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Ronnie Montrose was a rock legend who was born on November 29th, 1947 in San Francisco. Along with founding rock band Montrose (which featured Sammy Hagar on lead vocals), Ronnie also worked with Edgar Winter, Van Morrison, Boz Scaggs, Gary Wright, The Neville Brothers, and many more iconic musicians. Montrose was considered the American version of Led Zeppelin, and Ronnie has been cited as one of the most influential guitarists of hard rock. Unfortunately, Montrose’s life ended tragically when he died of a self-inflected gunshot wound in 2012 at the age of 64.
To celebrate the life of Ronnie Montrose and all of his contributions to rock and roll, here are some fun facts about the mysterious musician you might not have known:
- Montrose’s self-titled 1973 debut album is often considered America’s answer to Led Zeppelin
- Eddie Van Halen called Ronnie one of his greatest guitar influences
- Ronnie formed the jazz-fusion band Gamma in the late 1970s
- Ronnie was known for his raw energy and powerful riffs that helped contribute to the development of hard rock.
- Ronnie was also known for his support of emerging musicians and young talent.
