John Hiatt

John Hiatt (born into a strict Catholic family on August 20 1952 in Indianapolis, Indiana) is an American musician with a growing following, who gets airplay on alternative radio stations. He has played a variety of styles, including New Wave, rock and roll, blues and country. Though he has achieved modest mainstream fame as a performing and recording artist since he debuted as a solo artist in 1974, Hiatt's songs have been covered by Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop, Nick Lowe, the Neville Brothers, Emmylou Harris, Three Dog Night, Dr. Feelgood, Bonnie Raitt, Ronnie Milsap, Willie Nelson, B. B. King with Eric Clapton, Paula Abdul, and Mandy Moore. His first album to chart at all was Bring the Family (1987). He continues to gain fame as a respected songwriter and performer into the present.

Career

John Hiatt started his musical career in Indianapolis, Indiana as a teenager. He played in a variety of local clubs, most notably the Hummingbird. Hiatt played with a variety of bands, one of which was The Four Fifths.

Related Topics:
Indianapolis - Indiana

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Hiatt moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he got a job as a songwriter for the Tree-Music Publishing Company. Hiatt, who was unable to read or write scores, had to record all 250 songs he wrote for the company. Hiatt wrote the song, Sure As I'm Sitting Here, which performed by Three Dog Night rose to number 16 on the Billboard chart.

Related Topics:
Nashville - Tennessee - Three Dog Night

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Hiatt meanwhile began playing with a band, White Ducks, which recorded an album, In Season, in 1972. Hiatt performed with both the White Ducks, and solo in a variety of clubs around Nashville.

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Hiatt met Don Ellis of Epic Records in 1973, and received a record deal, releasing his first single We Make Spirt later that year. In 1974 Hiatt released Hangin' Around the Observatory, which was a critical success and a commercial failure. A year later Overcoats was released, and when it failed to sell, Epic dropped Hiatt. Hiatt would suffer a similar fate with his next two labels, both MCA Records and Geffen Records dropped him.

Related Topics:
Don Ellis - Epic Records - MCA Records - Geffen Records

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While working with Geffen, Hiatt received some praise however, he had been called "the American Elvis Costello" by some. Hiatt even recorded a duet with Costello, a cover of the Spinners' song, Living A Little, Laughing A Little, which appeared on Warming Up to the Ice Age.

Related Topics:
Elvis Costello - The Spinners

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Hiatt finally came into success in 1987, when he released his first big hit, Bring the Family. For the album Hiatt had a backing band consisting of Ry Cooder, Nick Lowe, and Jim Keltner. Shortly after its release, Bob Dylan covered Hiatt's song, The Usual which had appeared on Warming Up to the Ice Age.

Related Topics:
Ry Cooder - Nick Lowe - Jim Keltner - Bob Dylan

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