Jon Gordon Langseth Jr. (born January 29, 1981), known as Jonny Lang, is an American blues,

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

, and

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has made five albums that have charted on the top 50 of the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and has won a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

for ''Turn Around''.

Biography

Jonny Lang was born in Fargo, North Dakota, United States, of Norwegian descent. He started playing the guitar for his friends at age 12. He played modern hits to the classics, even performing a rendition of Jimi Hendrix's take on the

National Anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europea ...

. Soon after his father took him to see the Bad Medicine Blues Band, one of the few blues bands in Fargo, Lang started taking guitar lessons from Ted Larsen, the band's guitar player. Several months after Lang began, he joined the band, which was then renamed Kid Jonny Lang & The Big Bang. Two years later

A&M Records A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...

, then home of Janet Jackson and

Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil (both of whom are the only members to appear in every incarnation of the band), and bassist Hiro Yama ...

, was invited to come see him at a live performance at Bunkers Bar in Minneapolis, and he was signed to the label becoming the latest in a trend of young blues guitarists that then included

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Kenny Wayne Shepherd (born Kenny Wayne Brobst; June 12, 1977) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He has released several studio albums and experienced significant commercial success as a blues artist. Life and career Shepherd wa ...

and

Derek Trucks Derek Trucks (born June 8, 1979) is an American guitarist, songwriter, and founder of The Derek Trucks Band. He became an official member of The Allman Brothers Band in 1999. In 2010, he formed the Tedeschi Trucks Band with his wife, blues sin ...

. The band moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and independently released the album '' Smokin when Lang was 14. He was signed to A&M Records in 1996. He released ''Lie to Me'' on January 28, 1997. The next album, ''Wander this World'', was released on October 20, 1998, and earned a Grammy nomination. This was followed by the more soulful ''Long Time Coming'' on October 14, 2003. Lang also made a cover of

Edgar Winter Edgar Holland Winter (born December 28, 1946) is an American musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist, playing keyboards, guitar, saxophone, and percussion, as well as singing. His success peaked in the 1970s with his band the Edgar Winter Group ...

's "Dying to Live". Lang's 2006 album, the gospel-influenced ''Turn Around'', won him his first

. In his earliest performing years, Lang always performed

barefoot Barefoot is the state of not wearing any footwear. There are health benefits and some risks associated with going barefoot. Shoes, while they offer protection, can limit the flexibility, strength, and mobility of the foot and can lead to h ...

on stage, because "it feels good" and once in tribute to

Luther Allison Luther Allison (August 17, 1939 – August 12, 1997) was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was born in Widener, Arkansas, although some accounts suggest his actual place of birth was Mayflower, Arkansas. Allison was intereste ...

, a friend who had recently died. He has since given up that practice, after several near-accidents and electric shocks. In more than 10 years on the road, Lang has toured with

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...

Buddy Guy George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaugh ...

, Aerosmith,

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...

, Blues Traveler, Jeff Beck and Sting. In 1999, he was invited to play for a

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

audience that included

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

and Mrs. Clinton. Earlier that year he was selected by the newly elected Minnesota Governor

Jesse Ventura Jesse Ventura (born James George Janos; July 15, 1951) is an American politician, actor, and retired professional wrestler. After achieving fame in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), he served as the 38th governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2 ...

to perform at his Inaugural Ball. Lang also makes a cameo appearance in the film ''

Blues Brothers 2000 ''Blues Brothers 2000'' is a 1998 American musical comedy film directed by John Landis from a screenplay written by Landis and Dan Aykroyd, both of whom were also producers. The film, starring Aykroyd and John Goodman, is a sequel to the 1980 f ...

'' as a janitor. In 2004, Eric Clapton asked Lang to play at the

Crossroads Guitar Festival The Crossroads Guitar Festival is a series of music festivals and benefit concerts founded by Eric Clapton. The festivals benefit the Crossroads Centre founded by Eric Clapton, a drug treatment center in Antigua. The concerts showcase a variet ...

to raise money for the Crossroads Centre Antigua. Lang also appears regularly as a part of the Experience Hendrix Tour along with many other well-known guitarists to pay tribute to the deceased guitar legend.

