Walker Montgomery is a rising country star from Kentucky. Walker is the son of country music artist John Michael Montgomery and nephew of Montgomery Gentry’s Eddie Montgomery. In an effort to share his love for music with the world, he is making a name for himself while carrying on the traditions of his family.
Walker released his debut single, “Just Say When” in 2018 from his debut EP, Simple Town which has amassed over 5 million Spotify streams. After his debut, Walker released multiple singles like the high-energy “Out of Nowhere” and relatable jam “Bad Day To Be A Beer.” His next EP Rust was released in 2022 followed by his EP Work To Do in 2023.
Walker has released singles from Work To Do, like the title track, “Lonely For A Livin’,” and the focus track, “Never Again One More Time.” On March 1st of this year, Walker released a special edition of the focus track featuring country singer Randy Rogers. Another new single released is “Time Stood Still,” a beautiful acoustic version of a song off of Work To Do.
Back in December, Walker made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry accompanied by his father and uncle. He performed his self-written EP title track “Work To Do” and his romantic ballad “Tired Of You” to a packed house.
You can see Walker performing at this years “Start Your Legacy” Professional Bull Riding (PBR) Bar Tour that kicks off in Nashville on March 16 and moves to locations around the US through April. The tour begins in Nashville on March 16th and ends in Kansas City on April 12th. He will also be performing at the Geneva Festival on the Rivers in Alabama on April 27th.
We got met Walker at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville and talked about his Opry debut, his perfect tailgate, and his love for national parks.
You recently made your Opry debut. What were the highlights of the experience?
It was amazing. It was also exhausting. You get there around noon and you’re doing stuff nonstop until you go on stage. It was totally worth it though. I’m glad that there were cameras and videos there because it was a special experience for me.
More importantly, my whole family was there. My dad and my uncle got to introduce me there and had my grandparents, my mom, my sister, everybody, we had everybody there to see it. It’s something I’ll never forget.
What’s your perfect day in Fayette County, Kentucky?
I love Keeneland. Keeneland is a beautiful horse track. I’m a Kentucky football guy and we had season tickets growing up with my grandfather, Papaw. We would always go to the games. That was always our thing. So, it would have to involve something with Kentucky football.
What’s your perfect tailgate?
I’m really big on listening to the radio. I’m obsessed with the pregame shows. So whatever tailgate I’m at, I have to have the pregame shows on. We can have a TV with another game on, but it has to be on mute because I have to be blaring the pregame show because I gotta know what’s going on.
If we’re playing Florida, they always grill a gator. Florida beat us for 31 years in a row. So now that we’re finally beating them, we’re going all out. You gotta have a little gator bite. If we’re playing South Carolina, we got fried chicken or something like that. For beer, I like non-alcoholic beers. Heineken Zero. That’s my drink of choice. But the radio is the main part for me.
What’s your craziest family travel story growing up?
When Dad’s bus broke down. I can’t remember a specific moment, but anytime that it broke down was just the most miserable experience, especially for a child. You don’t know what’s going on. You’re just trying to go to Florida or something, and it’s like, ‘Why can’t we get there? Why are we on the side of the road right now?’ Now it’s still miserable, but I know what’s going on now.
I love Randy Rogers. You guys have “Never Again One More Time” that just came out. Tell me about how that song collaboration came about.
Just through mutual connections and managers and stuff, everything Nashville, you know. We released that song with just me on it on September 23rd. We didn’t release it as a single. It was just on an EP, and I knew that I wanted it to have some single coverage. I knew I wanted it to have a life of its own, and I was trying to figure out what to do with it.
My managers brought up Randy Rogers and I was like, ‘Well, if we can make it happen, that’d be awesome,’ because it is a raucous song and a party song. Randy brings the party every time, so it was perfect. He was gracious enough to like the song and hop on it.
You have a big tour scheduled? PBR Bar Tour. Any cities you’re looking forward to visiting?
It’s going to be a good time. We have about 9 or 10 shows. I’m a huge national park guy. I’ve got the stamping passport for the National Parks. We’re going to Baltimore and there’s a national park there. So, Baltimore’s probably my number one on the list. I’ve never been there. There’s a bunch of cities that I am looking forward to visiting.
The first few years I was touring, it was a lot of get in, get out, do the show and leave. I’ve kind of made a vow to myself that if we’re going somewhere cool, to try to get there a day early or stay a day late and see what it’s like. Make a memory out of it.
How many passport stamps do you have?
Like two. Every year we do Camp Nelson in Kentucky, which is like a cemetery. We do Wreaths Across America. That holds a special place in my heart. I’m going to Yellowstone. I’ve never done it. I’m also going to Grand Teton. I never knew that they had the passport growing up so I can go back now and get the stamps.
What’s the best advice your family has given you about the music business?
Take the little wins. There’s a lot of ups and downs in this business. You’ll think you’ve got the whole world in front of you and then something happens. It seems like it all blows up right in your face. There’s a lot of that, but you’ve got to make little goals. Whether it’s getting on a playlist or hitting the city or doing a show at a specific club. Whatever it is, take the little wins when you can because it’ll keep you sane, for lack of better words. Take the little wins. They’re important.
I love Montgomery Gentry. I grew up listening to them. Would you ever consider joining your Uncle Eddie or doing some music together? I know that you’re on your own and you’re doing your solo thing, and that’s important, but that band is so iconic.
We’ve done some. Nobody would ever be able to replace Troy, nor do I want to, but we’ve done some shows together. I’ll go out and sing “My Town” with them and stuff like that. Same with dad. I’ll go out and sing “Sold” with him. They’re actually just now, after 30 something years, on the same booking agent. Hopefully one of these days we’ll do a song together with all three of us. For that, hopefully it would do well, but something like that would be more of a family heirloom. But hopefully one of these days.
What’s inspiring you to write right now?
Speaking of traveling, I do all this writing, recording, whatever it is, so I can go out and tour. That’s what I’m just obsessed with. I just want to be on the road. I grew up with Dad on the road and I knew how to tour at the age of ten. It was a very interesting experience, but I’m just obsessed with it. I love it so much. So anytime I’m in the writing room, trying to get that song that’s going to let you do more shows, going to let you go out and sing to more fans, whatever it is. That’s what’s always driving me forward.