This video gave me goosebumps. I was a roadie for Ronnie back in the 90's and then his tour manager. Saw the whole country with Ronnie riding shotgun. He was a good friend. RIP
Ronnie played with Van Morrison, who knew, I didn't, especially after seeing him in the 70s with Sammy Hagar in Montrose. Never would have put that style in the same ball park as Van Morrison. It is interesting to find out the careers of some of these players.
Some close friends arranged for me to live together with Ronnie in the apt. building he owned back in the crazy days. There was just the two of us in this 20 story building. I had forgotten how personable and gracious Ronnie was in this life. It is very hard to believe that this kind of person could be in such a desperate situation in his life. I am so sorry. He was super good to me.
I sure miss Ronnie Montrose. I never knew him, I met him once at a signing at Tower Records in Sacramento, but I sure miss him. He made some great music!
I saw Ronnie when he was BIG in the 70's but didn't realize how big he was until after his death, reading bio's and such. Last time I saw Montrose was playing with Pat Travers in my little town's Biker Rally (Hollister, CA - 4th of July 2005). RIP - Ronnie, you are missed.
Wish Ronnie was still with us, taking his rightful place as the elder statesman guitarist of American Rock and so much more. He was so versatile & amazing & frankly BLEW AWAY pretty much every "famous" US rock guitarist and easily rivaled Hendrix, Plant, Clapton, Richrath, Perry, even Gilmore. Satriani & eric Johnson are in their own class, but if they're not mentioned, they're not even in the same league as Ronnie. GAMMA should have been as big as Zeppelin. But its all about PROMOTION and timing. In the 80's it became all about mediocre mostly forgotten young "Hair bands". And the pioneers were nearly erased by the music industry. Now classic rock has had stations everywhere for a long time. But we still don't hear Ronnie enough. RIP Brother, you are missed 🎸🎶
Realized I left off Lifeson, SRV , and a shout to Steve Gaines. ALL different and SO GOOD. So many great guitarists, but Ronnie was a Master Skilled Genius. Glad Sammy keeps Montrose alive in his sets. Wish these guys could go on forever. ...
Saw Montrose at the Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento in 1976, Post Sammy. He still had Denny Carmassi playing drums and rocking it . Great guitarist , but as so many towards the end start to reflect on life, it's wonderful to hear the stories. there's lots of phenomenal guitarist/musicians out there, but I really appreciate the ones who actually have a life, and are willing to share it with you, thanks Ronnie for the music and the memories.
This is great and sad. Fan since Montrose. Winterland and the Cow Palace for Sammy, Bob and Davey. '84 a former band mate calls, "I'll buy tix for Ronnie at The Keystone PA if you drive". We covered Razor King (him on lead) so i'm like "Got it". Get there and the sister of my Wife's best friend is there. Her boy friend didn't like rock so drops her off, pick her up later. i know... Show is amazing. Can't recall the vocalist but they nailed everything. Shows over, we're in the parking lot, waiting for her ride. All of a sudden she goes "Its him" and takes off running. catch up and its her with her arms around Ronnie ! One of those 'time stops' moments. it was perfect. I shake his hand say "You were f'ing great !!! you should go" , limo waiting. We miss you, Ronnie.
As a teenager with a garage band, I idolized the musician.side of him in this interview The man had a rhythm hand like no one else, unique chops just flow from him. This interview brings light history that proves his talent. Van Morrison, is someone you don't take lightly in the music industry. Mr. Montrose sounds humble and introspective. The music industry has truly lost a pioneer. I hope that those who admired him learn that depression and alcoholism are insidious diseases? God bless Ronnie
I could listen to Ronnie talk, for hours. Soft spoken, and eloquently mannered. And of course I love everything I've ever heard him play. He was an amazing guy.
It's so great to hear him talk. Going way back when we first listened to his guitar playing on discs in the 70's, he was like a God to us. To see he's such a Cool, Nice, Humble person, makes it complete, worth it, wouldn't change a thing! And very Sad that he's no longer here...
