Singer-songwriter Lonnie Knight may joke that “Legendary is just another way of saying ‘...been around a long time,’” but the lanky Minnesotan is one of those rare musicians who has truly earned the title Legendary. He got his start as a folkie, learning from the likes of Townes Van Zandt. Then he played in some of the Midwest’s seminal rock bands, including Jokers Wild, the Nielsen-White Band and the Hoopsnakes. His 2005 CD Better Days brought him back to his acoustic roots, and the release of 2007’s tour de force, I Wrote My Name on You, his music is inspiring a whole new generation of fans.

Knight has long been known as a stellar guitar player – he’s won several Minnesota Music Awards for “best guitarist” – and his playing has been likened to Richard Thompson, Patty Larkin, Bert Jansch and Brooks Williams. But his great songwriting also comes to the fore in his recent releases, and his songs reveals a gifted artist getting his second creative wind.

He first picked up the guitar at the age of 12, and discovered it was something he was better than most at. He was working as a studio musician at Minneapolis’ Sound 80 Recording Studio and touring nationally on the Bitter End College Coffeehouse circuit when the late producer George Hanson (Leo Kottke, Art Resnick, Robin & Linda Williams) took a liking to his music and produced his first two albums, Family in the Wind and Song for a City Mouse.

His fingers haven’t slowed down a bit, and neither has his playing schedule. Recent and upcoming venues include Ginkgo Coffeehouse in St. Paul, the Bayfront Blues Fest, Rockbend Folk Fest, the Iron Range Blast, Café Carpe, and the Torrey Music Festival.