Musical equipment

Jonny Lang, since the beginning with The Big Bang, has used a 1972 Fender Telecaster Thinline made by the Fender Custom Shop, as well as a 1958 reissue custom shop Gibson Les Paul in more recent years as his sound and style have grown and flourished. His original Custom Shop Tele - with a black flamed maple top, flamed maple neck, pearl signature inlay and his trademark pinup girl character on the aft body was stolen some years ago. He has added a couple more custom thin line teles-all carrying the basic aesthetic motif, but with varying colors from a burnt orange/amber to a deep violet throughout the years since. The 1972 Fender Telecaster Thin line is a semi-hollow spruce body, maple top, and a maple neck and fretboard. He has not, however, sported the pearl "Jonny Lang" signature inlay since his original custom tele, but still stays true to his WWII-style pinup girl at body artwork. Jonny's Telecasters have three Bill Lawrence Pickups (500L Neck, 500XL Bridge) with a 5-way pickup switch and a coil-tap for accessing a single-coil tone. On his pedalboard for his 2014 tour were the Analog Man King of Tone, a Whirlwind The Bomb boost, a Visual Sound V2 Route 808, a Full tone Ultimate Octave, a JAM Pedals Tube Dreamer, and a Boss AW-3 Dynamic Wah. On this tour he played his Custom Shop Tele and the 1958 reissue Custom Shop Gibson Les Paul through a pair of modified Fender ’65 Deluxe Reverb amps. Jonny also used an arbiter Fuzz Face and an Electro Harmonix POG for The Experience Hendrix tour. Lang has also used Audio tech Guitar Products ABC Selector CCM on his 2005 acoustic tour. The Fender Telecaster featured on the cover of ''Lie to Me'' is in fact not a Telecaster at all, but an original Fender Esquire. Upon filming the music video for the title track "Lie to Me" which took place in a San Francisco music store, the owner of the store suggested Lang play the Esquire in the video. Lang fell in love with the guitar and it was purchased and given to him as a gift. He continues to use it, but not as often as his Custom Shop Telecaster and Signature Series Les Paul.

Band personnel

From 1993 to 1996, Lang's backing band was the Big Bang. This group consisted of three founding members of the Bad Medicine Blues Band: Ted "Lightnin' Boy" Larsen on guitar, his brother Michael Rey Larsen on drums, and Jeff Hayenga on bass. Keyboardist Bruce McCabe joined The Big Bang in 1995 after Lang and this young band from Fargo impressed him with their set opening for McCabe's band at the time, The Hoopsnakes. From 1996 to 2004, Lang's backing band included Paul Diethelm on guitar, Bruce McCabe on keyboards, Doug Nelson on bass and Billy Thommes on drums. Also appearing on keyboards during 2003 and 2004 was Donnie La Marca, filling in for McCabe during his break from touring. Nelson was killed in a traffic accident in 2000 and was replaced by Billy Franze. Franze was in turn replaced by Jim Anton in 2003. Saxophone player

David Eiland ''For the baseball player of the same name, see Dave Eiland'' David Eiland (born in St. Louis, Missouri) is a musician, composer, recording artist and producer. Eiland is a multi-instrumentalist playing saxophones, guitar, bass, drums, Aerophon ...

was added in 2000, providing Lang with a foil for extended instrumental jams. In 2005, Lang replaced the entire lineup, except for Anton, and embarked on an acoustic tour. He performed with Wendy Alane Wright at the 2000 pre-Grammy party. Guitarist

Reeve Carney Reeve Jefferson Carney (born April 18, 1983) is an American actor and singer-songwriter. He is best known for originating the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in '' Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark'' on Broadway and playing Orpheus in the original B ...

was the band's opening act for several shows in 2005, as well as for the 2006 and 2007 tours. The recent band lineup includes Barry Alexander from Minneapolis on drums, Jim Anton from Minneapolis on bass, Akil Thompson from Nashville on rhythm guitar, Dwan Hill from Nashville on keys, Missi Hale from Los Angeles on background vocals. Lang's current band line up is Barry Alexander on drums, Jim Anton on bass, Tyrus Sass on keyboards and Zane Carney on rhythm guitar.

