The Biography of Mitchell John

The Biography of Mitchell John
Calling Mitchell John a country singer is like referring to Mt. Rushmore as a mountain. You’d be correct, but would only be scratching the surface. Born in Billings, Montana, some 350 miles northwest on I-90 from where that great monument to leadership stands, John is definitely a country singer. But you’d be better off taking a cue from Gutzon Borglum, the designer and sculpture of that monument -- and someone who definitely knew how to get past the surface -- when trying to describe John.
Start chipping away and you'll discover the faith, perseverance and hard-work that have made Mitchell John one of the most successful independent country artists and small businessmen working today. Keep chiseling and you'll find a man that never met a risk he wouldn't take, a cowboy from brim to spurs and the very embodiment of the spirit of the west. Dig some more and you'll find a loving father of three, a devoted husband of twenty-nine years and ultimately, where our story is concerned, a nine-year old kid who never got over seeing the 1970 television special Elvis: That's the Way it Is.
That John was born twenty-years too late to experience the initial affect of Elvis on the world is a prescient point in his life, when you consider that he came to his music career later than most. John was in his early 30s when he decided to realize a lifelong dream of a being a performing and recording country singer. Ten years since, he has released six albums, including his latest live set Live at the Alberta Bair Theater, sold close to 100,000 records, performed hundreds of shows, just published an autobiography, Funded by Faith, and done it all without the aid of a major record or distribution company. Making up for lost time never sounded so good. Scratching the surface never revealed so much.
Born on June 15, 1961 in Billings, John was originally drawn to a life in sports, inspired by the Boston Celtics and world-class distance runner Steve “Pre” Prefontaine. By the time he was a high school freshman and living in Coos Bay, Oregon, he had already earned letters in track and basketball. During his sophomore year, while celebrating with his basketball teammates the real possibility that they could win the State Championship; John met his soon-to-be wife Toni. It wasn't long after that they discovered Toni was pregnant. So at the age of 16, with a burgeoning basketball career, John showed the resolve that would carry him to where he is today. He married Toni, and started working to support his family.
He started painting houses, and as is the norm with Mitchell John, grew his business into a multi-state operation handling entire complexes. After moving his family back to Montana, John got involved in retail and opened a store dealing in sports caps. He built the company into a franchise before selling out his stake to tackle his next challenge -- the music business.
“I’d been playing around with performing since the first time someone put a quarter in a pool hall jukebox and I jumped on the table with my cue as a pretend microphone and “did” Elvis,” John say’s in a poignant chapter of Funded by Faith. “I rolled options around in my head and finally got the courage up to tackle the one thing I had wanted all along. Fear of failing had slapped me away time after time, but if I were ever going to take a serious shot at the music business, this would be the time. I was 33 and could not long deny a lifelong desire: my dream of recording and touring as a singer and entertainer.”
John already had some experience as a performer and promoter. He’d been jumping on stages every chance he could through most of his life, playing at school benefits and civic centers. His senior year in high school, he gathered together some fellow musicians and convinced the owner of the local country club into booking them. John hit the streets, hanging up posters and selling tickets for $2, eventually selling out 600 seats for four shows over two weekend nights. Performing and self-promoting got into his blood those two nights and circulated within him for nearly fifteen years. At 33, having raised family and run successful businesses, John was ready to make a run at the music career he’d always wanted.

Dreamin' Home
John made a few phone calls and eventually connected with bass player and producer Mark Prentice. With a lineup rounded out by George Strait drummer Mike Kennedy and McBride and the Ride guitar player Ray Herndon -- recording in Nashville and Arizona and armed with songs by some of country music‘s top tunesmiths -- John recorded his first record Dreamin’ Home and released it on his own Ta Tanka Records. After a successful record release party and several regional shows, John began to navigate the very difficult maze of radio promotion and distribution. He placed his CDs in mom ‘n’ pop record shops and worked with a promoter to reach independent country stations in the Midwest, many who played his record, helped him promote his shows and offered on-air interview opportunities.
