Jonny Lang is an American blues, blues-rock and soul guitarist and singer who made an unusually early impression on the music world. Born in Fargo, North Dakota, he was a teenage sensation, releasing his major-label debut Lie to Me in 1997 when he was only 15. His powerful, raspy voice and fiery guitar playing quickly established him as one of the most distinctive young blues artists of his generation.
- Born: 1981, Fargo, North Dakota
- Style: Blues, blues-rock, soul
- Major breakthrough: Lie to Me (1997)
- “Wander This World”: Released in 1998
- Album: Wander This World
- Notable feature: Lang was only 17 when the album was released.
- Sound: Blues guitar combined with gospel, soul and rock influences
Wander This World
The title song “Wander This World” shows a more mature and soulful side of Lang than his earlier work. Rather than simply being a showcase for guitar, it has an introspective, searching quality, with Lang singing about uncertainty, relationships and finding one’s way through life. His rough-edged vocals give the song an emotional weight that belies his young age.
“Wander This World” helped show that Jonny Lang wasn’t just a teenage blues prodigy—he was developing into a serious soul-blues artist.