By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
March 10, 2000
Not yet 20, Jonny Lang is a blues veteran.
He’s been on the road touring since he was 13, earned fame by 16 and was nominated for a Grammy at 19.
So what’s next for the teenage blues sensation? How about some rumors? For instance, have you heard the one about Mick Jagger feeding drugs to Lang?
“Oh!” Lang says, phoning from Evansville, Ind. “I had laryngitis, right? So [Jagger] called his doctor and they got me a kind of steroid–not an anabolic steroid or anything–to reduce the swelling in my throat. That’s all. And then I was fine. I can’t believe that people would go to the trouble of making that kind of stuff up.”
Of course, there are some things about Lang that his fans might not believe. Like the one about him wanting to record a folk record of all things.
“I like to take things just one step at a time,” says Lang, who will headline tonight at the Star Plaza. “But I’ve always kind of had this little fantasy that I’d like to do a folk album. People are always surprised when they hear me say that, but that’s the kind of music I write when I’m by myself. I think it would be really fun to have that album included with one of my `normal’ records. It would present a different side of me.”
If the ballads on his latest album, “Wander This World,” are any indication, Lang could probably do justice to the folk genre. His vocals have matured and caught up with his precise guitar playing skills.
“I love James Taylor and the kind of records he makes,” Lang says. “For so many reasons, he’s just one of my favorite musicians. He’s about the greatest in the world. He can write a song that sounds so simple and good. When I become a proficient enough songwriter, I hope that my songs will sound half as good as his.”
Lang has earned his share of kudos as well as admirers even younger than he who look up to him as inspiration. Fourteen-year-old wunderkind Shannon Curfman has gone on the record saying that she started playing the blues after hearing Jonny play.
“Oh, yeah, she is a very talented girl,” Lang says. Laughing, he adds, “She makes me seem old by comparison, too, so that’s good. She and my little sister used to play together when they were like 7. I remember Shannon as just this little kid half my size. Now here she is playing this amazing guitar.”
Lang says being nominated for best contemporary blues artist at this year’s Grammys was an honor, but he had a lot more fun playing for President Clinton.
“We played three songs for him and then got to meet him, the first lady and Chelsea. We talked for about 10 minutes after the show about a lot of things. He knew a lot about music and asked about songs and stuff. He was really nice.”
