John Bontempi
Spring Hill, Tennessee, United States
Music
Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Members of the audience dash off suddenly during his show. Others talk on cell phones, read novels or wolf down sandwiches.
John Bontempi takes it all in stride. He strums his guitar and sings another tune near the clanking baggage carousel at Nashville International Airport.
"It took all of history just to make you mine," he warbles from under a dark cowboy hat.
Bontempi is among the 90 or so professional musicians who perform at the airport in its push to add "local flavor," a break from the chain gift shops and restaurants in airports from Miami to Seattle.
"We're the best gig in town," proclaimed Cathy Holland, the airport's director of community affairs and customer service.
The musicians tend to agree, even if the audience is antsy and the overhead announcements — "The local time is 2:30 p.m." — get annoying.
"It's a lot of fun. You get a lot of different people coming through," says Bontempi, a singer-songwriter who plays all original material at his monthly two-hour airport shows. "I've had people on their cell phones walk by and say 'Hey, they even have music here — listen' and they hold up their cell phone."…
As Bontempi performed, a stocky guy with a beard walked by once, twice and a third time before finally setting down his bags and fixing his attention on the tiny stage.
The man, a 28-year-old welder from Sacramento, Calif., named Keith Branson, smiled and nodded with the music.
"At least now I can say I heard a country singer in Nashville," he said.
- Associated Press
Discography
The Plan (LP)
For The Glory of His Name (LP)
Things That Go Bump In The Night (Single)
It's All Good (Single)
Photos
Bio
John is… “revealed to be an excellent songwriter…light rock & country with a raw, natural sound…” CCM magazine
Having received critical acclaim and worldwide radio airplay for his first album entitled “The Plan”, and with the encouragement of BMI’s Roger Sovine and Mark Mason, John moved to Nashville, in 1999. The cacophony of noise that is New York City, and the crashing of Atlantic waves on Long Island beaches, was replaced with the sounds of Music City & the lush green hills of Middle Tennessee.
As a longtime member of Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and the Coordinator for the NSAI New York Regional Workshop, John knew that he would have to go where the best songwriters are in his quest to be the best songwriter he could be. He became very familiar with the stages at “The Broken Spoke”, “The Commodore Lounge”, “The French Quarter”, “The Bluebird Cafe”, and other well-known writers venues. John’s songs have earned recognition and awards from Billboard Magazine, American Songwriter Magazine, and The American Song Festival.
Although he’s had classical voice training and studied music theory with a concert pianist, it is the words and music of Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, and Merle Haggard, that John grew up with. Robbie Robertson, James Taylor, Dan Fogelberg and Paul Simon have also influenced him.
Upon signing with Cubbyhole Records in Nashville, TN, John began work on his 3rd CD. With a working title of “It’s All Good”, this very skilled performing songwriter expects his collection of Country music to be released soon.
Band Members
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