ray lamontagne

Nashua, New Hampshire Genre(s) Folk, folk rock Instrument(s) Vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica Label(s) RCA Notable instrument(s) Martin D-35.[1]

Raymond Charles "Ray" LaMontagne (pronounced /l??m?n'te??n/) (born June 18, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter who lives on a farm in Maine with his wife and two sons. Reportedly, after hearing a Stephen Stills song, LaMontagne decided to quit his job at a shoe factory and pursue a career in music. He has since released three albums, Trouble, Till the Sun Turns Black and Gossip in the Grain. In the UK, Trouble was a top 5 hit, and the title track of the album was a top 25 hit. Till the Sun Turns Black was a top 40 hit in the US. A soft-spoken person who is known for his raspy voice, LaMontagne has won a number of awards for his music and has performed at several charity events. Contents [hide] 1 Biography 1.1 Early life 1.2 Musical career 1.2.1 Trouble 1.2.2 Till the Sun Turns Black 1.2.3 Gossip in the Grain 2 Composition and performance 3 Awards 4 Charitable events 5 Discography 5.1 Studio albums 6 References 7 External links //

Biography

Early life

Ray LaMontagne was born in Nashua, New Hampshire, in 1973 to a constantly traveling mother and a violent musician father who abandoned the family during Ray's childhood. Because of his father's background in music, LaMontagne refrained from most musical activity, instead spending much of his time reading fantasy novels in the forest.[2] LaMontagne attended high school at Morgan High School in Morgan, Utah, but frequently ditched class, wrote stories, or got into fights with other students. As a result of these interactions, his grades were poor — LaMontagne barely graduated.[3] After graduation, LaMontagne moved away from his family to Lewiston, Maine in order to find a full-time job.[4]

LaMontagne found a job at a shoe factory in Lewiston where he worked 65 hours a week. One morning at 4 a.m., LaMontagne heard Stephen Stills' song "Treetop Flyer" on the radio as it awoke him for an early work shift.[5] After purchasing the Stills Alone album, LaMontagne decided that he wanted to quit his job at the shoe factory and start a career as a singer-songwriter.[6] LaMontagne began touring in 1999, although he maintained a side job as a carpenter.[5] In the summer of 1999, LaMontagne amassed 10 songs for a demo that he sent to various local music venues. Mike Miclon the owner of Buckfield Maine's Oddfellow Theater heard the demo and invited LaMontagne to open for folk acts such as John Gorka and Jonathan Edwards. A friend and business executive heard LaMontagne's recordings and introduced him to Jamie Ceretta of Chrysalis Music Publishing. CMP recorded his first album, and sold it to RCA Records in the US and Echo Records in the UK.[4] In 2008, LaMontagne moved into a farmhouse in Phillips, Maine that once belonged to author Norman Mailer[7].

Musical career