How to Hire JOHN MICHAEL MONTGOMERY For Your Event!
Related to: Eddie Montgomery (brother)
Based in: Kentucky
Based in: Lexington
Hire: John Michael Montgomery
John Michael Montgomery was born on January 20, 1965, in Danville, Kentucky, and raised in nearby Nicholasville. Growing up in a musical family, he was heavily influenced by his father, Harold, who was a country music singer and guitarist. John Michael, along with his brother Eddie Montgomery (later part of Montgomery Gentry), performed in their father’s band during their youth, which laid the foundation for his future career in country music.
Breakthrough with Atlantic Records
In 1992, John Michael Montgomery signed with Atlantic Records and released his debut album, Life’s a Dance. The title track became an instant hit, climbing the charts and earning widespread acclaim. Another single from the album, “I Love the Way You Love Me,” became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and won the Academy of Country Music (ACM) award for Song of the Year.
Hire John Michael Montgomery for your festival or concert plans! (t,s)
Rise to Stardom
Montgomery’s second album, Kickin’ It Up (1994), catapulted him to superstardom. The album featured iconic hits like “I Swear,” “Be My Baby Tonight,” and “If You’ve Got Love.” His rendition of “I Swear” not only topped the country charts but also crossed over to mainstream audiences, becoming a defining song of the 1990s. This album solidified his status as one of country music’s leading artists, selling millions of copies and earning him multiple awards.
Consistent Success in the 1990s
Throughout the 1990s, John Michael Montgomery released a string of successful albums and chart-topping singles, including “Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident),” “I Can Love You Like That,” and “The Little Girl.” His ability to blend heartfelt ballads with upbeat, lighthearted tracks endeared him to fans and made him a staple on country radio. He became known for his smooth baritone voice and his knack for storytelling.
Challenges and Resilience
The early 2000s brought challenges, including vocal cord issues and personal struggles. Despite these setbacks, Montgomery continued to release music and tour, maintaining his connection with fans. His 2004 album, Letters from Home, included the patriotic title track, which resonated deeply with audiences during a time of military conflicts overseas.
Legacy and Influence
John Michael Montgomery’s contributions to country music are profound. With over 16 million albums sold and numerous awards, including CMA and ACM honors, his catalog of hits remains a testament to his talent and enduring appeal. Songs like “I Swear” and “Sold” are considered classics in the genre, and his influence can be seen in the work of contemporary country artists.
Personal Life
Montgomery has been married to his wife, Crystal, since 1996, and the couple has two children. He often speaks about the importance of family and has balanced his career with his role as a father. His brother Eddie’s success with Montgomery Gentry has also highlighted the family’s deep musical roots.
Recent Projects and Ongoing Career
John Michael Montgomery continues to perform, celebrating his legacy while introducing his music to new audiences. His dedication to his craft and his ability to connect with fans have made him a beloved figure in country music.
Conclusion
John Michael Montgomery’s career is a testament to his talent, resilience, and timeless appeal. From his heartfelt ballads to his energetic anthems, he has left an indelible mark on country music and continues to be celebrated as one of the genre’s most iconic artists.
A Kentucky farm boy at heart, John Michael Montgomery has seen what few Kentucky farm boys ever see, the pinnacle of the country music mountain. After learning the country music ropes with the family band, Montgomery attracted millions of fans in late 1992 and early 1993 when his first hit, “Life’s A Dance,” went Top 10, and his debut album of the same name, was certified quadruple-platinum.
His country-to-the-core voice is equally at home on up-tempo honky-tonkers like “Be My Baby Tonight” and “Sold” as it is on unforgettable ballads like “I Swear” and “I Love The Way You Love Me.”
This has contributed to eleven number 1 singles, 15 million albums sold, and numerous national awards, including the CMA Horizon Award and ACM Top New Male Vocalist. As he collected song of the year awards for consecutive years, he racked up Billboard Music Awards and more ACM’s and CMA’s.
