John Stone grew up in Dogtown, a  small town in northern Alabama. He is named after his grandfather and grew up in a modest home environment surrounded by folks he describes as “just good people.” “My mom and dad live ‘country’ style. They raise chickens and dogs. Mama cans foods and makes homemade bread. They live a simple life and that’s how I grew up—simply,” says John who will admittedly tell you he had a poor childhood but rich in honesty and love and surrounded by music. “Music filled our home and from time to time my dad and mom would sing at family barbeques and at impromptu jam sessions. (They called themselves ‘Stoney & the Pebbles.’)”, chuckles Stone. “…And my parents are honest and hardworking. My mom has sensitivity and compassion and my dad is full of pride. Combine all of that and that’s exactly who I am.”

John picked up the guitar when he was six and as time progressed, he became enamored with a variety of instruments. He learned to play the bass, drums, harmonica and piano. He directed his sights toward becoming a singer/songwriter in Nashville. But… his “life” took him down a different path. God had a different plan for John Stone.

John’s musical ambitions met with detour after detour. At 17, John enlisted in the Delay Entry Program of the United States Army. As soon as he graduated from high school, he went straight to boot camp. Just four days out of boot camp, John was shipped off to serve his country. His tour of duty led him to Desert Shield and Desert Storm where he served eight years as a Gunner on an M-1 Tank. He was labeled a “top gun.” John married at 24 and he was discharged at 25. In the meantime, he and his wife had a son. “I never thought I’d spend eight years of my life in the service. It’s just the way it went. But, my time in the service enabled me to become a stronger individual and, believe it or not, it actually prepared me for the music business.” says Stone of this life experience. He’ll be the first to tell you it prepared him for life, the life he planned ahead of him. “When you enter the military, it’s their job to break you down and then build you back up again; reshaping you both physically and mentally.” [“Much like the music business,” he adds in jest under his breath.] “I learned a lot about myself and what I am capable of. So, today, every negative strengthens my resolve to get through it and if you tell me I can’t do something, I’ll show you ten different ways that I can.” Despite life’s deviations, it’s his very upbringing and his tenure in the service that has given John Stone the tenacity to become the man and the artist he is today.

Since his arrival in Nashville in 2003, John admits he’s become more knowledgeable about the music business. “When I moved to Nashville, I was filled with all kinds of fantasies and delusions. The last couple of years have been an education. I’ve become realistic and more than ever, I am aware of my strengths and weaknesses as an artist and what I need to do to realize my dreams.”

John Stone has in fact championed the hurdles before him to become a seasoned performer. He’s a singer/songwriter who (in keeping with his heritage) can be described as hardworking, dedicated and honest. He’s honest with himself and with his audience and if you ask John directly, he’ll set you straight when it comes to telling you just who he is as an artist. “If some one asks me, I will never say I’m a GREAT singer. But if you listen to traditional country music, it’s not about polished vocals. Renowned country legends like Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson are storytellers and their delivery is honest. I don’t want to be just a singer. I don’t want to be just a songwriter. I don’t want to pretend to be something that I’m not. My concentration is to be a complete package.” John Stone is just that--an entertaining storyteller who delivers a live performance with magnetism, energy and honesty.

John admits music is his everything. “Music is everything I do. I listen to the radio all of the time. I have tons of instruments at home [10 acoustic guitars, 7 electric guitars, 1 bass, 1 fiddle, and a keyboard]. I like to go see live shows and I’m a student at every performance that I attend whether it be a seasoned professional or an amateur. Life without music would make for an unfulfilling life!”

John often thought if he didn’t make it in the music business, he would be come a lawyer. “I think I’d be a convincing lawyer because I know how to speak to people and move them,” says John. Which seems to run parallel with his live performance. “You have to get your point across. You need to get the audience attention. Otherwise it’s a moot point—so you have to be convincing!”

It appears country radio and its listeners are convinced! Setting a standard with already notable career achievements, recording artist John Stone is off to a good start in an independent race. John is a proficient, self-taught musician who has introduced his talents as a mainstay-recording artist. He released his debut album on Tootsie’s Records in October 2004 (MEET JOHN STONE). He’s proven himself as a world-class songwriter with the success of his first self-penned single “Shame On Me.” He visited more than 200 radio stations across the nation. He’s toured with and opened for some of today’s hottest country acts (Alan Jackson, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Craig Morgan and Gretchen Wilson). He’s appeared and shared the stage with legends like John Anderson, Mark Chesnutt and T. Graham Brown. He received his degree in Drafting Design Technology. He was the celebrity judge at the 2005 B95 Country Showdown. He made a cameo appearance on the Today Show with Katie Couric, performed at six presidential campaigns for President George W. Bush last fall, and he made a special appearance in Tim McGraw’s NFL halftime highlights segment taped for Monday Night Football (by NFL Films).

The first several months of John Stone’s recording career have led him to the place where he dreamed to be and he is observably thankful. “I become more and more humble and appreciative every time I take the stage and for every ‘good’ thing that happens to me. The ‘good’ things, like…hearing my songs on the radio and performing on the stage of the historic Ryman Auditorium.”

John’s concentration is to be the best that he can be [as a man, as a father, as a son, as a friend, as an artist]. He’s completed the first phase to make it to “stardom” and is moving on to the next stage. “I am really happy with how far we’ve come. I’m pleased there are folks out there that seem to like what I do and I hope I that I can continue.” Since his introduction,--MEET JOHN STONE on Tootsie’s Records--John is confident that his artistry has evolved. It’s his very intent to demonstrate just how far he’s come. With the delivery of his sophomore effort (currently in the works), John Stone hopes he can make an even greater impact to secure his place as a mainstay artist. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be a huge superstar, but I do know that I just want the chance to put my music out there–music that touches people and evokes emotion (reminiscent, happy or sad). I just want the opportunity to get my music to the country music listeners to let them decide my destiny. If they say ‘yeah,’ or if they say ‘neigh,’ I can live with that. Because it will be the fans that make the decision about my music and my career, not the industry.”

 
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