Biography

John Schmid is founder and director of Common Ground Ministries, a unique singing ministry based in Berlin, Ohio, with a focus on prisons in the Ohio Corrections system.

John's unique style of singing, a blend of country, folk and gospel with a touch of the contemporary, has gained audiences in a wide variety of settings; from prisons to embassies; back porches to concert halls; schools, rest homes, churches, army bases, banquets... His honest, genuine voice is easy to listen to and his message is made acceptable through humor, true life stories, a love for people, and a wide variety of songs.

He has sung in many states as well as thirty different countries across the world. He has opened for well-known stars such as Tom T. Hall, Connie Smith, Johnny Paycheck, Jim & Jesse, Ralph Stanley, Ricky Skaggs and others. (In Sept. 2004 he was going to open for Randy Travis, but a tornado came through town).

He is married to Lydia and has three children. They sometimes sing as a family, depending on their three teenagers' schedules. The Schmids reside near Berlin, Ohio.