Complete List Of Montrose Band Members

Feature Photo: Warner Bros. Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Montrose was formed in 1973 in California by guitarist Ronnie Montrose. Known for their powerful, guitar-driven sound, Montrose released four studio albums during their original run: Montrose (1973), Paper Money (1974), Warner Bros. Presents Montrose! (1975), and Jump on It (1976). Their self-titled debut is often regarded as one of the greatest hard rock albums of the 1970s. Despite numerous lineup changes, the band was known for its influential and iconic sound, fronted initially by vocalist Sammy Hagar. The original era ended after the Jump on It period, but Ronnie Montrose revived the band name in 1987 for the album Mean with a completely different lineup and later returned to touring as Montrose with vocalist Keith St. John and a rotating cast of musicians. Over the years, the band underwent multiple lineup changes with a revolving door of talented musicians who contributed to its legacy. Montrose’s impact on the rock genre remains significant, marked by classic tracks like “Rock Candy” and “Bad Motor Scooter.”

Ronnie Montrose

Ronnie Montrose was the founding guitarist and namesake of the band, forming Montrose in 1973 after previously working with artists including Van Morrison and Edgar Winter. He was the driving force behind the band’s distinctive sound, characterized by powerful riffs and a raw, energetic guitar style. Ronnie played on all five Montrose studio albums: Montrose (1973), Paper Money (1974), Warner Bros. Presents Montrose! (1975), Jump on It (1976), and Mean (1987). His influence extended well beyond Montrose as he formed Gamma in the late 1970s and released numerous solo albums. His career also included work with Herbie Hancock, Boz Scaggs, Van Morrison, and the Edgar Winter Group. Ronnie Montrose died on March 3, 2012, at age 64.

Sammy Hagar

Sammy Hagar was the original vocalist for Montrose, joining in 1973 and contributing to the band’s first two albums, Montrose and Paper Money. Hagar’s powerful and dynamic vocal style helped define the band’s sound during its formative years, with standout performances on tracks like “Bad Motor Scooter” and “Space Station No. 5.” Hagar left Montrose after the Paper Money tour in 1975 and went on to a highly successful solo career before joining Van Halen in 1985. He later formed Chickenfoot and Sammy Hagar & The Circle and has remained one of rock’s most enduring frontmen.

Read More: Top 10 Sammy Hagar 70s Songs

Denny Carmassi

Denny Carmassi joined Montrose as the drummer in 1973 and played on all four studio albums from the band’s original 1970s run. His powerful drumming was a key component of the group’s early sound, driving tracks such as “Space Station No. 5” and “I Got the Fire.” After Montrose, Carmassi continued to build an impressive career, joining Sammy Hagar’s solo band and later working with Heart, Whitesnake, Coverdale/Page, and numerous other artists.

Bill Church

Bill Church played bass on Montrose’s 1973 debut album, helping establish the heavy foundation of the original lineup alongside Ronnie Montrose, Sammy Hagar, and Denny Carmassi. Church left shortly after the debut and was replaced by Alan Fitzgerald. He later reunited professionally with Hagar in the singer’s solo band and played on several of Hagar’s albums, including Standing Hampton, Three Lock Box, and VOA. Church also participated with Hagar and Carmassi in later reunions celebrating the original Montrose lineup.

Alan Fitzgerald

Alan Fitzgerald replaced Bill Church on bass after the debut album and played on Paper Money (1974) and Warner Bros. Presents Montrose! (1975). His bass and synthesizer work helped broaden the band’s sound during its second and third albums. After leaving Montrose, Fitzgerald worked with Sammy Hagar and Ronnie Montrose’s Gamma before becoming a founding member of Night Ranger, where he switched primarily to keyboards and enjoyed major commercial success on albums such as Dawn Patrol and Midnight Madness.

Bob James

Bob James replaced Sammy Hagar as Montrose’s lead vocalist in 1975 and sang on Warner Bros. Presents Montrose! and Jump on It. His vocal style brought a different character to the band’s later 1970s recordings, and he also contributed songwriting to both albums. James left after the Jump on It touring cycle, bringing the band’s original four-album run to an end.

Jim Alcivar

Jim Alcivar joined Montrose as keyboardist in 1975 and played on Warner Bros. Presents Montrose! and Jump on It. His keyboards added a new dimension to the band’s sound and became especially important on Jump on It, where he also supplied key bass on portions of the album and on the subsequent tour after the group moved forward without a full-time touring bassist. Alcivar later continued working with Ronnie Montrose as a member of Gamma.

Randy Jo Hobbs

Randy Jo Hobbs contributed bass to Montrose’s 1976 album Jump on It, playing on “Let’s Go,” the title track, and “Rich Man.” The remainder of the album’s bass parts were handled through Jim Alcivar’s keyboards, and the subsequent tour did not feature a dedicated bassist. Hobbs was already well known for his work with The McCoys and the bands of Johnny Winter and Edgar Winter. He died in 1993 at age 45.

