Artists: Biography Kevin Montgomery  

Nashville, New York, and Los Angeles all figure prominently into the musical landscapes that singer-songwriter Kevin Montgomery paints with his high lonesome voice and heartfelt lyrics. As the child of Buddy Holly's musical partner and Elvis

Presley's backup singer, Montgomery had little choice in the matter of his musicality. Growing up in Nashville provided a rootsy Americana sound as the basis of his work, while busking in subways added New York's sly, street-smart sensibilities to the mix. The wide-open, sun-filled skies of Los Angeles top it off with optimism and melodies reminiscent of Jackson Browne.

Montgomery made a strong debut in 1993 with Fear Nothing on A&M Records. It showcased a young talent with obvious potential, earned him slots fronting for labelmate Sheryl Crow and David Crosby and garnered limited airplay on Triple-A radio. With that foundation, Montgomery bounced around for several years before departing A&M. He got himself onto a number of compilation discs, including the 1996 Buddy Holly tribute Not Fade Away. Both Martina McBride and Juice Newton sought out Montgomery's tunes to cover.

In 2000, Another Long Story came to light in the U.K. and Europe. A great collection of Montgomery's strongest work yet, it caught Paul McCartney's ear and got Montgomery invited to perform at the former Beatles' annual Buddy Holly birthday event in London.

He recorded Kevin Montgomery Live at Nashville's legendary Bluebird Café in 2001. Also released in 2001 was the EP Paint, which features a duet with Trisha Yearwood on "Tennessee Girl." He issued 2:30 a.m. in the UK in 2003 and the U.S. in 2004. ~ Kelly McCartney, All Music Guide