The Artists of Country Showcase
John Milstead
Tupelo, MS
My Music
Biography
Rarely does a debut album/demo by an independent artist sound as compelling as John Milstead's debut offering, Sides of the Soul. Heavily influenced by the likes of Sam Cooke and Don Henley, and true to his Tupelo roots, Milstead's music is the perfect blend of pop, country and soul. Growing up in Tupelo, Milstead was always around soul and gospel music, and found a way to weave those influences into his own music, always adding a twist of classic soul to his own pop melodies.
Sides of the Soul was all written, recorded and produced by Milstead. He played all of the acoustic guitar and piano parts, as well as tracking all of the vocal parts. Milstead's vocal delivery is smooth, unique and exceptional, and something audiences remember after seeing him perform. His touring regimen, typically 150 or so shows per year, ranges from Nashville to Atlanta to northern Mississippi, with plans to expand regionally as word gets out about this talented new artist.
Milstead has also been racking up awards rapidly. He was a winner of the 9th Annual CMT NSAI contest for his song, "Don't Believe in Love;" a finalist at Atlanta's Eddie's Attic singer/songwriter competition in July 2009 and November 2009; and he was Singeruniverse.com's October 2009 vocalist of the month.
He recently entered a contest with David Kershenbaum (produced Bryan Adams, Tori Amos, Tracy Chapman)-- for a chance to work on a project-- John made it into the final 2.
Looking to build on his own rising star status, Milstead continues to write and plans to release his next album in late 2010.
"An Easy Goodbye" is a soulful rock ballad, which provides an excellent showcase for Milstead's strong, expressive vocals. His vocals impressively combine the blues/rock style of Paul Rodgers (of Bad Company & Free), with the classic soul sound of Sam Cooke."--Dale Kawashima, singeruniverse magazine
"Best vocals i have heard live in years,"---Jerry Cupit, Nashville producer
