Troy Gentry, of the award-winning country music duo Montgomery Gentry, has died at age 50.
Rolling Stone reports:
Troy Gentry, one half of the popular country duo Montgomery Gentry, died in a helicopter crash in Medford, New Jersey on Friday, September 8th, where he was scheduled to perform that evening. With his performing partner Eddie Montgomery, Gentry enjoyed a series of country hits throughout the 2000s, including five Number Ones. He was 50 years old.
The duo’s team shared the news earlier on Twitter, saying that no further details about the crash were known at this time. “[The] family wishes to acknowledge all of the kind thoughts and prayers, and asks for privacy at this time,” they wrote.
Gentry is survived by his wife Angie and two daughters.
Montgomery Gentry was the only duo that interrupted Brooks & Dunn’s record-setting Vocal Duo streak at the CMA Awards. They also won ACM trophies and an American Music Award for Favorite New Country Artist:
Gentry sang lead on many of their biggest hits, including their first #1 single, “If You Ever Stop Loving Me”:
Here are some more of their signature songs featuring Gentry on lead.
“Hillbilly Shoes”
“Hell Yeah”
“Back When I Knew it All”
What a sad shock. :( RIP Troy…
Man, that’s just terrible. :/ Peace to his family.
I can’t lie and say I was a big fan, but they did have quite a few good songs. Looking back, most of the ones I liked from them had Troy singing lead. “Hell Yeah” was at the top of the list for me.
Very sad. I also was never a big fan of MG – only bought 6 songs over the years: “She Couldn’t Change Me”, “Some People Change”, “Back When I Knew it All”, “Speed”, “Gone” and “Tattoos & Scars”. I always liked the video for “Speed” with the sinister looking used car salesman.
I still can’t believe one half of Montgomery Gentry is now gone. It’s just so sad and tragic to lose him at such a young age. :( Like other posters here, I was never a big MG fan (they leaned too much towards rock for my tastes), but I do like some of their earlier hits like “Lonely And Gone,” “Self Made Man,” “She Couldn’t Change me,” and “Speed.”
The first album I owned was You Do Your Thing (2004) as a 16-year old kid. Then I bought Something to Be Proud Of (Best of 1999-2005). So many great hits from Montgomery Gentry, and memories singing along in the car with my high school sweetheart. “Daddy Won’t Sell the Farm” was always my favorite song of MG. Just speaks for that independent country boy in our hearts. Troy was one of the best, a truly great artist and part of one of the best duos of all time. RIP.