Recent years

On September 17, 2013, Lang released his first studio album in seven years, ''Fight for My Soul''. ''Signs'', was released on September 1, 2017 in Europe, and on September 8, in North America. On January 12, 2021, it was announced that all confirmed concert dates are cancelled until further notice, because of a medical issue that affects Lang's singing.

Personal life

Family

Lang married former ''

Kids Incorporated ''Kids Incorporated'' (also known as ''Kids Inc.'') is an American children's television program that began production in the mid-1980s and continued airing well into the early 1990s. It was largely a youth-oriented program with musical performan ...

'' cast member Haylie Johnson on June 8, 2001, making him the brother-in-law of actress Ashley Johnson. Lang and his wife share the same birthday, although she is one year older. They live in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

and have five children: son Raimy Lee and daughter Saylor Monroe (fraternal twins), daughter Rennix Belle, daughter Lilou Jaymes, and son Tevi Flynn. Lang has two older sisters, Stephanie and Heidi Jo. He also has one younger sister, Jessica ("Jesse"), who was a contestant on season 8 of ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...

''.

Conversion to Christianity

Lang became a Christian in 2000. In an interview with

Sara Groves Sara Groves (born Sara Lee Colbaugh, September 10, 1972) is an American contemporary Christian singer, record producer, and author. Groves received her Bachelor of Science degree in history and English in 1994 from Evangel University, a private ...

in '' Christianity Today'', Lang gave details about his conversion, assuring her that he had had a supernatural experience with the

Holy Ghost For the majority of Christian denominations, the Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost, is believed to be the third person of the Trinity, a Triune God manifested as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, each entity itself being God.Gru ...

. In his own words, he has said that he formerly "hated

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

" and "despised the things of God", but now he wants to share with others about

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...

' love. The songs "Only a Man" and "Thankful" from his album '' Turn Around'', are about his belief in God. He has also co-written a couple of songs with contemporary Christian music artist

Steven Curtis Chapman Steven Curtis Chapman (born November 21, 1962) is an American contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, author, and social activist. Chapman began his career in the late 1980s as a songwriter and performer of conte ...

, notably "My Love Remains".

Discography

Studio albums

* 1995 '' Smokin (Kid Jonny Lang & The Big Bang) * 1997 ''

Lie to Me ''Lie to Me'' (stylized as ''Lie to me*'') is an American crime drama television series. It originally ran on the Fox network from January 21, 2009, to January 31, 2011. In the show, Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) and his colleagues in The Lightma ...

'', No. 44 ( ''Billboard'' 200) * 1998 '' Wander This World'', No. 28 (''Billboard'' 200) * 2003 '' Long Time Coming'', No. 17 (''Billboard'' 200) * 2006 '' Turn Around'', No. 35 (''Billboard'' 200), No. 1 (''Billboard'' Christian Albums) * 2009'' Live at the Ryman'', No. 2 (''Billboard'' Blues Albums) * 2013'' Fight for My Soul'', No. 50 (''Billboard'' 200), No. 1 (''Billboard'' Blues Albums), No. 2 (''Billboard'' Christian Albums) * 2017 '' Signs'', No. 153 (''Billboard'' 200)

Guest appearances

* 1997: '' A Very Special Christmas 3'' album - by various artists, performed on track "

Santa Claus Is Back in Town "Santa Claus Is Back in Town" is a Christmas song written in 1957 by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, and first recorded that year by Elvis Presley as the opening track on ''Elvis' Christmas Album'', the best-selling Christmas/holiday album of al ...

". * 1998: ''

'' original soundtrack - by various artists, performed on track "634–5789". * 1998: ''Heavy Love'' album - by

, performed on track "Midnight Train". * 1999: ''

Loud Guitars, Big Suspicions ''Loud Guitars, Big Suspicions'' is the debut album by American blues-rock artist Shannon Curfman, released in 1999, for Arista Records when she was 14 years old. Track listing #"Few and Far Between" (Kevin Bowe, Shannon Curfman) – 3:54 #"No R ...

