Billy Montana
Encyclopedia
Billy Montana is an American
country music
singer-songwriter. Between 1987 and 1995, Montana released one studio album and charted six singles on Billboard
s Hot Country Singles & Tracks
chart. As a songwriter, Montana's songs have been recorded by Garth Brooks
, Sara Evans
, Jo Dee Messina
, Tim McGraw
, Martina McBride
, Sister Hazel
and Kenny Rogers
, among others.
and charted three singles on Billboard' s Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart before disbanding without releasing an album. Their highest charting single, "Baby I Was Leaving Anyhow," peaked at #40 in 1987. After the group disbanded, Montana moved to Nashville
in 1989 to pursue his dream of songwriting.
In 1994, Magnatone Records signed Montana to a solo record deal. His debut album, No Yesterday, was released in April 1995. Three singles were released from the project and charted on Billboard' s Hot Country Singles & Tracks, the highest of which peaked at #55. One of the album's tracks, "A Clean Mind and Dirty Hands," was named Song of the Year by Farm Journal
in 1996 as the song best depicting genuine farm life.
" as a single. The song topped Billboard' s Hot Country Singles & Tracks in March 2002 and was nominated for a Grammy Award
. Montana has since written #1 songs for Sara Evans ("Suds in the Bucket
") and Garth Brooks ("More Than a Memory
"). "More Than a Memory" debuted at #1 on Billboard' s Hot Country Songs
chart in September 2007, becoming the first song in the chart's entire history to accomplish that feat.
, signed to Mercury Nashville in 2010. The younger Montana has reached Top 40 on the country music charts with "Ain't Much Left of Lovin' You."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer-songwriter. Between 1987 and 1995, Montana released one studio album and charted six singles on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Hot Country Singles & Tracks
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart. As a songwriter, Montana's songs have been recorded by Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks
Troyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
, Sara Evans
Sara Evans
Sara Lynn Evans is an American country singer and songwriter.Evans was one of the few traditional-styled singers to emerge from Nashville in the late 1990s, according to Allmusic. Since emerging in the late 1990s, Evans has made five No. 1 Country hits and Gold and Platinum-certified albums by...
, Jo Dee Messina
Jo Dee Messina
Jo Dee Marie Messina , known professionally as Jo Dee Messina, is an American country music artist. She has charted nine Number One singles on the Billboard country music charts. She has been honored by the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music and has been nominated for two...
, Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...
, Martina McBride
Martina McBride
Martina McBride is an American country music singer and songwriter. McBride has been called the "Céline Dion of Country Music" for her big-voiced ballads and soprano range....
, Sister Hazel
Sister Hazel
Sister Hazel are an alternative rock band from Gainesville, Florida, whose style also blends elements of folk rock, pop, classic rock 'n' roll and southern rock. Their music is characterized by highly melodic tunes and generally optimistic lyrics. The band's instrumentation often features abrupt...
and Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
, among others.
Singer
In the late 1980s, Montana and his brother, Kyle, formed a country music group with Bobby Kendall, Dave Flint and Doug Bernhard. Billy Montana & the Long Shots signed with Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
and charted three singles on Billboard
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
in 1989 to pursue his dream of songwriting.
In 1994, Magnatone Records signed Montana to a solo record deal. His debut album, No Yesterday, was released in April 1995. Three singles were released from the project and charted on Billboard
Farm Journal
Farm Journal is a classical composition by the American composer Douglas Moore. The work was the result of a commission Moore received from the Little Orchestra Society in 1947 and which gave the work's premiere in the following year, conducted by Thomas Scherman. The music derives from Moore's...
in 1996 as the song best depicting genuine farm life.
Songwriter
Montana was signed to a songwriting deal with Moraine Music in 1994. He was picked up by Curb Publishing in a joint venture in 2000. The following year, Jo Dee Messina released Montana's "Bring On the RainBring On the Rain
"Bring On the Rain" is the title of a country music song written by Billy Montana and Helen Darling. It was recorded by Jo Dee Messina on her 2000 album Burn, and was released in September 2001 as that album's fourth single...
" as a single. The song topped Billboard
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
. Montana has since written #1 songs for Sara Evans ("Suds in the Bucket
Suds in the Bucket
"Suds in the Bucket" is the title of a song recorded by country singer Sara Evans. It was released in May 2004 as the third single for her album Restless. It became her third number-one single on the US Country charts, and her first since "Born to Fly" in early 2001...
") and Garth Brooks ("More Than a Memory
More Than a Memory
"More Than a Memory" is a song written by Lee Brice, Billy Montana and Kyle Jacobs. It was recorded by country music singer Garth Brooks and released in 2007 as his 51st single. It is the first single from his 2007 compilation The Ultimate Hits. On the U.S...
"). "More Than a Memory" debuted at #1 on Billboard
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart in September 2007, becoming the first song in the chart's entire history to accomplish that feat.
Family
Billy Montana's son, Randy MontanaRandy Montana
Randy Montana is an American country singer signed to Mercury Records Nashville.He is the son of singer-songwriter Billy Montana, who has written Number One singles for Garth Brooks, Jo Dee Messina and Sara Evans....
, signed to Mercury Nashville in 2010. The younger Montana has reached Top 40 on the country music charts with "Ain't Much Left of Lovin' You."
Albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| No Yesterday |
|
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
|||
| 1987 | "Crazy Blue"A | 46 | Singles only |
| "Baby I Was Leaving Anyhow"A | 40 | ||
| 1988 | "Oh Jenny"A | 48 | |
| 1995 | "Didn't Have You" | 55 | No Yesterday |
| "Rain Through the Roof" | 58 | ||
| "No Yesterday" | 70 |
- ACredited to Billy Montana & the Long Shots.
Music videos
| Year | Video |
|---|---|
| 1995 | "Didn't Have You" |
| "Rain Through the Roof" |