J. Michael Harter

Biography

J. Michael Harter was born James Michael Harter, the middle child of five with two older sisters, a younger sister, and a younger brother. Inspired early by George Strait and Garth Brooks, he taught himself guitar by playing along with their songs. He wrote his first song in high school for his girlfriend. At age seventeen, he began performing locally in Phoenix, Arizona.

In 1999 he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he met record producer Blake Mevis. Harter signed with the newly independent Broken Bow Records in 2002. His debut single, 'Hard Call to Make', spent sixteen weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, peaking at No. 45. The ballad describes the choices the narrator made in life.

It was the only chart single from his debut album, Unexpected Change (2002). About.com critic Jolene Downs gave the album a favorable review, noting that while Harter did not look like a country singer, the songs displayed his singing and songwriting talents. After leaving Broken Bow, Harter formed the label Big Al in association with Lofton Creek Records by 2004. In 2005 he joined his sister Leslie and brother Scott to form the trio SEVEN, which released the single 'Drunk Chicks'. The trio, later renamed the Harters, resumed recording in 2009 under producer Keith Stegall.