On September 8th, 2017 country music lost of it is legends: Troy Gentry. Gentry, part of the iconic duo Montgomery Gentry was killed while the helicopter in which he was riding crashed in Medford, New Jersey. Gentry was en route to perform with his band later that day killing he and the pilot of the helicopter.
Troy Gentry, born April 5th, 1967 in Lexington, Kentucky was affectionately known to his fans as "T-Roy" started his career in 1990 as part of a band called "Early Tymz" which had been founded by Eddie Montgomery and John Michael Montgomery (Eddie's younger brother). Following the breakup of the band, Gentry became a solo performer and winner of the Jim Beam National Talent in 1994 and became an opening act for other headlining acts such as Patty Loveless and Tracy Byrd. Following a little time apart, Eddie Montgomery and Gentry decided to reunite and formed the band "Montgomery Gentry."
On April 6th, 1999 just one day after Gentry's 32nd birthday the band released their album "Tattoos and Scars" which not only reached #10 on the Billboard US Country charts but made in to #110 on the Billboard Top 200, as well as #2 on the US Top Heatseekers charts and #4 on the Canadian Country charts. Taking #2 on the US Top Heatseekers chart is pretty extraordinary, it's only 25 positions long and it is reserved for "new or developing acts." Acts that make it to the Heatseekers chart only remain on that chart until they hit the Top 100 in the Billboard Top 200 OR the Top 10 in various genre related categories (such as Top HipHop, Country, Latin, Christian or Gospel albums). It isn't uncommon for bands to stay in this chart for some time, in fact the band "The Tragically Hip" have been on that chart ten times between the years of 1992 and 2016 because they haven't met the previously outlined criteria. If you think about that by itself, a country act with its FIRST album cracked that chart and couldn't qualify again because of their immediate success.
Montgomery Gentry's success a mere flash-in-the-pan if you will, releasing eight studio albums, four compilation albums, twenty-three videos, thirty singles and garnered five #1 singles. That's very impressive for a body of work that spans only 18 years. Couple that with the fact that next six Montgomery Gentry albums reached no less than #9 on the US Country charts with two of those releases reaching #3 ("My Town" in 2002 and "Back When I Knew It All" in 2008) and one reaching #2 ("You Do Your Thing" in 2004 which included their first #1 single "If You Ever Stop Loving Me").
Montgomery Gentry was currently on tour at the time of the accident and Gentry was flying to the next location of their upcoming performance in Medford, New Jersey at the time of the crash.
The loss of Gentry is devastating to his family, friends, fans and to country music itself and he will be greatly missed. Gentry is survived by his wife Angie McClure and his two daughters Kaylee and Taylor.
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