Awesome story. So humble, may his gentle soul live on through continued listening to his great music. As a Calif native Bay Area raised from your generation I will miss you but will always honor your contributions to music.
Legendary, Ronnie telling the stories of his very early career. Love the piece where he speaks about meeting Bill Graham and David Rubinson for the first time, not as a musician but as a carpenter. Haven't heard that narrative in thirty years.
Quick personal story. Well…maybe not so quick. 😊 Sorry. Back in the day, wayyy back, I was fortunate enough to spend a week and a half in a San Francisco recording studio recording original rock music with a band I was in. The person we were lucky enough to have produce that record (producers make most of the decisions concerning how the music will end up sounding) was a gentleman named Ronnie Montrose, one of the great guitar heroes of all time. This was in 1982. Like I said, WAYYY back. So, of course, meeting Ronnie and the whole process of preparing for recording was awesome, the sessions were magical, we recorded at the once booming SF studio “The Automat”. Spectacular, Three main rooms there at the time, also in session while we were there were “The Tubes” and “Jefferson Starship”. Actually heard rough pre-mixdown mixes of “We Built This City” while hanging around. Ronnie made us sound amazing, I got to jam with him a bunch, the studio treated us like kings, basically a dream for a young keyboard player. Unbelievable. We made some 45’s to give away, (about 5000) and then did a bunch of shows opening for Ronnie and his band. These were amazing gigs with insane crowds lined up around whatever building the show was in. Awesome. Many great nights, but the best one was when my Mom and Dad got to come watch and were totally blown away by Ronnie. Great response for us as well and for a young guy trying to impress his parents, it was pretty awesome. Mom talked about it forever after that and was a huge Montrose fan for the rest of her life. Through the course of time, moving and what not, I ended up not having even one of the records, or any recording of it at all. My last copy on cassette flew out of a tape deck of a motorcycle on the freeway and that was that. 🥲Thought about it often over time for the great memories, especially when Ronnie passed away recently and was back in the news for a bit. Fast forward to last week when my significant other named Nancie Fox (formerly Nancie Mac from an old Bay Area act called. ’T&N Express) gets a message from a massage client of her’s that someone was selling one of HER old records from the 70’s on EBay. What?? 😃The seller was in Germany and we sat in wonder imagining how her record got from San Francisco to Germany over 50 years time. She was a pretty big Bay Area rockstar with songs on rock radio and a big following. She, of course, bought that record instantly and we were overjoyed to get it. Well, that got me thinking, “I wonder if that old record we did with Ronnie is out there someplace”. Search, search, search, …. Unbelievably, IT WAS!! Sadly, dude wanted $150.00 for it because it has Ronnie’s name on it. I have no money so I just laughed at the insanity of asking that much for a 45 from a band nobody ever heard of and freaked out about just seeing the picture of it on EBay. Amazing. The memories flowed. Well, a week goes by and a little box shows up in the mail because Miss Nancie pulled the trigger and BOUGHT IT FOR ME!!! What??!! I literally jumped up and down with joy and thanks for the insanely sweet gift, nothing on Earth could’ve meant more and I’ll be eternally grateful. Thankfully I can now get it into a computer for safe keeping. To hold the record in my hands is basically surreal and the memories of the time just come flooding back. I’m sure this is boring to everybody but me, but life always has a way of thrilling us, I thought I’d share one of those thrills. So great to hear Ronnie talk about his early days. Only music can provide moments like these. Really amazing stuff. Thanks for posting the video. 😊
What a lovely gentleman. He is my #1 most favorite guitar player of all time. My most favorite album by him is ,"Bearings." This album grabs hold of my soul, and penetrates deep down within it. I will forever love you Ronnie Montrose ❤.