John Michael Montgomery is now enjoying a fulfilling life in his Georgian colonial home on his farm outside Lexington, Kentucky. He has limited his touring schedule to 50-60 summertime concerts so that he can spend as much time as possible with his family. You might occasionally find John Michael on his tractor bouncing around his property or on the golf course trying to improve his nine handicap.
But singing and touring are the passions that have brought John Michael Montgomery from Kentucky honky-tonks to the forefront of country music. John Michael confesses, “I feel blessed, excited and motivated! It’s like a new beginning!”
“The only person I’ve ever wanted to vindicate was my father,” he says simply. “I wanted to prove that we were more than just a bunch of poor people who had this pipedream of making it in country music. I wanted to prove that we could not only make it here, but sustain it over time.
“When I was a kid, finding out about love and getting my heart broken at 16, I wasn’t so much into that – because I’d spend my time practicing the guitar more. My Dad was so good, I always wondered if I could be as good as he was… and he used to tell me he was a decent singer and guitar player, so he really wanted to think about entertaining people, connecting with them. As this career has happened, I’ve never forgotten that.”
While John Michael Montgomery is known primarily as a balladeer, he’s actually a searing guitarist – known for closing his shows with an extended jam on Stevie Ray Vaughan’s good-timing juke-joint romper “If The House Is Rockin’.”
For the quiet-spoken man treating people right – whether it’s his family, fans or business associates – is a defining way to live. Maintaining perspective, years into a career that’s shattered every expectation, re-created the sense of what’s possible comes down to a few simple truths: the music, the performances and the balance. Know your audience, don’t forget where you come from, stick to the things you know.
“Singing country songs, if they’re great, can really touch on emotion’s centers. That’s what we’re all made of, and that’s what music sets free in us all. The best country songs really reach down inside, pull things out, touch us and make us FEEL something.
“You try to be honest – and you try to be real. And then you have to really hard on the songs. You have to make sure everything you cut is as good as everything that’s come before it. As lucky as I’ve been to find great songs, it makes the song search that much harder, but the publishers and songwriters have always been very generous about letting me hear their best stuff.”
Understanding that quality can beget quantity, he’s keeping his eyes on the songs and the stage – looking for new challenges, but never losing site of the things that defined his dream in the first place.
“You get started and you just wanna have a place,” he admits shyly. “Then time passes, you have some success and you almost don’t believe it, except you know you’re cutting music you relate to, and you’re hoping people will relate to you the way your friends do. I’m a very big hearted person and I love people, you know, the human race is a pretty unbelievable thing: where they come from, how they got here.”
“If you start there, you’ve got a good foundation. Whenever I meet somebody new, I shake their hand and think, ‘This could be the beginning of a great friendship.’ I’ve been let down some, but you don’t want to let that take over your life or your heart. The music has given me a lot more friends, because these songs are like shaking people’s hands, letting ’em know you understand.
“Beyond that, you know the red carpets aren’t gonna last forever, so you think about what you want the songs to mean beyond where they are on the charts. When it’s all said and done, I’d love to be considered a classic singer. You know the ones – the people who are thought of as stylists, whether you’re into Frank Sinatra or Willie Nelson or Lionel Richie. Those people all have distinct voices, but they also have a way of singing every song from a true place, a true moment – and people can’t help but respond to that.”
For John Michael Montgomery, who can talk about The Manhattans as easily as Merle Haggard, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Commodores and Waylon Jennings, it’s music that makes a connection. “Look, there are lots of ways to have hits,” he allows, “and I think they’re all okay. I love that ‘Sold’ is one of my biggest records, because it makes people laugh. I love that people get married to a lot of the songs I’ve been lucky enough to have.”
“Being part of someone’s life is what makes this circle complete. I’d do it (make music) for me, don’t doubt it. But you do it to bring people together. When people tell you their stories, you feel like it meant something even more than just capturing a moment in your life. When you do that, when you’ve got songs that are timeless and work for people in their 40s and their 60s and teens, then you know you’re really getting somewhere.”
His discography includes 11 studio albums, three compilation albums and 36 singles.
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