SHORT BIO
JoAnn & Monte have shared their "Adult Alternative/Americana" music, their powerful voices, lush harmonies, vibrant lyrics, and exuberant, hilarious performances for over 40 years, with people from all over the world via live performances, videos, recordings and CNN, TNN, QVC and TedX.
Voted Alaska's #1 Entertainers, this talented duo has released 10 recordings of their original music, a "best of", and a Christmas album.
You can hear JoAnn & Monte's music daily on ITunes, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon and most world-wide streaming platforms.
Their timeless, youthful and well-seasoned performances and recording are a rare chance to allow this clever, fun-loving couple to draw you in, make you feel like family and take you on a joyous and humorous musical journey as they put their entire selves on display.
JoAnn & Monte give a gift, holding nothing back, with insightful wisdom that makes the world a much better place. You'll laugh, maybe even shed a tear, sing and clap along, and leave with a heart full of happiness after listening to one of their recordings or attending one of their performances.
Do something special. Treat yourself to JoAnn & Monte.
Longer Bio
Some things just get better with age: wine, cheese and "JoAnn & Monte".
JoAnn Molloy, originally from Washington, D.C., ventured to 40 below temperatures in Fairbanks, AK in February 1974 as a "chick singer" with a band. "When I was a little girl, every winter I would say, 'When I grow up, I'm going to live in Hawaii'. But during the pipe-line boom in Alaska, they were paying bands great money...and I can be bought," Molloy jokes. Although she went kicking and screaming, she fell in love with Alaska, the people and the lifestyle and moved up the following December where she began performing as a solo artist playing guitar and singing her original songs as well as covers and telling her stories.
Monte Davis, originally from Austin, MN (the home of SPAM), went to Fairbanks playing drums in a family trio in 1971 and frequently quotes John Denver "coming home to a place I'd never been before" to express how he fell in love with The Greenland. He traveled back and forth to his home in Denver, CO and when he returned to Alaska in June 1975 with his band, his best friend said, "you gotta go hear this singer/songwriter, JoAnn."
They met, fell in love and began their personal and music relations. "We started writing songs, performing and telling our stories to our audiences immediately," adds Davis.
Fans loved their performances because of their beautiful voices and harmonies and they were inspirational and motivational as well as entertaining as they shared their personal experiences of life, its trials, tribulations, lessons, family and friends.
In 1979, they ventured to Seattle to record their first album. Upon returning home all excited and confident with their state of the art first album, the Music Director of the first radio station they solicited responded, "we just do not play local artists." To which Molloy responded, "Would you mind listening and giving your professional opinion?" The next day, their songs were on regular rotation and he raved, "it was as good as ANY national artists".
In 1982 and 1984 respectively, they traveled to LA to record their second and third albums "Inside and Out" and "Lucky Number Three" again receiving airplay, extensive media coverage and rave reviews throughout the state (see Credits, Quotes and Reviews).
After successfully gaining a large state-wide following, the duo headed to Los Angeles in pursuit of a national record deal. They received a positive response from A&M Record Company saying, "we love your music but would not know how to market you because you are too diverse." Davis adds, "Back then, there was not an Adult Alternative/Americana genre."
While in LA, JoAnn & Monte procured day jobs at The L.A. Studios where they had recorded album 2 and 3, so they continued to write their diversity of songs and took advantage of the "free studio time" benefit, the generosity and admiration of recording engineers and musicians and recorded their 4th album "Almost For Nothin'" which they released in 1990.
The stage and the road kept calling so they returned to performing, successfully touring colleges; did a stint on the "Beltway Circuit" in Washington, DC'; spending extended time in Nashville as well as time in Alaska.
In 1992, they released a "greatest hits" album "Through The Years" and their 5th recording of new original songs recorded at a live concert, "Heart To Heart Live"
Realizing they were not pop enough for LA, folk enough for the East Coast, or country enough for Nashville, they produced and performed "JoAnn & Monte's Alaska Show," a production featuring their songs, stories and humor about life in The Last Frontier for summer visitors, locals and conventions and released their 6th album, an all Alaska song compilation "Alaska" in 1993.
In 1995 they release their 7th album of original songs "Allee In Free" followed by a poetry recording "Meet Robert Service in 1996 and a Christmas album "An Alaska Christmas" in 1998.
About this time, Davis realized he wanted a break from being a professional musician since he started at 15 years old with his family band, so JoAnn & Monte began touring as Public Speakers part-time for a major Alaska cruise/tour company. "It was a good day job," Molloy says. "At least we could continue doing music part-time." In 2002, they released their 8th recording of originals "North Shack Tracks".
In 2005 they moved to Fort Worth, TX to be near family, where they started their own travel business escorting tours to Alaska. However, following the recession of 2008, they returned where to Alaska where they both found work in 2009 and released their 9th recording of original songs "Leftover Love Songs'. JoAnn shares, "Although we were grateful to find day jobs, we weren't doing much music and I really missed it."
