Posted on 04/10/2012 7:57:52 PM PDT by My Favorite Headache
Ronnie Montroses Death Caused By Self-Inflicted Gunshot by: Dave Swanson 5 hours ago
Ronnie Montrose
Mark Bowman
It has been confirmed that Ronnie Montroses death last month was not directly due to his long battle with cancer. The San Mateo County Coroners Office reports the guitarist instead died from suicide in the form of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
According to family friend Michael Molenda, in a sad and touching article on GuitarPlayer.com, the Montrose family knew the findings would be made public soon. So they posted a statement on the guitarists website and official Facebook page, which reads in part:
By now, the devastating truth of Ronnies death is public knowledge. We hope you can understand why we wanted to keep this news a private family matter for as long as possible. We can only hope that you will choose to celebrate Ronnies life, and what his music meant to you, rather than mourn his passing. Ronnie would have wanted it that way.
Montrose apparently suffered from clinical depression for much of his life. His wife and manager, Leighsa Montrose, explained that he had a very difficult childhood, which caused him to have extremely deep and damaging feelings of inadequacy, this is why he always drove himself so hard.
Leighsa goes on to detail her husbands last days on earth, which conclude with him saying good-bye to her in a series of heartbreaking text messages. To her immense credit, she seems to have found peace in his passing:
I looked at his peaceful and calm face, and I said to him, Youve shown me I have no choice in this matter I told him I loved him. I accepted what had happened. And then I sat calmly on the couch and called the police department.
By her account, despite all his success and acclaim, Montrose never thought he was good enough. He always feared hed be exposed as a fraud. So he was exacting in his self-criticism, and the expectations he put upon himself were tremendous. Now I see that perhaps he didnt want to carry these burdens for very much longer.
Make it Last
Well, I remember when I was seventeen,
My father told me, “Pick your dreams.”
He said life ain’t easy as it seems.
When you get older you’ll see what I mean.
At the time, I wanted to be twenty-one
It seemed the right age for havin’ fun.
But when I got there I was still too young-
And twenty-five seemed to be the one.
But now I live my life from day to day
‘Cuz I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Whether I’m twelve or whether I’m sixty-four
I spend my time like there ain’t gonna be no more.
You know that sweet girl you’ve been chasin’ round
She got you hooked ‘long as she keeps you down.
Well, I know what happens once she comes around
It won’t be long and you’ll be back on the town.
Lord, yes! Alright!
Things between, they suit you right.
But once you get them it seems like they’re all alike.
So make it last as long as you can
It’s so much easier when you understand.
Richard Cory
Whenever Richard Cory went down town, We people on the pavement looked at him: He was a gentleman from sole to crown, Clean favored and imperially slim.
And he was always quietly arrayed, And he was always human when he talked; But still he fluttered pulses when he said, 'Good Morning' and he glittered when he walked.
And he was rich-yes, richer than a king- And admirably schooled in every grace: In fine, we thought that he was everything To make us wish that we were in his place.
So on we worked, and waited for the light, And went without the meat, and cursed the bread: And Richard Cory, one calm summer night, Went home and put a bullet through his head.
So many people in need of Jesus. It truly is up to us who know Him to share His love and hope with everyone. We never know how desperate someone who seems OK is inside of themselves. This is so very, very sad.
Do you remember this one?
Album: Paper Money (another good one)
Spaceage Sacrifice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHbSKKVr0Fk
I put up this thread less than two weeks ago upon finally hearing of Ronnie’s passing:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2866294/posts
I find this all supremely sad. His wife’s reaction, poignant as it may seem, is just silly to me. The man had talent in abundance, yet he took what is only God’s to take: his own life. That is NEVER the answer. We are granted this life by God Himself for a reason or reasons; who are WE to second-guess or short-circuit His plan for our lives?
It’s a kind of arrogance that I’ll never understand. People can talk to me all day long about “clinical depression” (whatever the hell that really is; we all have our demons to wrestle and our challenges in this world). You have to suck it up, hand it over to God, and move on.
I’ve known many, many musicians in my life, being a rock/blues guitarist of over 40 years myself. There is a very strong tendency among guitarists, especially, to constantly compare themselves to others and find themselves wanting. Just when you think you’re getting pretty good, along comes an Eddie Van Halen, or Eric Johnson, or Steve Vai, or Hendrix, or the best in my opinion....Gary Moore. There’s always some hot rod out there who can mop the floor with you. I’ve seen phenomenal guitarists give it up; hang up the instrument because “I’ll never be as good as so-and-so”.
My response is always “So what? Who cares??? Who defines which style or tone or skill set is ‘better’ than another’s?”
You identify, over a long period of time usually, who and what you are as a musician. Many things define this: your upbringing, your MUSICAL upbringing, your spirit, your heart, your ears, your fingers.....but it really is mostly about how much of your heart you pour into your playing.
I know a guy here in Raleigh who is nothing short of breathtakingly talented on the guitar. He is lead guitarist of the top Van Halen tribute band in the country, bar none. There’s nothing ol’ Eddie has ever played that this guy can’t tear up. I sit by him and watch him play and I just laugh; it’s a pure joy to see and hear such skill.
Yet he is SO hard on himself. He gushes over MY playing (I’m a hack compared to him, technically speaking). He doesn’t feel he’s “good enough”.
These feelings of inadequacy can drive people to extremes when they don’t put such things into the proper context in life, in this world.
We are here to serve God; to serve His Son, out Lord and Savior. Everything we do should be to glorify Him in some way. No less than Johann Sebastian Bach put it best about 300 years ago:
The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.
I just feel sad that Ronnie never understood this. He’d still be alive, a husband, an innovator, a musician doing what he loved best.....and he would never have taken the ultimate gift, life, and tossed it aside by his own hand.
Great stuff...I’ve been enjoying that album for years and years...never get tired of it...
Paper Money was Montrose’s second album. Sammy Hagar did the vocals and I always thought their treatment of ‘Connection’ had more behind it than the original. Maybe it was Sammy’s vocals. Anyway, the words kind of rang true to me now after hearing of RM’s battle with cancer.
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