One of the biggest songs in recent memory was written by a Daytonian. The single I Swear, sung by R&B/ Pop music group All-4-One and Country singer John Michael Montgomery was written by Dayton native Frank Myers.
If you’ve been alive for the past 40 years or so, you know how huge I Swear has been, both times it’s been released. When Montgomery dropped his version in 1993, the song spent four weeks at the number one spot on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. All-4-One’s cover of the single shot to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1994, and stayed there for 11 weeks. Both takes on the cut have become wedding songs and high school prom mainstays. And, it was a guy from our town who wrote this giant tune.
Frank Meyers grew up in Dayton and graduated from Northridge High School. He developed his musical talents while living here as a youth, and then departed to Nashville, Tennessee (The capital of the American Country music industry) to attempt to make it in the music scene. He did almost immediately, and a year later he had huge success with a song he wrote called You and Ithat was sung by Eddie Rabbitt and Crystal Gayle. You and I was the number one song on the Country charts for four weeks, and it reached the number six spot on the Pop chart for a number of weeks as well.
Meyers wasn’t done creating hits. He met fellow songwriter Gary Baker, and the men formed a songwriting/production duo called…Baker & Myers. The guys actually wrote two megahit Country singles; I Swear and I’m Already There for the group Lonestar. I’m Already There spent six weeks at the number one spot on the Country charts in 2022, also winning Country Song of the Year in the same year.
Meyers has continued to write songs and produce his own solo albums. His magnum opus, I Swear, still gets plenty of airplay on terrestrial Country and Adult Contemporary stations. And, it should. It’s a well crafted pop ballad that has a near timeless quality soundwise. It’s also awesome to know that a Daytonian co-created it. Special people and special things tend to come from special towns.
Miami Valley Music Focus explores the places and people behind the music of Southwest, Ohio. This series is made possible by support from Ohio Arts Council.
