Born and raised in Indianapolis, Hiatt moved to Nashville when he was 18 and got a songwriting job with Tree Publishing. He signed with Epic Records and released his debut album "Hangin' Around the Observatory" in 1974. Neither that album nor the follow-up sold well and the label dropped him, but one of the tracks, "Sure As I'm Sittin' Here," became a hit for Three Dog Night.
After some label changes, Hiatt found his niche with 1987's "Bring the Family," a loose, rootsy outing on A&M Records that's largely defined his sound ever since. The album found modest chart success, as did the follow-up, "Slow Turning." By 1990, other artists were dipping into his catalog, solidifying his reputation as a songwriter's songwriter. Bonnie Raitt had one of the biggest hits of her career with Hiatt's "Thing Called Love" in 1989. His new album, "Same Old Man," hits stores May 27.