It was a night to remember Killer guitarist, Ronnie Montrose and those in attendance certainly did. As the evening unfolded, I found myself out on the red carpet talking to some of the who’s-who of the rock world as they showed up to, not only remember the man, but PLAY and pay tribute to him on stage. Ronnie’s widow, Leighsa Montrose, was there to bare witness to this tribute. I was able to speak with her just before the main event. One by one the stars gave us a few moments of their time, like founding member of Foghat, Roger Earl and original Chicago drummer, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and founder of CTA, Danny Seraphine!
Many more players joined me on the Red Carpet outside the Yost Theater in Santa Ana on January 21st, but the real activities were just beginning inside. The evening was to be a star-studded tribute to a phenomenal guitarist. As promised, musicians, and fans alike, turned out for a night of ROCK and ROLL! A long list of rockers representing bands such as Megadeth, Whitesnake, Warrant, Quiet Riot and more flowed in and out of the band on stage. Edgar Winters Group, Gamma, and Montrose were all being represented on that stage.
Bullet Boys singer Marq Torien showed off his pipes, Tesla’s Troy Luccketta , and legendary bass player Sean McNabb were seen on stage showing off their talents. It wasn’t a dry night or a slow night in the theatre as every seat was taken and there wasn’t much room to move around on the floor. It seemed like everyone was having fun as a bevy of solo’s and riffs flooded the sound system, and a flood of drinks was coming from the bar.
There were so many musicians there tonight that there’s no way I can name them all…not even sure if the organizers could tell you. It appeared that at nearly every break, someone showed up who wasn’t planned. This made the night even more exciting and fun for all there.
Big Jon / BackStage360
(Editors Note – A special thanks to Bill Towner, Ronnie Lyon & Shanda Golden for all their help that night)
