Died On This Date (November 8, 1995) Country Dick Montana / The Beat Farmers
themusicsover Country Dick Montana (Born Daniel McLain)
May 17, 1955 – November 8, 1995
The bigger-than-life Country Dick Montana was the founding drummer, co-lead vocalist, and heart and soul of the great San Diego roots rock band, the Beat Farmers. Formed by Montana, Jerry Raney, Buddy Blue and Rolle Love in 1983, the band quickly became an institution in and around the college communities of San Diego County. The band’s musical talent and songwriting abilities were undisputed, while their live shows were nothing short of greatness. particularly if you were lucky enough to be close to the stage for one of Montana’s beer dousings. The Beat Farmers’ first album, Tales of the New West, was released in 1985 and is considered by many to be the blueprint for the Americana movement to come some twenty years later. Two of it’s songs, “Happy Boy” and “California Kid,” both sung with Montana’s deep and iconic voice, generally became the most raucous moments of the Beat Farmers’ energetic live shows. The band continued to release fan-pleasing albums over the next decade, helping them build a base outside the comforts of Southern California. On November 8, 1995, while the Beat Farmers were on stage at a Whistler, Canada club, Country Dick Montana suffered a fatal heart attack while performing “The Girl I Almost Married.” He died as he should have, with his boots on. That following year, Devil Lied to Me, his only solo album which had been working on before his death, was released.
What You Should Own
Guy Speranza was the original lead singer for New York heavy metal band, Riot. Formed in 1973, the band struggled to make it and were on the verge of breaking up when, in 1981 the began to find their audience thanks to what was to be called the New Wave of British Heavy Metal that began to break heavy metal into the mainstream. They began touring with such popular metal acts as AC/DC and Molly Hatchet, and were soon signed to Capitol Records. Speranza sang on Riot’s first three albums, but left the after the release of their Capitol debut in 1981. He later retired from music and moved to Florida where he became an exterminator. Guy Speranza, 47, died of pancreatic cancer on November 8, 2003.
