Music

John Hiatt

famed singer-songwriter heads for show in Eau Claire

John Hiatt enjoys some time with the ol’ leanin’ pole.
 
John Hiatt enjoys some time with
the ol’ leanin’ pole.
One of the most influential singer-songwriters of the last 40 years is coming to Eau Claire. Playing guitar and piano and wavering between rock, blues, country, and New Wave, John Hiatt is a jack of all trades. And though several of his songs have been big hits, many you’d credit to other artists. Such was the case with Have a Little Faith in Me for Joe Cocker and Jewel; Thing Called Love for Bonnie Raitt; Sure As I’m Sittin’ Here for Three Dog Night; Riding With the King for Eric Clapton and BB King; and It Hasn’t Happened Yet for Roseanne Cash. In fact, the 90s tune Cry Love is one of the few you’d know as performed by Hiatt himself. Though his sound evolved over the years, often Hiatt is a melding of blues, country, and folk (think Ry Cooder, Bob Dylan, and Bonnie Raitt). With a career since the early 70s and plenty of hits to his name, Hiatt has unbelievably only gotten two Grammy nominations. But in 2008 he took home a deserved Lifetime Achievement Award at the Americana Music Association Awards. In the past year, Hiatt has released two albums – the 19th and 20th of his career. The Open Road received amazing acclaim from Los Angeles Times and Buffalo News who called it a “bluesy, heartland-soaked musical excursion” and “a classic for the future.” And fresh off the presses in August is Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns, which Rolling Stone gave 3.5 stars and said “Hiatt’s craftsmanship is as sharp as ever.”