The country music industry has yet to fully heal from the loss of Troy Gentry, who was one half of the popular Montgomery Gentry band. Two and a half years ago, shocking news came out when it was revealed that Gentry had lost his life in a plane crash. The wreck occurred near the runway of the Flying W Airport & Resort in Medford, New Jersey. He was en route for a performance later that evening.
Shortly after the devastating accident, his longtime performing partner shared an emotional message about the bond the two had. “Me and [Troy] put this together; it wasn’t Nashville put together,” Montgomery told PopCulture.com. “This was two buddies and two friends, two brothers who ran up and down the road and had each other’s backs and got in a lot of trouble sometimes and done a lot of stuff we shouldn’t have done and loved it. And a lot of it I’d like to do over again.”
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Fans of his took a moment to reflect on Gentry, who would have turned 53 on Monday, on the PopCulture Facebook page. Gentry left behind his wife, Angela, who he had married back in 1999, and two children, one of which was from a previous marriage.
“Your Music Lives On”
It’s no secret that Troy Gentry and Eddie Montgomery made an impact on the music scene. The duo released nine studio albums and picked up a few honors along the way. In 2000, the group won at the Academy of Country Music for Top New Vocal Duo. They also took home the same award at the CMA’s that year.ย
“Happy Heavenly Birthday Troy Gentry, you are missed dearly, but your music lives on…. R.I.P. Troy, you’re jammin’ out with the likes of other country greats we recently lost, Earl Thomas Conley, Kenny Rogers, Joe Diffie, and Jan Howard.”
Joined by Two More Greats in Heaven
The country music world has lost some major icons as of late. The passing of Kenny Rogers and Joe Diffie stunned the entertainment world. Many commenters noted the three can now play together in Heaven.ย
“Love you Troy Happy Birthday! You have Joe Diffie and Kenny Rogers with you to make great music!!”
Recalling Memories
Having released six albums and spanning nearly two decades, there weren’t many venues the band didn’t get around to visiting. As such, many fans of theirs had the chance to see them live, and many reflected on that what would have been Gentry’s birthday.ย
“I was lucky enough to see the awesome Montgomery Gentry Band and this was so incredibly sad,” one user wrote. “They were the best.”
Gone Too Soon
The sudden news of Gentry’s passing truly caught people off guard when the crash happened, and time hasn’t taken away that shock. Making things worse were the young children and wife he left behind.ย
“Still can’t believe it! What a wonderful husband, father, friend and entertainer,” one comment read.
Missing One Half of Montgomery Gentry
There aren’t too many country duos that can have an impact like Montgomery and Gentry made. The two’s last album together actually came out after Gentry’s death and was released in 2018.
“Miss hearing the Duo together but I know he is making beautiful music in heaven,” another fan commented.ย
Photo Credit: Mindy Small/FilmMagic
