Biography
Born on 19 October 1970 in the United States to a German mother and a Spanish father, Montes was raised in a household that blended musical influences with a drive for achievement. Classical repertoire, particularly ballet scores, reached her through her mother, while flamenco and, less directly, Latin traditions came via her father. Family gatherings, school events, and neighborhood occasions provided her first platforms, where she delivered both pop numbers and theatrical selections alongside original compositions. At sixteen, while employed as a window display designer at J.C. Penney, she received an invitation to record a radio jingle; shortly afterward she joined the ensemble of one of the session players involved in that project. During her college years in St. George, Utah, she performed show tunes and vintage ballads at a private club. Thereafter she toured with revue bands, appearing in hotels, casinos, and similar commercial venues throughout the country. Engagements as an opening performer brought her alongside the Jordanaires, the Guy Lombardo Orchestra, Jerry Lewis, Wayne Newton, and Debbie Reynolds. Las Vegas became her primary base and the site of her greatest success, a city she has called home for many years. Jingles for radio and television continued until the independent release Sarah in 2002 drew substantial airplay. Recognition arrived in the early 2000s when the Las Vegas Academy of Music presented her with its Outstanding Achievement Award for Performing-Songwriting in 2001, followed in 2002 by the Las Vegas Songwriters Association naming her Songwriter of the Year. The 2007 album Long As The Day Is featured pianist Joey Singer, saxophonist Jim Hoke, bassist Bob Sachs, and percussionists Don Meoli and Jess Gopin.