‘New generation’
John Michael Montgomery enjoys singing his hits for older and younger fans
John Michael Montgomery is letting his creativity run loose while on tour.
The country singer has song ideas in the hopper but is waiting for the right moment to strike.
“To be honest with you, I haven’t been doing anything inside of the studio lately,” he says. “It’s tough to get into the studio when I’m on tour just as much as I was when I started. I’ve been wanting to get back into the studio. Right now, I’ve been focused on touring and doing the songs justice.”
Montgomery will perform a show at Inn of the Mountain Gods on Friday, Nov. 8.
He burst onto the country music scene in 1992 with his debut, “Life’s a Dance.” The album “Kickin’ It Up” was released in 1994 and a self-titled album in 1995. All three albums are certified multiplatinum.
In all, he’s released 10 albums. Montgomery has charted more than 30 singles on Billboard’s country charts. Of those, seven have reached No. 1: “I Love the Way You Love Me,” “I Swear,” “Be My Baby Tonight,” “If You’ve Got Love,” “I Can Love You Like That,” “Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)” and “The Little Girl.”
Over the course of his career, Montgomery has not only seen the music industry shift, but also the fans.
“In the late 1990s, the majority of my crowds were in their 20s,” the 54-year-old singer says. “I was just as young. I see them in the audience now, and they are parents or grandparents just like me. There’s an entirely new generation finding out about 1990s country music.”
Montgomery credits the rise of country music in the 1990s to the performers who inspired musicians like himself.
“We grew up with every type of artist,” he says. “From Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and Randy Travis, they were the top of country music. Then you had really good Southern rock and the easiness of Jimmy Buffett. It was such a great time period, from the mid-1970s to late 1980s, for music. Most of the ’90s country musicians were a reflection of that.”
Montgomery is also grateful for the hits amassed over the years.
“These have allowed me to do what I love to do,” he says. “Each night, I’m going to sing as many hits as I can. It brings great joy to me to see the fans haven’t tired of them. I take that as a challenge in creating the next pieces of music.”