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
Jim Hodder is best known as the original drummer for Steely Dan. He joined the group in 1972 and played on the classic albums, Can’t Buy A Thrill, Countdown To Extacy and Pretzel Logic. He left the band in 1974 and went on to be a session player, working with such artists as Sammy Hagar and David Soul. Jim Hodder drowned in his swimming pool in 1990. He was just 42.
Freddie Everett was a Houston blues guitarist/singer-songwriter known throughout those parts as “The Texas Legend.” A guitar virtuoso, some even called him the “Texas Hendrix.” Throughout his relatively short career, Everett has shared the stage with Sammy Hagar, Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper,