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JOHN MICHAEL FERRARI STRIKES A CHORD
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CORPORATE MAGAZINE
John Michael Ferrari Strikes a Major Chord After decades entertaining audiences across the country, entertainer singer songwriter John Michael Ferrari is an overnight success during Covid. Yes, all of his performance gigs were cancelled or postponed. However, he and his music producer of 30+ years, Pepper Jay, used the “stay at home” time to successfully push Ferrari’s songs to radio play, resulting in dozens of spots on several radio charts.
John Michael Ferrari usually writes emotional story-telling songs with touches of sophistication and child-like wonder across several genres. His songs are inspired from his life experiences and those of others. Produced by Pepper Jay, the pop, country, jazz, or blues crossover tunes, gift the listener with unique musical experiences. The twelve tracks on the “Be the Smile on Your Face” album are no different.
John Michael loves to entertain in front of live audiences. The initial disappointment from gig cancellations (they especially looked forward to performing a week on the Mississippi Queen Steamboat) quickly turned into a productive several months. Right before Covid hit the U.S., John Michael Ferrari and Pepper Jay made two trips to Larry Beaird’s Studios in Nashville to record Ferrari’s second album, “Be the Smile on Your Face”. In May 2020, Pepper Jay employed music promoter Paul Loggins / Loggins Promotion to introduce the album’s single, “So Beautiful” to country, adult contemporary, and mainstream radio DJs. Although Ferrari wrote “So Beautiful” for a young girl who had entered their life, it is a love song ballad with perfect sentiments for any relationship. In the Which Coast review of the album, it concluded “Slower ballads like ‘Peggy Sues’ and ‘So Beautiful’ are beautifully composed and . . . emotional hard-hitters.
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Turns out that, during Covid, the vast majority of the recording artists postponed releasing any new songs or albums. They make much of their money touring and from merchandise in conjunction with the release and availability to purchase of their new music. This provided a unique opportunity for Ferrari and Jay in that it left a vacuum for new music for radio play. It took about three weeks. before “So Beautiful” hit a radio chart; New Music Weekly Top AC (adult contemporary) Radio Chart. “So Beautiful” entered the chart at number 98. Ferrari and Jay were thrilled. As weeks passed, “So Beautiful” landed on several other country and mainstream radio charts reaching Number Four on the National Radio Hits AC Chart. It was an immediate success internationally, and landed a Number Three spot in a United Kingdom Radio Contest that neither Ferrari nor Jay knew it had been entered in. They were absolutely thrilled at the idea people on six continents were playing his songs. As of the writing of this article, “So Beautiful” remains on several charts and numerous playlists. Pepper Jay believes that putting together a winning song recording is a team effort. All of the tunes on “Be the Smile on Your Face” were written, arranged, and performed by John Michael Ferrari. They were produced by Pepper Jay and recorded under the musical direction of Larry Beaird, with the most amazing studio musicians including Eli Beaird (bass) Larry Beaird (acoustic guitar), Evan Hutchings or Grady Saxnab (drums), Troy Lancaster (electric guitar), Billy Nobel (keys), and Russ Pahl, (steel guitar). To round out their team Larry Beaird gathered Jim “Jimbo” DeBlanc (tracking / BGV engineer), Rob Lane (Vocal Engineer), David Buchanan (mix engineer), and gorgeous background vocals of Tania Hancheroff, which captivates the listener at once. During the Summer of 2020, Pepper Jay sent out “Be the Smile on Your Face” CDs and Flash Drives to DJs across the world including Europe, Australia, Africa, Asia, and New Zealand. Thereafter, she maintains a continuing online relationship with them for cross-promotion. In January 2021, the Top 200 and Top 40 Country Music Chart compiled and launched from Europe The Netherlands lists John Michael Ferrari at Number Nine on The Top 200 Artists Chart. Also, “So Beautiful” charted at Number Eight on The Top 40 Single Chart.
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uring this time, another song off the “Be the Smile on Your Face” album titled “Keep Falling All Over Myself”
received radio play and landed on both Country and Mainstream radio charts, including The Independent Music Network charts out of Los Angeles and New York. This upbeat country love song is particularly popular on radio stations across the southern part of the U.S. Artwork by Brennan provided the single cover art for “Keep Falling All Over Myself”.
