John Hiatt: The Timeless Voice Behind Rock, Blues, And Country
Discover the life and career of John Hiatt, the legendary songwriter whose hits have been covered by Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, and more.
Aug 15, 20252.3K Shares105K Views
john Hiatt offers, songs full of honesty and feeling, delivered with a voice that sounds like lived experience. He has written many unforgettable tunes like “Have a Little Faith in Me” and “Thing Called Love,” songs that were later turned into hits by artists such as Bonnie Raitt and Joe Cocker. John Hiatt has released more than twenty studio albums and earned praise from both fans and fellow musicians, earning a place in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and winning the Americana Lifetime Achievement Award.
Early Life
John Hiatt was born on August 20, 1952, in Indianapolis, Indiana, as the sixth of seven children in a Catholic family. When he was nine years old, his older brother took his own life, and just two years later, his father passed away after a long illness. These tragedies weighed heavily on his young life. To find relief, he turned to music and racing—listening to blues, Elvis Presley, and Bob Dylan, and watching IndyCar races. He began learning guitar at age eleven and soon started playing in local clubs with bands like The Four-Fifths and John Lynch & the Hangmen. At eighteen, he left home and moved to Nashville to work as a songwriter for Tree Publishing at twenty-five dollars a week.
Career
John Hiatt started his music career in Nashville when he was just 18. He worked as a staff songwriter at Tree Publishing and wrote over 250 songs, even though he couldn’t read or write musical scores. His big break came when Three Dog Night turned his song Sure As I’m Sittin’ Hereinto a Top 20 hit, earning him a record deal and the start of his solo career.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, Hiatt released several albums on major labels such as Epic, MCA, and Geffen. Before gaining major success, he recorded Hangin' Around the Observatory(1974), Overcoats(1975), Slug Line(1979), Two-Bit Monsters(1980), and Riding with the King(1983).
His major breakthrough came in 1987 with the album Bring the Family, featuring his own game-changing songs like Have a Little Faith in Meand Thing Called Love. This album brought him wider recognition, especially as many of his songs were covered by well-known artists. He followed that success with Slow Turning(1988), Stolen Moments(1990), Perfectly Good Guitar(1993), and Walk On(1995), showing his steady growth as a solo singer-songwriter.
Over time, John Hiatt released more than 20 studio albums, plus live and compilation records. His music spans a mix of styles, from rock to blues to country, and many famous artists like Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, B.B. King, and Emmylou Harris have recorded his songs. He has earned nine Grammy nominations and received major honors such as the Americana Lifetime Achievement Award for songwriting and induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
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