Montgomery Gentry to perform at Riverside Casino Jan. 24

Mortality was the subject not long after Montgomery Gentry's breakthrough release “Tattoos and Scars” hit the charts in 1999. The dynamic country tandem of Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry made a pact while downing some shots in a Nashville bar.

“We promised each other that we would keep the name (Montgomery Gentry) if anything ever happened to one of us,” Montgomery said. “We would continue to perform under that name if one of us were to pass away. That was the promise we made after we had a couple of Jim Beams.”

After recording more than 20 songs that graced the country charts, including such No. 1 hits as “If You Ever Stop Loving Me,” “Something to Be Proud Of,” “Lucky Man,” “Back When I Knew It All” and “Roll With Me,” tragedy struck.

While in Medford, New Jersey, a suburb of Philadelphia, in 2017, the singer-songwriter duo was asked if they wanted to take a short helicopter ride to check out some Batman memorabilia. Gentry agreed to go while Montgomery passed on the opportunity.

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“We were told that this guy had the original Batman car and Bat cycle,” Montgomery said. “I decided to take a shower instead of going down to see those things. But Troy wanted to go. I watched him get into that helicopter and well, it was a really bad day.”

Montgomery's musical partner of more than 20 years died in a helicopter crash.

“But his music lives on with me,” Montgomery said. “I told him that I would carry on and it’s been going as well as it could. I miss him. He was always stirring the pot, playing practical jokes and he wasn’t afraid of anything.”

Montgomery Gentry will play the hits Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, at Riverside Casino & Golf Resort.

“We play for an hour and 40 minutes and try to play as many of the songs people love,” Montgomery said. “There’s still nothing as great as performing.”

It’s not just a nostalgia act for Montgomery, who is working on new songs.

“I’m getting ready to write a new album,” Montgomery said. “I’m inspired to write new songs.”

Montgomery has always written and performed songs that he can relate to and has never been pushed around by label honchos in Nashville.

“I have to be moved and be all about the song,” Montgomery said. “I remember saying to a recording artist after hearing him sing a particular song, ‘Hey, I really like your song.’ This guy says to me, ‘I don’t know what it’s about. They told me to sing it.’ I was like ‘What?’ I don’t get that. I have to be all in. I remember early in our career we were told to work with this big name producer and I remember telling the label (Sony), ‘This isn’t going to work. This guy doesn’t get us.’ What has always been done in Montgomery Gentry has been on our terms. But that’s the way it is for a guy who grew up listening to Willie (Nelson), Waylon (Jennings) and Bob (Seger).”

Montgomery, the older brother of singer-songwriter John Michael Montgomery, is a music lifer, who started performing as a child.

“I didn’t have a choice,” Montgomery said. “It’s in my blood. My mother was a drummer. My father was a guitarist and the bartenders in the clubs they played were our babysitters. I started playing drums when I was 4-years old. I started setting up the guitars and PAs when I was 8. John Boy (John Michael Montgomery) did the same as me and we became musicians and we’re still musicians. Music is my life and that’s not changing. I love what I do and I’m glad to still be around. I’ve been a hell-raiser all of my life but when the man upstairs decides that it’s my time, I’ll be ready to go but in the meantime I’m happy performing before the people who come out to the shows.”