 Part of the '90s wave of honky tonk
hitmakers that brought country to new commercial heights,
John Michael Montgomery made his name primarily as a
romantic
balladeer. Yet despite his sometime adult contemporary
leanings, his vocal style remained solidly grounded in
country tradition.
John Michael Montgomery was born in 1965 in Danville, KY, near
Lexington and learned guitar from his father, a local
musician. He first performed in public at age five with his
father's band, which also featured his mother on drums. By
15, he was performing regularly on the local scene and at 17
became the lead singer of a group with his father and
brother after his parents divorced. Following high school,
he played around the local honky tonk circuit and was
discovered at a favorite venue in Lexington, which led to a
contract with Atlantic in 1991.
John Michael Montgomery issued his debut album in 1992, titling it
after the lead single, "Life's a Dance." The song rocketed
into the Top Five, and its follow-up, "I Love the Way You
Love Me," went all the way to number one, helping the album
climb into the country Top Five. That set the stage for
1994's Kickin' It Up, a bona fide, multi-platinum
blockbuster that topped both the country and pop charts and
made
John Michael Montgomery a star. Three number one country hits -- "I
Swear," "Be My Baby Tonight," and "If You've Got Love" --
sprang from the album as well as another Top Five hit, "Rope
the Moon." A self-titled 1995 follow-up also topped the
country charts and kept
John Michael Montgomery's hit streak alive with the number one
smashes "Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)" and "I
Can Love You Like That," plus more Top Fivers in "No Man's
Land," "Cowboy Love," and "Long as I Live." Late in 1995,
John Michael Montgomery was forced to take time off for surgery to
repair his vocal cords.
John Michael Montgomery recovered in time to put out What I Do the
Best in 1996. "Friends" and "How Was I to Know" both hit
number two, and "I Miss You a Little" was also a Top Ten
hit. A Greatest Hits compilation was released in 1997, and
John Michael Montgomery returned in 1998 with Leave a Mark, which
found him continuing to move into more polished territory.
"Cover You in Kisses" and "Hold on to Me" were the Top Five
hits this time out. Things got even smoother on the very
adult contemporary-styled Home to You, which appeared in
1999 and whose title cut reached number two on the country
charts. Still,
John Michael Montgomery's crossover-friendly approach was beginning
to affect his sales in the country marketplace. 2000's Brand
New Me featured a higher percentage of up-tempo tracks, and
it peaked at number two on the country charts; plus, his
duet with
Alison Krauss, "The Little Girl," gave him another
number one hit. His next album, 2002's Pictures, was an
attempt to move into more mature, adult territory. ~ Steve
Huey, All Music Guide
Contact Grabow for more information or to book
John Michael Montgomery for your next corporate or private
event.
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