If you’re a parent, chances are you’ve wondered what would happen to your children if they were left in the world without you. Recent devastating events such as the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, have caused all of us, parents or not, to stop and think about what would happen to our loved ones if we should be next.
That exact thought was on John Michael Montgomery’s mind when he penned a heart-wrenching song for his children just days after the Twin Towers fell in New York City. According to the multi-platinum artist, he and his wife and two kids had just moved into a new home when the terrorist attacks took place. As he watched his young kids, he wondered what kind of world they were going to grow up in.
“I was scared. It was the first time that our generation has seen something like that,” Montgomery said of 9/11. “I asked myself ‘What would my last prayer be if my number was called next?”
The result? A beautiful conversation with God set to music. “The song just poured out. I had ‘A Daddy’s Prayer’ written in about 15 minutes.”
When it came time for John Michael to record a Christmas album in 2003, he knew that ‘A Daddy’s Prayer’ needed to be on it. Shortly after the Mr. Snowman album was completed, Montgomery and his label, Warner Bros., went their separate ways and the Christmas project got buried in the shuffle. Montgomery was left with an album that would receive no airplay or promotion.
Twelve years later, John Michael Montgomery is bringing his Christmas album to life…a Christmas gift of sorts for the artist, who has waited more than a decade for the album to be recognized, and for his fans who are hearing it for the first time.
“The song seems just as relevant today, if not more so,” the ‘I Swear’ singer said. “I wanted to give ‘A Daddy’s Prayer’ a face and make a video even if nobody heard it but me. “
We think ‘A Daddy’s Prayer’ will touch you whether you’re a parent or not. The emotional ballad, with a tune reminiscent of ‘The Little Girl’, is delivered in a way that only John Michael Montgomery can. With lyrics like “The world has never cried so many tears,” and “It seems we’ve learned to hate instead of love,” John Michael Montgomery says in song what most of us have been feeling. The song concludes with an adorable rendition of ‘Jesus Loves Me’ sung by his son and daughter when they were just 2 and 4-years old.
“It’s like a time capsule…having my kids’ voices recorded like that. It brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it because I’m reminded how fast they’ve grown up,” Montgomery said of his now-18-year old son, Walker, and 20-year old daughter, Madison.
In addition to ‘A Daddy’s Prayer’, John Michael Montgomery’s Christmas album, Mr. Snowman, includes his take on holiday classics such as ‘White Christmas’, and ‘O Holy Night’ as well as some original tunes like “My Christmas Wish’, a song that captures John Michael’s fondness for snow and dreams of white Christmases.
The award-winning vocalist took his love of Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby and mixed it with his country sound. The result was an album unlike any other country Christmas album we’ve ever heard. “Mr. Snowman is a combination of big band, jazz, and traditional with a country feel,” Montgomery says of the project.
Add Mr. Snowman to your Christmas playlist today! We have no doubt that it will become a holiday go-to. Purchase a hard copy of the album here or download it on iTunes.
Check out John Michael Montgomery’s new video for ‘A Daddy’s Prayer’ below then visit his Facebook page and let him know what you think!