Monte Lee Pittman (born November 19, 1975) is an American musician and studio musician based in Los Angeles, known largely as Madonna's long-time guitarist and for playing for heavy metal band Prong. He has also worked as a solo artist.
Biography
Early life Pittman was born in Longview, Texas. Pittman began playing guitar as a teenager when he received his first guitar at age 13. His guitar teacher was Robert Browning. He also took music theory and piano lessons from Delores Rhoads at the Musonia School of Music in North Hollywood.
Pittman's early musical influences came from bands and artists such as Kiss, Metallica, Slayer, Steve Vai, Judas Priest, Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Pantera, The Beach Boys, Pink Floyd, and Radiohead, to name a few.
Career Early career and Myra Mains Pittman's first band was called Insanity. Eventually Pittman formed another project called Myra Mains. He borrowed Chris Sheehan, the singer from his previous Insanity, and merged the band with the drummer Kevin Blalock and bassist TJ. Carlson. The four piece released 2 demo tapes and 2 full album CDs: One Touch 1991, Two Blocks Down From The Seventh Sign (1994), Condition (1996) and Buried (1999). The band was located in Longview, TX, and build a regional following across East Texas to Shreveport.
Prong
Pittman was introduced to Tommy Victor by Ivan de Prume from White Zombie.Prong at Twisted Talent Concert . Twisted-talent.com. Retrieved on November 30, 2011. The two had a lot in common and following the introduction Pittman joined the band Prong in 2000. Pittman was invited to play guitar on their 2002 tour that inspired 100% Live album.Garry Sharpe-Young (2005) New Wave of American Heavy Metal (1st edition) In 2003, Pittman recorded guitar and bass for Prong's album Scorpio Rising in 2003.
On Power of the Damager, Pittman wrote 5 of the 13 songs, providing background vocals and performing bass. He was credited as an associate producer for both Power of the Damager and its remix version Power of the Damn Mixxxer released in May 2009.
Madonna
Pittman moved to Los Angeles in 1999 and worked at a guitar store as a salesman. He eventually quit to start teaching guitar lessons. Pittman's third student was British film director Guy Ritchie, who had just received a guitar as a gift from his girlfriend, Madonna. Ritchie later returned the favor, buying Madonna her own guitar—and she began to take lessons from Pittman as well.Spring Hill graduate performs at Live Earth. Nl.newsbank.com (July 7, 2007). Retrieved on November 30, 2011.Monte Pittman: The Texas Trail to Prong and Madonna. Bossus.com. Retrieved on November 30, 2011.
A month after Pittman started giving guitar lessons to Madonna, he was invited to join her on stage at the Late Show with David Letterman to promote her album Music (2000). The pair played guitar together on an acoustic version of the hit song "Don't Tell Me".Madonna & Monte Pittman at the David Letterman Show. Youtube.com. Retrieved on November 30, 2011. Subsequently, Pittman was invited to join the band for Madonna's Drowned World Tour (2001). He has played in every incarnation of Madonna's live band until her Madame X Tour (2019–2020).
Pittman shares writing credits with Madonna on the tracks "Easy Ride" from American Life (2003) and "It's So Cool" from the greatest hits album Celebration (2009). On the Sticky & Sweet Tour (2008–2009), Pittman inadvertently prompted Madonna to include the opening riff from Pantera's "A New Level" in the live version of "Hung Up" when he suggested the riff as guitar practice.
Additionally, Pittman has contributed performances to Madonna's studio recordings, appearing on "Like ot or Not" from Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005) and "Spanish Lesson" and "Ring my Bell" from Hard Candy (2008).
Apart from world tours Pittman has joined Madonna on stage in many special events, most notably at Live 8 where he played for thousands of people at Hyde Park in 2005 and at the 2007 Live Earth where he had the chance to jam "Big Bottom" with Spinal Tap, James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett among a dozen of other bass players on stage.
In 2012, Pittman played at the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show alongside to Madonna, where he debuted his new signature Jarrell MPS Guitar. The whole band performed "Vogue," "Give Me All Your Love", and "Like a Prayer."
Pittman started his fifth world tour with Madonna, the MDNA Tour (2012), in Tel Aviv, Israel, with stops in Europe, North & South America till the end of 2012. Paul Oakenfold who opened for Madonna in several US shows, invited Pittman on stage to jam together in the last North American shows of the tour.
Between September 2015 and March 2016, Pittman toured with Madonna on her Rebel Heart Tour.
Ministry Monte Pittman joined Ministry in 2021 although previously joined the band in 2014 and 2015. Upon returning, Pittman was prominently featured as the guitarist in the music videos for "Disinformation" and "Believe Me" from the album Moral Hygiene.
Since rejoining Ministry, Pittman has participated in all major tours: The Industrial Strength Tour alongside Melvins and Corrosion of Conformity, Freaks on Parade Tour including Rob Zombie, and Alice Cooper Hopiumforthemasses Tour with Gary Numan and Front Line Assembly, and The Squirrely Years Tour.
