Exclusive Photos by Ron Lyon
For the second year in a row, singer Keith St. John gathered an all-star cast together to celebrate the life and legacy of guitarist Ronnie Montrose. Staged at the Yost Theater in Santa Ana, California, in tandem with the 2017 NAMM Show in neighboring Anaheim, Ronnie Montrose Remembered upped the ante with a lineup of world-class musicians that included Brad Gillis (Night Ranger) Howard Leese (Heart, Bad Company), Tracii Guns (LA Guns), Rudy Sarzo (Whitesnake, Ozzy Osbourne), Roger Earl (Foghat), Frankie Banali (Quiet Riot), James Kottak (Scorpions), Robin McAuley (Survivor, MSG), Danny Seraphine (Chicago), David Ellefson (Megadeth), Paul Shortino, (Rough Cutt, Raiding the Rock Vault), Troy Luccketta (Tesla), Brad Lang (Y & T), Mitch Perry (Edgar Winter Band), Mona Gnader (Sammy Hagar’s Wabos), Chuck Wright (Quiet Riot), Sean McNabb (Dokken), Jimmy Degrasso (Black Star Riders, Alice Cooper), Mark Bonilla (Keith Emerson Band), and very special guest Bob James, who sang with Montrose from 1975 to 1977.
Over the course of nearly three hours, the show featured never-before-seen video clips and other raw footage, as well as commentary from St. John and Ronnie Montrose’s wife, Leighsa. As for the music, various combinations of players covered everything from Van Morrison’s “Wild Nights” and “Tupelo Honey” (which Montrose played on), to the Edgar Winter Band’s “Free Ride” and “Frankenstein” (the big finale), to virtually every song from the epic 1973 Montrose album, along with several songs from subsequent solo and band projects. Bob James sang “All I Need” and “Jump On It” from the two mid 70s albums he appeared on as a member of Montrose. Several of the musicians on the bill were interviewed on the red carpet by VintageRock.com. Those interviews, along with many others from the NAMM Show, can be seen at the VintageRock.com YouTube channel.
