Best remembered by many for his time as vocalist and drummer for the band Beat Farmers, and his rowdy, fun-filled live performances, Country Dick Montana left a legacy of roots rock music behind him.
Montana was born in Carmel, CA, in 1955. The name given to him by his parents was Daniel McLain. Somehow, after he grew up, he unquestionably seemed more like a Country Dick Montana than a Daniel McLain.
The fun-loving Montana began his musical career performing in bars, where he entertained the crowds for a small fee and a night's worth of ice-cold beer. Later he worked with a number of other artists. He appeared with the Beat Farmers on eight recordings, offering up his talents on albums like Loud and Plowed and...LIVE!! and
Poor and Famous. Montana also worked with groups like the Pleasure Barons and the Snuggle Bunnies, bringing his skills with the guitar, drums, and his deep resonant voice to each tune. On a cold November night in 1995, Country Dick Montana was on-stage at the Long Horn bar, doing what he loved most, performing, when he collapsed and died. He was only 40 years old, and his solo career was barely out of the starting gate. He had finished recording his excellent solo debut album only weeks before his sudden death.
In 1996 -- sadly a few months after he was laid to rest -- Montana's debut solo effort,
The Devil Lied to Me, hit the store shelves. "Party Dolls and Wine," "Listen to Her Heart," and "I Wanted You to Know" are some of the fantastic tracks on the album that he left behind for his fans to enjoy and to remember him by. Don't forget to add the cold beer.
Country Dick Montana