How many guys who could burn like Ronnie are so soft- and well-spoken? It kind of falls into place now - I saw Gamma years ago, and at the end of the show, instead of screaming some over-amped "good night," he said, "Thank you. Have a pleasant evening." I revered him as a guitarist. Wish to hell I could've met him. RIP, dude.
Ronnie was one of the most humble polite and just down to earth people I have ever had the priveldge of meeting thanks to Pat McCormack who introduced us a few times while he was working with him. Of all the professional musicians I've known in my lol if I have to say Ronnie will be the one I was most surprisingly impressed by. Not because of his legendary talent and rock God status , but for the genuinely beautiful person he was .
Aww, I remember you Ronnie when you came to Reno with Chuck, & I met you on sort of a blind date, i had to sit on your lap in Judee's little car. You were a sweet guy & a gentleman. I will always remember it.
Why does everyone keep saying he's "underrated "? That is bullshit. He is and has always been Highly rated by everyone for f***s sake. I wish people would stop using the "underrated" moniker. Just say you like the person.
I so much regret the losing him, but at the same I have to respect his choice to check out like Hunter Thompson. I saw him at his last show at the Catalyst. He is a true Rock and Roll God.
That was a really great interview. Thanks for posting it. I'm from the Bay Area and have always enjoyed the rock n roll produced by our local bands. I've always dug Montrose's music since the 70's... Gamma too. Never got a chance to see Ronnie Montrose in concert unfortunately, but still listen to the music. This is actually the first time I've seen Ronnie interviewed, and man, he sure was a nice guy. Personable, well spoken and goid with the audience. Really cool. Glad You Tube suggested it on my home page! 🎤 L. Isgrig in Northern, CA - 02/20/23
Seen him live in a bar In Houston Tx. In 90s before he died.He tore it up over 2 hrs nonstop his eyes were big as Silverdollars he was wired about 50 people there. Had my Ears on the stacks couldnt hear for a week! Awesome shit!
MONTROSE by Montrose they call it. Debut album RIGHT b4 AC/DC hit the scene. AMAZING GUITAR WORK "Sam Hagar" on Vocal at 17. My fave tune MAKE IT LAST Great Lyrics.
@myway43 - the guitar says Baker on the headstock, but the original owner/builder, Gene Baker, sold the name several years ago & then created a new line of guitars called "b3". The newer Baker guitars are not affiliated with the earlier models which Gene made, such as this one (of several) he built for Ronnie.
I saw him in the 90's,he looks so completely different here,I know its 20 years but still ? I didn't recognize one song they did, he was traveling with a female singer,his guitar work was great though.
God I miss Ronnie. Every time I fire up my rig it's always something by Montrose I warm up on. Kick in my Small Stone and do the riff from 'I Don't Want It' or something like that.
huskvarsm. Very nice of you to retract your comment. :-) I wasn't there, of course, but know people who heard directly from Ronnie that Gary totally snubbed him- never returned his calls, regarding the guitar. Of course Gary wasn't the one who stole it but being a musician, he surely knew how much having a prized guitar stolen must have sucked for Ronnie. He deserved at least a phone call and some kind of effort from Gary to make things right, from one musician to another.
I hear people say that Ronnie Montrose was totally underrated, Well that is total rubbish, in my town and my neck of the woods Ronnie Montrose was never underrated, I loved his playing and songs from the very first moment i heard them
I'm mad at Ronnie. I saw him open in 1974, with sammie and I loved him. Fast forward fourty years, and he kills himself, and that still bothers me. RIP Ronnie
Before I say what I'm going to say, I am a HUGE Ronnie fan, and he is in the top 5 guitarists of all time to me. So, what am about to say is just as a general comment. I just wanted to ask, am I only the only one who noticed that Ronnie seemed to all of a sudden play with way less intensity and drive after the Mutatis Mutandis album? The Music from Here album and all his recorded (and even his live shows) output was very improv-y and unfocused sounding. It kinda came off like he was just throwing pasta at the wall to see what stuck. Also, his tone was went kinda fuzzy and flabby without the highly professional and tight, thick tone he was known for. Anyway, I'm totally not trolling. I just wanted to spark a mature discussion about Ronnie amongst his fans to see what you think.