'' album - by

Shannon Curfman Shannon Marie Curfman (born July 31, 1985, Fargo, North Dakota) is an American blues-rock guitarist and singer. Career She came to prominence in 1999, at the age of 14, with the release of her first album, ''Loud Guitars, Big Suspicions'', whi ...

, performed on multiple tracks and co-wrote "Love Me Like That". * 1999: '' For Love of the Game'' original soundtrack, performed on track "

Paint It Black "Paint It Black" is a song recorded in 1966 by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. A product of the songwriting partnership of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it is a raga rock song with Indian, Middle Eastern, and Eastern European in ...

". * 2000: ''It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues'' original cast recording, performed on tracks "Someone Else is Steppin' In" and "The Thrill is Gone". * 2000: ''This Time Around'' album by

Hanson Hanson or Hansson may refer to: People * Hanson (surname) * Hansson (surname) * Hanson (wrestler), ringname of an American professional wrestler Musical groups * Hanson (band), an American pop rock band * Hanson (UK band), an English rock ...

, performed on tracks "You Never Know," "This Time Around" and "Hand in Hand". * 2000: ''

Milk Cow Blues "Milk Cow Blues" is a blues song written and originally recorded by Kokomo Arnold in September 1934. In 1935 and 1936, he recorded four sequels designated "Milk Cow Blues No. 2" through No. 5. The song made Arnold a star, and was widely adapted ...

'' album - by

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album '' Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of '' Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (1 ...

, performed on tracks "Rainy Day Blues" and " Ain't Nobody's Business". * 2001: ''Been a Long Time'' album - by Double Trouble, performed on track "Ground Hog Day" with

Gordie Johnson Gordie Johnson (born 22 May 1964) is a Canadian musician, best known as the front man for the blues/reggae rock band Big Sugar, Austin-based blues/gospel band Sit Down Servant, and southern rock band Grady. Johnson is a Grammy nominated pr ...

of Big Sugar. * 2001: ''Ash Wednesday Blues'' album - by

Anders Osborne Anders Osborne (born May 4, 1966 in Uddevalla, Sweden) is an American singer-songwriter. He tours solo and with a band, and often plays in North Mississippi Osborne (N.M.O), a group formed by Osborne and North Mississippi Allstars. Early life ...

, performed on tracks "Snake Bit Again", "Soul Livin'", "Me & Lola", "Aim Way High", and "Improvise". * 2004: ''All Things New'' album - by

, performed on track "Only Getting Started". * 2004: ''Eric Clapton: Crossroads Guitar Festival'', performed on track "Give Me Up Again". * 2005: ''

Possibilities ''Possibilities'' is the forty-fifth studio album by American jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, released on August 30, 2005, by Hear Music and Vector Recordings. Background The album features a variety of guest musicians such as Trey Anastasio, Jo ...

'' album - by Herbie Hancock, performed on track " When Love Comes to Town" with Joss Stone. * 2007: '' A Deeper Level'' album - by

Israel Houghton Israel Houghton (; born May 19, 1971) is an American contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, producer and worship leader. He is usually credited as Israel & New Breed. Musical career Houghton produced an album by Michael Gungor, ''Big ...

, performed on track "You Are Not Forgotten". * 2009: ''

Oh Happy Day "Oh Happy Day" is a 1967 gospel music arrangement of the 1755 hymn by clergyman Philip Doddridge. Recorded by the Edwin Hawkins Singers, it became an international hit in 1969, reaching No. 4 on the US Singles Chart, No. 1 in France, Germany, an ...

'' album - by various artists, performed on track "I Believe" with the

Fisk Jubilee Singers The Fisk Jubilee Singers are an African-American '' a cappella'' ensemble, consisting of students at Fisk University. The first group was organized in 1871 to tour and raise funds for college. Their early repertoire consisted mostly of traditio ...

Lang performed the song live on

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014. The fourth incarnation of the ...

on April 16, 2009. * 2009: ''

Lines, Vines and Trying Times ''Lines, Vines and Trying Times'' is the fourth studio album by the Jonas Brothers. It was released June 16, 2009, in the US. The album received mixed reviews from critics and fans. In its first week, the album sold 247,000 copies, debuting at num ...

