It’s been nearly 50 years since Lyle Lovett ’79 first came to Aggieland. And while Texas A&M University wasn’t known for its performing arts program at the time, that didn’t stop Lovett from pursuing his passion for music and finding a supportive network among his fellow Aggie musicians and artists.
What the university curriculum lacked in arts programs, it more than made up for in the Aggie Core Values exhibited by both students and faculty. Those values mirrored the ones instilled in Lovett by his parents, William Pearce and Bernell Louise Lovett.
“My parents raised me so that whatever I was involved in, to put 100% of my energy into it,” Lovett said. “Going to Texas A&M reinforced the values that my parents taught me, and I found it reassuring to be among people who felt the same way about their own lives and their own pursuits.”
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He still sees those values today when he visits the university.
“The humanity at Texas A&M is what’s consistent. What is, I think, fundamental to all Aggies is the idea of Core Values. You can read down the list of Core Values that you find on the A&M website, and I think people who become part of the university, whether it’s the university in College Station or the university system across the state, share belief in those values,” Lovett said.
“Walking across campus and simply saying howdy to people who cross your path — I mean, that’s one of the greatest examples of how Aggies are interested in others,” he said. “And I think that simple act of saying hello to someone you don’t know carries into the rest of the world.”
“What is, I think, fundamental to all Aggies is the idea of Core Values.”
The importance of being authentic
Despite his worries as a student that he wouldn’t be able to make a living as a musician, Lovett has had an impressive career by anyone’s definition of success. He’s a four-time Grammy Award winner and a member of the Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame. He was recently chosen as a Class of 2026 member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and he even has some acting credits to his name.
And he has done all of this while maintaining his authenticity. It’s a point he reiterates to the budding student artists he meets when he visits Texas A&M: Developing your own authentic voice is important.
Lovett found his distinctive voice early on. After all, it doesn’t get much more authentic than writing about the front porch of a Church Avenue rent house in College Station, Texas. And yet, the song, which he wrote with Robert Earl Keen ’78, has taken on a life of its own since they wrote it as students dreaming of musical success.
Over the years, Lovett has lent his time, talent and resources to help his fellow Aggies and Americans. Partnering with Keen, he has performed at benefit concerts, including the 2000 concert benefiting the families of the victims of the 1999 Bonfire collapse and the “Deep from the Heart: The One America Appeal” concert for hurricane relief. The duo also performed at the 41@100 celebration in honor of former President George H.W. Bush’s 100th birthday.
And it shouldn’t be a surprise that the man who sang the line “home is where my horse is” is a true equine enthusiast. Lovett not only breeds and rides horses but also competes in reining competitions. In 2012, he was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. He even donated his retired show horse, Uvalde, to the Texas A&M Equestrian team, where it went on to have a second career supporting the student riders in Southeastern Conference and National Collegiate Equestrian Association events.
“Lovett’s Aggie Ring gleams in the sun as he prepares to sing ‘Let’s Work Together’ for the new Texas A&M commercial. In the background of one of the shots from the commercial, personal photos from Lovett can be seen, including one of a young Lyle with his father, William Pearce ‘Sonny’ Lovett Jr., a Navy veteran.”
Expanding the arts at Texas A&M
While Texas A&M values have remained steadfast over the years, one change that Lovett has enjoyed seeing is the expansion of the arts, particularly the creation of the College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts (PVFA) a few years ago.
“Adding an arts component to any degree underscores the idea that learning the basics, learning the conventional way to approach any subject, is important. But also, it’s important to be creative and think outside of what’s conventional in the moment. I mean, that’s the way breakthroughs are developed, how new ground is gained in any subject. Studying the arts and realizing the idea of endless possibilities, which the arts underscore, is a great dimension to add to any subject matter,” he said.
Lovett reflected that during his time as a student in the late 1970s, the arts were “an extracurricular activity, were something that those of us who wanted to engage in the arts on campus had to seek out ourselves” through outlets such as the MSC Basement Committee, a group he served on by booking affordable entertainment, often student musicians. The Basement Committee (also known as the Coffeehouse Committee) exists now as part of the MSC Town Hall and continues to bring entertainment to campus.
Today, the arts play a much larger role on campus. For example, Texas A&M offers academic credit in classes preparing students for careers in the arts “as performers, teachers, even behind-the-scenes technical people. … And I just think that’s a wonderful way to present a well-rounded curriculum,” Lovett said.
This past year, Lovett was named a Hagler Fellow: a distinguished scholar brought to Texas A&M by the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study. He is the first fellow from the performing arts, and as a fellow, Lovett mentors and collaborates with faculty and students, sharing insights that lead to exceptional achievements.
“I’ve been on campus more this year than I have in recent years, and I’ve enjoyed working with the college (PVFA). I have enjoyed seeing how the dean, the faculty and staff are all working together to build this college. I think it’s really important that A&M offer arts classes to enable a more well-rounded curriculum, working together to build the school into a first-rate arts program,” he said.
“The whole world would be a better place if we all worked together.”
Supporting Texas A&M’s message of unity
Lovett’s support for Texas A&M took an unexpected turn when he was approached to record a cover of the hit song “Let’s Work Together” for the university’s new national commercial. The song underscores the Aggie commitment to working together for the common good and serves as an anthem of sorts for Aggieland, as the university celebrates its 150th anniversary in the same year the nation celebrates its 250th.
Lovett said he was happy to lend his talents to share what is, above all, a message of togetherness and community.
“I was just thrilled that the university thought of me to help be a part of this year’s campaign. … The whole world would be a better place if we all worked together,” he said.
The new national commercial will debut during Fox’s broadcast of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C., on Aug. 23.
“Let’s Work Together” was chosen for the new Texas A&M commercial because it speaks to the Aggie Core Values of Excellence, Integrity, Leadership, Loyalty, Respect and Selfless Service. Lovett said Texas A&M’s Core Values reinforce principles that “are instilled in us from when we’re little” and explained that “Aggies are kind and concerned and try to help one another. (Working together) is something that Texas A&M embodies, and it’s something that’s deeply American. It’s a value of America, which is that what we can build together is greater than what any one of us builds alone.”
Lovett said he’s a fan of Wilbert Harrison, the American blues artist who wrote “Let’s Work Together.” He said the song, originally written in 1962 as “Let’s Stick Together” and reworded by Harrison in 1969 to “Let’s Work Together,” still resonates today — perhaps more so.
“I think it’s a wonderful reinforcement of Texas values in Texas A&M. … I think this message, this theme, of let’s work together is one that is timely, even though it’s classic wisdom. I mean, there’s nothing new about the idea that if we can all just get along, we can make progress together,” he said.
Working together for the good of America
At Texas A&M University, we serve with purpose, lead with character and take action for the good of our communities.
This is what it means to be an Aggie: to believe that what we can do together is far greater than what any one of us can do alone. For 150 years, Aggies have embodied that belief for Texas and for America.
Together, we serve communities, expand access to care and put knowledge to work where it matters most. Together, our researchers protect health, strengthen agriculture, advance innovation and improve lives. Together, our graduates leave prepared to lead, shaped by values and committed to serving something greater than themselves.
Together, we stand. Together, we serve. Together, we are a force for good.
