John Michael Montgomery is ready to take his final bow.
The country superstar, 60, announced Tuesday that he’ll be performing his last concert in December before retiring.
“It’s time to bring it all back home for the last show,” he wrote on Instagram.
The “I Swear” singer added that he “can’t think of a better place” to play his last show than Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky – his home state. The show is set for Dec. 12, with tickets officially going on sale Friday.
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Montgomery wrote that “some very special guests” would be joining him for the performance. Eddie Montgomery, his brother and member of country duo Montgomery Gentry, son Walker Montgomery and son-in-law Travis Denning are all set to join him.
He originally announced his retirement in a Facebook post shared last year on New Year’s Day, telling his followers, “I hope everyone enjoyed bringing in 2024 and may it be a wonderful one for all my friends out there. For me it will be the start of my farewell tour as I have decided to wind down my touring career over this year and 2025.”
He continued, “It’s been a wonderful run for me from the beginning over 30 years ago in 1992 when my first song LIFE’s A DANCE was released to radio I think either as a 45 vinyl or on a cassette tape, CDs had not quite taken over the market yet and the internet was still in its infancy. It amazes me where it is today.”
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The country star, known for hits like “Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)” and “Be My Baby Tonight,” said that he’d been “fortunate and blessed to be able to do what I love for so many years.”
Montgomery hit the country scene in 1992 with his first album, “Life’s a Dance,” which went triple platinum. The follow-up album, “Kickin’ It Up,” was released two years later, and became even more successful, going quadruple platinum – a feat accomplished again by his third album, 1995’s self-titled release.
Seven of his singles made it to the number-one spot on the country charts, and a dozen others broke the top ten. Over his career, he won four Academy of Country Music Awards, two Country Music Association Awards and was nominated for three Grammys.
Last August, his son, Walker, gave some insight into his decision to retire.
“I think he deserves it. It’s been 30 years,” he told Taste of Country. “People don’t realize how tough the road is, especially back in the ’90s … As he says, they’d bring a gallon of whiskey on the road with them and it would be gone by Sunday. It was a totally different kind of touring. It was tough on him.”
When Walker was asked what his famous father plans on doing in retirement, he laughed and answered, “He bought a camper. I’m sure it will just be a phase.”
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“He wants to go down to Florida, sit on the camper, and do whatever,” he said. “He doesn’t even want to park it at the beach, but rather sit inland in it.”
Montgomery himself may have recently shared a hint as to what else might keep him occupied after he moves on from music – on July 15, he shared that he’d recently become a grandfather.
“I am a Grandpa!” he wrote on Instagram. “Say hello to Charlotte!”
He shared a photo of himself and his wife, Crystal White, with the newborn, along with a picture of himself holding his new granddaughter.
