Inside John Morgan’s First-Ever No. 1 Party: The Story Behind “Friends Like That”
- All Country News
- 23 minutes ago
- 3 min read
For John Morgan, watching “Friends Like That” climb to the top of the country charts wasn’t just a milestone, it was a full-circle moment years in the making. With Jason Aldean lending his vocals to the track, Morgan officially notched his first No. 1, but it’s the behind-the-scenes camaraderie, creative grit, and raw perseverance that truly make this win one for the books.
“I remember playing this song two years ago to a bunch of white chairs,” Morgan shared with a laugh with All Country News and other media outlets before the party. “To go from that to people singing it back at shows this summer, it’s one of the coolest things I’ve gotten to experience in my career.”
Before stages filled and fans screamed back lyrics, Morgan was navigating Nashville’s uncertainties. He moved to town in 2020 from North Carolina with a guitar, a dream, and a serious case of self-doubt. Like so many before him, he wondered if he’d made the right move. “I sold everything. It’s the typical story,” he said. “But I knew I loved writing songs.”
That love led him to rooms filled with some of Music City’s sharpest pens. Early on, he linked up with a crew that would eventually become his creative foundation, writers and producers who not only took a chance on an unsigned kid from Carolina but believed in him enough to keep him in the room.
“I was just some green writer with not much going on, but these guys wrote with me anyway,” Morgan said, visibly emotional during his No. 1 party. “That just doesn’t happen. I hope they never stop writing with me.”
Among those early believers was his now-producer, Will Bundy. The two met on a modeling gig for Boot Barn yes, really as background beer drinkers in a bar scene. “We were drinking beer at 7 a.m. and got paid $1,500,” Morgan joked. “It’s wild how far we’ve come.”
The friendship forged in the chaos of early morning call times turned into late-night grind sessions. Morgan remembers seeing Bundy’s truck parked outside a studio, a quiet challenge that kept him pushing. “There were times I was about to leave, saw his truck, and turned around. I thought, ‘He’s not gonna outwork me.’”
“Friends Like That” wasn’t initially expected to be the breakout track. But over time, the song, rooted in stories of the kind of people who push you forward, started “raising its hand,” as Morgan put it. It was the perfect fit for a collaboration with Jason Aldean, who had already become both mentor and friend.
“Jason and I had been talking about doing a collab for a while,” Morgan recalled. “And when this one kept coming back around, it just made sense sonically, lyrically, emotionally.”
The song’s rise marks more than just a chart-topping single. It’s a tribute to the people behind the curtain: co-writers like Lydia Vaughan, Tully Kennedy, and Kurt Allison; publishers and producers; and, most of all, the community that never stopped believing.
“Kurt is the guy who gets things done,” Morgan said. “When we’re stuck on rhyme schemes or I’m beating my head against the wall, Kurt keeps the train rolling.”
He also made sure to thank his label, management, and radio team. “I’ve been granted so much creative freedom,” he said. “I know how rare that is. It’s made my life easier knowing I can bring an idea in and if it lands, the team will run with it.”
As he stood in front of the crowd at his No. 1 party, Morgan’s humility was just as apparent as his gratitude. “I just steal stuff from everyone,” he said with a grin. “Every time I’m in a room with great writers, I try to be a sponge. That’s all I’ve done the last four or five years, just try to get better.”
And clearly, it's paid off.
With “Friends Like That” now a certified hit, Morgan’s story is no longer just about a guy from North Carolina taking a gamble on Nashville. It’s about the quiet power of sticking around, showing up, and surrounding yourself with people who make you better.
As Morgan wrapped up his speech, equal parts heartfelt and hilarious, he summed up the moment the only way he could: “I’m rambling now, so I’m gonna stop. But thank you for coming out, man.”
And thank you, John, for the reminder that sometimes, all it takes is a few good friends and a whole lot of belief.
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