1970borntorun probably starting to get sick, and did not want to bitch about it. Like most men, he probably tried to just keep going, and not give in to it, or let it affect him. You know how it is.
I never heard his later music, because he just kind of fell off the scene and charts , but his guitar playing when with Montrose was ground breaking, I hadn't heard those chops and crazy hooks before , and I was only 16, but his style , very fluid and smooth what rock guitar is and should be about, he was way ahead of his time, and it's so ,so sad that he could not go on to continue and produce more great rock and roll.. R I P Ronnie...
Great man he was guitar hero that was different from Trower but so much propaganda in music and the technology in stereo and different bands Montrose was big but you had NUGENT AND RUSH and a concert strike in the eighties a lot of rock concerts they went on strike . Boston and Foreigner sold albums and car stereos. GAMMA was at a time when ZZ Top got back into music and radio stations didn’t play anything good without a commercial.
What a great man Ronnie was. Really sad that Gary Moore never gave back his stolen burst. I always hated Gary Moore, regardless of his playing, which is meat and potatoes imo anyway, total scum bag.
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This video gave me goosebumps. I was a roadie for Ronnie back in the 90's and then his tour manager. Saw the whole country with Ronnie riding shotgun. He was a good friend. RIP
Such an Humble and Talented man Ronnie is!
Saw Montrose at the Cal Expo horse track in 1975. The bill was Redwing, Montrose, Elvin Bishop and the Guess Who.
Totally underrated! He clearly influenced Kiss, Van Halen, Aerosmith and Billy Squier. He basically invented the modern 70s US Rock.
Van recognized talent when he heard it, So did Edgar Winter. Every musician loves to hear a great audition story. RIP, Ronnie....
Ronnie played with Van Morrison, who knew, I didn't, especially after seeing him in the 70s with Sammy Hagar in Montrose. Never would have put that style in the same ball park as Van Morrison. It is interesting to find out the careers of some of these players.
Some close friends arranged for me to live together with Ronnie in the apt. building he owned back in the crazy days. There was just the two of us in this 20 story building. I had forgotten how personable and gracious Ronnie was in this life. It is very hard to believe that this kind of person could be in such a desperate situation in his life. I am so sorry. He was super good to me.
This guy seems so down to earth and I dont get the hate ive heard of him. good stories too!
what a cool story, Ronnie was a big part of some of the greatest Van Morrison songs.
massively underrated guitarist
Never under !
I sure miss Ronnie Montrose. I never knew him, I met him once at a signing at Tower Records in Sacramento, but I sure miss him. He made some great music!
Wow .. always a huge fan of his playing but never realized he was such a thoughtful guy and interesting story teller.
There are categories for guitar players and Ronnie Montrose truly had one all his own.......
The same gentle spirit I remember. RIP Ron!
I wrote Ronnie and told him how much I loved his work and how he influenced me. He sent me Gamma 4 before it was released. Yes a kind gentle soul.
I saw Ronnie when he was BIG in the 70's but didn't realize how big he was until after his death, reading bio's and such. Last time I saw Montrose was playing with Pat Travers in my little town's Biker Rally (Hollister, CA - 4th of July 2005).
RIP - Ronnie, you are missed.
Wow. Ronnie Montrose with Pat Travers? Had to be awesome.
