Ronnie Montrose

Ronnie Montrose in 1974.

Ronnie Montrose, (born November 29, 1947 in Denver, Colorado) is an American guitarist.

Montrose has worked with a variety of musicians over the years, including Herbie Hancock, Van Morrison, The Beau Brummels, Boz Scaggs, Beaver & Krause, Gary Wright, Tony Williams, The Neville Brothers, and Dan Hartman. He was in the Edgar Winter Group before forming his own band, Montrose in 1973, featuring Sammy Hagar on vocals. That incarnation of the band put out two albums on Warner Bros. Records, Montrose and Paper Money, before Hagar left to pursue a solo career. Although the liner notes for the CD edition of "Paper Money" said that Ronnie was offered to play lead guitar for Mott the Hoople when he left the Edgar Winter Group, Ronnie says that it never happened and was just a rumor. He also added his guitar work to Gary Wright's song, "Power of Love" off the 1975 album, The Dream Weaver.

The guitar virtuoso continued to put out albums as "Montrose" (Warner Brothers Presents... Montrose! and Jump on It) or "Ronnie Montrose" (Open Fire) until he formed Gamma in 1979, initially putting out three albums using that moniker with Davey Pattison singing.

In 1983 he played lead guitar on the song "(She Is A) Telepath" from Paul Kantner's album Planet Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra although he wasn't a member of the original PERRO.

He continued to record through the 1980s and 1990s, and Gamma put out a fourth album in 2005.

Ronnie Montrose appeared on Sammy Hagar's Marching To Mars along with original Montrose members Bill Church and Denny Carmassi on the song "Leaving The Warmth Of The Womb." The original Montrose lineup also reformed to play as a special guest at several Sammy Hagar concerts in summer 2004 and 2005. Ronnie Montrose has also performed regularly from 2002 to present with a Montrose lineup featuring Keith St. John on lead vocals and a rotating cast of veteran hard rock players on bass and drums.

On his latest tour in late 2009, Montrose revealed that he had successfully fought prostate cancer over the last 2 years.

Discography

• Herbie Hancock - Mwandishi (1971) (1 song "Ostinato (Suite For Angela)" )
• Beaver & Krause - Gandharva (1971) (1 song "Saga Of The Blue Beaver")
• Van Morrison - Tupelo Honey (1971) (band member)
• Van Morrison - Saint Dominic's Preview (1972) (1 song "Listen to the Lion")
• Sawbuck - Sawbuck (1972) (two songs "Believe" and "Lovin' Man")
• Edgar Winter Group - They Only Come Out at Night (1972) (as a full-band Member)
• Montrose - Montrose (1973) (as band leader)
• Montrose - Paper Money (1974)
• Montrose - Warner Brothers Presents... Montrose! (1975)
• Montrose - Jump On It (1976)
• Ronnie Montrose - Open Fire (1978) (as a solo artist, includes instrumental version of "Town Without Pity")
• Gamma - Gamma 1 (1979) (as band leader)
• Gamma - Gamma 2 (1980)
• Gamma - Gamma 3 (1982)
• Ronnie Montrose - Territory (1986) (as a solo artist)
• Montrose - Mean (1987) ( a return to the "Montrose" band concept)
• Ronnie Montrose - The Speed Of Sound (1988)
• Ronnie Montrose - The Diva Station (1990)
• Ronnie Montrose - Mutatis Mutandis (1991)
• Ronnie Montrose - Music From Here (1994)
• Anti-m - Positively Negative (1995) (Plays on "Security", "Television", "Lonely" and "Iniki")
• Ronnie Montrose - Mr. Bones (1996)
• Ronnie Montrose - Roll Over And Play Live (1999)
• Ronnie Montrose - Bearings (1999)
• Montrose - The Very Best of (2000)
• Various Artists - The Songs Of Pink Floyd (2002) (Plays on "Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2")
• Gamma - Gamma 4 (2005)

External links

• Sammy Hagar Discography
• Ronnie Montrose's Official Website
• Ronnie Montrose's Official MySpace
• Ronnie Montrose Info Page