The News Of …

Guitarist Ronnie Montrose (one of rock’s great sidemen, whose namesake band introduced Sammy Hagar to the world) died Saturday. He was 64.
The cause was complications from prostate cancer, said his wife and manager, Leighsa Montrose.
Mr. Montrose, a San Francisco native, got his first break when he was hired to play guitar on Van Morrison’s 1971 album – “Tupelo Honey.” His career as a sideman continued with Boz Scaggs, Herbie Hancock and the Edgar Winter Group, playing on the hits “Frankenstein” and “Free Ride.”
But his greatest success came with his own band, Montrose, which he formed in 1973. The original lineup featured Hagar on vocals and released two Led Zeppelin-inspired albums considered rock classics: “Montrose,” and 1974s “Paper Money.” The hits “Bad Motor Scooter,” “Rock Candy” and “Space Station No. 5″ became FM radio staples.
The group continued to release albums after Hagar left to pursue a solo career and eventually front Van Halen. In 1979, Mr. Montrose went on to try commercial hard rock with Gamma and made several serious solo records.
The original Montrose lineup, which also included the bassist Bill Church and drummer Denny Carmassi, regrouped in 1997 on the song “Leaving the Warmth of the Womb” on Hagar’s solo album “Marching to Mars.” They also played onstage together on Hagar’s subsequent tour in support of the release.
Mr. Montrose was well regarded among guitarists for his fiery style.

Ronnie Montrose.

Montrose had a very colorful early career, playing on classic albums from a number of artists. In 1971, he played on Van Morrison’s Tupelo Honey followed by stints with Boz Scaggs and Edgar Winter with whom he recorded the album They Only Come Out at Night and the hits Free Ride and Frankenstein.
In 1973, he formed the group Montrose which included singer Sammy Hagar, bassist Bill Church and drummer Denny Carmassi. The original lineup stayed together for just one album “Montrose” before Church left and was replaced by Alan Fitzgerald. Another album “Paper Money” was released before Hagar left for a solo career when Bob James was brought in on vocals.
The balance of the 70s included additional Montrose albums along with Ronnie’s first solo album, Open Fire. In 1979, he formed Gamma which recorded three albums.
For the balance of his career, Montrose continued to put out occasional solo albums along with working with Seattle’s Rail and, later, reformed versions of Montrose (Mean (1987) and Gamme (Gamma 4 (2000)). He also guested on albums by Nicolette Larson, Paul Kantner, the Neville Brothers, former bandmate Sammy Hagar and others.
In late 2009, he announced that he had beaten prostate cancer which he had been battling since 2007.

Ronnie Montrose (who is best known for his fiery guitar work as a member of the band Montrose) died Saturday. It is believed that the cause of death was prostate cancer, which he had been battling for the past few years.
“A few months ago, we held a surprise party for Ronnie Montrose’s 64th birthday” – a statement said on Montrose’s official website. “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.”
Born in Denver, Colorado, Montrose got his first break when he was invited to play on Van Morrison’s 1971 album, Tupelo Honey. Additional appearances on recordings by Herbie Hancock, Boz Scaggs, and the Edgar Winter Group soon followed before he formed his own band, Montrose, in 1973. In addition to the guitarist, the band consisted of a then-unknown Sammy Hagar on vocals, as well as bassist Bill Church and drummer Denny Carmassi.
The quartet issued one of rock’s all-time great debuts that year, their Zeppelin-esque album, Montrose, which spawned such soon-to-be hard rock standards as “Rock the Nation,” “Bad Motor Scooter,” “Space Station #5,” “Rock Candy” and “Make It Last,” all of which featured Montrose’s tasty guitar playing. Hagar, however, would only remain with the band for one more release (1974s Paper Money) before exiting the group.
Still, the two Hagar/Montrose albums proved influential to subsequent bands, as evidenced by all the rock acts covering Montrose tunes, including Iron Maiden, who covered “I’ve Got the Fire” and “Space Station #5.” Interestingly, Van Halen (the group Hagar would eventually front for two separate stints) would cover the songs “Rock Candy” and “Make It Last” during their early club days.
Montrose the group (with singer Bob James filling Hagar’s spot) would soldier on for a few more releases in the Seventies before the guitarist issued an all-instrumental solo album, 1978s Open Fire. He went on to form Gamma, which issued three albums between 1980 and 1983. From the Eighties onward, Montrose would alternate between issuing additional recordings from Montrose, Gamma, and as a solo artist.
Ronnie Montrose and Sammy Hagar appeared to eventually bury the hatchet, as the original Montrose line-up appeared on the singer’s 1997 solo effort, Marching to Mars, for the song “Leaving the Warmth of the Womb,” and even played together again on stage several times afterwards. For the past few years, Montrose had played solo shows throughout the U.S.