# Coco Montoya
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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coco_Montoya
> Source revision: 1338616615
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{{Short description|American blues guitarist and singer}}
{{BLP sources|date=December 2009}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Coco Montoya
| image = Coco Montoya 7Dec2007.jpg
| caption = Coco Montoya – Live in Concert
| image_size =
| birth_name = Henry Montoya
| years_active = 1977–present
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1951|10|2|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [Santa Monica](/source/Santa_Monica%2C_California), [California](/source/California), United States
| instrument = {{hlist|[Vocals](/source/Singing)|[guitar](/source/guitar)|[drums](/source/drums)}}
| genre = [Blues](/source/Blues), [blue-eyed soul](/source/blue-eyed_soul), [country rock](/source/country_rock)
| occupation = [Musician](/source/Musician), [songwriter](/source/songwriter)
| label =
| website = [http://www.cocomontoyaband.com/ CocoMontoyaBand.com]
}}
'''Henry "Coco" Montoya''' (born October 2, 1951, [Santa Monica](/source/Santa_Monica%2C_California), [California](/source/California)) is an American [blues](/source/blues) [guitarist](/source/guitarist) and singer and former member of [John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers](/source/John_Mayall_%26_the_Bluesbreakers). He is of [Mexican](/source/Mexican_Americans) heritage.[{{Cite news|url=https://www.straight.com/music/1369096/coco-montoya-serves-it-hot-and-bluesy|title=Coco Montoya serves it hot and bluesy|date=March 5, 2020|newspaper=[The Georgia Straight](/source/The_Georgia_Straight)|access-date=September 2, 2023}}]
==Musical career==
Montoya's career began in the mid-1970s when [Albert Collins](/source/Albert_Collins) asked him to join his band as a [drummer](/source/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 to start a career of his own.
In the early 1980s [John Mayall](/source/John_Mayall) heard Montoya playing guitar in a [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles) bar. Soon after, Mayall asked Montoya to join the newly reformed [Bluesbreakers](/source/John_Mayall_and_the_Bluesbreakers). He remained a member of the band for 10 years.
In 1995 he appeared with the [Cate Brothers](/source/Cate_Brothers) for the resumption of their recording career on their release, ''Radioland''.[[https://web.archive.org/web/20071001002350/http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/cate_brothers/bio.jhtml Cate Brothers biography], VH1.com] Also in 1995, Montoya started his solo career with the release of his debut solo album, ''Gotta Mind To Travel.'' To date, he has released twelve solo albums.
In 2002, Montoya featured on the [Bo Diddley](/source/Bo_Diddley) tribute album ''Hey Bo Diddley – A Tribute!'', performing the song "Pills."
Montoya's 2019 recording, ''Coming In Hot'', was chosen as a 'Favorite Blues Album' by [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic).[{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/year-in-review/2019/favorite-blues|title=Favorite Blues Albums | AllMusic 2019 in Review|website=[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)|access-date=December 24, 2019}}]
==Left-hand style==
Montoya is [left-handed](/source/left-handed) but plays a left-handed guitar with a right-handed neck (i.e. strings upside down).[{{Cite web |url=http://www.guitarplayer.com/miscellaneous/1139/coco-montoya/12955, |title=Guitarplayer interview |access-date=2014-04-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304045036/http://www.guitarplayer.com/miscellaneous/1139/coco-montoya/12955, |archive-date=2016-03-04 |url-status=dead }}]
==Personal life==
Montoya and his longtime girlfriend Lenora married in 2009. He has two daughters: Jasmin (born 1980) and Donna (born 1988).
==Discography==
* 1995 ''Gotta Mind To Travel'' ([Silvertone](/source/Silvertone_Records_(1980)); [Blind Pig](/source/Blind_Pig_Records))
* 1996 ''[Ya Think I'd Know Better](/source/Ya_Think_I'd_Know_Better)'' (Dixie Frog; Blind Pig)
* 1997 ''Just Let Go'' (Blind Pig)
* 2000 ''Suspicion'' ([Alligator](/source/Alligator_Records))
* 2002 ''Can't Look Back'' (Alligator)
* 2007 ''Dirty Deal'' (Alligator)
* 2009 ''The Essential Coco Montoya'' (Bling Pig) - compilation
* 2010 ''I Want It All Back'' ([Ruf](/source/Ruf_Records))
* 2014 ''Songs From The Road'' [live] (Ruf)
* 2017 ''Hard Truth'' (Alligator)
* 2019 ''Coming In Hot'' (Alligator)
* 2023 ''Writing On The Wall'' (Alligator)
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://www.cocomontoyaband.com/ Official website]
* [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p106950/biography|pure_url=yes}} Biography] at [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Montoya, Coco}}
Category:1951 births
Category:Living people
Category:American blues guitarists
Category:American male guitarists
Category:Contemporary blues musicians
Category:American musicians of Mexican descent
Category:American blues rock musicians
Category:John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers members
Category:Electric blues musicians
Category:Musicians from Santa Monica, California
Category:American blues singers
Category:Guitarists from California
Category:20th-century American guitarists
Category:21st-century American guitarists
Category:Hispanic and Latino American musicians
{{US-blues-musician-stub}}
{{US-guitarist-stub}}
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Coco Montoya](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coco_Montoya) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coco_Montoya?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.