Biography
Born Marvin D. Wetter in Rinard, Iowa, in 1913, he died on 6 June 2001 in Dallas, Texas. Growing up in the countryside, he took up tenor banjo and later developed skill on guitar and vibraphone. He entered the Light Crust Doughboys in 1935, where his playing brought a jazz-inflected energy to their country foundation. The group reached its height between 1937 and America’s entry into World War II, delivering countless radio broadcasts that won them a broad following. Their program was sponsored by the Burrus Mill and Elevator Company; although the firm ended the broadcasts in 1942, the band attempted a postwar reunion that dissolved before the decade closed.
Years afterward, Burrus Mill recruited Montgomery and other alumni for occasional promotional appearances. In 1949 he joined the Big D Jamboree in Dallas and became a founding member of its house band the Country Gentlemen. He recorded with Bill Boyd And His Cowboy Ramblers and released his own sessions featuring Parker, Don Franz on tuba, Delbert McClinton on harmonica, and Cody Sandifer on drums; similar ensembles that added New Orleans clarinettist Raymond Burke appeared under the pianist’s name. Texas Senate Resolution No. 463 officially recognized the Light Crust Doughboys in 1977 for their contributions to Texas history and music. In the new millennium the Dallas Banjo Band issued A Tribute To Smokey Montgomery Of The Light Crust Doughboys: Smokey’s Picks on the DBB label.
Years afterward, Burrus Mill recruited Montgomery and other alumni for occasional promotional appearances. In 1949 he joined the Big D Jamboree in Dallas and became a founding member of its house band the Country Gentlemen. He recorded with Bill Boyd And His Cowboy Ramblers and released his own sessions featuring Parker, Don Franz on tuba, Delbert McClinton on harmonica, and Cody Sandifer on drums; similar ensembles that added New Orleans clarinettist Raymond Burke appeared under the pianist’s name. Texas Senate Resolution No. 463 officially recognized the Light Crust Doughboys in 1977 for their contributions to Texas history and music. In the new millennium the Dallas Banjo Band issued A Tribute To Smokey Montgomery Of The Light Crust Doughboys: Smokey’s Picks on the DBB label.