In addition to touring, Pittman contributed creatively to the band, co-writing songs and performing both guitar and bass on the albums Hopiumforthemasses and The Squirrely Years. Pittman was featured as the guitarist for the Ministry Music Videos for "BDE" "Goddam White Trash," "Just Stop Oil" "New Religion, and "I'd Do Anything For You"
Other work Prior to Adam Lambert's audition on American Idol, Pittman formed the band The Citizen Vein with Lambert, Tommy Victor from Prong and Steve Sidelnyk.The Citizen Vein – Discover music, concerts, stats, & pictures at. Last.fm (February 11, 2009). Retrieved on November 30, 2011. He later served as a guitarist and musical director for Lambert's early rouing band. The project appeared on several television programs and performed at Gridlock New Year's Eve 2010 festival.Gridlock 2010 feat. Adam Lambert . Dose.clubzone.com. Retrieved on November 30, 2011. Pittman co-write Lamberts independently released album Beg for Mercy. Rock Star Weekly wrote "Pittman has a rock-god presence of his own, arising from his well-honed, skilled riffs that come from a connection of love and devotion to his instrument over a long and distinguished musical career"Adam Lambert's Orchestra Of Glitz Welcomes 2010. Rockstarweekly
Pittman also worked in the studio with Melanie C and helped finish the album Reason that was released on Virgin Records in 2003. Another collaboration included Pittman playing guitar on Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s 2003 album Shoot from the Hip.
Body Count Monte Pittman contributed to Body Count: Ernie C and Juan Garcias's Project. Pittman co-wrote the song "Blood Lust" was released on the Century Media Records.
LA KISS House band
In 2016, Monte Pittman performed as part of the LA KISS Football house band, alongside Patrick Stone and Matt Starr, delivering multiple live sets before, during, and after home games at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Solo career
Pittman has been known to perform solo acoustic shows in between his responsibilities with Prong and Madonna.Open Mic Night with Monte Pittman. Axestaticprocess.wordpress.com (January 31, 2010). Retrieved on November 30, 2011. He developed a versatile musicianship capable of perming in large scale pop stadiums to intimate club settings for heavy metal music. Pittman's solo work diverges from these styles and is focused on melodic acoustic material which later expanded into traditional rock compositions.
The Deepest Dark His debut solo album, The Deepest Dark, was released in November 2009 and features eleven songs primarily written by Pittman. The track "The Circle" was co-written with Tommy Victor and Adam Lambert. All the songs are acoustic.Monte Pittman's solo album debut. Thezodiacshow.blogspot.com (December 3, 2009). Retrieved on November 30, 2011.
Almost a year after its digital release, The Deepest Dark was re-released in hard copy with five additional bonus tracks. A week later, the album reached the No. 1 on acoustic albums charts on CD Baby and ranked No. 9 among the plaftform's top-selling albums for October 2010.Top 10 CD Baby Albums: October 2010. Blog.discmakers.com (November 1, 2010). Retrieved on November 30, 2011.The Deepest Dark reaches Top Acoustic Albums on CDBaby. montepittman.com. October 8, 2010
Pain, Love & Destiny Pittman raised $65,500 through Kickstarter, a crowdfunding platform to fund his second solo album Pain, Love & Destiny.Top 5 Most Successful Kickstarter Music Campaigns. Montepittman.com (August 10, 2011). Retrieved on November 30, 2011. He recorded the album in the summer of 2011 and the album was produced by Noah Shain. The album features Kane Ritchotte on drums and Kelle Rhoads, Randy Rhoads' brother, on piano. The album was released on October 3, 2011Monte's 2nd album release date. Montepittman.com (August 7, 2011). Retrieved on November 30, 2011.
Upon its release, the album reached No. 1 on Rock and Pop charts and debuated within the top ten overall albums. The album was also available at the Official Merchandise Booths of Madonna's 2012 MDNA Tour.
Pittman was nominated for four categories at Artists in Music Awards and was invited to perform at the ceremony on February 10, 2012, when he won the "Best Solo Artist" award. Additionally, Pittman received a Career Achievement Award – Guitarist for the Hollywood F.A.M.E. Awards.
On June 29, 2012, Pittman was invited to ZDF's Morgenmagazin morning TV show where he performed an acoustic version of the song "Lost" from his album Pain, Love & Destiny.
The Power of Three
Pittman started working on new material on July 1, 2012, in Copenhagen, with Danish producer Flemming Rasmussen, known for producing early Metallica albums. He first released an acoustic EP "M.P.3.: The Power of Three, Part 1" on November 19, 2012, and returned to Copenhagen in February 2013, with bandmates Kane Ritchotte and Max Whipple to record more songs with Rasmussen producing.
After playing the album to Metal Blade's CEO Brian Slagel, he got signed to the label to release The Power of Three in 2014.
The first single "A Dark Horse", was released on October 14, 2013, and marked a return to Pittman's metal style. The second single "Before the Mourning Son" was released on November 25, 2013. The album's final track, "All is Fair in Love and WAr," features guest guitarist Alex Skolnick from Testament' and vocals from Chris Barnes from Cannibal Corpse and Six Feet Under.
The Power of Three was released on January 21, 2014, with positive reviews noting its significance within the hard rock and metal genres. Music blog "The Global Onslaught" has described the album as "2014's sleeping giant in the echelons of Hard Rock and Metal".
Inverted Grasp of Balance On 2016's Inverted Grasp of Balance, Pittman joined drummer Richard Christy and bassist Billy Sheehan.
Between the Space Pittman released Between the Space on Metal Blade in August 2018 and undertook a tour with Sebastian Bach of Skid Row in the USA.
Better or Worse At the same time Pittman released Between the Space, he released an acoustic album Better or Worse also on Metal Blade.
Soundtrack Pittman has contributed to film and television as both a performer and songwriter. He is credited for his work on the song “Truce,” featured in the crime drama Edison, on which he performed guitar live. Pittman has also been credited as a writer on “Can’t Stop the Bleeding” for Wicked Lake and as a performer on “Venus” for Shooting Gallery. His soundtrack work reflects his broader career as a session and recording musician contributing to film and television projects.