Monte Pittman

Monte Pittman’s background as a supporting musician reflects an unusually eclectic path. Born in Longview, Texas, the guitarist, singer, and songwriter began performing with local groups throughout the state before relocating to Los Angeles in 1999 and taking up work as a guitar instructor. That position led him to teach a pair of students—director Guy Ritchie and global pop icon Madonna—who later extended an invitation for Pittman to join Madonna’s touring ensemble during the promotion of Ray of Light; he remained a steady presence in her band thereafter. Concurrently he became a member of groove metal outfit Prong, contributing guitar and later production assistance on several releases. His debut solo outing arrived in 2009 with the acoustic collection The Deepest Dark. The next year he served as guitarist and music director for Adam Lambert, an artist he had already accompanied prior to Lambert’s appearance on American Idol. A second solo album, the post-grunge set Pain, Love & Destiny, followed in 2011, succeeded in 2014 by the heavier The Power of Three. In 2016 Pittman issued Inverted Grasp of Balance, enlisting Charred Walls of the Damned, Iced Earth and Death drummer Richard Christy alongside bass virtuoso Billy Sheehan to deliver a batch of intense, riff-driven originals.