Saw him in the 70s when Sammy Hagar was his singer. Awesome show
Also saw him with Edgar Winter
Wish Ronnie was still with us, taking his rightful place as the elder statesman guitarist of American Rock and so much more. He was so versatile & amazing & frankly BLEW AWAY pretty much every "famous" US rock guitarist and easily rivaled Hendrix, Plant, Clapton, Richrath, Perry, even Gilmore. Satriani & eric Johnson are in their own class, but if they're not mentioned, they're not even in the same league as Ronnie. GAMMA should have been as big as Zeppelin. But its all about PROMOTION and timing. In the 80's it became all about mediocre mostly forgotten young "Hair bands". And the pioneers were nearly erased by the music industry. Now classic rock has had stations everywhere for a long time. But we still don't hear Ronnie enough. RIP Brother, you are missed 🎸🎶
Realized I left off Lifeson, SRV , and a shout to Steve Gaines. ALL different and SO GOOD. So many great guitarists, but Ronnie was a Master Skilled Genius. Glad Sammy keeps Montrose alive in his sets. Wish these guys could go on forever. ...
Wish I had a chance to see Ronnie and his band.
One of the few I missed.
Saw Montrose at the Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento in 1976, Post Sammy. He still had Denny Carmassi playing drums and rocking it . Great guitarist , but as so many towards the end start to reflect on life, it's wonderful to hear the stories. there's lots of phenomenal guitarist/musicians out there, but I really appreciate the ones who actually have a life, and are willing to share it with you, thanks Ronnie for the music and the memories.
Long answer to a simple question. Lovely guy and a great musician.
This is great and sad.
Fan since Montrose. Winterland and the Cow Palace for Sammy, Bob and Davey.
'84 a former band mate calls, "I'll buy tix for Ronnie at The Keystone PA if you drive".
We covered Razor King (him on lead) so i'm like "Got it". Get there and the sister of my Wife's best friend is there. Her boy friend didn't like rock so drops her off, pick her up later. i know...
Show is amazing. Can't recall the vocalist but they nailed everything.
Shows over, we're in the parking lot, waiting for her ride.
All of a sudden she goes "Its him" and takes off running. catch up and its her with her arms around Ronnie ! One of those 'time stops' moments. it was perfect.
I shake his hand say "You were f'ing great !!! you should go" , limo waiting.
We miss you, Ronnie.
As a teenager with a garage band, I idolized the musician.side of him in this interview The man had a rhythm hand like no one else, unique chops just flow from him. This interview brings light history that proves his talent. Van Morrison, is someone you don't take lightly in the music industry. Mr. Montrose sounds humble and introspective. The music industry has truly lost a pioneer. I hope that those who admired him learn that depression and alcoholism are insidious diseases? God bless Ronnie
I could listen to Ronnie talk, for hours. Soft spoken, and eloquently mannered. And of course I love everything I've ever heard him play. He was an amazing guy.
Classic, classic, classic. Ronnie we love you and we always have. Thank you for making our lives a little more wonderful. xxoo
RIP Ronnie! Such an awesome guy and great guitarist.
Great Humble man. So well spoken and talented.. He was a musical force in Bay Area and the world.. We will miss you.
It's so great to hear him talk. Going way back when we first listened to his guitar playing on discs in the 70's, he was like a God to us. To see he's such a Cool, Nice, Humble person, makes it complete, worth it, wouldn't change a thing! And very Sad that he's no longer here...
Awesome story. So humble, may his gentle soul live on through continued listening to his great music. As a Calif native Bay Area raised from your generation I will miss you but will always honor your contributions to music.
We miss you RIP RONNIE!
IN TODAY'S WORLD I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT YOUR SONG PAPER MONEY. HOW TRUE THAT SONG IS TODAY.
I used to go to winterland in the 70's,saw him with and without sammy.One of hard rock's pioneers and a great guitarist
Love and miss you, Ronnie.... RIP, brother, thanks for the music that has enriched my life
Legendary, Ronnie telling the stories of his very early career. Love the piece where he speaks about meeting Bill Graham and David Rubinson for the first time, not as a musician but as a carpenter. Haven't heard that narrative in thirty years.
A monster on guitar. I think he started the high energy, pyrotechnic, modern rock guitar playing.
