BIO Brief
JoAnn & Monte have shared their acoustic blend of contemporary folk/pop/country/blues/jazz music, their powerful voices, lush harmonies, vibrant lyrics and exuberant, intimate, hilarious performances for over 45 years with people from all over the world via live performances, videos, recordings, CNN, TNN, QVC and TedX.
Voted Alaska's #1 Entertainers, this talented duo has released 10 recordings of their original music, traveled from Alaska to Los Angeles, Nashville, East Coast, every Province in Canada and even South Korea, opened for many national/international acts, performed concerts, fairs, festivals and conventions.
Their timeless, youthful and well-seasoned performances and recordings 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 attending one of their performances or listening to one of their recordings.
You can hear JoAnn & Monte's music daily on ITunes, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon and most world-wide streaming platforms.
Do something special. Treat yourself to a JoAnn & Monte performance.
BIO Dazzling Delightful Details
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, clubs 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 cover tunes and telling her stories.
Monte Davis, originally from Austin, MN (the home of SPAM), went to Fairbanks playing drums in his 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 Greatland. 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 professional music relations. "We started writing songs, performing and telling our stories together to our audiences immediately," adds Davis. "Clubs would suggest original songs do not go over. So we would inject one here or there and folks began requesting them."
Fans loved their performances because of their beautiful voices, impeccable harmonies and their casual, professional stage presence. They were inspirational and motivational as well as entertaining as they shared their personal experiences of life, its trials and tribulations, lessons, family and friends.
In 1979, they ventured to Seattle to record their first album, One Step Forward. 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 requested, "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, receiving extensive airplay, 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 so diverse." Davis adds, "Back then, there was not an Adult Alternative or Americana genre."
While in LA, JoAnn & Monte procured day jobs at LA Studios where they recorded albums 2 and 3. 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: touring colleges, doing a stint on the East Coast and spending extended time in Nashville where they performed twice at the famous Bluebird Cafe.
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 returned to Alaska 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 in 1993 released their 6th album, an all Alaska song compilation Alaska, Where We Live.
In 1995, they released their 7th album of original songs, Allee In Free, followed by a poetry recording, Meet Robert Service, in 1996 and An Alaska Christmas in 1998.
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 seasonal touring as Public Speakers/Entertainers for a major 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 closer to JoAnn's family and in 2007 started their own travel business escorting tours to Alaska. However, following the recession of 2008, they returned to Alaska where they both found "day jobs" but continued songwriting, performing and recording and in 2009 released their 9th album of original songs, Leftover Love Songs.
A series of family health issues and other extenuating circumstances sent them back to Fort Worth in 2013, then back to Alaska in 2016, then to Bellingham, WA 2017 to live close to their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren for a couple years.
After a lengthy sabbatical, they returned to their first love as professional music entrepreneurs/performers. "I know happiness is a state of mind, but the whole lifestyle of music is something I love to do and I desperately missed it all!" Molloy adds.
In February 2019, they settled in Tucson, AZ where "...it just feels like home," Monte explains. "We traded the arctic mountains for the desert mountains."
JoAnn & Monte had plans for a 2020 tour performing concerts at intimate venues, theaters, fairs, festivals, house concerts as well as delivering their motivational and inspirational Keynote Speaker Concerts for conventions, meeting and groups.
However, instead 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 produced and arranged many of our albums but this is our first endeavor playing all the instruments and we had the most wonderful time," Monte says.
"Albums are like having babies for us - without the labor! We love everyone of them equally." explains JoAnn.
"We also stayed out of trouble writing and recording a couple custom songs for some fans and clients," JoAnn states. "It's a wonderful, extremely fun interaction and a delightful project."
JoAnn & Monte are ready to pick up where they left off before the pandemic. "We are ready to lift people's spirits, make them laugh and feel good with our music and our performances," Davis says.
You can hear JoAnn & Monte's music daily on iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon and most streaming music services worldwide.
Special things do get better with age: wine, cheese and JoAnn & Monte!
STAGE REQUIREMENTS
EASY: 3 direct boxes - 2 vocal mics (wireless if you have them) - 2 boom stands - 2 stools
CHOICES TO ENJOY
Concerts - Custom Songs - Keynote Speaker Concerts
CONTACT INFO
JoAnn Molloy or Monte Davis
joannandmonte@gmail.com
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 Maria Mauldaur, Holly Near, Michelle Wright, Billy Dean,
The Association, Chuck Berry, Chubby Checker, John Mayal and Little River Band (twice they liked us so much :-),
Appeared on TNN TV's Be A Star
Gave a special presentation at the Washington National Capitol.
TESTIMONIES
"...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." Shannon Rubicam and George Merrill of Boy Meets Girl and
Songwriters of Whitney Houston's I Wanna Dance With Somebody and How Will I Know
"...performance was great." Director, Student Activities, Fort Worth, Texas
"..number one acoustic music attraction." Pat Osborn, Entertainment Director, Grand Central Station
"...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." Director of 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 have raved." Anchorage Daily News
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
2020 Tree House Tunes
CONTACT INFO
JoAnn Molloy or Monte Davis
joannandmonte@gmail.com
THANK YOU!