By the mid-1980s, singer-songwriter John Hiatt had been dropped from
three record labels, burned through two marriages, and had fallen deep
into alcoholism.
It took a stint in rehab and a new family to inspire him, then a
producer and an A&R man to have a little faith. By February 1987, he was
back in the studio on a shoestring budget with a hand-picked supergroup
consisting of Ry Cooder on guitar, Nick Lowe on bass, and Jim Keltner on
drums, recording what would become his masterpiece, Bring the Family.
Based on author Michael Elliott's multiple extensive and deeply personal
interviews with Hiatt as well as his collaborators and contemporaries,
including Rosanne Cash, Bonnie Raitt, Ry Cooder, and many others, Have
a Little Faithis the journey through the musical landscape of the 1960s
through today that places Hiatt's long career in context with the glossy
pop, college-alternative, mainstream country, and heartland rock of the
last half-century. Hiatt's life both pre- and post-Family will be
revealed, as well as the music loved by critics, fellow musicians, and
fans alike.