Jake La Botz

Jake La Botz’s rough and tumble upbringing took him from juvenile delinquency and punk rock to learning blues from the last of Chicago’s pre-war era bluesmen. From there, with guitar in tow, he made his way across the U.S.A. until he hit the end of the line in Hollywood where an improbable acting career began to unfold.

After getting clean from heroin at thirty years old, La Botz became a Buddhist meditation practitioner and teacher. He also took his bluesy guitar chops to the Greater Mt. Zion Church in South Central L.A. where he steeped himself in gospel music. Ever since then, La Botz has been putting out his own brand of Gospel-noir Americana. The eccentric stories, characters, and underlying spiritual messages often heard in his songs come to a head on his latest album Hair on Fire.

Among more than twenty film and TV credits, La Botz has acted in True Detective, Rambo, and On the Road. His most recent film, D.O.A., stars fellow musician John Doe from the punk band X.

Beyond music and acting, La Botz is also a writer. His short fiction can be found in literary magazines including The Inquisitive Eater, The Berlin Review, and Third Wednesday. A book of short stories, a novella, and a novel are in the works.

“From the first time I heard him playing guitar and singing his songs in a smoky bar on La Brea and Sunset, I became a devoted fan of Jake La Botz.” -Steve Buscemi.