'' album - by Jonas Brothers, performed on track "Hey Baby". * 2010: ''Up Close'' album - by

Eric Johnson Eric Johnson may refer to: Music *Eric Johnson (guitarist) (born 1954) an American guitarist and recording artist * Eric D. Johnson (born 1976), member of multiple indie-rock bands including Fruit Bats, The Shins and Califone Politics * Eric Joh ...

, performed on track "Austin". * 2010: ''What We Want, What We Get'' album - by

Dave Barnes David Mckee Barnes (born June 20, 1978) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee. He has released eight studio albums, including two Christmas albums. His most recent full-length album, ''Dreaming in Electri ...

, performed on track "What I Need". * 2010: ''6 String Theory'' album - by Lee Ritenour, performed on track "Why I Sing The Blues" with B.B. King and Vince Gill. * 2010: ''

Memphis Blues The Memphis blues is a style of blues music created from the 1910s to the 1930s by musicians in the Memphis area, such as Frank Stokes, Sleepy John Estes, Furry Lewis and Memphis Minnie. The style was popular in vaudeville and medicine shows a ...

'' album - by

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...

, performed on tracks "How Blue Can You Get?" and "Crossroads". * 2010: '' Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time'' album - by Santana, performed on track "I Ain't Superstitious". * 2010: '' Eric Clapton: Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010'' album - by various artists, performed on tracks "

Five Long Years "Five Long Years" is a song written and recorded by blues vocalist and pianist Eddie Boyd in 1952. Called one of the "few postwar blues standards hat hasretained universal appeal", Boyd's "Five Long Years" reached number one on the '' Billboa ...

" and " Miss You" with

and

Ronnie Wood Ronald David Wood (born 1 June 1947) is an English rock musician, best known as an official member of the Rolling Stones since 1975, as well as a member of Faces and the Jeff Beck Group. Wood began his career in 1964, playing guitar with a ...

. * 2011: '' ZZ Top: A Tribute from Friends'' album - by various artists, performed on track "

Sharp Dressed Man "Sharp Dressed Man" is a song performed by ZZ Top from their 1983 album '' Eliminator''. The song was produced by band manager Bill Ham, and recorded and mixed by Terry Manning. Pre-production recording engineer Linden Hudson was very involved ...

" as the M.O.B. with

Mick Fleetwood Michael John Kells Fleetwood (born 24 June 1947) is a British musician, songwriter and occasional actor. He is best known as the drummer, co-founder, and leader of the rock band Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood, whose surname was merged with that of t ...

, Steven Tyler and

John McVie John Graham McVie (born 26 November 1945) is a British bass guitarist. He is best known as a member of the rock bands John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers from 1964 to 1967 and Fleetwood Mac since 1967. His surname, combined with that of Mick Fle ...

. * 2012: ''Featuring Mato Nanji'' album - by Indigenous, performed on track "Free Yourself, Free Your Mind". * 2012: ''Show Me Love'' album - by V Reyes, performed on track "Man Enough", also featuring Tim Lang.

Filmography and television appearances

* 1997: Disney Channel's ''In Concert'' * 1997:

Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...

* 1998: ''

'' * 1998: ''

The Drew Carey Show ''The Drew Carey Show'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 13, 1995 to September 8, 2004. Set in Cleveland, Ohio, the series revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionalize ...

'' - episode " In Ramada Da Vida" ( cameo) * 2003: Late Show with David Letterman * 2004: Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival 2004 * 2008: Live at Montreux 1999 DVD * 2010: Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010 * 2021: Great Performances: Mick Fleetwood and Friends

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lang, Jonny 1981 births 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers 21st-century American male singers 21st-century American singers American blues guitarists American male guitarists American blues singers American gospel singers Converts to Christianity Grammy Award winners Living people Singers from North Dakota People from Fargo, North Dakota Songwriters from North Dakota 20th-century American guitarists 21st-century American guitarists Guitarists from North Dakota American people of Norwegian descent American male songwriters Provogue Records artists