A country jazz crossover love song on the album, “Don’t Need a Reason” is reaching ears in Europe and in the U.S., particularly in the Muscle Shoals, Alabama region of the U.S., due to the efforts of one of Jay’s DJ contacts, DJ Stephen Foster. In December 2020, Loggins Promotion introduced another track off of the “Be the Smile on Your Face” album, “Somewhere We Could Fall,” to terrestrial and internet radio stations. It is presently climbing several AC radio charts. 8
The past year was kind to John Michael Ferrari having been recognized for his talent on several occasions. In December of 2020, John was voted Rising Star of the Year at the eZWay Virtual Golden Gala. And, earlier in February of 2020, John Michael Ferrari was awarded Best Peace Song of the Year 2020 at the Hollywood Tribute to the Oscars at the Beverly Hills Hotel by Art 4 Peace for his song, “Like a Rock and Roll Band,” slated to be included in Ferrari’s next album, “I Keep Dreaming”. Interestingly, Ferrari was asked to perform at that Hollywood Tribute gala but did not know he was going to receive the peace award. In late 2019, John Michael was named Outstanding Male Singer Songwriter of the Year by the Producer’s Choice Honors, where he performed several songs with his band at that awards event at the Madrid Room, Sunset Casino, Henderson, Nevada. Al Bowman, CEO of the Fame Awards presented Ferrari with the special honor. Every one of John Michael Ferrari’s songs has a story. Pepper Jay believes John’s songs are poetry put to music. Sometimes, so emotionally, it is difficult for his audience not to shed a tear. According to Indie Music Plus, July 2020, “A fun-loving, storytelling Nam Vet from Hollywood, CA, John Michael Ferrari pours out a whiskey-hued glass of Pop, Country, Gospel, Blues and Jazz in his music.” … “Influenced by The Wrecking Crew, Glen Campbell, and Tony Bennett, Ferrari delivers love croon vibes on his newest album, Be the Smile on Your Face.” John Michel Ferrari records under an indie label, Cappy Records.
Ferrari’s tour schedule may be accessed at www.JohnMichaelFerrari.com or at www.BandsInTown.com. (Although, at the time of this article, all in-person tour dates have been cancelled due to Covid. Early Life: John Michael Ferrari’s childhood was not a happy one. He found refuge in roller skating, ice skating, and playing his guitar and singing. (He was not allowed to play his guitar in his step-father’s house.) The first song he learned was “Tom Dooley” and the first song he wrote at 14 was “Wah Do Wah Do” (not one for the record books. LOL) Never wanting to be with his step-father, John spent his childhood on the streets and got into trouble. Finally, at age 15, a Judge called him incorrigible. Not understanding what that word meant, he responded “Thank you” and the Judge sentenced John to 2 years in the Nevada State Children’s Home in Carson City. John would say this “was probably the best thing that could have happened to me and the first time I felt safe as a child or teen”. Before graduating high school, the principal suggested John Michael drop out of school and join the military … which he did … the U.S. Army. Music has been John’s life; writing it and performing for audiences across the country. Pepper Jay and Ferrari have been music partners for 30 years and Pepper produces his music and manages his career. Ferrari’s musical influences include The Wrecking Crew, Glen Campbell, and Tony Bennett. After a lifetime of performing other people’s songs, and at the encouragement of Pepper Jay, Ferrari created dozens of additional original songs that he now performs with his bands, the John Michael Ferrari Band in Las Vegas and another in Nashville. Ferrari also performs as a solo/duo, ranging from small “living room concerts” to large concert halls and ballrooms.
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Ferrari’s “My Early Life” album and its twelve individual songs are available on all musical formats. His “My Early Life Songbook” is available online on Amazon and at Sheet Music Plus. Newspapers and magazines have been generous to John Michael Ferrari. The Los Angeles Times wrote a full-page story on Ferrari entitled, “No Earplugs Required” and concluded he was “the new Sammy Davis Jr or a young Bobby Darin”. The Tolucan called John Michael a “crooner with a smooth as silk voice.” John Michael Ferrari performed at The Scoreboard, Nashville with John Marcus on bass, Dylan Bodley on guitar, Gary Sadker on keys, Tarryn Amie Smith as vocalist, and Chris Austin on drums. The John Michael Ferrari Band in Vegas consists of Sexy Sticks aka Dr. John Nowins on drums, The Professor, aka Dr. David Miller on bass, Nomad aka Dr. Bruce Topper on Keys, Singer Katie Jensen, guitarist Brad Torchin, and singer Carol Champney. John Michael Ferrari’s first album, “My Early Life,” with twelve songs Ferrari wrote years earlier; a combination of country, pop, and flirtation! John Michael Ferrari graced the cover of Hollywood Weekly, Feb 2020, with a six-page article.
And magazines, such as Pahrump Life Magazine have also run articles on John Michael Ferrari, the latest in its January/February 2021 issue.
Trivia: John Michael Ferrari is a teacher, a keynote concert speaker, the author of “Acting with Your Eyes” and the co-author of "Dynamic Song Performance, the Singers Bible”.
Performing Singer Songwriter Singles: “So Beautiful” / “Keep Falling All Over Myself Album: “Be the Smile on Your Face” 2020 11 www.JohnMichaelFerrari.com
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