Died On This Date (March 3, 2012) Ronnie Montrose / Rock Guitar Great
themusicsover Ronnie Montrose
November 29, 1947 – March 3, 2012
Ronnie Montrose was an American guitarist who, since the early 1970’s, has built a reputation as one of hard rock’s leading players. Montrose was playing in a band called Sawbuck in when he was offered the chance to play with Van Morrison. He can be heard on Morrison’s Tupelo Honey and Saint Dominic’s Preview. Within a year or two, he was in the Edgar Winter Group before starting his own band, Montrose, in 1973. The group, which included then-unknown Sammy Hagar on lead vocals, went on to release such hard rock staples as “Bad Motor Scooter” and “Rock Candy.” Their self-titled debut sold over a million copies and has been called the first American heavy metal album. Montrose later formed Gamma who is perhaps best known for “Fight To The Finish” and “Meanstreak.” As an in-demand session player, Montrose played on records by the likes of Gary Wright, Boz Scaggs, the Beau Brummels, Nicolette Larson, Herbie Hancock, and the Neville Brothers. Montrose continued to record, tour , and produce well into the 2000s. Initial reports indicated that Ronnie Montrose died of prostate cancer on March 3, 2012. It was later revealed, however, that he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 64.
What You Should Own
Billy Strange was a much-respected guitarist, songwriter, and arranger who made an indelible mark on pop music as one of the top session players in Los Angeles during the 1960s. And as a songwriter, he was no slouch either. Born in Long Beach, California, Strange was just 5 years old when he performed on a local radio station – reportedly winning a yodel contest. Roughly ten years later, he was given his first guitar, and within two years, he was on the road. During the mid ’60s, Strange found himself as part of a collective of L.A. studio musicians known as the Wrecking Crew, who would go down in history as the players on some of the most important pop, rock, and country records of the era. Most famously, Strange played on landmark recordings by the Beach Boys (Pet Sounds), 
Christopher Reimer was the guitarist for critically acclaimed Canadian noise rock band, Women. Formed in 2007, Women released two albums, Women and Public Strain, before going on hiatus in 2010. In 2008, Pitchfork named their “Black Rice” as the 18th best song of the year. Reimer went on to perform with the Dodos and Neko Case. Christopher Reimer passed away in his sleep on February 21, 2012. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Michael Davis was the bassist for Detroit garage rock legends, the MC5 who were heavy influences on the punk movement to soon follow. More than just another loud blues-rock band, the MC5 were endeared by fans for their anti-establishment lyrics. The band’s use of itself as a political voice inspired future generations to do the same. Bands like the Clash and Rage Against the Machine have cited them as an influence for doing just that. Following his departure from the group, Davis played in Destroy All Monsters, an underground band that found a strong cult status among punk fans. In the mid 2000s, Davis and his wife founded The Music Is Revolution Foundation whose mission is to build public awareness that music education can help students improve their overall grades. Davis was also a talented visual artist who found his work gracing clothing, skateboard decks and much more. Michael Davis died of liver failure on February 17, 2012. He was 68. MC5 band mates, 