Although Billy Bob Thornton made his name as an actor and director, his first love was music. In his younger years, he performed in a ZZ Top cover band, Tres Hombres, which opened for MC5, Humble Pie, Ted Nugent and Hank Williams Jr. While he's not planning to leave Hollywood for Nashville anytime soon, Thornton is about to release his first record, Private Radio, which comes out September 11.

Of course, being in the limelight has given him the contacts and clout to line up some top-notch talent. Marty Stuart, who scored three of his films, co-wrote and co-produced the record. And Dwight Yoakam, who directed Thornton's movie "South of Heaven, West of Hell," co-wrote the dusky ballad "The Starlight Lounge" with Holly Lamar, who wrote Faith Hill's "Breathe." Lamar also sings on the track.

The disc was written and recorded in the actor's home studio, which was built and formerly owned by ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash. Influenced by Yoakam, George Strait, the Eagles, Tom Waits and Randy Scruggs, Thornton has crafted an evocative record that draws from the great southern storytelling tradition and pays homage to his upbringing in Arkansas. In addition to singing, Thornton plays drums on all 12 cuts, two of which were written for his tomb raiding wife, Angelina Jolie.

"Angelina" is a tender, twangy love song about when the couple first met and fell in love. The more melancholy "Your Blue Shadow" was written about the pain of being kept apart for lengthy periods of time by their respective careers. A third track, "Magic of Love," about the joy of being united again with his wife, was left off the record. Private Radio also addresses drifters, drinkers, townies, recluses and one night stands, and some of the imagery would fit comfortably between the grooves of a Tom Waits or Leonard Cohen record: "I was thinking about you when the law pulled me over/ Said I looked like the kind of guy that might be hiding something/ And my car was swerving, but I don't think he's ever seen a man wearing pink panties and under the influence of Merle Haggard" ("Forever").

Private Radio includes two covers: the Byrds' "He Was a Friend of Mine" (from Turn! Turn! Turn!) and Hank Williams' "Lost Highway." The track list of Billy Bob Thornton's Private Radio, according to his publicist:

  • "Dark and Mad"
  • "Forever"
  • "Angelina"
  • "Starlight Lounge"
  • "Walk of Shame"
  • "Smoking in Bed"
  • "Your Blue Shadow"
  • "That Mountain"
  • "He Was a Friend of Mine"
  • "Private Radio"
  • "Beauty at the Back Door"
  • "Lost Highway"