Performing never gets old for Montgomery Gentry

By JOHN BENSON

entertainment@vindy.com

Over the past decade, country-music act Montgomery Gentry has enjoyed small steps of success in the form of one hit song after another.

However, last year the oftentimes rocking band — led by namesakes Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry — enjoyed one of its biggest accolades to date when the outfit was inducted as official members of the Grand Ole Opry. For country-music players, there is no bigger honor. To celebrate its recent achievement, not to mention its success over the past 10 years, the outfit is on the road yet again. Known for hit singles “Hillbilly Shoes,” “Lonely And Gone,” “She Couldn’t Change Me,” “My Town,” “Lucky Man,” “Back When I Knew it All,” “Roll With Me” and more, Montgomery Gentry pulls into Youngstown on Saturday for a show at Covelli Centre.

The Vindicator talked to both Montgomery and Gentry via e-mail about their Grand Ole Opry nod, the group’s latest greatest-hits EP release “Hits and More: Life Beside a Gravel Road” (due out Sept. 28) and what the future holds for Montgomery Gentry.

Q. Congrats on being inducted into the Opry last year. What was that experience like?

Gentry: When Charlie Daniels surprised us that night, we just didn’t know what was going on. We thought we’d gone over and they were telling us to stop playing. When he came on stage and asked us if we wanted to be members, it was awesome. They really pulled one over on us that night. Eddie and I both were just in shock.

Q. So was the experience exactly like you thought it would be?

Gentry: Oh no, I think it was better. It was really an amazing feeling to be up there where so many legends and our heroes have stood and getting asked to be in a pretty exclusive membership with them.

Q. What did the Opry mean to you growing up?

Montgomery: Man, I remember listening to the Opry in the car with my dad. He told me that even if I thought I made it one day, I hadn’t until I got to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry. So yeah, that meant a whole lot to me.

Q. As for your current tour, which comes on the heels of your recent best-of set, is this a greatest-hits show?

Gentry: I think every show is part greatest-hits show. These days, people always put a couple of new songs on a greatest-hits package, and that’s what we do with our shows, a lot of our hits along with a few new songs we’re putting out. It’s a big ole party.

Q. What keeps you going strong after all of these years in the business?

Montgomery: What we do never gets old to me. We love playing for people year after year and love putting out new music. I guess Nashville is looking at their bottom lines a little closer these days since everyone seems to be losing money. It hasn’t really changed what we do though. We just try to keep things fresh and give our fans what they want. And if we have any say in it, make it affordable to come out and see our show.

Q. Finally, considering Brooks & Dunn just called it quits, how long will Montgomery Gentry last?

Gentry: Oh, I think you’ll be hearing from Montgomery Gentry for a while. We don’t have any plans of slowing down yet. We’re going to keep touring and putting out music. It’s what we love. I guess we just want everyone for years to come to remember our music and be playing it on jukeboxes in 50 years.