Watch CBS News

Second Cup Cafe: Justin Nozuka

Acoustic rock singer-songwriter Justin Nozuka may be young, but his talent and songwriting ability go well beyond his years.

With his blend of acoustic-soul, folk, old-time blues and pop, the New York-born, partly Canadian-raised Nozuka stole America's heart three years ago with his critically-acclaimed debut album, "Holly."

Nozuka returns with his sophomore album, "You I Wind Land and Sea," which is doing so well that it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart this week.

Nozuka stopped by The Early Show on Saturday Morning"'s "Second Cup Cafe" to perform his new single, "My Heart is Yours," and do an acoustic performance of "Heartless."

His smash hit, "After Tonight," off of "Holly," is a testament to his love of story-telling and being in the moment - and being in love.

The talented artist of Japanese and American decent has been writing since he was 15 years old. His lyrics were so well-written for the music at the time that they carried onto his debut album three years later.

It turns out that the soulful rocker's maturity can also be attributed to his appreciation for his supportive mother, whom his debut album, "Holly" was named after. What better way to pay homage to your mother?

She is actress Holly Sedgwick, half-sister of "The Closer" star Kyra Sedgwick's.

Nozuka hails from a musical family (his older brothers were musicians) and is the sixth of seven children. His family moved from New York City to Toronto, Ontario, after his parents' divorce, which is when Nozuka's creative juices started flowing. His interest in music grew even more, especially when he learned to play guitar from a classmate at boarding school.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.