Turn Around: The Transformation of Jonny Lang
By Amy Hammond Hagberg
Jonny Lang has been called a blues guitar prodigy, a virtuoso, and a once-in-a-generation blues artist. His debut solo album, _Lie to Me_, was recorded when he was just 15 years old. It went platinum, as did the following year’s release, _Wander This World_. Lang spent his teenage years with guitar legends like B.B. King and Buddy Guy and toured almost non-stop with the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith and Sting. Altogether, he has recorded five albums and earned a Grammy nomination.
Catapulted into the music spotlight when he was only 13, critics and fans were astounded by Lang’s soulful playing and gravelly vocals – he sounded more like a 40-year-old blues veteran than a North Dakota farm boy.
His first band was called “Jonny Lang and the Big Bang.” For two years, they played gigs all over the Midwest. Then they had the opportunity of a lifetime. The band headed down to a Minneapolis nightclub called Bunkers to take part in a showcase event for labels scouting new acts. Lang was snapped up and signed as a solo artist by A&M Records.
The excitement and pressure of being with a major label definitely changed things for Lang. “I was on the road constantly, playing with musicians twice my age in places where they check your ID at the door. But it didn’t matter how old I was because I was the headliner,” he said.
Full to the brim with partying and performing, Jonny had no room for God. Admittedly, he was turned off to church and didn’t particularly like the rules that went along with being a Christian, “I wasn’t really at a point where I was interested in being accountable for my actions.” Read more of Jonny Lang's complete testimony and turnaround and of his CD recording, aptly titled _Turn Around_, which chronicles his incredible spiritual journey “With this album I want to focus, more than ever before, on my purpose in life,” he explained. “I’ve been so incredibly blessed.
Amy Hammond Hagberg is a frequent contributor to numerous publications around the world. To read more of this and other article go to her website www.hesreal.com.
