Rob Quist Bio

Rob Quist, a rancher’s son and native Montanan, is recognized as one of the West’s best known songwriters, composers and main stage performers. In the words of Ruth Mills, reviewer of the Reno-Sparks Tribune, “Quist keeps the audience enthralled—not just loud clapping and hooting but rapt attention to songs sung by a man deep into his music—the originality is astounding… His band is a combined musical talent bank putting together a sound unlike any other heard in Country Music today!” Rob has toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada, and Japan, headlining in every major concert hall in America, including the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, the Palomino in Los Angeles, The Bitter End in New York City, The Rainbow in Denver and Byfield’s in the Ambassador East Hotel in Chicago. Rob has also appeared at Michael Martin Murphey’s West Fest in Copper Mountain, Colorado and Red River, New Mexico, Bumber Shoot in Seattle, Rockin’ the Rockies, Aber Day Kegger in Missoula, and the Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada. The Missoulian named Rob one of the Premiere Montana Musicians of the 20th Century, and he was just recently inducted into the University of Montana’s Fine Arts Department Hall of Fame. He was saluted as a “celebrated Montana musician and composer who has captured the spirit of the West in his music, an evocative and versatile artist whose gift of song has touched the hearts and souls of his countrymen, an eloquent proponent of the history and beauty of the West whose legacy in song will be embraced by generations to follow.” Rob has released 8 CDs, and his original music has been charted on Billboard’s Top 100, the National Independent Label Charts and has hit the charts in Europe where his songs “Rain, Tears and Whiskey” and “Living Wild and Free” debuted on Radio ATL in Belgium at numbers 10 and 16, respectively. His music has been recorded by Country Greats Michael Martin Murphey, Loretta Lynn, Mission Mountain Wood Band and The Montana Band. Levi Jeans chose Rob from a field of top country music writers to compose and produce a song for their National Ad Campaign. The song, “Blue Jean Love Affair”, aired on the Top 20 Country Markets for 90 days. Other artists chosen by Levi Jeans to compose songs for the Jazz, Blues, Rock and Roll, and Heavy Metal Markets were Taj Mahal, Jerry Garcia, Shawn Colvin, Ray Cooder, Los Lobos and the Subdudes.

"Rob Quist and his band Great Northern are definitely main stage, showcase material. Their show is original, professional and quite simply one of the most entertaining shows I have seen in a long time. They left the audience toe-tappin’, clappin’ and hungry for more. The audience did a wave with their bodies while he played and when he finished, he received a standing ovation! I look forward to booking him again.”

-Clay Wynter Baker, Chairman ASMSU Programming

Rob Quist Career Highlights

CDs Released:
• In Without Knocking– Mission Mountain Wood Band (Lead Singer)
• Wake Me When That Sun Goes Down—The Montana Band (Lead Singer)
• Songs from Western Harmony—Rob Quist
• This House of Memories—Rob Quist
• Living Wild and Free—Rob Quist
• Honor Bound—Rob Quist
• New Big Sky Singers– Rob Quist, Don Collins, Gary Funk and Don MacDonald
• Western Odyssey—Rob Quist & Jack Gladstone
• Private Stash—Mission Mountain Wood Band

Productions and Musical Scores
• Currently touring with Jack Gladstone in their original production Odyssey West in honor of the 200 year Bicentennial Lewis and Clark Celebration. Quist and Gladstone performed at Thomas Jefferson’s home in Monticello in January, 2003 for the first Signature Event in honor of the Bicentennial. The show is sponsored by the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
• Starred in “No Time for a Saturday Night”, produced by Montana Outdoors featuring leading Cowboy Poets of the West.
• Wrote, co-produced and starred in the video “Roll on Forever” for Amtrak, celebrating the passenger train’s seventy years of service. The video aired on Amtrak’s Empire Builder.
• Wrote, produced, directed and starred in the highly acclaimed show “Western Harmony”, an original musical and visual narrative celebrating the centennials of several Western States. The show initially received a grant from the University of Montana, opened with a sold-out, three week run at Missoula’s Riverfront Theatre and completed a 100 date tour, including a final performance for President George Bush.
• Composed the musical score and title song for the Montana Repertory Theater’s production of “Voice of the Prairie.”
• Composed and recorded the soundtrack for the Fish and Game Department’s film, “Wild Rivers.”
• Composed numerous soundtracks for films produced by Polar Bear Productions, an independent Film Company located in Montana.

Symphonies
Rob’s original music has been arranged and scored by Ray Garner of the Glacier Orchestra, Montana Composer Jerry Fletcher and Nationally-Acclaimed Houston Symphony Arranger, Don Elam for a full symphony performance.
Rob and his Band, Great Northern, have performed with the Missoula, Butte, Great Falls, Billings and Helena Symphonies in Montana, as well as the Glacier Orchestra, the North Dakota State Symphony and the Fairbanks, Alaska Symphony.

Television Appearances
• Appeared as a special guest on NBC’s “Country Comes to New York.”
• Starred in the national Coors Beer advertising campaign, “Bars of the West.”
• Guest host of public television’s “Exploring Montana Show.”
• Special appearance on Country’s Premiere Variety Show, “Hee Haw”.
• Performed his original music as a featured guest on ABC’s Cheryl Ladd Special.

Radio Appearances
• Rob’s original song, “Blue Jean Love Affair” aired on the Top 20 Country Music Markets for a 90 day period.
• Appeared with the Riders in the Sky as Special Guest on their “Rider’s Radio Theater” which aired nationally.
• Featured instrumentalist on the “Bars of the West” National Coors Beer radio ad campaign.
• Rob Quist and his original music were featured live on two one-hour specials on KUFM Public Radio taped in Missoula, Montana and aired through the Western States.

Original Music Recorded By:
• Michael Martin Murphey: Pearls in the Snow
• Loretta Lynn: The Shoe is on the Other Foot Tonight
• Jack Gladstone: In Without Knocking

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