Brooks & Dunn and Montgomery Gentry have been duking it out for years for the title of top duo in country music, and with Brooks & Dunn retiring, Montgomery Gentry now is the undisputed top dog. The duo will get an honor of a different kind on April 18, when the Academy of Country Music Awards takes place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Most of the nominees have to wait for the show to find out if they have won, but Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry have already been given the Academy of Country Music/Home Depot Humanitarian Award.
Both Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry work hard to give back to the community by volunteering their time and talents for everything from supporting the U.S. military to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Other charities they have supported include St. Jude's Research Hospital, Academy of Country Music's Chairman's Ride benefiting ACM Lifting Lives since 2004, USO Tours to the Persian Gulf, Hospice of the Bluegrass and Multiple Myeloma Foundation, David Dickens Melanoma Research Foundation, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Patient Advocate Foundation.
Other stars to win the Humanitarian Award in the past include Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill and more. At the ACM Awards, Montgomery Gentry is up for Top Vocal Duo of the Year, facing off against Brooks & Dunn, Joey + Rory, Steel Magnolia and Sugarland.
Just because they are a duo doesn't mean that they go everywhere together, which Eddie Montgomery showed in March when he delighted music fans at Nashville's Douglas Corner Pub. According to The Boot, Montgomery jumped on the stage with the 45 RPM Band and sang Merle Haggard's "What Am I Going to Do (With the Rest of My Life)." He explained to the audience, "This is just me returning to my roots. My mom and dad had a band when I was a kid, and they played every night. When I was little, my babysitter was the bartender! Then when I got older I played in their band."
Montgomery Gentry knows how to entertain fans, and the duo will be part of a massive country tour this May and June. After playing some dates on their own, they will kick off the multi-stage Country Throwdown Tour on May 14 in Tampa, Fla. It was created by the same people who came up with the Vans Warped Tour, and it features multiple stages at every stop. Also involved are names like Little Big Town, Jamey Johnson, Jack Ingram, the Eli Young Band and more.
The dates include stops in cities like Cincinnati, Ohio; Noblesville, Ind.; Dallas, Texas; Phoenix, Ariz. and more. Whether Montgomery Gentry are on stage with the Country Throwdown Tour or on their own, fans can find <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.stubhub.com/montgomery-gentry-tickets/">Montgomery Gentry tickets</a> at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.stubhub.com/">StubHub.com</a>.
Montgomery Gentry has been a top name in country since the band released Tattoos & Scars in 1999. Since then, fans have been treated to top hits like "She Couldn't Change Me," "Something to Be Proud Of," "Lucky Man" and "Back When I Knew It All."
About the Author:This article was written by Julie Cudney and is sponsored by <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.stubhub.com/">StubHub.com</a>. StubHub sells tickets to sporting events, concerts and theater productions. Go to StubHub.com for <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.stubhub.com/montgomery-gentry-tickets/">Montgomery Gentry tickets</a>.
