{{short description|American country music singer-songwriter (born 1959)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2020}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Billy Montana | image = Billy Montana 151206-D-VO565-029 (23217558049).jpg | image_size = | birth_name = William Schlappi | alias = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1959|09|28}} | origin = Voorheesville, New York, United States | instrument = Vocals<br />guitar<br />bass | genre = Country | occupation = Singer-songwriter | years_active = 1987–present | label = Warner Bros.<br />Magnatone | website = }}

'''Billy Montana''' (born '''William Schlappi''' on September 28, 1959, in Voorheesville, New York) is an American country music singer-songwriter. Between 1987 and 1995, Montana released one studio album and charted six singles on ''Billboard''{{'}}s Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. As a songwriter, Montana's songs have been recorded by Lee Brice, Garth Brooks, Sara Evans, Jo Dee Messina, Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Jon Pardi, Sister Hazel and Kenny Rogers, among others.<ref name="moraine">{{Cite web |url=http://www.morainemusic.com/writerpages/billymontana.html |title=Moraine Music Group |access-date=July 25, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080719040312/http://www.morainemusic.com/writerpages/billymontana.html |archive-date=July 19, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Career==

===Singer=== In the late 1980s, Montana and his brother, Kyle, formed a country music group with Bobby Kendall, Dave Flint and Doug Bernhard.<ref name="bmi">[http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/233039 Curb Music at BMI]</ref> '''Billy Montana & the Long Shots''' signed with Warner Bros. Records and charted three singles on ''Billboard''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart before disbanding without releasing an album. Their highest charting single, "Baby I Was Leaving Anyhow," peaked at No.&nbsp;40 in 1987. After the group disbanded, Montana moved to Nashville in 1989 to pursue his dream of songwriting.<ref name="moraine"/>

In 1994, Magnatone Records signed Montana to a solo record deal.<ref name="amgbio">[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p169659/biography|pure_url=yes}} allmusic ((( Billy Montana > Biography )))]</ref> His debut album, ''No Yesterday'', was released in April 1995.<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r229264|pure_url=yes}} allmusic ((( No Yesterday > Biography )))]</ref> Three singles were released from the project and charted on ''Billboard''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Hot Country Singles & Tracks, the highest of which peaked at No.&nbsp;55. One of the album's tracks, "A Clean Mind and Dirty Hands," was named Song of the Year by Farm Journal in 1996 as the song best depicting genuine farm life.<ref name="moraine"/><ref name="amgbio"/>

===Songwriter=== Montana was signed to a songwriting deal with Moraine Music in 1994. He was picked up by Curb Publishing in a joint venture in 2000.<ref name="moraine"/> The following year, Jo Dee Messina released Montana's "Bring On the Rain" as a single.<ref name="bmi"/> The song topped ''Billboard''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Hot Country Singles & Tracks in March 2002 and was nominated for a Grammy Award.<ref name="moraine"/> Montana has since written No.&nbsp;1 songs for Sara Evans ("Suds in the Bucket"), Lee Brice ("Hard to Love"), and Garth Brooks ("More Than a Memory").<ref name="moraine"/> "More Than a Memory" debuted at No.&nbsp;1 on ''Billboard''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Hot Country Songs chart in September 2007, becoming the first song in the chart's entire history to accomplish that feat.<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1049494/soulja-boy-cranks-hot-100-no-1-with-debut-single Soulja Boy 'Cranks' Hot 100 No. 1 With Debut Single]</ref>

===Family=== Billy Montana's son, Randy Montana, signed to Mercury Nashville in 2010. The younger Montana has reached Top 40 on the country music charts with "Ain't Much Left of Lovin' You" and "1,000 Faces".

==Discography==

===Albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! style="width:10em;"| Title ! style="width:18em;"| Album details |- ! scope="row"| ''No Yesterday'' | * Release date: April 28, 1995 * Label: Magnatone Records |}

===Singles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"| Single ! colspan="1"| Peak positions ! rowspan="2"| Album |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="65"| US Country |- | rowspan="2"| 1987 ! scope="row"| "Crazy Blue"<sup>A</sup> | 46 | align="left" rowspan="3"| Singles only |- ! scope="row"| "Baby I Was Leaving Anyhow"<sup>A</sup> | 40 |- | 1988 ! scope="row"| "Oh Jenny"<sup>A</sup> | 48 |- | rowspan="3"| 1995 ! scope="row"| "Didn't Have You" | 55 | align="left" rowspan="3"| ''No Yesterday'' |- ! scope="row"| "Rain Through the Roof" | 58 |- ! scope="row"| "No Yesterday" | 70 |} *<sup>A</sup>Credited to Billy Montana & the Long Shots.

===Music videos=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" ! Year ! style="width:16em;"| Video |- | rowspan="2"| 1995 ! scope="row"| "Didn't Have You" |- ! scope="row"| "Rain Through the Roof" |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{Commons category-inline|Billy Montana}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Montana, Billy}} Category:1959 births Category:Living people Category:American country bass guitarists Category:American male bass guitarists Category:American country singer-songwriters Category:American male singer-songwriters Category:People from Voorheesville, New York Category:20th-century American bass guitarists Category:Country musicians from New York (state) Category:20th-century American male musicians Category:Singer-songwriters from New York (state)