Coco Montoya (born Henry Montoya, October 2, 1951, Santa Monica, California) is an American blues guitarist and singer and former member of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers.
Montoya's career began in the mid 1970s when Albert Collins asked him to join his band as drummer. Collins took Montoya under his wing and taught him his "icy hot" guitar style. The two remained friends even after Montoya left Collins' band.
In the early 1980s John Mayall heard Montoya playing guitar in a Los Angeles bar. Soon after Mayall asked Montoya to join the newly reformed Bluesbreakers. He remained a member of the band for 10 years.
In 1995 he appeared with the Cate Brothers for the resumption of their recording career on their release, Radioland. Since that same year, Montoya has recorded several solo albums.
In 2002, he featured on the Bo Diddley tribute album Hey Bo Diddley – A Tribute!, performing the song "Pills".
Montoya is left-handed but plays "upside-down right-handed" Fender Stratocaster guitar, like Albert King, Doyle Bramhall II and Otis Rush, among many others.
Montoya and his longtime girlfriend Lenora married in 2008. He has two daughters; Jasmin (born 1980) and Donna (born 1988).
Discography:
- 1995 - Gotta Mind To Travel
- 1996 - Ya Think I'd Know Better
- 1997 - Just Let Go
- 2000 - Suspicion
- 2002 - Can't Look Back
- 2007 - Dirty Deal
- 2009 - The Essential Coco Montoya (compilation)
- 2010 - I Want It All Back
Coco Montoya is another blues guitarist that has been playin’ for years and has played with some of the best musicians in the world and most of us have never heard of him, nor heard any of his music. I challenge each of you to go on Amazon.com or iTunes and purchase one of his albums (CD’s) and check him out for yourself. Let’s start supporting these artists that may not have the marketing behind them that others do. Remember, “Keep Playin’ The Blues” . . .
Next on my “Hot List” is a singer-songwriter folk-blues guitarist by the name of Peter Bradley Adams from Birmingham, Alabama. I hope you follow along and learn about his musical career and where it has taken him thus far and where he is heading.
MUSICIAN by Night
GOD Save “The Blues”
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