John Hiatt

Singer/songwriter John Hiatt has gone through several evolutionary phases, but gritty, soulful vocals and smart, heartfelt tunes have always been at the core of his work. Born in Indianapolis in 1952, Hiatt moved to Nashville while still a teen and scored a publishing deal. He recorded an album as a member of country rockers White Duck in 1972 and made his solo debut, the quirky Hangin’ Around the Observatory, two years later. In the late ’70s and early ’80s, Hiatt pursued a high-intensity New Wave-informed sound, but it wasn’t until he shifted to a stripped-down roots-rock style with 1987’s Bring the Family that he started to make a major impact. By this point his songs had been covered by Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop, Paula Abdul and many others, and soon Bonnie Raitt and Jeff Healey would make big hits of Hiatt songs (“Thing Called Love” and “Angel Eyes”, respectively). In 1992 he formed the supergroup Little Village with Nick Lowe, Ry Cooder and Jim Keltner, but over the years he’s maintained his focus on his carefully crafted solo output.