RJ Montana (Rob) is a new name on the Country circuit but most people will be familiar with his dad, Dave Montana who has been singing in clubs and at festivals since the early 1990s. Rob was born in 1982 and grew up listening to Country music liking artists like Alan Jackson, George Strait, Eagles and Vince Gill but he also liked blues and later became a big fan of indie rock. As a teenager, he was fully aware of Dave’s career and saw him performing on many occasions but he was never invited to join him on stage. He also saw a lot of other Country bands.
It was perhaps inevitable that Rob would eventually also become a singer but when he first considered forming a band when he was 18, it wasn’t Country. He considered himself a bit of a rebel and he was by now a big fan of Indie music (and he still is today).
Indie is a type of rock music that emerged in the early – mid 1980s. The name was originally used to describe rock music released through independent record labels, but by the 1990s it became more widely associated with the music such bands produced. During the 90s, bands like Sonic Youth, The Pixies and Radiohead were all considered to be Indie. Rob was a huge fan of a Glastonbury indie band called Reef. He considers now that he attended far too many gigs and even has a tattoo of them. Rob and some friends formed a 5-piece indie band called the B2s; Rob sung and played bass. He never thought the band was that good and although his dad did hear them he didn’t encourage them and Rob told me “he just let us get on with it.” The band only lasted for a couple of years and they only ever did a few gigs and just played for fun.
In about 2002 Rob joined his dad on a 25 day tour of the north of England. Dave was told he needed to have a duo rather than perform as a soloist so Rob joined his dad playing bass but he didn’t sing. This was his first experience playing Country and the first time he played with his dad. He really enjoyed the experience.
It wasn’t however until 2022 that Rob considered playing again. His wife organised a surprise 40th birthday party with a Country theme. His dad was booked for the party and he invited Rob to join him on stage. Rob had never considered himself a good singer but it was his party so he did a 45 minute set. There was a family friend in the audience who ran a Country music club in Southampton. She suggested to Rob that he should come and sing at her club. Rob was flattered but declined saying “I’m not a singer” to which she responded “you’re very good Rob”, he replied “No I’m not, I’m rubbish” Rob eventually agreed to do the gig, his dad provided an iPad with backing tracks for songs he wanted to do and to Rob’s surprise the gig was very well received and he even got paid! This was the first time he got paid for singing or playing.
With the success of this debut gig it dawned on him for the first time that singing was something he might consider doing after a bit of practice and rehearsal. Another gig came in from someone who saw him and this time he rehearsed before the gig and did three 45 minute sets which went down extremely well. It was then that he decided that he would become a Country singer and to his surprise working stated coming in almost immediately.
His 4th gig was Hayden Junction festival in Gloucestershire in front of 300 people. Bobby Reed was booked for the festival; he was by this time working as a soloist following Bob Dixon’s retirement from playing. Bobby was very ill at this time and he pulled out of the festival. The festival organiser Dawn Kennedy, asked Rob if he could take Bobby’s place on the Saturday night. This for Rob was a turning point being what he considered a “proper gig”. With so much good feedback he now knew that this was what he wanted to do. His dad was fully supportive and gave him the PA system used for his 40th birthday party. R J Montana started his Country journey in March 2022.
Initially he only worked locally in the Southampton area but as work began to come in this quickly boosted his confidence. Rob is a very visual performer and believes his appearance on stage is a very important part of his act. He uses a wireless mic and guitar pick up which allows him to move about the stage. A change of shirt each set is also important and he has recently invested in a Garth Brooks Stetson Tyler hat. He said to me “I am being employed to entertain people for the evening and it is important that I do my best and make everyone feel special”
Rob likes to play a very well balanced mix of old a new songs, some of the newer songs by artists that people might not be familiar with but the important thing is that everything is Country. “It’s not just George Strait, Garth Brook, Alan Jackson, Randy Travis” he told me, “there are lots of other good Country singers out there”.
Rob currently has a very full diary for 2025 and it’s starting to fill up for 2026. He still has a day job with a very accommodating boss when it comes to taking time off for gigs. He is happy to travel anywhere in the country and his tour van has been fitted with a double bed which helps keep costs down to a minimum. He admits to enjoying sleeping in the van which is fully insulated and sound deadened and “very comfortable.” He added “I have even slept in the van on my drive at home on one occasion!” If bookings continue to go as well, he is prepared to give up the day job and go fully pro to further his career.
In December 2023 Rob and his dad launched a new duo called Jackson Country. Unfortunately ill health has put the duo on the back burner for now but they hope to be taking bookings in the near future.
Robs first CD, Out Of The Shadows, released in 2024 and engineered and mixed by his dad, includes A Bobby Reed Song, All The Way With You which includes Bobby Reeds voice. Bob
Research by Nick Catford.