The breakthrough in John's career came during a regional tour stop in La Grande, Oregon. The local radio station had decided to partner with the local Wal-Mart store and bring John in for an in-store performance. John sold over 40 CDs and cassettes that day and became the store's number one seller. Word of his performance, together with the promotion provided by the radio station, turned John’s show that evening into a sell-out. More in-stores at Wal-Marts throughout the West followed. John had found his distribution channel. In the past ten years, John has performed more than 600 Wal-Mart in-stores. His CDs have become the top-seller at many of them, and he is now the only independent artist Wal-Mart deals with directly. It stocks all six of his releases and has been the major pipeline for the close to 100,000 CDs and cassettes he’s sold.
John’s touring with Chris Ledoux, Don Williams, Dan Seals, and Ian Tyson have both been thrills for the Independent National Recording Artist, but also life experiences he will never forget. “Chris was the best, he was kind, and always had a moment to talk, he was the true Cowboy of American Music.”
In 2005, John published a memoir of his independent rise in country music titled Funded by Faith: An American Dream. Available exclusively through Wal-Mart, he cross-promoted the book with a signing and performance tour of 60 stores. In the book, John recounts those early days in Oregon and Montana, becoming a husband and father at the age of 16, putting aside a burgeoning sports career to work and support his family and his burning desire to perform. But he also shares his experience in small business and offers the reader a how-to-make-it-on-your-own guide, whether it’s selling hats or CDs.

Funded by Faith
The release of Funded by Faith coincided with the release of Mitchell’s first live album, Live at the Alberta Bair Theater. For those who've never experienced Mitchell John, the album is the perfect introduction to his music and a clear retrospective of his career. For John, though, there’s no time to look back. He’s even considering writing more.
“I've spent ten years searching and trying new things, “says John. “In a lot of ways it all led to this live record. Hopefully it validates that journey and sticks around for a long time."
“Whether you write your own music or pick it from other writers, there's an art to picking the songs that fit your style and, more importantly, fit who you are,” says John about what’s next for him. “I plan on spending this year strengthening my voice, my songwriting and my song selection, and continuing on this amazing path. As long as people keep coming to my shows and buying my records, whether it's at a Wal-Mart in my hometown in Montana, or a theater halfway around the world, I'll be there, playing my songs, doing my best to entertain you, and hopefully, encourage your own dream.”


		The Staff • The Musicians
Click for Media Materials		The Biography of Mitchell John Calling Mitchell John a country singer is like referring to Mt. Rushmore as a mountain. You’d be correct, but would only be scratching the surface. Born in Billings, Montana, some 350 miles northwest on I-90 from where that great monument to leadership stands, John is definitely a country singer. But you’d be better off taking a cue from Gutzon Borglum, the designer and sculpture of that monument -- and someone who definitely knew how to get past the surface -- when trying to describe John. Start chipping away and you'll discover the faith, perseverance and hard-work that have made Mitchell John one of the most successful independent country artists and small businessmen working today. Keep chiseling and you'll find a man that never met a risk he wouldn't take, a cowboy from brim to spurs and the very embodiment of the spirit of the west. Dig some more and you'll find a loving father of three, a devoted husband of twenty-nine years and ultimately, where our story is concerned, a nine-year old kid who never got over seeing the 1970 television special Elvis: That's the Way it Is. That John was born twenty-years too late to experience the initial affect of Elvis on the world is a prescient point in his life, when you consider that he came to his music career later than most. John was in his early 30s when he decided to realize a lifelong dream of a being a performing and recording country singer. Ten years since, he has released six albums, including his latest live set Live at the Alberta Bair Theater, sold close to 100,000 records, performed hundreds of shows, just published an autobiography, Funded by Faith, and done it all without the aid of a major record or distribution company. Making up for lost time never sounded so good. Scratching the surface never revealed so much. Born on June 15, 1961 in Billings, John was originally drawn to a life in sports, inspired by the Boston Celtics and world-class distance runner Steve “Pre” Prefontaine. By the time he was a high school freshman and living in Coos Bay, Oregon, he had already earned letters in track and basketball. During his sophomore year, while celebrating with his basketball teammates the real possibility that they could win the State Championship; John met his soon-to-be wife Toni. It wasn't long after that they discovered Toni was pregnant. So at the age of 16, with a burgeoning basketball career, John showed the resolve that would carry him to where he is today. He