John Michael Finley was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas and raised in Lebanon, Missouri. He is the second of five children born to Wayne and Betsy Finley.

He began singing and acting in Junior High. He attended Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts and began his professional acting career in Chicago and surrounding areas. His stage credits include Chicago theaters such as Lyric Opera of Chicago, Paramount Theatre, Marriott Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre, Writers' Theatre, Court Theatre, and Mercury Theatre.