“I planned to go out with Ministry. But then Madonna said, ‘I want Monte here – even if he’s just standing and holding a guitar’”: Monte Pittman on his crazy journey from Guitar Center to Ministry via Prong and Madonna – and his band with Adam Lambert

Monte Pittman of Ministry plays a riff on his white ESP V against a black and purple background.

It’s a fairly well-known feel-good story that exemplifies how determination, skill and luck can take a guitarist from the dingy club scene to the greatest heights of touring success. Texas-born Monte Pittman moves to Los Angeles in 1999 and starts giving guitar lessons at Guitar Center.

One day, English filmmaker Guy Ritchie walks into the store with a Gibson J-45, and Pittman becomes his teacher. Aware that Ritchie is dating pop icon Madonna, Pittman transposes the guitar parts for her latest album Music and shows them to Ritchie. Then, as a gesture to Madonna, whose latest love song, I Deserve It, is about her future husband, Pittman teaches Ritchie how to strum the song’s chords and suggests he play it for her.