Peninsula Guitarist's Death Ruled a Suicide

The death of classic rock guitarist Ronnie Montrose who lived on the Peninsula was ruled a suicide, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Montrose, 64, shot himself to death with a .38 caliber revolver in his Brisbane home, according to a San Mateo County coroner's autopsy report issued last week.

Montrose's blood alcohol level was 0.31 (almost four times the legal limit) at the time of his last month.

The San Francisco-born Montrose played with Van Morrison, Herbie Hancock, Van Morrison, Boz Scaggs and the Edgar Winter Group, among others.

He started his own band in 1973.

Montrose's life include a bout with prostate cancer that he announced was in remission two years after his 2007 diagnosis.

Below is the text from a statement Montrose's family issued on his website:

"By now, the devastating truth of Ronnie’s death is public knowledge. We hope you can understand why we wanted to keep this news a private family matter for as long as possible. We can only hope that you will choose to celebrate Ronnie’s life, and what his music meant to you, rather than mourn his passing. Ronnie would have wanted it that way. He loved being a guitarist, a composer, a producer, and a creator of magic. He fully understood his gifts, and yet he constantly pushed himself to evolve, improve, and make better music. He did this for himself, and he did this for you, because he adored and appreciated his fans. Please keep his energy, his joy, and his love in your hearts."

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