and getting to know him all these
years later has been a through.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
I think he's the best to Chuck. Do you have
any more questions?
Speaker 3 (11:10):
For one question which I think I know the answer,
But did you ever think you'd have a career this
long and successful when you first started.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
You know, Chuck, that that I had. That's a great question.
I had no idea. The word career seemed dangerous to
use even early on, but you know I did. The
thing that I did know is that I loved playing
and singing, I loved making up songs, and I just
hoped that it would all work out. And and you know,
(11:41):
all these years later, I'm still hoping it will work
out because with those eight year old twins, I need
my job. Oh my god. But it you know, it
being able to do something that you love to do
for a living. And you two are in the same position.
I know. You know, Chuck Morris loves loves what he does.
(12:02):
And and uh and even now, Chuck, even in your retirement,
you're not retiring, that's right, No kidding with you. Still
you still work with a g and you're and you're
teaching college. I mean you're you're a college professor, and
you're sharing your experience and your wisdom with young people
who are interested in the in in learning more about
(12:24):
the music business. And I just think it's a wonderful.
It's just wonderful knowing you and being you know, just
being in your in your orbit and being able to
feel the energy that you live your life with has
been an inspiration to me.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
All these shows Lean We we can't wait to see
you Sunday night Fiddler is Green with the Blind Boys
of Alabama. You're loved here in Colorado, and you were
earlier talking about our support for you. Thank you always
for your friendly attitude and your support towards us as well.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Thank you so much, and I'll see you Sunday.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
I appreciate your helping us get the word out and
I look forward to seeing you guys.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Thanks, love you, thank you, see you, Bud Bye, Thank
you for listening. There will be in next time. I'll
see you. Then It's the Brett Sonders Podcast
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