Before he could legally drive, my guest in this session had his first platinum record. Jonny Lang was 15 when he released Lie to Me, the explosive album that earned him accolades as part the next generation of virtuosos who would keep the blues blazing.

Success when you're that young? You can imagine it comes with a few perks and a few growing pains. For Lang that included some partying and some drinking, but he cleaned up after one particular sobering moment – which we will talk about.

In the years since his teenage debut, Lang has won a Grammy Award, toured with the likes of B.B. King, Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, and one of his heroes – Buddy Guy. He's also gotten married, had five children and released a handful of albums, including his latest, Signs. It's a raw return to Lang's bluesy roots, and he performed some of it for us in front of a live audience at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia. Hear the complete session in the player above.

Copyright 2017 XPN. To see more, visit XPN.

300x250 Ad

300x250 Ad

Support quality journalism, like the story above, with your gift right now.

Donate