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SHEFFIELD-It was Earl “Peanutt” Montgomery Day in the City of Sheffield on May 4, 2023!
SHEFFIELD-It was Earl “Peanutt” Montgomery Day in the City of Sheffield on May 4, 2023!Peanutt was celebrated by old friends and new friends on Thursday night at the Ritz Theatre in a program sponsored by The Tennessee Valley Arts Association and The Colbert County Tourism Office. The event was a sell out with standing room only. The crowd showed love support and awe for the talented Peanutt Montgomery.
The Quad Cities Daily was on hand to capture the love in photos…we present them to you here:
PROCLAMATION FROM THE CITY OF SHEFFIELD
WHEREAS, Earl “Peanutt” Montgomery is a Grammy nominated songwriter, singer, musician and Baptist minister; and
WHEREAS, he began playing the guitar at a young age and quickly developed a passion for songwriting; and
WHEREAS, he joined Tom Stafford, Billy Sherrill and Rick Hall along with other founding members of the Shoals music scene in their studio above City Drugs in Florence; and
WHEREAS, as rhythm guitarist for the first FAME rhythm section. He played on hits by Arthur Alexander, Jimmy Hughes, The Tams, Tommy Roe, and others; and
WHEREAS, in Nashville he became the staff Bassist at the Grand Ole Opry, and was part of the “Ponderosa Trio” with Michael Landon, and
WHEREAS, for many years he was one of Nashville’s top songwriters and session players writing songs sung by Country Music legends Dolly Parton, Tanya Tucker, Barbara Mandrel, Hank Williams, Jr., Johnny Cash, Eddie Arnold, Merle Haggard,
Emmylou Harris and others; and
WHEREAS, over the course of his career, he collaborated with artists as diverse as, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello and Etta James; and
WHEREAS, Peanutt Montgomery wrote 73 songs for his close friend George Jones and 31 duets and singles for Tammy Wynette including the smash hit “We’re Gonna Hold On”;and
WHEREAS; for many years, Peanutt Montgomery and his wife Charlene have been citizens of the City of Sheffield; and
WHEREAS, in 1980, he became the pastor of Oakwood Baptist Church in Sheffield; and
WHEREAS, he and Charlene opened and operate Sweetwater Recording Studio, Mister Magic Music Publishing Company and the Earl “Peanutt” Montgomery Music Museum in Sheffield, and
WHEREAS, among many other awards he has earned, Peanutt Montgomery received the Arthur Alexander Songwriter’s Award in 1997 and was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2023; and
WHEREAS, his contributions to the music industry are immeasurable and his legacy will live on through the hundreds of songs he wrote and the musicians he inspired; now
THEREFORE, I, Steve Stanley, Mayor of the City of Sheffield, do hereby proclaim May 4, 2023, as Earl “Peanutt” Montgomery Day in the City of Sheffield to pay homage to one of the most prolific songwriters and musicians to emerge from the Muscle Shoals region.
Photo Courtesy: Quad Cities Daily
