RIP Ray Montee

Chance Wilson · Post by **Chance Wilson** » 30 Mar 2018 5:19 pm

My condolensces to his friends and family. We never met in person, but we used to send cassettes back and forth and I am thankful for the long distance hospitality & camaraderie.

Godfrey Arthur · Post by **Godfrey Arthur** » 30 Mar 2018 6:45 pm

Godspeed Ray.

Condolences to his family and the many Ray influenced.

Fred Glave · Post by **Fred Glave** » 30 Mar 2018 8:24 pm

Ray was a significant member of the steel guitar community. He played wonderfully and tastefully in a period when steel guitar was still relatively new! RIP Ray Montee

Barry Westerfield · Post by **Barry Westerfield** » 31 Mar 2018 2:39 am

Sorry to hear of Mr Montee's passing, another steel legend has gone home, and Pete thank you for being with Ray in is difficult time I believe it helped him stay with us longer than expected

Billy Easton · Post by **Billy Easton** » 31 Mar 2018 6:56 am

Rest In Peace, Skipper....

Joel Johnston · Post by **Joel Johnston** » 31 Mar 2018 8:57 am

Sad, but expected news for sure.

Pete Burak, I can't tell you what a comfort it was to read your posts in Ray's last days and know that a friend was there talking steel guitar with him and listening to JB music. You were a true friend to Ray and as one forumite said, you represented us all by proxy.

I would like to get your contact information and if I make it to the Portland area in the future, I would love to meet you and share some memories of Ray over a cup of coffee.

As Sally and others have mentioned, I can only imagine that Ray was greeted at the pearly gates by his hero, JB, and together they are playing twin steel guitar on a couple of bake-o-lite Ricky's right now. Go Rest High My Friend.

Lynn Stafford · Post by **Lynn Stafford** » 31 Mar 2018 9:45 am

My sincerest condolences to all of Ray's close friends and family for their loss. He will indeed be missed by a lot of folks here in Portland as well as those that he touched elsewhere around the world during his lifetime. I'm sure his good friend, the late Tom Palmer was also there to greet him with open arms...

Kindest regards,
Lynn Stafford

Mark Helm · Post by **Mark Helm** » 31 Mar 2018 5:43 pm

We're all richer for the talent you shared with us.

Listening to JB and some of your music and remembering...

Willis Vanderberg · Post by **Willis Vanderberg** » 1 Apr 2018 10:45 am

Ray and I shared a love for big round engine airplanes as well as the steel guitar. He loved the old Lockheed twin that he flew and we had some great stories we swapped about those days. I can't add much to what has already been said. Today was my eighty fifth birthday and I can say I never met a more interesting person in my life. Rest high on that mountain Ray .We are going to miss you , when ever I hear a JB tune it will be you I am thinking of. God bless your sweet wife for her love and devotion to you .

John Brabant · Post by **John Brabant** » 1 Apr 2018 6:46 pm

RIP Ray. I will miss your posts. The world is a better place because of you.

Dan Burnham · Post by **Dan Burnham** » 2 Apr 2018 4:32 am

Praying for the family,
Dan

Doug Jones · Post by **Doug Jones** » 2 Apr 2018 4:38 am

Many great memories of Ray's humor, but mostly his great touch and taste in picking one of his old Ricks.

Sorry to hear of the loss and condolences to Sally and the fam.

Steve Green · Post by **Steve Green** » 2 Apr 2018 9:03 am

I always enjoyed Ray's posts. He was without a doubt one of the most knowledgeable men around concerning Jerry Byrd, and non-pedal Hawaiian guitar in general. RIP Ray.

This is my all-time favorite video of Ray, playing "Swinging On The Steel", on his 4-neck Bigsby on the Heck Harper TV show in 1964.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQoZMLYHs-M

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 2 Apr 2018 10:49 am

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 4 Apr 2018 3:26 am

Sorry to hear this news! I never knew him personally but we both had a Great Friend and hero in Jerry Byrd! I always enjoyed his posts and comments! Prayer for his family and many friends!

Chuck S. Lettes · Post by **Chuck S. Lettes** » 4 Apr 2018 7:14 pm

Sad news. Ray was one of the good guys, and I'm glad I got to know him. Thanks, Pete, for being there as a friend to Ray.
Chuck

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 18 Apr 2018 11:32 am

RIP, Ray. He was a truly great player who loved steel guitar and its players, and was encyclopedic in his knowledge. Deepest condolences to his family and friends.

Andy DePaule · Post by **Andy DePaule** » 21 Apr 2018 9:23 pm

News is slow out here so it is already three weeks and I just now heard Ray had passed away.
My best wishes to all his family and friends.
Wish I had met him, but always enjoyed his posts as well as his playing.
Sad news indeed.

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 2 May 2018 11:18 am

Like most on this FORUM, I (and we) knew the Skipper was on borrowed time. He and I "met" on this media and again, like so many, we never met in person! Ray was an ardent fan of JB...and when I mentioned Ray's name to JB, there was a mutual feeling between both of them...admiration ! Ray sent me a number of tapes in the old days. What a fine musician he was. I will miss his emails (and tapes). My deepest sympathy goes out to Sally, whom I never met either.

Steven Cummings · Post by **Steven Cummings** » 4 Jun 2018 5:36 pm

Say there George. Do you have the means to put some of Rays old recordings up on youtube for posterity?
I know there is some on youtube but not enough

Just a thought>

Dom Franco · Post by **Dom Franco** » 6 Jun 2018 6:44 pm

RIP Ray.... I was privileged to meet him in person and speak to him a few times. He lived just a few miles away from me, and I always wanted to visit and jam with him. But now he has gone to a better place where I pray we will one day meet again playing and singing in the heavenly orchestra.
Dom

The Steel Guitar Forum

RIP Ray Montee

Part of Steel History

Passing of a Legend

Goodbye Skipper

Farwell Skipper

RIP, Ray

RIP Ray

Ray Montee

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