John Michael Montgomery Reveals Retirement Plans

John Michael Montgomery is ready to say goodbye. The '90s country hitmaker has shared plans to retire from the road soon.

John Michael Montgomery is brother to Montgomery Gentry singer Eddie Montgomery, and father to newcomer Walker Montgomery.
Seven of his 20 Top 10 hits reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, including "I Swear," "I Can Love You Like That" and "I Love the Way You Love Me."
His last studio album was Time Flies, released in 2008.

The 58-year-old's news came via Facebook, where he expressed appreciation for the fans who have followed him for over three decades.

"I've been fortunate and blessed to be able to do what I love for so many years," he writes.

Montgomery's official website lists seven tour stops for 2024. He says he'll be done after 2025, but it remains to be seen how many more times he'll take the stage. On Facebook, there are just four concerts listed as past events for 2023, and seven for 2022.

The Kentucky native didn't reveal why he's retiring in Monday's (Jan. 1) post:

John Michael Montgomery's Best Songs:

John Michael Montgomery's most accomplished song is 1993's "I Swear," which took both ACM and CMA Song of the Year at the time. The ballad was the first single from his second of 10 studio albums, Kickin' It Up.

He'd become known for ballads and love songs, even as uptempo cuts like "Be My Baby Tonight" and "Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)" hit No. 1. Between 1992 and 1999, just one of his singles peaked outside of the Top 20, but as the century turned, he released two songs that radio turned a nose at.

That wouldn't stop him: "The Little Girl" from the Brand New Me album hit No. 1 in August 2000, but after that he'd release four songs that finished outside the Top 40 and one ("'Til Nothing Comes Between Us" in 2002) that tucked inside the Top 20.

A beautiful soldier tribute called "Letters From Home" was a Top 5 at the height of the war in Iraq. Unlike many soldier songs released at the time, Montgomery's ballad showed true empathy for what the men and women fighting overseas were going through.

"It's been a wonderful run for me," he says, announcing his farewell tour. No dates were included in the Facebook post or a press release that followed.