Henry “Coco” Montoya was born in Santa Monica, California, on October 2, 1951, and raised in a working-class family. Growing up, Coco immersed himself in his parents’ record collection. He listened to big band jazz, salsa, doo-wop and rock ‘n’ roll. His first love was drums; he acquired a kit at age 11. He got a guitar two years later. “I’m sure the Beatles had something to do with this,” Montoya recalls. “I wanted to make notes as well as beats.” But guitar was his secondary instrument. Montoya turned his love of drumming into his profession, playing in a number of area rock bands while still in his teens and becoming an in-demand drummer.
“’Just play what you feel, be real about it, and enjoy yourself.’ That’s what Albert Collins taught me,” says the award-winning guitar virtuoso and soul-deep singer Coco Montoya. The self-taught, left-handed Montoya mastered his craft under Collins’ tutelage.
Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise Appearances:
~#36 Jan. 29-Feb. 5, 2022 Eastern Caribbean
~#29 Oct. 21~28, 2017 Southern Caribbean
~#24 Jan. 18~25, 2015 Western Caribbean
~#18 Jan. 22~29, 2012 Caribbean
~#15 Oct. 17~24, 2010 Pacific
~#13 Oct. 17~24, 2009 Pacific