Ronnie Montrose Dead at 64

[Diamondjimi]

Legendary Rock Guitarist RONNIE MONTROSE Dead At 64 - Mar. 3, 2012
Legendary American rock guitarist Ronnie Montrose died earlier today (Saturday, March 3) after a five-year battle with prostate cancer. He was 64 years old.

Montrose's official web site has been updated with the following message:

"A few months ago, we held a surprise party for Ronnie Montrose's 64th birthday. He gave an impromptu speech, and told us that after a long life, filled with joy and hardship, he didn't take any of our love for granted.

"He passed today. He'd battled cancer, and staved off old age for long enough. And true to form, he chose his own exit the way he chose his own life. We miss him already, but we're glad to have shared with him while we could."

In a September 2011 interview with North County Times, Montrose revealed that he didn't pick up his guitar for two years following his cancer diagnosis. "I had prostate cancer that, for me, was debilitating," he said. "I didn't touch a guitar for two years, but when I realized I was seeing the light at the end of the recovery tunnel and was going to live pain-free, I realized again that it was a fun little instrument to play."

He added, "I've blocked all my health issues out of my mind. That's a portion of my life that I'm done with. Now, I can't wait for every day to come so I can wake up and plug in. I'm up there entertaining myself and my playing is stronger than ever, because my excitement is back."

Ronnie Montrose always followed his heart. Ever anxious to take his music to the next level, in 1979 he founded the trailblazing band GAMMA, a group whose trio of ahead-of-their-time albums were an explosion of guitar and synthesizer pyrotechnics anchored by a bluesy edge.

Between and beyond these band forays, Montrose the player devoted himself to exploring instrumental guitar music on landmark albums like "Open Fire" and "The Speed Of Sound". Fans periodically clamored for another taste of the original MONTROSE power trio format, but he wouldn't revisit MONTROSE — that huge, heavy sound; those rich, pealing riffs — until the time came when he could do it with total conviction.

R.I.P.


LINK

[ashstralia]

now, some expressed hope that the old ched clunker might carck™ it;

i'm here to tell ya people, dead pools are bad kharma℗.

[twonabomber]

at least Sam will have something other than VH to talk about for a while. and he can even make shit up, 'cause Ronnie can't refute it any more.

[FORD]

And there's your three for the week.... (Davy Jones being one and Breitfart being two. Well at least two of them had talent.....)

Thanks Ronnie, for managing to make Sammy Hagar's singing at least tolerable on that record you made with him way back when.

Rest in peace

[Nitro Express]

Two nice guys die for every asshole who dies. No wonder the world is mostly full of assholes.

[vandeleur]

Be interesting to hear how gagar makes this all about him

[Mr Walker]

We're getting closer. If you want to pay tribute today, spin Van Morrison's Tupelo Honey... not that shitty album with Fagar on it.

[ELVIS]

It's the Hagar curse...

Ronnie Montrose - Dead

EVH - Almost Died

Joe Satriani - Should leave Chickeneck and get a checkup...

[Panamark]

I wonder if Hagar actually goes to the memorial ?

And if he does, can he make a speech about Ronnie and
not himself or Van Halen ?

[sadaist]

Sad. RIP dude. Thanks for the cool tuneage you laid out for us.





*Side note. (No disrespect Mr. Montrose) But this may hit Sammy close to home and make him want to make amends with old friends & band members. I don't think it will....but when stuff like this happens close to home it has that effect on people. I wouldn't mind him mending the relationship with Eddie...I just don't want him working with him again. No one should go to the grave with unfinished business and friends you should have made amends with. Grudges suck.

[SunisinuS]

RIP Ronnie.

[chefcraig]

This is Ronnie as he appeared on his tour from 1978, supporting the Open Fire solo album. He'd hit center stage surrounded by the supporting musicians, who were on risers behind and above him. This was the same tour that introduced many of us old farts to a particular band from Pasadena, California, as well as (less spectacularly) a group of hosers named Journey. Montrose managed to wipe the stage with Van Halen, but nobody is sure about Journey's performance to this day because roughly 98% of the audience hit the parking lot when they hit the stage. (Be Bop Deluxe and Blue Oyster Cult were playing the following evening, so everyone needed their sleep, plus who gave a shit about some hacks that used to play with Carlos Santana?) The truth is, the only reason anyone went was to hear Montrose, as VH were as yet unheard of and the twits in Journey were so bland that nobody could work up much enthusiasm for their vanilla pudding-like efforts. Besides, Montrose was no longer saddled with the screechy, empty-headed bellowing of Sammy Hagar by playing instrumentals, so the music was vastly improved in the first place.

RIP Ronnie. Your work on that first Edgar Winter Group album alone earned you my eternal respect.

[Green Manalishi]

Ronnie Montrose was a wonderful guitarist . Glad I got to see him twice in my lifetime . Sad about his passing .

The MONTROSE album , despite Sammy Hagar , was brilliant and very kick ass . RIP Ronnie Montrose .

[SNIPER]

Thats a bummer! Saw him live about 5 years ago. R.I.P. RM

[Unchainme]

ignoring..the lead singer.

This is a great song. (actually prefer the Bullet Boys cover..to just help scrub away any sort of lame hagar shit)

definitely a classic van halen influence. . (JUST THE GUITAR WORK, NOTHING ELSE)

amazing that Hagar has got to work with Ronnie Montrose, Neil Schon, Eddie Van Halen, and Joe Satriani, and still finds a way to sound like shit. That seriously takes some "talent".

RIP Ronnie .