Quick personal story. Well…maybe not so quick. 😊 Sorry. Back in the day, wayyy back, I was fortunate enough to spend a week and a half in a San Francisco recording studio recording original rock music with a band I was in. The person we were lucky enough to have produce that record (producers make most of the decisions concerning how the music will end up sounding) was a gentleman named Ronnie Montrose, one of the great guitar heroes of all time. This was in 1982. Like I said, WAYYY back. So, of course, meeting Ronnie and the whole process of preparing for recording was awesome, the sessions were magical, we recorded at the once booming SF studio “The Automat”. Spectacular, Three main rooms there at the time, also in session while we were there were “The Tubes” and “Jefferson Starship”. Actually heard rough pre-mixdown mixes of “We Built This City” while hanging around. Ronnie made us sound amazing, I got to jam with him a bunch, the studio treated us like kings, basically a dream for a young keyboard player. Unbelievable. We made some 45’s to give away, (about 5000) and then did a bunch of shows opening for Ronnie and his band. These were amazing gigs with insane crowds lined up around whatever building the show was in. Awesome. Many great nights, but the best one was when my Mom and Dad got to come watch and were totally blown away by Ronnie. Great response for us as well and for a young guy trying to impress his parents, it was pretty awesome. Mom talked about it forever after that and was a huge Montrose fan for the rest of her life. Through the course of time, moving and what not, I ended up not having even one of the records, or any recording of it at all. My last copy on cassette flew out of a tape deck of a motorcycle on the freeway and that was that. 🥲Thought about it often over time for the great memories, especially when Ronnie passed away recently and was back in the news for a bit. Fast forward to last week when my significant other named Nancie Fox (formerly Nancie Mac from an old Bay Area act called. ’T&N Express) gets a message from a massage client of her’s that someone was selling one of HER old records from the 70’s on EBay. What?? 😃The seller was in Germany and we sat in wonder imagining how her record got from San Francisco to Germany over 50 years time. She was a pretty big Bay Area rockstar with songs on rock radio and a big following. She, of course, bought that record instantly and we were overjoyed to get it.
Well, that got me thinking,
“I wonder if that old record we did with Ronnie is out there someplace”.
Search, search, search, ….
Unbelievably, IT WAS!! Sadly, dude wanted $150.00 for it because it has Ronnie’s name on it. I have no money so I just laughed at the insanity of asking that much for a 45 from a band nobody ever heard of and freaked out about just seeing the picture of it on EBay. Amazing.
The memories flowed.
Well, a week goes by and a little box shows up in the mail because Miss Nancie pulled the trigger and BOUGHT IT FOR ME!!! What??!! I literally jumped up and down with joy and thanks for the insanely sweet gift, nothing on Earth could’ve meant more and I’ll be eternally grateful. Thankfully I can now get it into a computer for safe keeping. To hold the record in my hands is basically surreal and the memories of the time just come flooding back. I’m sure this is boring to everybody but me, but life always has a way of thrilling us, I thought I’d share one of those thrills. So great to hear Ronnie talk about his early days. Only music can provide moments like these. Really amazing stuff. Thanks for posting the video. 😊
One of my guitar heroes, for sure, as a teen, back in 75, 76, I bought cassettes and Montrose albums. Warner Bros Presents is my favorite.
What a lovely gentleman. He is my #1 most favorite guitar player of all time. My most favorite album by him is ,"Bearings." This album grabs hold of my soul, and penetrates deep down within it. I will forever love you Ronnie Montrose ❤.
How many guys who could burn like Ronnie are so soft- and well-spoken? It kind of falls into place now - I saw Gamma years ago, and at the end of the show, instead of screaming some over-amped "good night," he said, "Thank you. Have a pleasant evening."
I revered him as a guitarist. Wish to hell I could've met him. RIP, dude.
Sounds like he was a wonderful person !! Thank you so much for this interview !!
