Montgomery Gentry - ChristianMusic.com

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About Montgomery Gentry

Since their debut in 1999, Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry have been a cornerstone of the most important movement in country music since the Outlaws. Just as Waylon, Willie and the rest kicked open the genre's doors in the 1970s, Montgomery Gentry has helped kick-start 21st century country.

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Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry first met in Early Tymz, a Lexington, Kentucky, band led by Montgomery's brother, future country star John Michael Montgomery. Both Eddie and Troy had been performing on the local club scene since their teenage years, the former as a drummer in his father's band. After Early Tymz broke up, a new group called Young Country formed from its ashes, with John Michael billed out front. He eventually went solo, of course, and Montgomery Gentry first formed not long after, initially calling themselves Deuce. After playing around Lexington for a time, Montgomery Gentry landed a deal with Columbia thanks to a showcase performance. Their debut album, Tattoos & Scars, was released in 1999 and made the country Top Ten on the strength of the Top 20 singles "Hillbilly Shoes" and "Daddy Won't Sell the Farm," plus the Top Five smash "Lonely and Gone" and the Charlie Daniels collaboration "All Night Long." They were named the CMA's Duo of the Year in 2000.

A third album, My Town, was released in 2002, bringing the duo their third Top Five hit in the title track. The hard-driving You Do Your Thing arrived in 2004, followed by the greatest-hits collection Something to Be Proud Of: The Best of 1999-2005 in November of 2005.

"People recognize the realism in our music," says Gentry. "We're not trying to candy coat anything. Who we are is who we are. It's all about being real, being yourself, and playing real music to the people."

Some People Change, released in 2006, is an incredibly rich collection that reflects the continued maturing of Montgomery Gentry on a number of levels. There is, first of all, a deeper exploration of the issues they have always deemed important.

 

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"If you look at the direction Montgomery Gentry has gone," says Gentry, "we started out with the hard-driving, in-your-face, honky-tonk, hell-raising style of Tattoos & Scars and Carrying On, and carried that over into more of a working man's album on My Town. We spoke a lot about our military, the places we grew up, the good and bad, songs Americans could listen to and identify with. This album goes even farther and brings it back to family and religious beliefs, and keeps those ties to the military. We talk about our life growing up, about maturing, and reflecting on where we've come from."

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Some People Change showcases more than ever before the writing talents of both Gentry and Montgomery, with the former contributing the family-of-man anthem "Takes All Kinds" as well as "If You Wanna Keep An Angel," an ode to earning the love of a good woman, while the latter offers "A Man's Job," about come-uppance for a wayward spouse, and "Clouds," which Montgomery co-wrote with Steele and Tony Mullins and which turns the loss of his father and his son into one of the most achingly heartfelt tributes ever committed to song.

They have performed for well over a million fans & prior to headlining tours, they were on Kenny Chesney's "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems" tours in 2002 and 2003, and the Brooks & Dunn Neon Circus & Wild West Show in 2001. They were named the CMA's Duo of the Year in 2000, and received that year's American Music Award for Favorite New Artist--Country, the Academy of Country Music Award for Top New Vocal Group or Duo," and the 2000 and 2001 Radio & Records Readers' Poll award for Top Country Duo.

They have done many shows for military personnel through the years, but in 2006 for the first time they were able to travel to visit troops in Kuwait , Iraq and Germany as part of a USO tour. It was a journey that affected both deeply.

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"It was an eye-opening experience for me," says Gentry, "seeing what our soldiers are doing to battle terrorism and help the Iraqis and Afghanis gain a better way of life."

"I don't ever want to hear anybody say, 'I don't know if this generation has got what it takes,'" says Eddie. "We've got the baddest men and women in the world & knowing that they've got our backs reminds me every day why America is the greatest country in the world and will always be the greatest."

As impressive as their past has been, their future looks even brighter.  The old saying "what you see is what you get" applies when you meet Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry. Rowdy, fun loving, spontaneous, and awesome talent all describe what these guys are about. Whether you meet them in person, hear their music on CD or see their live performance, the music and personalities are so infectious that you will also instantly become a fan.

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