Nashville, 2026

It was a rainy Tuesday in a smoky downtown bar. The last call was echoing, and a melody started to form on the back of a coaster. That night, a simple scribbled tune became a country anthem....Naw Just Kidding! :) Below is the real deal...

About Johnny Florida

Johnny Florida is not a real country singer.

At least, not yet.

He was created for one very specific purpose: to give Deb a birthday gift that was way more complicated, ridiculous, and heartfelt than simply buying a card.

The idea started with a song about more than 25 years of life together—the good times, the hard times, the kids, the grandkids, the adventures, the craziness, the fishing, the boating, the Florida Keys, and the woman who somehow managed to put up with all of it.

From there, things got slightly out of hand.

A song became a country singer.
The country singer needed photos.
The photos needed cowboy hats, pickup trucks, horses, fishing, and questionable amounts of denim.
And obviously, any respectable fictional country star needed his own website.

And so, Johnny Florida was born.

Behind the cowboy hat and completely fabricated music career is simply a husband trying to tell his wife how much she means to him.

Deb has been my best friend, my partner in every adventure, the steady hand through every storm, and the person who made me whole. I genuinely don't know where I would be without her.

So while Johnny Florida may be fictional, the story behind the song isn't.

The love is real.

The memories are real.

And unfortunately for Deb, the guy in the cowboy hat is also very real.

Happy Birthday, Deb.

Love,
The man formerly known as Mike…
and apparently now known as Johnny Florida.