One of the few Rockers who played in the Bay that was born there. Him and Tom Fogerty. Loved these guys.
Ronnie was one of the most humble polite and just down to earth people I have ever had the priveldge of meeting thanks to Pat McCormack who introduced us a few times while he was working with him. Of all the professional musicians I've known in my lol if I have to say Ronnie will be the one I was most surprisingly impressed by. Not because of his legendary talent and rock God status , but for the genuinely beautiful person he was .
That humbleness came later on in life. He and Sammy parted ways because HE was going to be the only guitar player.
This is pure gold man, thank you for putting it up.
Montrose: s/t, Montrose: Jump on it, Montrose: Warner Bros presents, and Gamma: 2. So awesome records, all are my all-time favorite albums.
thanks for the video, what a nice man ronnie is, could listed to him talk all night, he makes you feel at home.
Aww, I remember you Ronnie when you came to Reno with Chuck, & I met you on sort of a blind date, i had to sit on your lap in Judee's little car. You were a sweet guy & a gentleman. I will always remember it.
Truly missed we share the same birthday coming up on Monday 29 th. Nov Had a great pleasure of meeting him on our birthdays rest in peace
Legend and a talent. And great person
R.I.P. Ronnie.
I remember the first time I saw Ronnie and Sammy back in 1974 in Charleston South Carolina.
RIP and Rock ON!
Why does everyone keep saying he's "underrated "?
That is bullshit. He is and has always been Highly rated by everyone for f***s sake. I wish people would stop using the "underrated" moniker. Just say you like the person.
I so much regret the losing him, but at the same I have to respect his choice to check out like Hunter Thompson. I saw him at his last show at the Catalyst. He is a true Rock and Roll God.
That was a really great interview. Thanks for posting it. I'm from the Bay Area and have always enjoyed the rock n roll produced by our local bands. I've always dug Montrose's music since the 70's... Gamma too. Never got a chance to see Ronnie Montrose in concert unfortunately, but still listen to the music. This is actually the first time I've seen Ronnie interviewed, and man, he sure was a nice guy. Personable, well spoken and goid with the audience. Really cool. Glad You Tube suggested it on my home page! 🎤
L. Isgrig in Northern, CA - 02/20/23
Seen him live in a bar In Houston Tx. In 90s before he died.He tore it up over 2 hrs nonstop his eyes were big as Silverdollars he was wired about 50 people there. Had my Ears on the stacks couldnt hear for a week! Awesome shit!
MONTROSE by Montrose they call it. Debut album RIGHT b4 AC/DC hit the scene. AMAZING GUITAR WORK "Sam Hagar" on Vocal at 17. My fave tune MAKE IT LAST Great Lyrics.
Ron does a great Van Morrison impersonation.
Hey my dad lived with him in an apartment, cool!!
Great interview! Thanks for sharing.
Very cool! Like watching Les Paul in New York.
Rest in peace Ronnie Montrose
It was his work with Gamma that I grew up with as opposed to his other work.
I started following Ronnie Montrose when he played with the Edgar Winter Group. His debut solo album is the greatest rock album ever!
Rest in peace my friend....
P.O.W.
M.I.A.
Never Forget
@myway43 - the guitar says Baker on the headstock, but the original owner/builder, Gene Baker, sold the name several years ago & then created a new line of guitars called "b3". The newer Baker guitars are not affiliated with the earlier models which Gene made, such as this one (of several) he built for Ronnie.
Saw him years ago ,God Bless.
I saw him in the 90's,he looks so completely different here,I know its 20 years but still ? I didn't recognize one song they did, he was traveling with a female singer,his guitar work was great though.
Only saw Montrose once, back in ‘74, or ‘75. ARS opened, then Montrose, with Foghat the headliner.
The BEST!!!!
RIP great one. They say that Van was very hard to work with!!!