A series of family health issues and other extenuating circumstances sent them back to Fort Worth in 2012. Other circumstances sent them back to Alaska, then to Bellingham, WA to live close to their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren for a couple years and they finally decided to return to their first love as professional music entrepreneurs. "I know happiness is a state of mind, but the whole lifestyle of music is something I love to do," Molloy adds
In February 2019, they settled in Tucson, AZ where "not only does it feels like home," Monte explains, "there is a nice music scene which encourages original songs. "We will always return to our family, friends and fans in Alaska but have traded the Arctic mountains for the desert mountains,"says Davis.
JoAnn & Monte had plans for a 2020 tour performing concerts at listening venues, theaters, fairs, festivals, house concerts as well as delivering their motivational and inspirational Keynote Speaker Concerts for conventions, meeting and groups.
However, COVID sent them into their home recording studio where they completed their 10th album of original songs "Tree House Tunes" releasing it in December. ", We've produces and arranged many of our albums but this is our first endeavor in playing all the instruments and we had the most wonderful time," JoAnn says. "Albums are like having babies for us...without the labor! It's our 10th child and we love it every bit as much as the other nine."
"Time will tell what will happen with the performing arts, but we plan to have fun in whatever we do. Hopefully, lift people up, make them laugh, make them feel good," Davis says
You can hear JoAnn & Monte's music daily on iTunes, Spotify, Pandora and most streaming music services worldwide.
Special things do get better with age: wine, cheese and "JoAnn & Monte".
Credits
Voted Alaska's #1 Entertainers
Captured the hearts of audiences at colleges, fairs, festivals, theaters, conventions and arenas
Headlined twice at the famous Blue Bird Cafe in Nashville
Appeared on CNN, TNN, QVC and TedX.
Garnered praises and rave reviews (see below) from audiences and media everywhere
Released 10 recordings of their original music, a greatest hits album, a Christmas and a poetry album.
Have written, produced and performed custom songs for towns/cities, corporations, weddings
Have sung on documentaries and various videos
Featured on two volumes of WAMA (Washington (DC) Area Music Association) compilation albums
Performed for national commercial ads for McDonalds, Nike, Coors, Armour Bacon, The Gap and Suzuki.
Opened for Little River Band, Maria Mauldaur, Holly Near, Michelle Wright, Billy Dean, The Association, Chuck Berry, Chubby Checker and John Mayal.
Appeared on TNN TV's Be A Star
Gave a special presentation at the Washington National Capitol.
Quotes
"...everything that makes going to a live performance so wondrous: uplifting, intimate, original, heartfelt and soul-full!" Kent Byus, General Manager, KXDZ-FM Radio, Anchorage
"...fun, funny, relevant and entertaining for everyone regardless of age, personality and background." Julie Dodds, Vice President, Conventions Sales, Visit Anchorage
"JoAnn & Monte are Alaska's favorite songbirds." Jay Hammond, FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR
"...love of performing and bonding with their audiences with both their music and their talent for storytelling...educational and entertaining, funny and thought provoking. They will leave an audience on the edge of their seats with excitement and enthusiasm. They have the ability to inspire people!" Jaqueline Day, Director of Sales, HURTIGRUTEN
REVIEWS
"...give outstanding concert...from the moment they hit the stage they exuded vibrancy. ...everyone was on their feet, jubilant." Anchorage Daily News
"...don't know how to conserve energy. They don't need to; they have an endless supply."
Alaska Airlines In-flight Magazine.
"...very talented exuding charm and soul." Songwriters of Whitney Houston's I Wanna Dance With Somebody and How Will I Know, Shannon Rubicam and George Merrill of "Boy Meets Girl"
"...performance was great." Director, Student Activities, Fort Worth, Texas
"..number one acoustic music attraction." Entertainment Dir, Grand Central
"...dynamite act! We love them!" Steve Forman, Percussionist, Loggins & Messina Band
"...public radio listeners across the nation would be enriched and entertained." NPR KSKA Operations Director
"...great hit and the students were buzzing about it for days." Dir. Student Activities, Central Texas College
"...emotional depth from which they sing...quality of their songwriting." Anchorage Daily News
"...what a blend of voices." Coordinator, Student Activities, Alvin College
"...Los Angeles music industry heavies raved." Anchorage Daily News
CHOICES YOU CAN ENJOY
JoAnn & Monte Concerts - Custom Songs - Keynote Speaker Concerts
Alaska's JoAnn & Monte: A Lovable, Laughable, Musical Journey to the 49th State
DISCOGRAPHY
1979 One Step Forward
1981 Inside and Out
1983 Lucky Number Three
1990 Almost 4 Nothing
1992 Heart To Heart
1992 Through The Years
1993 Alaska, Where We Live
1995 Allee All In Free
1996 Meet Robert Service
1998 An Alaskan Christmas
2002 North Shack Tracks
2009 Leftover Love Songs
2019 Let Love Lead (coming)
STAGE REQUIREMENTS
We're easy: 3 direct boxes - 2 vocal mics (wireless if you have them) - 2 boom stands - 2 sitting stools - Video Screen - Projector
CONTACT INFO
JoAnn Molloy or Monte Davis
joannandmonte@gmail.com