
Monti Rock III
American singer and entertainer
- Lifespan
- May 29, 1939 – February 23, 2026May 29, 1939 – Feb 23, 2026
- Location
- Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.Las Vegas, NV, U.S.

American singer and entertainer
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Key moments and achievements from Monti Rock III's life.
Monti was born
· Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Career
Monti Rock III, born Joseph Moses Montanez Jr. in the Bronx, established himself as a flamboyant celebrity hairdresser in the 1960s, working with top models and gaining attention for his larger-than-life personality.
Career
Monti Rock III, born Joseph Moses Montanez Jr. in the Bronx, established himself as a flamboyant celebrity hairdresser in the 1960s, working with top models and gaining attention for his larger-than-life personality.
Career
His hairdressing work for models and his natural flamboyance led to appearances on The Merv Griffin Show beginning in 1966, launching his transition from hairdresser to nationally recognized entertainer.
Career
His hairdressing work for models and his natural flamboyance led to appearances on The Merv Griffin Show beginning in 1966, launching his transition from hairdresser to nationally recognized entertainer.
Career
Monti Rock III's outsized personality brought him to the national stage as a regular guest on The Tonight Show, making him one of the most recognizable talk show personalities of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Career
Monti Rock III's outsized personality brought him to the national stage as a regular guest on The Tonight Show, making him one of the most recognizable talk show personalities of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Achievement
In 1975, producer Bob Crewe created the persona Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes for Rock, yielding hit singles 'Get Dancin'' and 'I Wanna Dance Wit' Choo (Doo Dat Dance)' that became staples at Studio 54 and helped define the disco era.
Achievement
In 1975, producer Bob Crewe created the persona Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes for Rock, yielding hit singles 'Get Dancin'' and 'I Wanna Dance Wit' Choo (Doo Dat Dance)' that became staples at Studio 54 and helped define the disco era.
Achievement
In the 1977 cinematic landmark Saturday Night Fever, Monti Rock III portrayed the flamboyant disc jockey at the 2001 Odyssey disco in Brooklyn, where he presided over the dance floor during John Travolta’s iconic performances. Directed by John Badham, the film utilized Rock’s real-world credibility as a disco pioneer to ground the fictional narrative in the authentic energy of the New York club scene. His character served as the master of ceremonies for the film's most famous sequences, helping to propel the disco subculture into a global phenomenon. This role solidified Monti Rock III’s status as a permanent fixture of 1970s pop culture, ensuring his image remained synonymous with the peak of the disco era.
Achievement
In the 1977 cinematic landmark Saturday Night Fever, Monti Rock III portrayed the flamboyant disc jockey at the 2001 Odyssey disco in Brooklyn, where he presided over the dance floor during John Travolta’s iconic performances. Directed by John Badham, the film utilized Rock’s real-world credibility as a disco pioneer to ground the fictional narrative in the authentic energy of the New York club scene. His character served as the master of ceremonies for the film's most famous sequences, helping to propel the disco subculture into a global phenomenon. This role solidified Monti Rock III’s status as a permanent fixture of 1970s pop culture, ensuring his image remained synonymous with the peak of the disco era.
Career
Monti Rock III became a longstanding fixture of Las Vegas nightlife, performing regularly, writing a gossip column, and reinventing his flamboyant stage persona over multiple decades in the entertainment capital.
Career
Monti Rock III became a longstanding fixture of Las Vegas nightlife, performing regularly, writing a gossip column, and reinventing his flamboyant stage persona over multiple decades in the entertainment capital.
Monti Rock III passed away