John (Jack) Lainson has been playing guitar and writing songs for 60 years. He began with folk music, which continues to influence his style.  Along the way he played in rock-n-roll, country, punk, jazz, and reggae groups—playing in duos, trios, and four-, five-, and six-piece bands.  He’s played in thirty or more bands, performing hundreds of gigs, and singing hundreds of songs. In the Wild Elderberries he sings vocals and harmonies, as well as playing guitar and harmonica.

John tells heart-felt stories in his songs, often drawing on his own experiences from growing up in rural Nebraska and living in small towns from northern Wyoming to southern Colorado. He describes himself as a guy with five kids and ten grandkids, who’s had lots of jobs and dogs, likes tools and sawdust, and has worn suits and ties and Carhartts. He and his wife now live along the Little Thompson River on the front range.

Anyone who has heard him sing would testify to his humble authenticity, which never fails to come through. He's a man of heart who calls a "spade a spade."