Never too late: Montgomery takes on local music scene with joy, pride

Nov. 29—Owensboro native Paul Montgomery never thought his love for music and singing would lead him to become an active musician himself.

Montgomery, 56, bought an acoustic guitar when he was in junior at Owensboro High School but realized the instrument didn't fit the genre he was into at the time.

"I was into Rush, Van Halen and stuff like that ... and I couldn't make that work on my acoustic guitar," he laughed. "I really didn't have a clue what I was doing."

Montgomery was then introduced to the likes of Bob Dylan and John Prine from his older brother Earl and his uncle John, with both artists becoming mentors in a sense of Montgomery learning how to sing and play.

"They kind of showed me different people (that were) more conducive in learning the guitar," he said. "That Rush and Van Halen stuff went away ...."

But Montgomery wasn't one to showcase his talents on a large scale, and typically performed when surrounded by his friends when they would go camping.

It wasn't until Montgomery was in his early 40s that he began playing guitar in church, which convinced him to try to learn more about the instrument before taking a break.

By the time Montgomery was in his late 40s, he caught the music bug once more when he and his wife Brenda saw musician Scott Lindsey performing at Fetta Specialty Pizza & Spirits.

"For some reason, something clicked with me," he said, "and after listening to him play and the way people responded, it was kind of intimate. I told my wife, 'This is exactly what I want to do. This is what I've been searching for.' "

With the motivation and his wife's support, Montgomery started to build his song catalog to perform at his own shows and set the goal to play his first solo performance by the time he reached 50.

He didn't hit the mark then, but eventually found his groove three years later in the summer of 2019 when he ended up having a full circle moment playing his debut show at Fetta.

The year prior, Montgomery linked up with John McCormack, guitarist for Ariel and The High Wheels, to help Montgomery put together a demo of covers to give out to different places in town to help get Montgomery's foot in the door.

Montgomery was more than pleased with where he scheduled his first show and how it turned out.

"I was like, 'Yes!' I was so excited. The first place that I saw what I wanted to do, I (got) to go back and have my first gig," he said. "I was thrilled. It worked out great.

"It confirmed to me that I could do what I want to do. ...After that first song, I was like: 'I'm in my element. I love this.' I went home that night and I couldn't sleep (because) I was so excited (and) I couldn't wait till the next gig."

Montgomery played two more shows at Fetta in 2019 and began to explore other places to perform at, finding Blue Heron Vineyards and Winery in Cannelton, Indiana in the process.

He started scheduling shows for the year, but the timing didn't work out as the coronavirus pandemic shut down many operations throughout the world, and put live music and entertainment on an indefinite hiatus.

"All the gigs were gone," Montgomery said.

By the time things started opening back up, Montgomery paired up McCormack once more and opened for Ariel and The High Wheels for a show at the RiverPark Center and other select dates before being able to make his debut at Blue Heron — all within 2020.

"It just kind of took off," he said.

Since then, Montgomery has become a local fixture with his classic rock sound at Brasher's Lil' Nashville, Monkey Hollow Winery & Distillery in St. Meinrad, Indiana and events like Friday After 5, L!VE on the Banks and PorchFest OBKY.

While Montgomery doesn't consider himself a songwriter, he is proud of his two pieces — "Cotton Sheets" and "Feather in the Wind" — that he plays out often and receives positive feedback on.

"They just came easy for some reason," he said. "They just happened."

The love for the art has continued to grow in many ways for Montgomery.

"It's like a passion that I have ...," he said. "I like connecting with people; I like playing for people; I think the type of music that I play (is) stuff that different generations ... all know. They are kind of like timeless songs — they're still around and people listen to them.

"Singing and music just brings me a lot of comfort. It relaxes me but it brings me a lot of joy."

And Montgomery plans to keep the passion alive when he enters retirement.

"I do have a dream ... (of) loading my equipment up (and) me and my wife travel across the country, say a month at a time," he said. "That way, I can play for more people and just enjoy playing for new people and different areas. That's where I want my music to go."

For more information on Montgomery, visit facebook.com/prmontymusic.