Glenn Letsch

Glenn Letsch played bass on Montrose’s 1987 album Mean, the record that revived the Montrose name more than a decade after Jump on It. Letsch had previously worked with Ronnie Montrose in Gamma and brought that established musical relationship into the new lineup. Outside Montrose, he also worked with artists including Robin Trower and continued as a respected rock bassist.

Johnny Edwards

Johnny Edwards joined Montrose as lead vocalist for the 1987 album Mean. Edwards had previously sung with Buster Brown, where he also worked with drummer James Kottak, and his powerful hard-rock voice suited the heavier late-1980s sound Ronnie Montrose was pursuing. Edwards later became the lead singer of Foreigner and recorded the band’s 1991 album Unusual Heat.

James Kottak

James Kottak played drums on Montrose’s 1987 album Mean, joining Ronnie Montrose, Johnny Edwards, and Glenn Letsch in the revived lineup. Kottak had previously played with Edwards in Buster Brown and soon afterward became a founding member of Kingdom Come. He later became best known for his long tenure with the Scorpions from 1996 to 2016. James Kottak died on January 9, 2024, at age 61.

Keith St. John

Keith St. John became Ronnie Montrose’s principal vocalist in the later Montrose era after the two began working together in the late 1990s. By the early 2000s, St. John was fronting a newly assembled Montrose touring lineup and remained associated with Ronnie through the final years of the guitarist’s life. He helped assemble touring musicians, co-wrote unreleased material with Ronnie Montrose, and performed Montrose classics in clubs and festivals for more than a decade. St. John has also been known for his work with Burning Rain, Kingdom Come, Lynch Mob, and other hard rock projects.

Chuck Wright

Chuck Wright played bass in the early-2000s Montrose lineup assembled around Ronnie Montrose and Keith St. John. Wright was part of the first version of the revived touring band with drummer Pat Torpey and brought extensive hard-rock experience from Quiet Riot, House of Lords, and other projects. His tenure was part of the rotating veteran lineup that kept the Montrose catalog active onstage during Ronnie Montrose’s later career.

Pat Torpey

Pat Torpey played drums in the early-2000s Montrose lineup with Ronnie Montrose, Keith St. John, and Chuck Wright. Best known as the longtime drummer for Mr. Big, Torpey brought a powerful and polished hard-rock style to the revived group during its early West Coast dates. He also worked with artists including Robert Plant, Ted Nugent, and The Knack. Pat Torpey died in 2018 at age 64.

Ricky Phillips

Ricky Phillips was among the bassists who performed with Montrose during the later touring years fronted by Keith St. John. A veteran bassist known for his work with The Babys, Bad English, and later Styx, Phillips brought extensive arena-rock experience to Ronnie Montrose’s rotating live lineup and remained part of the circle of musicians associated with Ronnie’s later career.

Mick Mahan

Mick Mahan performed on bass with Montrose during the Keith St. John era as one of several veteran musicians who rotated through the band’s touring lineup. Mahan is also widely known for his long association with Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, and his work with Montrose reflected the high level of musicianship Ronnie Montrose continued to seek during his later touring years.

David Ellefson

David Ellefson was one of the bassists who performed with Montrose during the later touring period led by Ronnie Montrose and Keith St. John. Best known as a founding member of Megadeth, Ellefson brought a heavier metal background to the rotating lineup while participating in live performances built around Montrose’s classic hard-rock catalog.

Sean McNabb

Sean McNabb played bass with Montrose during the later Keith St. John era and was part of the lineup that performed at major events including the 2009 West Fest concert in San Francisco. McNabb’s career has included work with Quiet Riot, Great White, Dokken, Lynch Mob, and other hard rock bands, making him a natural fit for Ronnie Montrose’s veteran touring lineup.

Eric Singer

Eric Singer was among the drummers who performed with Montrose during Ronnie Montrose’s later touring years with Keith St. John. Known for his work with KISS, Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, and numerous other artists, Singer brought extensive hard-rock and heavy-metal experience to the rotating lineup and later participated in tribute performances honoring Ronnie Montrose.

Mick Brown

Mick Brown, best known as the longtime drummer for Dokken and Lynch Mob, performed with Montrose during the later Keith St. John era. Brown was part of the 2009 Montrose lineup that performed at West Fest in San Francisco, joining Ronnie Montrose, St. John, and bassist Sean McNabb. His energetic drumming fit naturally with the band’s classic hard-rock material.

Jimmy DeGrasso

Jimmy DeGrasso was one of the veteran drummers who rotated through Montrose during Ronnie Montrose’s later touring years. DeGrasso brought a résumé that included work with Megadeth, Alice Cooper, Suicidal Tendencies, and Y&T, adding another experienced hard-rock player to the flexible lineup built around Ronnie Montrose and Keith St. John.

Bobby Blotzer

Bobby Blotzer, best known as the drummer for Ratt, also performed with Montrose during the later period when Ronnie Montrose toured with Keith St. John and a rotating cast of veteran musicians. His participation was part of the band’s final live era, when Ronnie continued performing the Montrose catalog with different combinations of established hard-rock players.

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