Rod Black

ROD BLACK

Rock-and-roll fire. Country-born heart. A voice that came back for a reason.

Where he’s been

Born in Langley, British Columbia, and raised in Regina and Saskatoon, Rod Black grew up in a house where country music never stopped playing: his dad on guitar, his mom singing. At six he landed the lead in a Christmas musical, and he has been chasing the stage ever since.

In 2007 he founded Vancouver hard rock band Jet Black Stare, naming it as a nod to his hero Johnny Cash. Within months the band signed with Island Records. Their 2008 debut, In This Life, delivered “Ready to Roll,” which climbed to No. 26 on Billboard’s Active Rock chart. The song became the official theme of WWE SummerSlam 2008, landed in EA Sports’ NASCAR 09, and has since passed tens of millions of streams. It still blasts through arenas today. Jet Black Stare shared stages with 3 Doors Down, Staind, Shinedown, Hinder, Seether and Theory of a Deadman.

Then Rod went back to his roots. His 2014 debut country single, “Keepin’ On,” reached the Top 25 on Billboard’s Canada Country chart. It earned him a Canadian Radio Music Awards nomination for Best New Group or Solo Artist: Country, and in 2015 he was nominated for Rising Star by the BC Country Music Association.

He spent years between Nashville and Texas sharpening his songwriting, and in 2017 he signed with Bristol Records, distributed by Sony/The Orchard. He toured the American South in 2018 and was later nominated for the BCCMA’s Male Artist of the Year. Along the way he released “Long Gone,” “Miles to Go,” “Good Times,” “Walk On” and the summer anthem “Laketown,” and he shared bills with Dierks Bentley, Chris Young, Dallas Smith and Meghan Patrick.

Underneath the career is the story that shaped him. At 19, Rod flatlined and was pronounced dead before coming back. A severe car accident soon after confirmed what he already knew: he is here for a reason. That conviction made him an outspoken advocate for men’s mental health, and he dedicates both music and proceeds to breaking the stigma.

What he’s doing now

Today Rod fronts BLACK LYSTED, a hard-driving, emotionally charged modern rock band built for the stage. Their debut single “Redline” was dedicated to men’s mental health, with proceeds supporting He Changed It and Day One Dads. “Words Are Like Weapons” followed. In August 2026, Black Lysted signed with Cranked Up Records, distributed worldwide by Virgin Music Group, and released “Dangerous.”

Black Lysted is Rod Black (lead vocals), Brett Hanson (drums), Daniel Morales Jr. (bass), Chris Birch (lead guitar) and Erik Chirkoff (rhythm guitar).

Where he’s going

After closing out 2026 with U.S. dates, Black Lysted heads into 2027 with a national tour, festival appearances and new music. The mission hasn’t changed since the day his heart restarted: to make music that hits hard, speaks truth, and reminds people they’re not alone.