J. Michael Harter grew up in Arizona’s country and

western life — wide-open desert, endless skies, and the

music and stories that go with them. Some of his earliest

memories are of playing guitar and singing songs around

a campfire with friends and family, a love of simple,

honest music that has never left him.

Over the years he has taken those same songs and stories

from the firelight to the big stage, sharing them with

crowds across the country. Whether he’s performing for a

handful of people under the stars or thousands of fans

under the lights, J. Michael aims to make his music feel

real, heartfelt, and connected to where he comes from.

His Arizona country and western roots show up in every

lyric and melody — a mix of rugged independence, wide-

open freedom, heartfelt storytelling, honky-tonk fun, and

love gone right or wrong. He invites listeners to join him

on that journey and experience a little piece of this

tradition in every song.

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Career Highlights:

• Awarded 2021 Texas Country Music Association

Songwriter of the Year for his work on “Truck Back.”• Shared the stage opening for country music legends

— Alan Jackson, Blake Shelton, Clint Black, Little

Big Town, Eric Church, and Randy Travis, to

mention a few.

• His debut album Unexpected Change (2002) featured

the single “Hard Call to Make,” which became the

first Top 40 hit for Broken Bow Records, helping to

launch the label’s success story.

• Took a break from his solo career to form a trio with

his brother and sister called The Harters. The group

signed to Bigger Picture/Warner Bros. Records and

released an EP that included two singles — “Jenny”

and “If I Run” — both of which charted on the

Billboard country charts.

• His song “Holy Cowgirl” reached #5 on the Country

Dance Club chart in 2017.