married Toni, and started working to support his family. He started painting houses, and as is the norm with Mitchell John, grew his business into a multi-state operation handling entire complexes. After moving his family back to Montana, John got involved in retail and opened a store dealing in sports caps. He built the company into a franchise before selling out his stake to tackle his next challenge -- the music business. “I’d been playing around with performing since the first time someone put a quarter in a pool hall jukebox and I jumped on the table with my cue as a pretend microphone and “did” Elvis,” John say’s in a poignant chapter of Funded by Faith. “I rolled options around in my head and finally got the courage up to tackle the one thing I had wanted all along. Fear of failing had slapped me away time after time, but if I were ever going to take a serious shot at the music business, this would be the time. I was 33 and could not long deny a lifelong desire: my dream of recording and touring as a singer and entertainer.” John already had some experience as a performer and promoter. He’d been jumping on stages every chance he could through most of his life, playing at school benefits and civic centers. His senior year in high school, he gathered together some fellow musicians and convinced the owner of the local country club into booking them. John hit the streets, hanging up posters and selling tickets for $2, eventually selling out 600 seats for four shows over two weekend nights. Performing and self-promoting got into his blood those two nights and circulated within him for nearly fifteen years. At 33, having raised family and run successful businesses, John was ready to make a run at the music career he’d always wanted. Dreamin' Home John made a few phone calls and eventually connected with bass player and producer Mark Prentice. With a lineup rounded out by George Strait drummer Mike Kennedy and McBride and the Ride guitar player Ray Herndon -- recording in Nashville and Arizona and armed with songs by some of country music‘s top tunesmiths -- John recorded his first record Dreamin’ Home and released it on his own Ta Tanka Records. After a successful record release party and several regional shows, John began to navigate the very difficult maze of radio promotion and distribution. He placed his CDs in mom ‘n’ pop record shops and worked with a promoter to reach independent country stations in the Midwest, many who played his record, helped him promote his shows and offered on-air interview opportunities. The breakthrough in John's career came during a regional tour stop in La Grande, Oregon. The local radio station had decided to partner with the local Wal-Mart store and bring John in for an in-store performance. John sold over 40 CDs and cassettes that day and became the store's number one seller. Word of his performance, together with the promotion provided by the radio station, turned John’s show that evening into a sell-out. More in-stores at Wal-Marts throughout the West followed. John had found his distribution channel. In the past ten years, John has performed more than 600 Wal-Mart in-stores. His CDs have become the top-seller at many of them, and he is now the only independent artist Wal-Mart deals with directly. It stocks all six of his releases and has been the major pipeline for the close to 100,000 CDs and cassettes he’s sold. John’s touring with Chris Ledoux, Don Williams, Dan Seals, and Ian Tyson have both been thrills for the Independent National Recording Artist, but also life experiences he will never forget. “Chris was the best, he was kind, and always had a moment to talk, he was the true Cowboy of American Music.” In 2005, John published a memoir of his independent rise in country music titled Funded by Faith: An American Dream. Available exclusively through Wal-Mart, he cross-promoted the book with a signing and performance tour of 60 stores. In the book, John recounts those early days in Oregon and Montana, becoming a husband and father at the age of 16, putting aside a burgeoning sports career to work and support his family and his burning desire to perform. But he also shares his experience in small business and offers the reader a how-to-make-it-on-your-own guide, whether it’s selling hats or CDs. Funded by Faith The release of Funded by Faith coincided with the release of Mitchell’s first live album, Live at the Alberta Bair Theater. For those who've never experienced Mitchell John, the album is the perfect introduction to his music and a clear retrospective of his career. For John, though, there’s no time to look back. He’s even considering writing more. “I've spent ten years searching and trying new things, “says John. “In a lot of ways it all led to this live record. Hopefully it validates that journey and sticks around for a long time." “Whether you write your own music or pick it from other writers, there's an art to picking the songs that fit your style and, more importantly, fit who you are,” says John about what’s next for him. “I plan on spending this year strengthening my voice, my songwriting and my song selection, and continuing on this amazing path. As long as people keep coming to my shows and buying my records, whether it's at a Wal-Mart in my hometown in Montana, or a theater halfway around the world, I'll be there, playing my songs, doing my best to entertain you, and hopefully, encourage your own dream.”