John Hiatt

John Hiatt is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist from Indianapolis, Indiana. His work sits across blues, rock, folk and roots-based country styles, and he is known for writing songs that are later recorded by other artists.

Early years and solo career

Hiatt begins his solo career in 1974 after growing up in Indianapolis, where he plays in garage bands and bar bands. Early influences include the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, and those touchstones remain audible in his writing. After high school, he moves to Nashville at 18 and works as a songwriter for Tree Publishing, while also performing in local clubs and hotels. During this period, other artists record his songs, including Conway Twitty, Tracy Nelson and Three Dog Night, whose version of “Sure as I’m Sittin’ Here” reaches number 16 in 1974.

Epic Records signs him in 1974 and releases his debut album, Hangin’ Around the Observatory, later that year. A second album, Overcoats, follows in 1975, but neither release sells strongly and he leaves the label. Tree Publishing also lets him go. He then moves to California and settles in Los Angeles by 1978, where he plays clubs and opens for folk musicians including Leo Kottke.

Recordings in the 1970s and 1980s

With help from Kottke, Hiatt hires manager Denny Bruce and signs to MCA Records. His MCA debut, Slug Line, arrives in 1979 and moves him towards a new-wave-influenced sound. Two Bit Monsters follows in 1980, but neither record sells well and MCA drops him. In 1980 and 1981 he also plays rhythm guitar in Ry Cooder’s backing band, including work on the album Borderline and associated touring.

He signs to Geffen Records by the end of 1981. Tony Visconti produces All of a Sudden in 1982, and Riding with the King follows in 1983 with Nick Lowe, Scott Matthews and Ron Nagel producing. Both albums receive attention but do not sell strongly. Around the time he completes Warming Up to the Ice Age in 1985, his second wife dies by suicide. He is later dropped by Geffen and enters rehabilitation at the end of 1985.

Breakthrough with A&M Records

In 1986 Hiatt remarries and signs to A&M Records. For Bring the Family, he records with Ry Cooder on guitar, Nick Lowe on bass and Jim Keltner on drums. The album’s stripped-down sound marks a shift from his earlier work and becomes his first charting record, peaking at 107 in the United States. It also brings him the strongest reviews of his career and establishes him as a cult figure with a growing audience.

He plans follow-up sessions with Cooder, Lowe and Keltner, but the project does not proceed on financial terms. A separate attempt with John Doe, David Lindley and Dave Mattacks is also abandoned. He then records with his touring band, the Goners, under producer Glyn Johns, and the resulting album, Slow Turning, appears in 1988. It receives widespread praise, spends 31 weeks on the U.S. charts and peaks at 98. He tours widely in America and Europe, building a stronger fan base.

Songwriting reputation and cover versions

Hiatt’s songs are recorded by a wide range of artists, including Bonnie Raitt, Ronnie Milsap, Willie Nelson, Iggy Pop, Three Dog Night and The Neville Brothers. After Bring the Family and Slow Turning, his reputation as a songwriter grows further, and other performers continue to mine his catalogue. Bonnie Raitt’s version of “Thing Called Love” appears on Nick of Time, and by the early 1990s Bob Dylan, Ronnie Milsap, Suzy Bogguss and Iggy Pop are among those covering his songs. Rhino Records later issues Love Gets Strange: The Songs of John Hiatt in 1993, collecting many of these versions.

Hiatt receives eleven Grammy Award nominations. “Bring Back Your Love to Me,” from Stolen Moments and also recorded by Earl Thomas Conley, wins BMI’s 1991 Country Music Award.

Little Village and later albums

In 1991 Hiatt, Cooder, Lowe and Keltner regroup as Little Village and release a self-titled album in early 1992. Despite high expectations, the record and tour are widely seen as a disappointment, and the members later describe the group as a failure because of clashing egos.

Hiatt follows with Perfectly Good Guitar in 1993, recorded in two weeks with a backing band drawn from School of Fish and Wire Train. The album is looser in feel than some earlier releases, though it does not match the staying power of Bring the Family or Slow Turning. His first live album, Hiatt Comes Alive at Budokan?, appears in 1994.

Labels and later work

After leaving A&M, Hiatt signs to Capitol Records. Walk On is recorded during the tour for Perfectly Good Guitar and features guest appearances from the Jayhawks and Bonnie Raitt. Little Head follows in 1997, after which he parts ways with Capitol. Crossing Muddy Waters arrives in 2000 on Vanguard Records, followed by The Tiki Bar Is Open. He then moves to New West for Beneath This Gruff Exterior in 2003. Master of Disaster and CD and DVD versions of Live from Austin, TX follow in 2005, then Same Old Man in 2008 and The Open Road in 2010.

Associated groups

Hiatt is also associated with John Hiatt & The Goners, John Hiatt & The Guilty Dogs, White Duck, and Little Village.