Monte Pittman

On May 11, 2019 Monte participated in the From Classical To Rock benefit for the Peninsula Education Foundation benefit with Yutong, Marten Andersson, Chas West and more. In June 2019 Monte Pittman provided a free workshop to benefit Alice Cooper's Rock Teen Center.

Pittman released Between the Space on Metal Blade in August 2018 and undertook a tour with Sebastian Bach of Skid Row in the USA.

On 2016's Inverted Grasp Of Balance, Pittman joined drummer Richard Christy and bassist Billy Sheehan.

In December 2016 Monte joined Madonna on stage to perform 'Tears of a Clown' at a benefit for Raising Malawi.

Between September 2015 and March 2016, Pittman toured with Madonna on her Rebel Heart tour.

Pittman has been known to perform solo acoustic shows in between his responsibilities with Prong and Madonna. He has developed into a fiercely capable musician—equally able to hold his own in a giant pop stadium tour as in a dark and smoky club belting out brutal metal tunes. Pittman's solo work takes a giant detour from both of those avenues, venturing into melodic acoustic territory on his debut, and branching out into rock anthems.

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 album was released on January 21, 2014 and has received many raving reviews. Music blog "The Global Onslaught" has described it as "2014's sleeping giant in the echelons of Hard Rock and Metal."

Pittman uses the Gibson Les Paul as his primary guitar. He has also been known to play Gibson SGs and he has a number of custom made Gibson electrics, acoustics, and basses—frequently specially-built for use in Madonna shows. In 2015 he signed with ESP guitars

"A Dark Horse", the first single from The Power of Three was released on October 14, 2013 by Metal Blade Records and marks Pittman's return to his metal roots. The second single is track No. 7 on the album and is entitled "Before the Mourning Son". It was released on November 25, 2013. The final track on the album, "All is Fair in Love and War" features guitars by Testament's Alex Skolnick and additional vocals from Chris Barnes (ex-Cannibal Corpse, Six Feet Under).

In May 2013 Monte performed a benefit for the Little Kids Rock foundation to help bring music education to Los Angeles area schools.

In 2012, he played at the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show where he debuted his new signature Jarrell MPS Guitar

Pittman started his 5th world tour with the Queen of Pop, the MDNA Tour, on May 31, 2012 in Tel Aviv, Israel and 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 N.American shows of the tour.

The album was also available at the Official Merchandise Booths of Madonna's 2012 MDNA Tour.

Pittman was nominated in 4 categories at Artists in Music Awards and by popular demand he was also invited to perform at the ceremony on February 10, 2012. He won the Award for "Best Solo Artist". He is also the recipient of a "Career Achievement Award – Guitarist" for the Hollywood F.A.M.E. Awards!

On June 29, 2012, he was invited to ZDF's Morgenmagazin morning TV show where he performed a solo acoustic version of the song "Lost" from his album "Pain, Love & Destiny".

Pittman started working on new material on July 1, 2012 in Copenhagen, with Danish producer Flemming Rasmussen (the producer behind Metallica's old albums). He first released an acoustic EP "M.P.3.: The Power of Three, Part 1" (released on November 19, 2012) and went back to Copenhagen on February 2013, with bandmates Kane Ritchotte and Max Whipple to record more songs with Rasmussen also producing it.

Most recently, he donated the guitar that he played at the 2012 Super Bowl Halftime Performance to the 2012 Dream Foundation and helped raise $10,000.

In November 2012 he played with the Amadeus Youth Orchestra in Colombia, supported by the Amadeus Foundation which helps creating music schools in Medellin.

Pittman was honored by the Hollywood F.A.M.E. Awards with the "Career Achievement Award – Guitarist" on November 15, 2012

Pittman managed to raise $65,500 for his second solo album, Pain, Love & Destiny, through Kickstarter. He recorded the album in the summer of 2011 and Noah Shain produced it. The album features Kane Ritchotte on drums and Kelle Rhoads (Randy Rhoads's brother) on piano. It was released on October 3, 2011

In December 2011, Jarrell Guitars announced that they are launching a new line, the Monte Pittman Signature Guitar and it will be presented at the 2012 NAMM. The Jarrell MPS features a custom Seymour Duncan pickup set making it one of the most versatile guitars in the market. "All together it seems Monte Pittman and Jarrell Guitars are hell bent on rocking the world – the sound of which is none other than simply amazing."

Previous to Adam Lambert's audition on American Idol, Pittman, Lambert, Tommy Victor from Prong and Steve Sidelnyk formed a band titled The Citizen Vein. For the tour of Adam Lambert's debut album, Lambert hired Pittman as his guitarist and musical director. Lambert and the band appeared on several TV shows as well as at the Gridlock New Year's Eve 2010 festival. Canada's Rock Star Weekly reviewed that "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" Pittman also appears on the 'Beg for Mercy' album, the material of which was recorded before Lambert went on American Idol and is co-written by Pittman and Lambert.

Almost a year after its digital release, due to popular demand, "The Deepest Dark" was re-released in hard copy CD, with 5 additional bonus tracks. 1 week later, it reached the No. 1 spot on the most selling albums (Acoustic genre) on CDBaby.com and was No. 9 in the Top 10 Most Selling Albums on CDBaby for October 2010

His debut solo album, The Deepest Dark, was released in November 2009 and features 11 songs all written by Pittman, except for The Circle which was co-written with Tommy Victor and Adam Lambert. All the songs are acoustic.

On Prong's 2007 release Power of the Damager, Pittman wrote 5 of the 13 songs and provided backing vocals alongside bass duties. He is also credited as an associate producer for both Power of the Damager and the remixed version Power of the Damn Mixxxer which was released on May 2009.

Additionally, Pittman has contributed performances to Madonna's studio recordings, appearing on 2005's Confessions on a Dance Floor (Like It Or Not) and 2008's Hard Candy (Spanish Lesson & Ring My Bell).

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.

Pittman shares writing credits with Madonna on the tracks Easy Ride from American Life (2003), 2007's Hey You charity single and It's So Cool from Celebration (2009).

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. The pair played guitar together on an acoustic version of the hit song Don't Tell Me. 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 since then.

Pittman was introduced to Prong's Tommy Victor by White Zombie drummer Ivan de Prume; the two hit it off, and Pittman joined Prong in 2000. He played guitar on their 2002 tour that spawned the live album 100% Live. Pittman handled guitar and bass duties for the 2003 album Scorpio Rising.

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.

Monte Lee Pittman (born November 19, 1975) is an American musician, songwriter and studio musician, based out of Los Angeles, known largely as Madonna's long-time guitarist and for playing with Prong. He has also appeared in the documentary "Who The F**K Is Arthur Fogel?" Pittman also professionally teaches guitar lessons and exclusively uses the Jamplay Teaching App.