Originally from Terre Haute, Indiana, John began playing banjo in his early teens after the discovery of a copy of "The Foggy Mountain Jamboree" Flat and Scruggs LP that his dad had bought in 1958. Shortly after this inspiration, John's Dad traded 50 bales of hay for his first banjo, a plastic rimmed harmony.

John's first professional musical experiences involved playing contests throughout the Midwestern United States. By 24, John had acquired greater than 40 regional, state, and national competition titles. It was through entrance in the National Banjo Contest in Winfield , Kansas that John met Bela Fleck, who shortly thereafter allowed John the opportunity for formal study with him.

John has also had the opportunity to perform/record with Pat Cloud, Special Consensus, Alison Krauss, Wild and Blue, Clay Hess, Tilford Hayes, Bobby Helms, Johnny Paycheck, and Element, to name a few. John's banjo influences include Earl Scruggs, J.D. Crowe, Terry Baucom, Pat Cloud, Bela Fleck, and Brent Mason.John is currently a full-time student pursuing a degree in medicine.