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John Michael Montgomery
American country music singer (born 1965)
John Michael Montgomery is an American country music singer. He has had more than 30 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.
This total includes seven number-one singles: "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 ", and "The Little Girl". "I Swear" and "Sold" were ranked as the number-one songs on the Billboard Year-End charts for country music in 1994 and 1995, respectively.
Several of Montgomery's singles crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100, his highest peak there having been achieved by "Letters from Home" in 2004. Montgomery has released ten studio albums: seven through Atlantic Records Nashville, two via parent company Warner Records Nashville, and one on his own Stringtown label.
John Michael Montgomery was born January 20, 1965, in Danville, Kentucky, as the second of three children to Harold and Carol Montgomery. The family grew up in nearby Nicholasville. Harold was a local musician who played at various honky-tonks throughout Kentucky and taught John Michael how to play guitar at an early age. By the time Montgomery was 15 years old, he began playing rhythm guitar in his family's band, Harold Montgomery and the Kentucky River Express, which his brother Eddie later joined as well. During his senior year of high school, Montgomery stocked frozen food at a local grocery store and lived with his grandmother after her husband died. These circumstances led to Montgomery missing over 70 days of school before deciding...
Montgomery's musical style encompasses ballads and up-tempo material. Marjie McGraw, in The Encyclopedia of Country Music, thought that Montgomery "distinguished himself...with tender balladry" such as "I Love the Way You Love Me" and "I Swear"; she also described "Be My Baby Tonight" and "Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)" as "tongue twisters" in which he sang with a "manly baritone". Montgomery stated of his music in New Country magazine, "I want the youngest person and the oldest person to like it and understand it. It ain't too deep, but it ain't silly either." AllMusic writer Steve Huey described Montgomery as "[p]art of the '90s wave of honky-tonk hitmakers that brought country to new commercial heights" and states that he...
American country music singer and songwriter, born: January 20, 1965 in Danville, Kentucky.
Younger brother of Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry.
Also known as: J M Montgomery, J. M. Montgomery, J.M. Montgomery, M. Montgomery, Michael Montgomery
From Discogs (free to use). Their entry
Liner notes
John Michael Montgomery, the records, oldest first
Life’s a Dance
1992 album
Kickin’ It Up
1994 album
John Michael Montgomery
1995 album
What I Do The Best
1996 album
Leave a Mark
1998 album
Home to You
1999 album
Brand New Me
2000 album
Pictures
2002 album
Mr. Snowman
2003 album
Letters From Home
2004 album
Time Flies
2008 album
Records from MusicBrainz; covers from the Cover Art Archive.
"I Swear" is a song written by Gary Baker and Frank J. Myers that became a hit for American country music artist John Michael Montgomery in 1993, and for American R&B group All-4-One in 1994.
Background and composition
After their first album had finished going through the mastering process of recording, Doug Morris, president of Atlantic Records called the group for a meeting. He showed them the original "I Swear" country record, asking All-4-One to do a cover of it promising to bring David Foster in for production. Singer Jamie Jones of the group was most hesitant about releasing the song due to the genre crossover. The group finished the recording at Foster's Malibu home studio.
Critical reception
American Billboard magazine named the song a "memorable anthem ballad". Billboard editor Larry Flick wrote, "Follow-up to the gold-selling 'So Much in Love' once again spotlights this male quartet's seamless harmonies. Producer David Foster supplies soft and pillowy synths, a caressing sax solo, and an overall splash of drama, which complements the unabashed romance of this hit-bound ballad. As teens enter prom season, expect this song to be the peak tune of the evening. Ahhh, young love ..." M.R. Martinez from Cash Box named it Pick of the Week, complimenting it as a single "complete with shimmering vocals, swooning pop arrangements, and throttled (yet soulful) vocals". Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report complimented the producer that...
Music video
A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by German director Marcus Nispel and filmed in Los Angeles. Marc Reshovsky directed photography and Anouk Frankel produced it with supervising producer Ellison Miller. The video has a sepia tone and portrays the members of All-4-One hanging out on a rooftop singing interspersed with scenes with a young woman walking on the sidewalk below. They spots her from the rooftop and go down to talk and walk with the woman as they implore her not to leave. Ultimately, she says goodbye to each member before boarding a departing bus. The video was nominated for Best New Artist Clip of the Year in the category for Pop/AC at the 1994 Billboard Music Video Awards. "I Swear" was later made...
