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Ray LaMontagne

Ray LaMontagne was born in while his family was passing through New Hampshire, one of six kids from various fathers, all raised by their resourceful mom. His mother and father split up soon after his birth, and Mom went wherever she could put a roof over her children's heads—from Utah to Maine and points between, where they resided in an assortment of unusual domiciles: the backyards of his mother's friends, in cars and tents, a cinderblock shell on a Tennessee horse ranch, a New Hampshire chicken coop. LaMontagne admits that he had a horrible time in school. But, by the time he became a senior, he knew he wanted to graduate. So he went to school during the day and at night for a year. LaMontagne left his family right after his high school graduation, with no idea what he wanted to do. Four years later, while working long hours in a Lewiston, Maine, shoe factory, he experienced an epiphany—one that shook him out of his deep ennui. After working there for about a year, LaMontagne had his clock set for 4 a.m., like always, and woke up to this amazing sound coming from the clock radio. It was Stephen Stills, doing a song called "Tree Top Flyer." Instead of going to work that day, he went to record stores and sought that album out. It was called Stills Alone, and after listening to it, LaMontagne knew what he wanted to do. Knowing he wanted to sing, he quit his job—before ever to talking to anyone about his dream. LaMontagne started listening to Crosby, Stills & Nash, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Ray Charles, and Otis Redding. In the summer of 1999, LaMontagne recorded his first demo—a collection of 10 songs. There was a little theater in town that would bring in folk acts. After bringing his tape down to the owner, LaMontagne started getting chances to open for people like Jonathan Edwards, John Gorka and other traveling folkies. Soon after a friend hooked LaMontagne up with a chance to meet Jamie Ceretta (at Chrysalis Music Publishing). LaMontagne was signed to a publishing deal at Chrysalis soon thereafter. In a period of just two weeks, Ray and the gifted, single-minded producer/player Ethan Johns (Ryan Adams, Kings of Leon, the Jayhawks) created Trouble. Soon after wrapping up production on Trouble, LaMontagne signed to RCA Records, where his debut album was released in 2004. It would seem that serendipity is now Ray LaMontagne's middle name. He went from the middle of nowhere to making his first record in collaboration with a brilliant producer (Ethan Johns), and he did it without making a compromise or even breaking a sweat.