Will allegations hurt Montgomery Gentry?

Sunday, August 27, 2006 By JOHN BENSON VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT In case you haven't heard, Troy Gentry, one-half of country rock act Montgomery Gentry, has found himself in a bear of trouble. A few weeks ago he was charged with killing a tame black bear with a bow and arrow inside an enclosed pen in October 2004. Gentry — who is on tour, including a Sept. 3 show at the Canfield Fair — doesn't deny killing the bear. He said it was hunted legally in the wild with a videotape to prove it. The problem is he alleges the tape was edited to make it seem as though the animal was killed in a pen or cage. "Before anyone assumes that Troy is guilty, I feel he has the right to explain himself and feel confident that the truth will then prevail," said Eddie Montgomery in a statement. "Until then, Montgomery Gentry will continue doing what we love most: making music for our friends and fans." Will it matter? What remains to be seen is whether this legal trouble will have any bearing on the duo's rising success. After releasing its first best-of album last year, "Something to be Proud of: The Best of 1999-2005," which includes hit singles "Hillbilly Shoes," "Daddy Won't Sell the Farm," "Lonely and Gone" and "She Couldn't Change Me," Montgomery Gentry's popularity is at an all-time high. Its upcoming studio effort, "Some People Change," is one of this fall's most anticipated releases. Odds are their fans, which arguably contain a few hunting enthusiasts, will view these allegations as nothing more than another example of the common man being unnecessarily harassed. Even though Montgomery Gentry is known for its Southern rock flair, take a closer look and you'll find a blue-collar ethos, honky-tonk style and country rebel swagger that puts the band alongside such legends as Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Marshall Tucker Band, Charlie Daniels and Brooks & Dunn. Starting out The earliest beginnings of Montgomery Gentry came together in the '90s in the form of the band Young Country, which featured Eddie's brother John Michael Montgomery. Eventually, when John Michael went solo, Montgomery and Gentry picked up the pieces and never looked back. The group's 1999 debut release "Tattoos & Scars" embodied a hard-drinking, hard-living lifestyle that the duo explored in its songs. In the years since, Montgomery Gentry's music continues to evolve. When the group started, it was sort of barreling down the countryside and kicking up a storm with beer and brawling tunes detailing the harder side of life, whereas recent work finds them on the same country road, only slowing down a little to take a look at the scenery of life. That said, they can still kick out a Southern rock tune with the best of them. Overall, the arc of this band's story is familiar, which is exactly why fans will most likely stand behind the band during Gentry's current legal issues. If looking for insight into not only Montgomery Gentry but its fans, a quote from the group's Web site says it all. "Stay true to yourself and hold your ground," Gentry said. "And dare to be different. Through it all, if you can lay your head on your pillow at night and be comfortable with what you're doing, you're doing alright."