Guitarist Ronnie Montrose dies...

[Bill Binkelman]

Wow! I LOVED his first two albums (Montrose, and Paper Money) and played them a LOT as a teen and into my 20s and was just set to order the CD of Paper Money from Amazon. His playing on They Only Come Out at Night was fantastic and MADE that album, IMO. Really sad.
Here is Rolling Stone's article:
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/guitarist-ronnie-montrose-dead-at-64-20120304

[hdibrell]

I especially enjoyed his playing on Van Morrison's Tupelo Honey album.

[sraymar]

A friend bought me a ticket to see a new band called Areosmith at the Forum back in '74. We came in durring the last tune of the first act Mott the Hoople. Then Montrose came on and that's when I first heard Ronnie play. Didn't really take notice of him until Open Fire came out. Seems like I was really getting into this other world of instrumental music by this time. Town Without Pity was a fav from that one. Saw him live one more time with Allan Holdsworth back in the 80s and he had like four other guitarists in a guitar section within his band playling more of that instrumental stuff which led me down to that eventual path of ruin - ambient music. 

[drone on]

I live in San Mateo County (close to Millbrae, Montrose's home).  The SM County Coroner ruled it was suicide.  His blood alcohol was four times the legal limit and apparently he shot himself.  He had struggled with depression most of his life.  Really shocking.  I remember he played a show around here just a few months ago.