RONNIE MONTROSE's Cause Of Death Still Undetermined

According to Classic Rock, the March 3 death of legendary guitarist Ronnie Montrose is still under investigation by the authorities in Brisbane, California. While it was widely assumed that Montrose had succumbed to colon cancer, the 64-year-old musician, who played with such artists as Sammy Hagar, Van Morrison and Edgar Winter, said several months ago that the disease was in remission, and unlikely to return.

Responding to queries by Classic Rock, Jeannette Maldonado of the Brisbane police acknowledged that the case was not closed but would not reveal any further details. "This case is still under investigation, pending the coroner's report, and is not available for release," she said.

After Montrose's death, a posting on his official web site simply stated that "true to form, he chose his own exit the way he chose his own life."

A straightforward coroner's autopsy, when cause of death is known or strongly suspected, can take between two and six hours to complete.

In a September 2011 interview with North County Times, Montrose revealed that he didn't pick up his guitar for two years following his cancer diagnosis. "I had prostate cancer that, for me, was debilitating," he said. "I didn't touch a guitar for two years, but when I realized I was seeing the light at the end of the recovery tunnel and was going to live pain-free, I realized again that it was a fun little instrument to play."

He added, "I've blocked all my health issues out of my mind. That's a portion of my life that I'm done with. Now, I can't wait for every day to come so I can wake up and plug in. I'm up there entertaining myself and my playing is stronger than ever, because my excitement is back."

Ronnie Montrose always followed his heart. Ever anxious to take his music to the next level, in 1979 he founded the trailblazing band GAMMA, a group whose trio of ahead-of-their-time albums were an explosion of guitar and synthesizer pyrotechnics anchored by a bluesy edge.

Between and beyond these band forays, Montrose the player devoted himself to exploring instrumental guitar music on landmark albums like "Open Fire" and "The Speed Of Sound". Fans periodically clamored for another taste of the original MONTROSE power trio format, but he wouldn't revisit MONTROSE — that huge, heavy sound; those rich, pealing riffs — until the time came when he could do it with total conviction.

Back in October 2011, Montrose was interviewed by Fox News prior to his concert at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in New York City. You can watch the segment below.

Photo below courtesy of RonnieMontrose.com