High-charting folk-rock singer set for show at Musikfest Cafe

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A folk-rock/Ameriana singer who in the late 1980s had a Top 40 hit and since has had five albums reach the Top 40 on various charts will play Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center.

James McMurtry, who in 1989 had the hit "Painting By Numbers," will perform with his band The Marshall Law Review at 7 p.m. June 21, it was announced.

Opening the show will be Americana/folk rock singer BettySoo.

Tickets, at $25-$30, are on sale at the ArtsQuest website and at the ArtsQuest Center at 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem.

McMurtry is the son of famed novelist Larry McMurtry — who wrote "The Last Picture Show," "Terms of Endearment" and "Lonesome Dove."

He's also an occasional actor who appeared in the movie "Daisy Miller" and the TV miniseries "Lonesome Dove."

McMurtry had success with his 1989 debut album, "Too Long in the Wasteland," which peaked at No. 125 on Billboard's overall Albums chart, and gave him an MTV video hit with "Painting By Numbers."

That song peaked at No. 33 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

His sophomore album, "Candyland," in 1992, included a song co-produced by John Mellencamp, with most if Mellcamp's band playing on the album.

McMurtry also appeared on the soundtrack of the 1992 film "Falling from Grace," working with Mellencamp, John Prine, Joe Ely and Dwight Yoakam in a "supergroup" called Buzzin' Cousins.

That group also had a minor hit 1992 country song, "Sweet Suzanne," from that film's soundtrack.

But McMurtry found more consistent success starting in 2005 with his album "Childish Things," his first to chart on the Country chart.

"Just Us Kids" in 2008 rose to No. 2 on the Heatseekers chart, and 2015's "Complicated Game" topped that chart and reached No. 4 on the Folk Albums chart.

"The Horses and the Hounds" in 2021 reached No. 3 on the Heatseekers chart and No. 8 on the Folk chart.

His most recent disc was last year's "The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy."