Son of country legend Johnny PayCheck and the only heir to the family name, John PayCheck grew up around the legends of country music, establishing a deep-rooted appreciation for the traditional country sound.  His debut album, “We All Have a Story,” evokes the sound of 90s country with a hint of the classics.  With a repertoire that spans the musical influences of artists like Bob Wills, Hank Williams, George Strait and Clint Black, John’s music speaks to a lifetime of experiences while preserving the roots of the country music sound.
 
Born in 1976 in Nashville, Tennessee, John grew up on the road. He studied music in school and the summers of his childhood working in his father’s band and crew. This is where he picked up his unique perspective of life on the road and the music business. 
 
John’s love for music developed at an early age, learning a variety of instruments to include reed instruments, brass, and guitar. He taught himself guitar around the age of nine, and by the age of thirteen he asked his father to teach him one of his songs, “Someone to Give My Love To.”  He later learned to play heavy metal guitar which led to his first band named Mental Destruction, formed with his childhood friend Scott Gabbey, who still plays with John today. He even culminated his high school career as the drum major of the school marching band.  Yet, even with an expansive musical appreciation, John kept a book full of country songs he had written and always had a country tape in his cassette player. 
 
As a young adult, he contemplated his own path in music, auditioning and being accepted to music programs at multiple universities which he turned down due to a deeper calling – a desire to follow his grandfather’s military legacy in the Marine Corps.  His family discouraged this path and he, instead, went to college to study computer engineering.  In 1998 John put his education on hold to be with his father as his health began to decline.  He remained with his father as a road manager until Johnny PayCheck ceased touring in 2000.  
 
John returned to school and completed his bachelor’s degree in computer science.  He worked as a technology professional for over ten years, reaching a pinnacle in his career at IBM.  After the events of 9/11, John’s calling to serve returned and he became a firefighter.  Soon after, he joined the Army to serve as a military intelligence officer and an aviator, flying both helicopters and airplanes and serving in Afghanistan.  In 2017, John married Samantha Barker (an Army colleague he had met in the early years of his service) and together they have three wonderful daughters.  John continues to serve as an Army Reserve officer and with the Department of Defense.         
 
In 2018, John returned to Nashville for an event at the Country Music Hall of Fame in honor of country music outlaws.  During this time he was reunited with other kids of country music legends (Shooter Jennings, Tyler Coe and the Tucker family) which ignited a spark for creativity and music that had long been dormant. This moment rekindled a desire for music and a forgotten piece of his life in the country music family that he hadn’t realized he missed. Within a year, he began writing and recording his first country album. 
 
His debut album will be released in early summer 2021, beginning with the release of two singles in February 2021.  It is a collection of songs that go back to the original country songwriting style of storytelling and barroom escapades while expressing the sentiment of life’s experiences.  John brings his own style that is far from that of his father, but is etched with traditional country music sounds of pedal steel, fiddle, acoustic and telecaster guitars. And, if you listen closely, you may still hear that PayCheck family tone, or the bending of notes, like his father before him.