Vincent Montana Jr.

Vince Montana, Jr. – born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on February 12, 1928 – was a vibraphonist, percussionist, composter, and arranger best known for his association with the Philadelphia soul scene of the early 1970s and has been referred to as ‘the Godfather of Disco’ for his work in the second half of that decade. His music career began as a percussionist in the late 1940s, playing nightclubs and performing with jazz greats such as Charlie Parker, Sarah Vaughan, Red Garland, and others. Relocating to Las Vegas, Nevada for a short time, he accompanied and arranged music for Louis Prima, Harry Belafonte, and others. Moving back to Philadelphia in the late 1950s, he played on sessions for Frankie Avalon (“Venus”), Chubby Checker, and more. He also began performing on local TV talk show The Mike Douglas Show. In the late 1960s, he became part of the Sigma Sound Studios team and worked closely with producers Gamble & Huff and Thom Bell, the three men responsible for the ‘Philly Soul’ sound that dominated the first half of the 1970s. As a member of studio band MFSB (Mother Father Sister Brother), he played on many hits recorded for Gamble & Huff’s Philadelphia International Records label. Vince Montana, Jr. can be heard on recordings by the Stylistics, the Delfonics, the Spinners, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Billy Paul, The O’Jays, and MFSB. After a fall out with Gamble & Huff, Vince Montana, Jr., and several other musicians involved with Philadelphia International Records and MFSB jumped ship and became part of disco-oriented label Salsoul Records. Vince Montana, Jr. formed the Salsoul Orchestra, who backed many of the label’s artists as well as releasing their own albums at the height of disco. He had a hand in virtually every release on the label until he departed Salsoul Records in 1978 and signed with Atlantic. His first release for the label was a new project called Goody Goody and their self-titled 1978 debut album. While Vince Montana, Jr. continued to work in the industry, his recordings were not as successful of his work throughout the 1970s. Vincent Montana, Jr. died on April 13, 2013, at the age of 85.

Please enable Javascript to view this page competely.