Monty Russell - Fat Man (2018)

Monty Russell is a singer, songwriter, playwright, sometimes professor, Americana radio personality, music and event producer and concert promoter based in Ruston, Northern Louisiana. His latest recording, “Fat Man” co-produced with James Cook will be released in November 2018.

His 2006 release “The Fool Monty Russell,” was produced by Texas music icon Walt Wilkins and Goose Creek Symphony fiddler Tim Lorsch and received extensive radio play on Texas and Americana radio. Russell is also the co-host of the “The Roadhouse,” a wildly popular Americana “Y’allternative” radio program in its 17th season on KXKZ 107.5, a 100,000 watt station based in Ruston, LA. He has produced hundreds of concerts, festivals, and events over the past twenty years, including a run of highly successful productions at Rabb’s Steakhouse, a 3000 capacity venue in Ruston LA from 1999 to 2006.

After having been taught to accompany himself by sliding a knife blade over an open E tuned guitar at the age of 8, and having been immersed throughout his youth with the honky-tonk, gospel, western swing, and blues music played by his Grandfather Leon Russell (not the famous one), a rural self-taught barrelhouse piano player, guitarist, and fiddler, Monty set out on a musical journey that has lasted over 30 years. Since the mid 1990’s, he has played over 200 dates each year in theatres, listening rooms, festivals, honky-tonks, churches, and any other place people listen to music. In the last few years, Monty has produced debut albums for several Northern La artists such as Bethany Raybourn, Bradley Bridges, Wade Reeves, Chris Canterbury, Bo Smith, Dave P Moore, and Beaux Atkins, all who have received widespread radio play and are now touring throughout the south to support these albums. He also will release a compilation of songs from the artists he has produced as well as unreleased tracks from his recent sessions on his LA 818 label.

Over the past twenty years, he has shared the stage with the likes of Willie Nelson, Dwight Yoakam, Billy Currington, Chris Knight, Pin Monkey, Jerry Jeff Walker, Paul Thorn, Charlie Robison, Gary Allan, Little Feat, Merle Haggard, Reckless Kelly, Blues Traveler, Irma Thomas, Marcia Ball, Charlie Daniels, Confederate Railroad, Bucky Covington, Robert Earl Keen, Delbert McClinton, Kevin Fowler, David Alan Coe, Pat Green, Paul Thorn, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Del McCoury, Ricky Skaggs, Doug Stone, Travis Tritt, Radney Foster, Reckless Kelly, John Anderson, Kevin Gordon, Del McCoury, Marty Stuart, Dash Riprock, The Cadillac Three, Charlie Daniels, Jason Boland, Sunny Sweeny, Dylan Scott, Robert Finley, Jack Ingram, The Ace in the Hole Band, The Bottle Rockets, and many more.