Jack Montgomery

Bio:

Originally from Columbia, South Carolina, Jack Montgomery began studying guitar at age thirteen. He now plays guitar, bass, banjo, harmonica, mandolin and Appalachian dulcimer. Jack played his first professional gig in 1967. He then formed a band known as Crossfire with two of his high school friends. Crossfire appeared on several local television programs and regularly played gigs in and around Columbia and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina until it dissolved in 1971. During his college years, Jack pursued his interest in music. He worked as a solo performer in Best Western Hotel lounges until 1977. After college, he played with several acoustic groupings in South Carolina and Virginia specializing in "ole time" and folk music. Jack retired from music in the 80s and 90s until he joined the folk band Lost River, performing from 2000 to 2004. He performed in a duet with fellow musician, Graham Hudspeth, called Shadowdancer until April of 2009. He now continues to perform with his wife Lesley and other friends in the folk band Watersprite. His music has been featured on several festivals, college and Internet radio stations nationally and internationally, as well as the PBS/KET show entitled "Mixed Media." He regularly performs locally in the Bowling Green area and also in Louisville, KY, French Lick, IN, Clarksville and Nashville, TN. Jack lives in Bowling Green and makes his living as an academic librarian at Western Kentucky University. Jack released his first musical CD entitled "Onward to Avalon" in 2002. Over 800 copies of "Onward to Avalon" have been sold worldwide. His second CD, "Everywhere I Look," was released in November 2004. He and Graham released a CD as Shadowdancer in 2008 entitled "Tradition with a Twist." Currently, Jack is recording a fourth CD with Watersprite. Musically, Jack is interested in Celtic and contemporary folk music. He writes his own songs and poetry, and he has a passion for discovering older traditional material and giving it a new musical life with new arrangements.

Member Since:

November 22, 2005

Members:

Watersprite: Jack Montgomery - guitar, Applachian dulcimer, banjo, harmonica; Lesley Montgomery - vocals and percussion; Ken Frasure - vocals, bass and lead guitar; Elizabeth Hayes - vocals and percussion; Fle Frasure - vocals

Influences:

Donovan, Dylan, Joan Baez, Steeleye Span, Pentangle, Sandy Denny, Cream, Gordon Lightfoot, etc...

Sounds Like:

Record Label:

1st, Beat Time; 2nd & 3rd, High Street Studio