To commemorate her induction into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame back in October, critically-acclaimed country singer and songwriter Lucinda Williams delivered two performances at the ceremony, set to premiere on PBS on January 8. For one, she is joined by Margo Price for “Change The Locks.”
At the beginning of the performance, Price presents Williams with an overflowing bouquet of flowers before the pair tear through the track with a full band. “Change The Locks” appeared on William’s 1998 self-titled album which was released to rave reviews and later re-issued in 2014 after having long been established as a classic within her ever-growing catalog. For her other performance, Williams is joined by Rosanne Cash for a fresh rendition of “Crescent City” from the same self-titled album.
After suffering a stroke in 2022, Williams spent five weeks recovering, uncertain whether she would be able to tear through her live shows in the same way going forward. “I don’t know if I’ll stand up and sing or I’ll sit down like an old blues person. But we’ll figure it out,” she told Rolling Stone in 2021. For her Austin City Limits performances, Williams opted for the former, giving her all to the doting audience of fans.
Williams was presented with the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame induction in the new class of honorees also consisting of Wilco and Alejandro Escovedo. The 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors can be streamed live via the official PBS website.
The longest-running music series in television history, Austin City Limits strikes a balance in highlighting rising talents and their renowned predecessors. In the last year, the platform has been shared with acts spanning from Foo Fighters and Jon Batiste to Olivia Rodrigo and St. Vincent.
Listen to the best of Lucinda Williams on Apple Music and Spotify.