Hailing originally from Birmingham, AL, Monte never picked up a guitar until he moved to the Texas Hill Country in 1979 at the age of 12. His mother, Maggie, taught him his first chords on the guitar at the age of 13.

Monte first gained notoriety in 1999 in Austin, Tx, when as a relatively unknown talent he delivered a jaw-dropping live performance on an episode of the PBS series Austin City Limits. He has been named one of the "Top 50 All-Time Greatest Guitar Players" by Guitar Player Magazine, has won the "Best Acoustic Guitar Player" Award at the Austin Chronicle's Austin Music Awards seven years in a row. As a songwriter, he pulls from a litany of genres to craft original songs that span 12 cds from 1993 - present. His latest cd, “A Call to Arms,” is available online now.

Currently and for the last 9 seasons, Monte is the composer/creator of music for the FOX TV series Last Man Standing, starring Tim Allen.

In 2014, German amp manufacturer AER teamed up to develop the new signature MM200 acoustic amp.

In 2008, Monte also appeared on Live From Daryl's House with Hall and Oates frontman, Daryl Hall.

In 2004, Alvarez Guitars created the MMY1 Monte Montgomery Signature Guitar, a model based on Montgomery's 1987 Alvarez-Yairi DY62C Acoustic-Electric Guitar.