Monti Rock
Encyclopedia
Monti Rock III is a flamboyant American
musician and performer from New York City
.
beginning in 1966, Monti's wild antics, which included throwing bananas into the audience, and outrageous personality brought him to the national stage when he began appearing regularly as a guest on the Tonight Show.
Monti is generally considered to be the first disco
artist to cross into the mainstream. In February 1975, Monti released Disco Tex and His Sex-O-Lettes, an LP of disco songs and collaboration with producer Bob Crewe
and featuring musician Jerry Corbetta of Sugarloaf
. Two of the album's tracks, "Get Dancin'" and "I Wanna Dance Wit' Choo (Doo Dat Dance)", became instant staples at burgeoning New York dance clubs including Studio 54
. By the end of the 70s, disco music was fully mainstream, and Monti appeared in the movie Saturday Night Fever
as the DJ.
After reinventing himself several times as "Monti Rock II", "Monti Rock IV", "Monti Rock V", "Sir Monti Rock", Monti settled on just "Monti Rock". He currently resides and performs in Las Vegas
.
Monti is now an ordained minister, according to his Web site.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician and performer from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Career
Born on 29 May 1942, to a Puerto Rican family in the Bronx, Monti parlayed his role as celebrity hairdresser into a role center stage. After several appearances and performances on The Merv Griffin ShowThe Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show is an American television talk show, starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, September 20, 1965 to September 26, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 at 11:30 PM ET weeknights on CBS and again in...
beginning in 1966, Monti's wild antics, which included throwing bananas into the audience, and outrageous personality brought him to the national stage when he began appearing regularly as a guest on the Tonight Show.
Monti is generally considered to be the first disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
artist to cross into the mainstream. In February 1975, Monti released Disco Tex and His Sex-O-Lettes, an LP of disco songs and collaboration with producer Bob Crewe
Bob Crewe
Bob Crewe is an American songwriter, dancer, singer, manager, record producer and fine artist. He is known for producing, and co-writing with Bob Gaudio, a string of Top 10 singles for The Four Seasons...
and featuring musician Jerry Corbetta of Sugarloaf
Sugarloaf
A sugarloaf was the traditional form in which refined sugar was produced and sold until the late 19th century when granulated and cube sugars were introduced. A tall cone with a rounded top was the end product of a process that saw the dark molasses-rich raw sugar, which had been imported from...
. Two of the album's tracks, "Get Dancin'" and "I Wanna Dance Wit' Choo (Doo Dat Dance)", became instant staples at burgeoning New York dance clubs including Studio 54
Studio 54
Studio 54 was a highly popular discotheque from 1977 until 1991, located at 254 West 54th Street in Manhattan, New York, USA. It was originally the Gallo Opera House, opening in 1927, after which it changed names several times, eventually becoming a CBS radio and television studio. In 1977 it...
. By the end of the 70s, disco music was fully mainstream, and Monti appeared in the movie Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 drama film directed by John Badham and starring: John Travolta as Tony Manero, an immature young man whose weekends are spent visiting a local Brooklyn discothèque; Karen Lynn Gorney as his dance partner and eventual friend; and Donna Pescow as Tony's former dance...
as the DJ.
After reinventing himself several times as "Monti Rock II", "Monti Rock IV", "Monti Rock V", "Sir Monti Rock", Monti settled on just "Monti Rock". He currently resides and performs in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
.
Monti is now an ordained minister, according to his Web site.