Walker Montgomery Tributes His Dad, John Michael Montgomery, In New Single, ‘It’s What I Am’

Walker Montgomery channels ‘90s country vibes and gives a nod to his father, country superstar John Michael Montgomery, with his new single, “It’s What I Am.” 

Out now, the song is a re-recording of a track that Walker’s father previously released in 1995. Co-written by John Calvert and Aaron Sain, the song originally appeared on John Michael Montgermy’s self-titled third studio album. Now, it’s getting a fresh new life thanks to his son, who is a rising star in the country music scene.

The newly released and reimagined recording of “It’s What I Am” tells the same autobiographical story but with fresh new production elements. Throughout the song, Walker sings about his deep-rooted country roots and the values, traditions, and hard work associated with the country lifestyle he grew up in. For him, country isn’t just a genre, but a way of life and that’s exactly why he wanted to record this song.   

“The reason I recorded this song is simple – ‘It’s What I Am,’” Walker shared. “It’s all about my life, it’s about what things have been like since the beginning for me. I’ve grown up surrounded by two of my favorite things – The country lifestyle and country music.” 

Being raised in Kentucky and getting to witness the ins and outs of his father’s career inspired Walker to take the leap and chase his musical dreams. There’s no doubt that country music is in his blood and he’s destined to continue to carry that torch for the Montgomery family. 

As Walker’s career continues to rise, his father is preparing to retire from the road. Earlier this year, the “Be My Baby Tonight” singer revealed that his current tour will be his last. 

“I have decided to wind down my touring career over this year and 2025,” he stated. 

He went on to reflect on his wildly successful career, which began in 1992, and admitted that it was still difficult to wrap his head around everything that’s happened since the release of his first single, ‘Life’s A Dance.”  

“It was so surreal to me. And of course like any new artist would, I worried about how long it would last and hoped it would not be a ‘flash in the pan’ career,” he admitted before adding, “So every album, every song, and every year of being able to do what I love for so many years, and for the fans who have supported me and my music, I’ve cherished those moments very deeply.”

He gave a heartfelt shoutout to those who supported him along the way and assured his fans that he would still take the stage from time to time. 

“So, a BIG thank you to them all! I’m not saying I’m never gonna step on stage and perform again, I still love that feeling of entertaining and the crowd cheering and singing along with my songs as much as that first show over thirty years ago, and it all started when my parents got me on stage when I was a kid. So I’m sure there will be some situations where I just need to do a show here and there because I’ll miss that too much. But I just feel the time has come to say goodbye to the road life,” the Kentucky-born artist said in conclusion. 

Most recently, John Michael Montgomery shared the stage with Post Malone at the Grand Ole Opry, and according to his website, he has a handful of tour dates planned through the beginning of November.