Artist to Watch: Randy Montana

For newcomer Randy Montana, who is seeing his first taste of success as an artist with “Ain’t Much Left of Lovin’ You,” songwriting is in his blood. Billy Montana, Randy’s father, is a craftsman of chart-topping hits like Sara Evans’ “Suds in the Bucket” and Jo Dee Messina’s Grammy-nominated song “Bring on the Rain.” Billy even penned Garth Brooks’ history-making single “More Than a Memory” with another artist on the move Lee Brice. In an impressive feat, the song made its debut at the number one position on the country singles chart.

Billy’s son Randy was surrounded by music in Nashville after the Montana family made the move from their home in upstate New York when Billy signed his own record deal. As Randy became older, he began making his own music by learning to play the guitar at age 10 and writing songs at age 16. The following year, he received a great opportunity when his dad spotlighted him during one of his writers’ nights. While Randy was being exposed to the ins and outs of the music business, he also had the chance to be a regular teenager by playing football and soccer and he even was awarded a college football scholarship, but music kept calling. So, he opted out of college after three years of giving it a try to form his own band called Homestead and made the rounds playing bars and frat parties around Middle Tennessee while supporting himself with odd jobs along the way.

By the time 2008 rolled around, Randy had signed his own publishing deal and began writing with some of Music City’s finest tunesmiths. He soon caught the eyes and ears of record label executives with his growing catalog of songs and his raspy vocals on tunes heavily influenced by everyone from rockers like Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty to country outlaws like Hank Williams, Jr., Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. Before long he found himself signed to the roster at Mercury Nashville and was hard a work on his debut album which includes his current chart-climbing single “Ain’t Much Left of Lovin’ You,” as well as an impressive appearance by legend Emmylou Harris on a song titled “Last Horse.”

Image courtesy of Universal Music Group

Nikita Palmer for Citadel Digital © 2010

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