God I miss Ronnie. Every time I fire up my rig it's always something by Montrose I warm up on. Kick in my Small Stone and do the riff from 'I Don't Want It' or something like that.
Ronnie Montrose & Jimmy Page are my two favorite guitarists...Ever! Alvin Lee was pretty bad ass too!
That was Awesome!🤩🤗😍😎
RIP..keep Rocking in heaven..😎🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
Luv u Ronnie !
So sad he is no longer with us 💔
god I miss you.!
RONNIE RIP
i take it all back apologies i was misinformed rest in peace once again i apologise
huskvarsm. Very nice of you to retract your comment. :-)
I wasn't there, of course, but know people who heard directly from Ronnie that Gary totally snubbed him- never returned his calls, regarding the guitar. Of course Gary wasn't the one who stole it but being a musician, he surely knew how much having a prized guitar stolen must have sucked for Ronnie. He deserved at least a phone call and some kind of effort from Gary to make things right, from one musician to another.
My grandma dated him
I hear people say that Ronnie Montrose was totally underrated, Well that is total rubbish, in my town and my neck of the woods Ronnie Montrose was never underrated, I loved his playing and songs from the very first moment i heard them
I'm mad at Ronnie. I saw him open in 1974, with sammie and I loved him. Fast forward fourty years, and he kills himself, and that still bothers me. RIP Ronnie
Before I say what I'm going to say, I am a HUGE Ronnie fan, and he is in the top 5 guitarists of all time to me. So, what am about to say is just as a general comment. I just wanted to ask, am I only the only one who noticed that Ronnie seemed to all of a sudden play with way less intensity and drive after the Mutatis Mutandis album? The Music from Here album and all his recorded (and even his live shows) output was very improv-y and unfocused sounding. It kinda came off like he was just throwing pasta at the wall to see what stuck. Also, his tone was went kinda fuzzy and flabby without the highly professional and tight, thick tone he was known for. Anyway, I'm totally not trolling. I just wanted to spark a mature discussion about Ronnie amongst his fans to see what you think.
Maybe that was when he started getting sick.
Cancer sneaks up on you and causes you problems you would never associate with cancer.
I'm sure you're right.
1970borntorun probably starting to get sick, and did not want to bitch about it. Like most men, he probably tried to just keep going, and not give in to it, or let it affect him. You know how it is.
Michael Craig yeah... :-(
I never heard his later music, because he just kind of fell off the scene and charts , but his guitar playing when with Montrose was ground breaking, I hadn't heard those chops and crazy hooks before , and I was only 16, but his style , very fluid and smooth what rock guitar is and should be about, he was way ahead of his time, and it's so ,so sad that he could not go on to continue and produce more great rock and roll.. R I P Ronnie...
Great man he was guitar hero that was different from Trower but so much propaganda in music and the technology in stereo
and different bands Montrose was big but you had NUGENT AND RUSH and a concert strike in the eighties a lot of rock concerts they went on strike . Boston and Foreigner sold albums and car stereos. GAMMA was at a time when ZZ Top got back into music and radio
stations didn’t play anything good without a commercial.
is it true he once said "when I was young I wanted to be the best guitarist in the world - then I found out it was a big world"
Sammy Hagar said that he was a weirdo but he seeems normal in this
Ronnie's x was a friend and he beat her a few times too many, starting with their reception.
hope it's not so.
Pretty shitty to smear the deceased when they can't respond, whether a defense or an apology.
Bullshit
A Baker guitar?
Ricky Bobby yup custom built by Gene Baker
That bald, banker-like visage somehow doesn't jibe with the way he speaks, etc.
Recognize mental illness.. its hard
What a loss.
What a great man Ronnie was. Really sad that Gary Moore never gave back his stolen burst. I always hated Gary Moore, regardless of his playing, which is meat and potatoes imo anyway, total scum bag.
leave gary moores memory untainted stop trying to scam and lie your way back to noteriety