His story
Resilience & Reinvention
“There’s never a stranger in the audience.”
Born in Los Angeles and raised between San Francisco, Reno, Las Vegas and Carson City, John Michael Ferrari was handed his first guitar at eight. Labeled an “incorrigible” teen, he was sent to the Nevada State Children’s Home at fifteen and joined the U.S. Army at eighteen.
Serving in Vietnam, he wrote his first acclaimed song, “Dustoff” — a tribute to a fallen friend and the helicopters that carried the wounded home. Decades later he picked up the pen again, and the songs haven’t stopped since.
Working with producer and co-writer Pepper Jay for over 35 years, he crafts what fans call the John Michael Ferrari genre: crossover country, soft yacht-rock pop and Americana, with touches of jazz, blues and Motown — emotional storytelling songs about life’s experiences.
Today he splits his time between Nashville and his ranch in Pahrump, Nevada, leading bands in both cities. There’s no place he’d rather be than on stage.